History of the Marvel Universe #2: No sir, They're saying Siancong!

[Prof. Warren]

Except it doesn't look like their flight was post 9/11 now, they're just starting to group together and we're in the 1970's now. I'm fine with imperfections, but it seems like an odd move.

Well, if it isn't post 9/11 now, just give it time!

[strathcona]

It didn't give off an early 2000's vibe and seeing as how this is only issue two of six I'm guessing we're not supposed to think it was early 2000's either.

It's not that these events are taking place in the early 2000s, it's that they are part of the sliding timeline. The page with Groot, Dr. Strange and Wolverine is the last page that is rooted in a specific time (I could even be wrong about that and instead it's the previous page). Everything after that is constantly moving forward in time in order to keep the MU making sense. So instead of having specific dates or timeframes (like the 60s or early 2000s) you have to think of them as being 20 years ago or 15 years ago. The book doesn't end at the early 2000s, it ends at around 13 to 15 years ago.

[Loki]

It's not that these events are taking place in the early 2000s, it's that they are part of the sliding timeline. The page with Groot, Dr. Strange and Wolverine is the last page that is rooted in a specific time (I could even be wrong about that and instead it's the previous page).

Nope, you are spot on - those are the last pages rooted in a specific time. Events, people and groups left out after that (for space reasons) but prior to the arrival of the modern heroes include the 1970s Red Wolf, the 1970s Mighty Avengers, and the Skrull invasion attempt that wiped out Earth's "Lost Generation" of heroes.

Everything after that is constantly moving forward in time in order to keep the MU making sense. So instead of having specific dates or timeframes (like the 60s or early 2000s) you have to think of them as being 20 years ago or 15 years ago. The book doesn't end at the early 2000s, it ends at around 13 to 15 years ago.

Again, spot on.

[bat39]

I like the Siancong retcon. It makes sense from a logistical standpoint, and is also a way to honour the Vietnam War era origins of characters. And I'm intrigued by Waid's suggestion that we're going to see more of this conflict. Could we be getting new flashback/origin stories set during this war? Color me intrigued!

Also I think this is the first time we got a chronological placement for Weapon X relative to other Marvel events. It seems here that Wolverine got his adamantium around the time that Richard and Mary Parker died. So around 15-20 years, give or take, before he joins the X-men.

[H-E-D]

I wonder if they'll try to tie Karma's origin into this Sian-cong stuff. I'd argue we're already at the point where the sliding time-scale makes her origin of fleeing Vietnam as a child at the end of the war unworkable. Could also be a way of getting around the fact that "Xi'an Coy Manh" is not actually a Vietnamese name...