THE HISTORY OF EARTH-IV Background of the Earth-IV Campaign SettingThe Doctor wrote:People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff.
DAWN OF TIMEBEFORE ALL ELSE The
Endless come into existence. They appear in order:
Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and
Delight.c. 20,000,000,000 B.C. The current universe is created.
c. 20,000,000,000 B.C. At exactly one Planck time unit (roughly 10^−43 seconds) after the creation of the universe
The Great Time War ends. Only one
Time Lord survives and he remains the only being -- short of the Endless -- to know when in the distant future it will have begun.
c. 18,000,000,000 B.C. GodWorld is formed.
c. 17,000,000,000 B.C. Life begins to evolve on GodWorld.
c. 15,000,000,000 B.C. Humanoid beings on the GodWorld who would become known as the
Old Gods fought a series of titanic wars.
BILLIONS OF YEARS AGOc. 10,000,000,000 B.C. The GodWorld is destroyed in a great war. The Old Gods are killed, and the "Godwave" is unleashed on the universe. This creates the forces in the universe (e.g, the metagene, magic, etc.) that will allow certain superpowers to work.
c. 9,999,999,999 B.C. The remains of Godworld form the twin planets
Genesis and
Apokolips. Only two of the Old Gods survive, one who will come to be called
All-Father (also known as Rao, Zeus, Krom, Odin, etc.) and one whom will come to be know as
Darkseid (or Thanatos, Chronos, Ragnarok, etc.). Each of them will create a society of
New Gods in their own image, the New Gods are effectively immortal and if killed through violence will, eventually, be reborn on their homeworld. These two soceities form the basis of every known pantheon in the universe and their constant battles against each other frequently result in mutual annihilation.
c. 5,000,000,000 B.C. The first sentinet species evolve on
Kyrpton (Kryptonians),
Oa (Oans),
Goa'ri (Goa'uld), and
Skrullos (Skrull). In time they would come to be collectivly known as the
Eternals. Each of these incredibly long-lived races is identiffied with a certain cosmic tennant: Oans - Order, Skrulls - Chaos, Kryptonians - Justice, and the Goa'uld - Self-Interest. In the modern era, very few Eternals remain and they interact with the galaxy mostly by through pawns and proxys.
c. 5,000,000,000 B.C. A fifth sentient species evolves, but remains hidded from the others, these are the Time-Lords of Gallifrey. As a whole they are sworn to neutrality and non-interference. The first species in the known cosmos to develop time travel, their history is largely unrecordable by any.
c. 4,900,000,000 B.C. The great-link of liquiform Skrulls on their homeworld becomes self-aware and devours its own biome, this Supreme Intelligence is now worshipped by all Skrulls. It wanders the galaxy seeking new worlds to consume and is feared by all as
Galactus.
c. 4,500,000,000 B.C. Kryptionian scientists seed most habitable worlds with interstellar travel devices known as
Stargates.
c. 4,500,000,000 B.C. Goa'uld geneticists successfully engineer a means by which their may use their natural parasitic abilites on nearly any species, not just the few they had naturally evolved to inhabit. Oan physical frailty makes them unsuitable, Skrull shapeshiting makes them impossible, but the physical might of Kryptonians is considered ideal. The Goa'uld and Kryptonians are soon locked into bitter war.
c. 4,000,000,000 B.C. The Oans now known as
The Guardians of Order declare themselves to be the keepers of cosmic law throughout the universe. They bind all the wild magic in the universe into the
M'Kron Crystal at the farthest reaches of space.
c. 3,900,000,000 B.C. The
Skrulls, a race of natural shapeshifters, consider the Guardians obession with order a grave threat. The Skrulls worship change, dynamism and chaos. These two Eternal races begin a rivalry that will last for billions of years.
c. 3,900,000,000 B.C. The Krpytonians found an elite fighting force that uses advanced technology to retain yellow-sun energy anywhere. They are dedicated to combating the Goa'uld and will come to be known as the
Eradicators.
c. 3,000,001,000 B.C. The Guardians create the
Manhunter androids to serve as their agents. However, they eventually rebel against their masters having been corrupted by the Skrulls.
c. 3,000,000,000 B.C. The Guardians replace the Manhunters with living agents, the
Green Lantern Corps.
c. 1,000,000,000 B.C. The Green Lantern Corps and the Eradicators drive the Goa'uld out of our galaxy.
ANCIENT TIMESc. 50,000 B.C. The Cro-Magnon hunter, Vandar Adg gains immortality from exposure to a strange meteor, setting him on the path to becoming the evil
Vandal Savage.
c. 30,000 B.C. The first
homo sapien man, known today as Adam, is born. He will become a leader among early humans.
c. 30,000 B.C. The Guardians of the Universe finally conquer the Skrull Empire, and accomplish mass genetic tampering with the species, giving them a weakness to fire, rendering them mortal, sundering their empire and scattering them across the galaxy. Several billion of them are exiled/marooned on Mars.
c. 20,000 B.C. A plague wipes out most of the Martian-Skrull race.
c. 20,000 B.C. A great civilization, rich in both magic and technology, forms on the outer edges of space near the M'Kron Crystal. This civilization evolves rapidly, and comes to call itself the
Shi'ar Empire.c. 15,000 B.C. The Green Lantern Corps discovers the use of magic by the Shi'ar, and is dispatched en masse by the Guardians to put an end to this new threat to cosmic order. Seeking to draw more and more energy from the M'Kron Crystal the Shi'Ar accidentally destroy it, releasing a beaing of pure chaotic energy which the identify with their most sacred deity, the
Phoenix. c. 14,999 B.C. The Phoenix Force decimates the Green Lantern Corps, destroys most the Guardians of Oa, and generally wreaks havoc as magic returns the universe.
c. 10,000 B.C. The Goa'uld, who had conqueored their new home galaxy millions of years earlier, have remained in isolation ever since. For unknown reasons, they awake and begin their slow jounrey into this galaxy. They are held at bay by their eternal rivals, the Kryptonians, and the few remaining Green Lanterns.
THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGOc. 1,000 B.C. To protect the
Amazons from persecution, some of the New Gods known as the Olympians transport the warrior-women to the island of
Themyscira.
c. 500 C.E. In the early 6th century
Merlin gives the Once and Future King,
Arthur Pendragon, magical equipment and instructon. King Arthur founds Camelot and forms the Round Table ushering in the Mythic Age. The evil
Morgan Le Fay destroys Camelot, imprissons Merlin in the
Rock of Ages, and is herself trapped in the
Otherworld.
EARLY 20th CENTURY1920: The first public debut of
mutants, when an 24 year old American scientist,
Charles Xavier (with assitance from his German counter-part
Erik Lensherr) publsihes a paper on their discovery of the
Metagene. The world at large reacts with fear and loathing at the thought "Xavier's New Men." Newspapers across Europe and America denounce these
"x-men" as freaks of nature. In Germany, the National Socialist Party adds mutants to their lists of
untermensch ("subhumans").
1938: During the interwar period, the U.S. Government secretly develops a project to create
super soldiers to fight in future wars, but it was sabotaged by a Nazi agent and the full formula was lost. Only one soldier,
Steve Rogers, was given the full super soldier treatment. Rogers was given the secret identity of
Captain America to be a morale-boosting symbol. Other nations across the globe engage in super soldier research projects at this time, including Nazi Germany.
December 7, 1941: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brings the U.S.A. into the second World War.
1942: When America entered the war, President Roosevelt himself arranged for several "mystery men" heroes to form a team called
The Invaders, to perform missions against the Axis Powers and their super agents. Several costumed villains had important roles among the Nazis, most infamously the Nazi Super Soldier code-named the
Red Skull and Japan's
Silver Samurai.
1951: The Invaders disband, after being persecuted under McCarthyist paranoia. Superhero activity declines (but doesn't totally disappear) afterwards. In response to this as well as the rapidly escalating cold wat between the USSR and the West, the United States government forms the covert organization
S.H.E.I.L.D. to fill the gap left by the departing heroes. The British govenment follows suit with the creation of
CHECKMATE. The Soviet Union responds in the creation of
HYDRA.
1952: Rao the anceint sun of the planet
Krypton explodes. The Kryptonian scientist Jor-El manages to save his baby son,
Kal-El by sending him to Earth through a transdimensional gateway. The planet's remains become kryptonite. The cosmic energy wave released travels across the galaxy at tremendous speeds, passing through Earth's solar system a mere decade later.
November 1, 1962: Doctor
Reed Richards, his fiance Dr.
Susan Storm, and their companions
Johnny Storm and
Ben Grimm are expossed to cosmic energy cast off by the death of Krytpon during a scientific space mission. The metagenes of all four activate, and they gain fantastic superhuman powers and become the adventurers known popularly as
The Fantastic Four.
1970: Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, yearns for a child and prays to the gods to grant her wish. During an intense hurricane, American pilot Steve Trevor is forced to crash land on the hidden island. He is the first outsider to arrive in nearly 3,000 years. Hippolyta takes him as a husband, and is soon pregnant with his child.
1971: Hippolyta gives birth to the first Amazon child, whom she names
Diana. In a closely guarded secret, known only to the Queen and her Consort, a twin brother is born. Steve Trevor flees Themscria with the male infant.
1972: Bruce Wayne is born to Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne.
1973: Kal-El arrives on the outsirks of a small Kansas farm, Jonathan and Martha Kent find him. They adopt him and name him Clark Kent.
1979: A mugger murders Thomas and Martha Wayne in what will come to be known as "Crime Alley" in Gotham City. Their son Bruce swears to fight a war on crime. The killer is never caught.
1982: After twenty years of adventure, the
Fantastic Four announce their retirement.
1985: A group of super-powered heroes operating in New York City's Harlem and Hell's Kitchen neighborhoods, consisting of
Power Man,
Black Lightning,
Iron Fist,
Green Arrow and others appears. They call themselves
The Defenders but due to a habit of accpeting donations from the neighborhoods they protect are smeared in the media as "Heroes for Hire."
1987: Bruce Wayne begins his training in a variety of disciplines.
1990: HYDRA discovers a Kryptonian
Stargate in Egypt, the device is captured by SHIELD before HYDRA can unlock its secrets.
THE MODERN HEROIC AGE1995: Clark Kent, age 22, emerges as
Superman. This inspires a new generation of superheroes to debut soon afterward. In his civilian guise as a criminal defense lawyer, he joins the staff of the New York Public Defenders Office.
1995: Bruce Wayne, age 23, begins his career as
The Batman.
Selina Kyle is inspired by Batman to become
Catwoman shortly after.
The Joker appears by the year's end.
1995: Diana, age 24, princess of the Amazons, arrives in America, where she takes the costumed identity of
Wonder Woman. She too creates a civilian identity for herself as
Donna Troy, owner of a small antiques shop.
1996: Dick Grayson, age 13, debuts as
Robin.
1996: Peter Parker, age 15, is bitten by a radioactive spider. Gaining great powers, he initally wastes them on petty gain. But, when his Uncle Ben is murdered, he vows to live up to his great responisbilty. Parker debuts as
Spider-Man soon after.
1997: Wally West, age 15, makes his debut as
The Flash.
1998: Injured in battle against a Goa'uld fleet, the sole remaining member of the Green Lantern Corps, Abin Sur of Ungara, chooses young Air Force pilot
Hal Jordan, age 20, to succeed him as the last
Green Lantern.
1998: Barbara Gordon, age 17, makes her debut as
Batgirl.
2000: Batgirl and Robin with assistance from Spider-Man foil a scheme by the Riddler to disrupt the Florida presidential election, the trio become good freinds and are dubbed by the media as the
Teen Titans.
Janurary 20, 2001: John F. Kerry is sworn in as the 42nd President of the United States.
September 11, 2001: Islamic Terrorists destroy the World Trade Center, and heavily damage the Pentagon in an unpredcedented terrorist attack.
October 11, 2001: As a reaction to the events of 9/11, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman form the
Justice League. The Flash and Green Lantern are soon persuaded to join the new League.
2002: Dick Grayson, now age 18, is Robin is "fired" by Batman.
2002: Shortly after leaving the mantle of Robin, Dick Grayson makes his debut in Detroit as
Nightwing.
2002: The Titans offically drop "Teen" from their name, although not all of the media is quick to adopt the new moniker.
2002: The Joker shoots and paralyzes Barbara Gordon, never realizing she is secretly his frequent foe Batgirl.
2003: Katar Hol comes to Earth from the Shi'Ar Empire, and takes the identy of
Hawkman.
2003: Tim Drake, then age 13, becomes the second
Robin.
2003: After the Justice League dismantles al-Qaedia in Afganistan and the brutal Taliban government, many UN member states begin to express grave concern about so much power residing in this "American" superteam. Superman reassures the world that the League is international in scope by officially renouncing his (honorary)American citizenship and signing a new charter that makes them an official UN Peacekeeper mission, named the
Justice League International. Several new members from outside the United States are recruited, including
Captain Britain,
Crimson Fox, and the
Black Panther.
2004: Lex Luthor is elected president of the United States of America.
Justine Hammer becomes the first woman elected as Vice-President.
2005: A strange group of teenagers and young adults with uncanny powers debut, stopping the mutant terrorist
Magneto from detonating America's nucelar arsenal at a Colorado Air Force Base. These four heroes called themselves
Angel, Beast, Cyclops, and
Phoenix. Upon learning they are mutants, the media dubs them
The X-Men.
2005: The Fantastic Four is persuaded by SHEILD to investigate the possibilty that Magneto is building a fortress at the Artic magnetic pole, they find no sign of Magneto but they do discover
Captain America frozen since the last days of WWII.
2005: Captain America returns to duty in the modern age, and is added to the Justice League's roster at the incistance of President Luthor.
2006: After a year of intense rivalry and distrust, Batman quits the Justice League rather than continue to work with Captain America. The final mission the two serve on together ends in tragedy, as the two issue contrary orders in the field and Crimson Fox is captured and ultimatly executed by HYDRA.
2007: Lex Luthor is revealed to have been conducting secret negotiations with Magneto. Luthor has been allowing Magneto to bring American mutants to a secret facility on Earth's Moon in exchange for a steady rare lunar elements. Luthor is impeached and removed from office. The UN recognizes Luna as an soveriegn state.
2008: Tainted by the Magneto Scandal, Hammer looses her re-elecetion bid and Barack Obama is elected as the next President of the United States.
2008: A group of young teenaged heroes, led by Oracle, are gathered as the new
Teen Titans.
2009: In an event that will become known as
The Loki Incident a Skrull warband launches an assault on New York City, Gen. Jack O'Neill of SHIELD greenlights SWORD Team-07. Led by Colonel Nick Fury this team is dubbed
The Avengers by member Janet van Dyne, the winsome Wasp, who is the only fatality during the attack. The Avengers turn back the invasion without any assistance from the Justice League and continue to operate as the USA's premire super team.
2010: Luke Cage, semi-retired since the 1990s, gives the name the Defenders to
Doctor Marvel, after she and her teammates assist him in bringing
The Purple Man to justice.
2011: Batman concludes that the Justice League places to much emphasis on world-wide crisis and that the Avengers are too much the pawn of the government. Heis also concerned over the rising number of militant and agressive "anti-heroes" operating today. Seeking to direct these individuals to his own ends, he recruits them into
The Outsiders.
by Severance » Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:14 pm 
Fun bit of trivia, we all know that the creature isn't named "Frankenstein," but did you know that Dr. Frankenstein's assistant isn't named "Igor"? His name is Fritz.
And because I know at least one of you will ask for it:
Fixed a few flaws with my math.