Splinter timeline
A splinter timeline is a universal stream that has split off from a pre-existing universal stream. In these cases, the originating continuity can look like a tree, with tiny branches signifying distinct and unreconcilable storyline directions.
Sometimes, such divergent timelines are referred to as quantum realities. The theory states that anything that can happen, does happen somewhere in the multiverse.[1]
An example of a splinter timeline is the Marvel UK text story "Another Time & Place", which is one possible ending to the Marvel Comics continuity. There are three others, namely the Generation 2 comics, the Classics stories, and Regeneration One. In the case of "Another Time & Place", it was believed at one point that it had been replaced by the Classics splinter timeline due to a cataclysmic event, but this was later disproven.
Whether all splinter timelines are unstable or volatile is a subject open to debate.
Due to the laws of quantum uncertainty, whole new universes are spawned every moment. However, most of these universes are dead ends that exist only for seconds to minutes at most and then subsequently collapse.[2]
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Deviations
In one quantum reality, Optimus Prime survived the events of 2005. Deviations
References
- ↑ Transformers: Deviations
- ↑ See Hasbro Q&A/July 2009: Answer #3 for more information.
