Marvel Comics timeline
A timeline for the events of the Generation 1 Marvel Comics universe(s).
(CONTINUITY NOTE: Beast Wars and Beast Machines take place in a universe that likely shares many facets of this timeline. Though exactly which and how many of these events, or those of the Generation 1 cartoon timeline, occur in that continuity is unknown, a link to the Beast Era timeline is provided for reference here at the points where a major historical event from those shows would occur.)
The Dawn of Time
The universe is created. According to one source, it was born from the remains of the old universe which some greedy bugger had eaten. The Void!
Prehistory
At some point, the beings Primus and Unicron have a punch-up.
Accounts differ on the background and the entities involved. One account is they were leaders of the Light Gods and the Dark Armies respectively, leading their forces into battle with each other The Legacy of Unicron!; another that they were the last of their pantheons (Unicron's being the Lords of Chaos[1]) and Primus needed to beat Unicron to join the Omniversal Matrix Primal Scream; another that Primus was called forth by the universe itself as a unique entity to prevent Unicron from destroying it. The Void!
Either way, Primus could only win by tricking Unicron into trapping his spirit in a barren asteroid — Primus was trapped in a second. Unicron turned his into a new body, while Primus turned his into the planet Cybertron and birthed the Transformers to battle Unicron in his place. The Transformers were led by Prima, the first bearer of the Primus-born Matrix of Leadership.
At some point, Demons inhabited Cybertron, and were possibly botched attempts by Primus at creating life. They ended up imprisoned by Primus in the planet's depths.
Overlords
From an unknown point of time, Cybertron was ruled by the Overlords, a governing council of absolute rulers. Over time, their power and number dwindled, until Cybertron was composed of multiple city-states who were constantly clashing with each other; the key three powers were Vos, Tarn and Iacon.
State Games
In an attempt to lessen growing hostilities caused by the splintering governments and the dwindling resources on Cybertron, the last Overlord started the State Games: an inter-city athletics tournament. This allowed the population to exorcise their hostilities, and soon the vicious athlete Megatron had a cult of personality based around him and his feats.
Vos — ruled by a Starscream-headed criminal syndicate — sent its athletic team to bomb Tarn (ruled by Shockwave) and finger Iacon as the culprit. As with all plans by Starscream, this cocked up — Tarn realised Vos had attacked it, and war broke out that devastated both cities. Iacon happily let its rivals beat on each other. During the conflict, Megatron ensured the death of the Overlord; once it was over, he used his fame and charisma to convince the war's survivors that Iacon was at fault for not stepping in to prevent the war, and that Iacon was the enemy. This angry mass became the first Decepticons. State Games
War on the Horizon
The Decepticons were considered harmless cranks to be humored, but ultimately ignored. Megatron crafted the malcontent group into a more formidable organization Legion of the Lost!, and they soon had bases in Autobot cities. In secret, the Decepticons armed themselves and were given the ability to transform into war machines — and then hit an unprepared Cybertron without warning! The Transformers (comic issue)
Early Great War
Megatron (G1) leads the Decepticons, gaining more and more ground while the Autobots continue to fall; simultaneously, his opposite number Optimus Prime rises in the ranks from squad leader to Elite Flying Corps head to a general, and the two first clash in battle over the powerful Underbase.
Eventually Megatron has pushed the Autobots to Iacon itself, and Optimus Prime leads a successful defensive that turns him back. During that battle, Emirate Xaaron has the Iacon government grant Optimus full control of the armed forces and the ability to do what he wants without needing to go to them — which he was doing anyway! And There Shall Come...a Leader!
The war becomes a battle between two evenly matched sides. Megatron, desiring to turn Cybertron into a cosmic dreadnought, builds planet-engines and triggers one that sends the planet off its orbit. Legion of the Lost! This eventually takes it far too close to an asteroid belt, which will destroy it utterly; Optimus leads a team of the Autobots' finest in the Ark to clear the path of rocks. Following this, he intends to make peace gestures to the Decepticons... who then attack in force and board the Ark, causing Optimus to crash the ship into some uninhabited planet to end Megatron's threat. The Transformers (comic issue)
Post-Arklaunch
The Autobots are left distraught and leaderless by the loss of the Ark, and send Navigator to find it (he gets lost) Man of Iron!. The Decepticons quickly gain a new leader in the brutal Trannis, and the war begins going their way once again. Eventually Trannis just gets bored and has Iacon bombed to slag. The Autobots only survive due to Emirate Xaaron having prepared for the army to go underground, and a long-lasting insurgency begins. The commando group the Wreckers kill Trannis, but this just leaves Straxus in charge Cybertron: The Middle Years! to start chucking all Autobots, neutrals, empties, failed Decepticons and the postman into the Smelting pool. The Smelting Pool!
Meanwhile, a bunch of Decepticons unlock the key to biomorphic reproduction, a pre-Matrix way of reproducing. The Power and the Glory This new second generation of Decepticons, including Jhiaxus, happily throw themselves into the war but eventually become bored with it; they leave Cybertron behind to colonise space (exterminating any organic life on said colony worlds in the process) under the aegis of the Cybertronian Empire. Neither the Autobots nor Straxus' Decepticons notice this, carrying on a war Jhiaxus and Co believe is irrelevant. War Without End!
Current era
1984
A volcanic eruption reactivates Teletraan I, the internal computer of the Ark. The Autobots and the Decepticons awaken, and restart the Great War. The Transformers
The Decepticons kidnap the mechanic Sparkplug Witwicky, and force him to adapt their systems to earthen fuel. Prisoner of War!
After some battles, Man of Iron The Enemy Within! Raiders of the Last Ark the Decepticons launch a final attack on the Autobots. When the Decepticons have the upper hand, they fall due to Witwicky making the fuel poisonous for them. However, the Autobots' victory is short-lived, because of the arrival of Shockwave, who defeats the remaining Autobots. The Last Stand
Shockwave assumes command of the Decepticons (beating the snot out of Megatron to cement this) and deactivates all of the Autobots except Ratchet, who was absent at the time of the attack, and Optimus Prime, who is kept alive as a disembodied head. Prime secretly passes the Creation Matrix, a life-giving power, onto human ally Buster Witwicky. The New Order The Worse of Two Evils!
Ratchet retrieves the Dinobots from the Savage Land and, with their help, takes down Megatron. Repeat Performance! With their help, the Ark is secured and the Autobots reactivated (sans Prime who's a prison of Shockwave), but at the seeming cost of Swoop's life. The Dinobots go AWOL. The Wrath of Guardian! The Wrath of Grimlock!
Jazz secures a mutual-benefit alliance with G.B. Blackrock, solving the Autobot fuel concerns. DIS-Integrated Circuits! Shockwave uses Optimus' Creation Matrix to give life to the Constructicons The Next Best Thing to Being There!, but later the Autobots recover their commander despite severe injuries. Shockwave is left MIA, and the Matrix returned to Optimus; he uses it to bring life to Decepticon construct Jetfire, who joins the Autobots. Prime Time!
Buster Witwicky introduces the recovering Autobots to the concept of Christmas, which Prime takes a bit too far. Christmas Breaker!
1991
With the help of the Last Autobot, the Autobots force the Decepticons into exile. End of the Road!
Marvel UK future timelines
Original future
1990
Megatron was in command of a large number of Decepticons. He undercovered and executed Autobot deep-cover agent Warmonger. Aspects of Evil!
A Decepticon Civil War - between Megatron, Shockwave and Scorponok - kicks off here. Aspects of Evil
1991
The Civil War raged on before ending with Megatron victorious. While Shockwave would be absorbed into Megatron's army, Scorponok was left wounded, alone and hunted; he only survived by forcing the Autobots to intervene against his pursuers. Aspects of Evil
1995
To improve relations with human feminists, Optimus Prime creates Arcee, the first Female Transformer. It... doesn't work very well. Prime's Rib!
2003
Plans are drawn up for an Autobot City on Earth, funded with help from Earth's governments. Ultra Magnus is commanding the Ark at this point. Ark Duty
2004
Autobot City is completed. Shockwave attacks the opening ceremony, intending to shatter Autobot-human relations and use this victory to usurp control from Megatron. It fails badly. Aspects of Evil
2006
By this point, the Decepticons rule Cybertron; the Autobots reside in moon bases and Autobot City. Time travel technology is possessed by both factions. Earth has weather control systems.
Megatron starts the Battle of Autobot City. As a result, Optimus Prime is killed and Ultra Magnus becomes the new Autobot Commander; the monstrous Unicron turns up, reformatting a dying Megatron into Galvatron. The Transformers: The Movie
Deciding he doesn't want to work for Unicron, Galvatron and his mates time-travel to 1986; Unicron mentally steers Hot Rod, Kup and Blurr to bring him back, and tortures Galvatron back into obedience when they have. Target 2006
Unicron attacks Cybertron. Hot Rod opens the Matrix and becomes Rodimus Prime, who hurls Galvatron into space, destroys Unicron, and leads the Autobots in reclaiming Cybertron. The Transformers: The Movie Shockwave takes command of the shattered Decepticons, while Galvatron is missing (he time-jumped to 1987 at the moment of defeat). Rodimus, concerned about Galvatron, sends the Autobots searching across space to find the guy. Wanted:Galvatron — Dead or Alive!
2007
With the Autobot army stretched, Shockwave was able to re-organise the Decepticon army and retake half of Cybertron. Stalemate ensured; Rodimus, out of desperation, puts a dead-or-alive bounty on Galvatron's head, something that backfires when it causes Death's Head to time-jump to 1987 looking for the bounty. Wanted:Galvatron — Dead or Alive! Rodimus, Kup, Blurr and (accidentally) Wreck-Gar went after him Burning Sky! and brought him back, but failed to secure Galvatron.
Shockwave, wanting to cement his power, set it up so Death's Head would kill Rodimus, Cyclonus and Scourge. All three lived, but the latter two would be fleeing Death's Head for the rest of the year. Headhunt
2008
2009
Post-Time Wars future
1990
Megatron - well, his Straxus clone - seizes control of a large number of Decepticons. Knowing he will become Galvatron, he decides to work more patiently. The Rise and Fall of the Decepticon Empire
A Decepticon Civil War - between Megatron, Shockwave and Scorponok - kicks off, with all factions having an Earth-bound presence. Megatron is actively working with his future-as-Galvatron in mind. Trigger-Happy!
2006
Megatron starts the Battle of Autobot City. As a result, Optimus Prime is killed and Ultra Magnus becomes the new Autobot Commander; the monstrous Unicron turns up, and Megatron reaches his destiny of being Galvatron. The Transformers: The Movie
This time, Galvatron doesn't go back in time but sticks around to be remain Decepticon commander after Unicron's destruction. He leads a conquest of Cybertron. Aspects of Evil!
2009
Rodimus Prime and his team return home from the Time Wars to find the present day is altered. They either join or establish a resistance group on Cybertron, which is quickly defeated; Galvatron uses Rodimus' rage to give the Matrix-trapped Unicron an opening. Aspects of Evil! The Autobot forces - numbering 430 - flee Cybertron to the stronghold of Autobot City on Earth, with a goodwill gesture of Energon. The Void! (UK) Edge of Impact
2010
On New Year's Day, as the Autobots are in transit to Earth, Unicron uses the Matrix to possess Rodimus' body. The possessed Rodimus first sabotages the ship and then tries to kill all the Autobots; Prime is able to defeat Unicron within the Matrix, but it is taken from him before he can exorcise the being. The Void! (UK) Edge of Impact Shadow of Evil White Fire As a result, Unicron later possesses Rodimus again-this time he recreates his old body and tears through Cybertron (seemingly killing Galvatron) before being stopped. Aspects of Evil!
2356
The war is over, but Rodimus and the Matrix still contain Unicron. Rodimus has physically decayed and is kept in a medbay in Autobot City. Rodimus is visited by a student, whom Unicron's presence is able to corrupt towards evil; Prime realises the Chaos-Bringer is making another bid for freedom. Aspects of Evil!
Peace
2510
The war continues into the early 26th Century, when the penultimate Decepticon is finally killed. Rodimus Prime is in charge of a much reduced Autobot force (only the Wreckers, Ultra Magnus, and the Technobots are in evidence). When Prime tries to stand down, the actions of a Decepticon double agent and underlying tensions & friction among the Autobots spark off an Autobot civil war. Peace
Earthforce timeline
1990
1991
1992
Rhythms of Darkness
2005
Megatron starts the Battle of Autobot City. As a result, Optimus Prime is killed and Ultra Magnus becomes the new Autobot Commander; the monstrous Unicron turns up, reformatting a dying Megatron into Galvatron. The Transformers: The Movie
Hot Rod gains the Matrix and becomes Rodimus Prime, but not in time to stop Unicron from devouring Cybertron. Unicron grants Galvatron freedom to command the Decepticons and conquer Earth. Rhythms of Darkness!
2009
By this point, the Americas are under Decepticon control and much of them have been wiped out; the Autobots are mostly extinct, reduced to a mere handful, and Rodimus is dead. The European Crisis Coalition almost launch a nuclear assault (not realising the Decepticons will absorb the resulting energy) but the American human-Autobot resistance make a defiant public gesture, getting the attack called off. Galvatron is abducted by three unknown figures. Rhythms of Darkness!
References
- ↑ Marvel UK letter's page, #282
