Multiverse (Marvel Comics)

The classification system for alternative realities was invented, in particular, by Mark Grunwald.

Universe / Timeline

The Universe / Chronology is a separate reality ^[1] , like Earth-616, the main Marvel Universe / chronology. Note : in Marvel Comics, the concept of chronology is not the same as “dimension” or “universe”; for example, characters like Mephisto and Dormammu come from other dimensions, and Celestials from another universe, but all of them nonetheless belong to Earth-616. The timeline should also not be confused with a stamp ; for example, although the events of publications under some stamps, such as Ultimate Marvel , occur in a different chronology, some or all publications under other stamps, such as Epic Comics , Marvel MAX or Marvel UK , occur in Earth-616 chronology. Note : in the context of the “Marvel Universe,” it is often used to refer to the Marvel Multiverse or even the Marvel Megaworld .

Multiverse

A multiverse is a collection of alternative universes ^[2] with a similar nature and universal hierarchy. The Marvel Multiverse includes Earth-616, most of the worlds “What If?”, As well as a large number of alternative Earths that appeared in the Marvel Universe.

The original term and concept was created by Michael Moorcock for his cycle “ Eternal Warrior ”, whose main characters are similar to the Captain’s Corps of Britain.

Megaworld

The Mega Universe ( Marvel Comics ) includes the New Universe, the Ultra Universe and the Multiverse, which in turn are a cluster of alternative universes and sequences, and is limited only to the Omniverse. It is the Megaworld that is guarded by the Living Tribunal ^[3] . The 21st Century Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe defines the term “Megaworld” as the name for such a large grouping, although since there is always the possibility that any future publications will increase the interactions between different multiverses, this is an oscillating definition. According to the official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Guidebook Appendix Glossary, the Mega Universe was created by the so-called “Supreme” - the true Marvel God ^[4] .

The Universe

The Universe (Omniviverse, the Universe) is a collection of every single Megaworld, dimensions and time intervals, as well as (alternative or pocket) and worlds ^[5] . It includes not only the Marvel Comics Megaworld, but also DC Comics , Image , Dark Horse , Archie and every universe ever mentioned or seen (and an infinite number of never mentioned or seen), including our own world. Everything is in the Universe and there is only one Universe (Meta Universe, Universe). According to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe : Alternate Universes: “It includes every literary creation, television series, movie, urban legend, universe, dimension, etc., that have ever existed. It includes everyone from Popeye to Rocky Balboa , to Ronald Reagan , to Romeo and Juliet , to Luke Skywalker , etc. "

The term was coined by Mark Grunwald in his fan-made publication, A Treatise on Reality in Comic Book Literature, and was also the name of a fanzine , two editions of which he published before being hired by Marvel. Prior to this, a similar concept was developed by Robert Heinlein (the idea of ​​“The World as a Myth”).

Most noticeably, almost every single storyline of the series “ What If ... ” (“ What if ...” ) and “Exiles” refers to a separate universe in a multiverse, although a random pair of issues where the characters and situations do not coincide, obviously, could divide the universe. Numeric designations for such seldom open outside reference works, such as “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005” ( The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternative Universes). However, ARMOR and the Pegasus Project seem to have extensive knowledge of other Marvel realities and use the same notation; Is it just for the convenience of the plot by Marvel authors or whether the unusual decision of these agencies to use an essentially alien cataloging method has not yet been announced.

The numerical designations of these alternative universes over the years have been validated by Marvel Comics and compiled in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 and Marvel publications after the release of “Handbook”. The predominant method of numbering the universe is to obtain numbers in any way from the date of publication of the issue associated with the universe, usually its first appearance. This, in turn, is based on the erroneous assumption that Earth 616 received its number from the date of publication of The Fantastic Four ( Fantastic Four ) No. 1 (November 1961).

According to Kuznets , the mutants living on these alternative Lands lost their strength due to Day M , as mentioned in Endangered Species , but this massive loss of strength was not visible in any of Marvel’s current alternate reality publications, such as Exiles, Ultimate comics, Amazing Spider-Girl, Marvel Adventures or GeNext comics, although it is possible that a time issue may be related to their exclusion. However, during the Kompleks Messiah, Kuznets reported that all mutants lost their strength in possible future, rather than parallel universes ^[6] . This, in addition to the BRONI observation that Lyra came from an alternate reality ^[7] , shows that the topology of the Marvel multiverse is based on new realities that diverge from key points of the time axis, instead of strictly parallel measurements.

Other realities

See also: Marvel Comics Multiverse Worlds List . Not every alternative reality is a fully independent universe; instead, it maintains a parity relationship with maternal reality. Others may exist outside of a multiverse structure at all.

Pocket Dimensions: Universes within Universes

• Anti-Earth (Revival of Heroes): A pocket dimension where Franklin Richards saved many of Earth's superheroes after the events surrounding the onslaught. Doom saved Anti-Earth from an unstable pocket dimension by placing it in Earth-616 orbit on the opposite side of the Sun.
• Vacuum: A pocket dimension that exists inside a Shaman's mascot bag.
• Soul Stone: A pocket dimension existing within the orange Infinity Stone.
• Microuniverse: Initially, there were many microuniverses in the Marvel Multiverse. The most frequently visited is the one that contains regions known as the Sub-Atomics and the Homeland of the Micronauts.
• Mojomir: A dimension where all beings are carried away by gladiatorial television programs. Operated by Mojo and is the home of the Skirmisher and the X-Kids.
• Negative zone: Mostly uninhabited, this universe is parallel to the earth with many coincidences. One big difference is that all matter in the Negative zone is negatively charged. Here is the Alpha Prison of the Negative Zone. Also the home of Blastaar and Annigilus.
• Invaded Universes: A series of universes recognized as extremely powerful unnamed beings by failures; includes the Suicide Dimension, the Universe, the 976th Universe, the Garbage Universe, the Don't-worry-be-happy-Universe, the Noriega Universe, the Narcissus Universe, the Media Universe, the Puppet Universe, and the Universe.
• Otherworldly place: Also known as "Purgatory" or "Devilish Purgatory." The magical dimension of demons, which was historically controlled by Belasco and was presented mainly in the X-Men comics.
• Accidental World: The Universe where the Marvel / DC Parody takes place.
• Hill: The dangerous pocket dimension used by Mikhail Rasputin after the flood of the Morlock tunnels. Rasputin brought all the Morlocks to the Hill to raise them in the mood of "the strongest survives." In this dimension, time goes several times faster. Although only a year or two passed in 616, more than 10 years passed in the Hill. Marrow and other members of the Gene Nation have grown up in this dimension.
• X Dimension:

External Realities

• Avalon: Also known as the Otherworld . House of Merlin, Roma and the Captain’s Corps of Britain. Based on the mythical Avalon .
• Dark Force Dimension: The origin of Dark Force is unknown. Some stories suggest that this is actually matter from a parallel universe, which can be accessed in a mystical way. Among the related characters are Cloak and Shroud.
• Panoptichrum: A place that allows you to observe and visit any reality of the Marvel Megaworld, if not the Universe. Its base of exiles, hopping for realities, is structurally not similar, but functionally similar to Avalon.
• Purgatory: Also known as the “True Purgatory” or “Temporal Purgatory”. Out of time, Immortus has historically ruled the place where the Rum-space knight expelled the Scary Ghosts.

• Classification system for alternative realities in Russian