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  1. #1
    Extraordinary Member superduperman's Avatar
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    Default How long have superheroes been around in the Marvel universe?

    So I'm kind of a Jessica Jones fan and recently got the fourth volume of Alias (completing my collection) and in it it says that Spider-Man's origin took place about 15 years earlier. This would be 15 years from the time of that story. So my question is, how long have superheroes been around in the Marvel universe? Is there any resource that specifies how long they've been around?
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  2. #2
    Uncanny Member Digifiend's Avatar
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    Since around 1940. The Fantastic Four's origin roughly 15 years ago was the start of an explosion of new heroes, forming what we now know as the Marvel Age or Heroic Age. But superheroes had been around since the emergence of Sub-Mariner, the android Human Torch, and Captain America during World War II. And even then, there was a few mystery men before that, such as Union Jack.
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  3. #3
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    Since at least 1,000,000 BC…:


  4. #4
    Ultimate Member Phoenixx9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Digifiend View Post
    Since around 1940. The Fantastic Four's origin roughly 15 years ago was the start of an explosion of new heroes, forming what we now know as the Marvel Age or Heroic Age. But superheroes had been around since the emergence of Sub-Mariner, the android Human Torch, and Captain America during World War II. And even then, there was a few mystery men before that, such as Union Jack.
    Quote Originally Posted by Riv86672 View Post
    Since at least 1,000,000 BC…:

    Yes, both answers are correct!
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  5. #5
    Moderator Frontier's Avatar
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    I think the modern age of heroes has been, adjusting for the sliding timescale, about 13 years.

  6. #6
    Boisterously Confused
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    Honestly, it's probably one of those things that's better not to give too much thought to. DC has broken itself to splinters dealing with such questions. Just roll with "quite a few years back."

  7. #7
    Cosmic Curmudgeon JudicatorPrime's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrNewGod View Post
    Honestly, it's probably one of those things that's better not to give too much thought to. DC has broken itself to splinters dealing with such questions. Just roll with "quite a few years back."
    Totally agree with you. Even an ambiguous floating timeline doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Best to ignore it and go with the flow.

  8. #8
    see beauty in all things. charliehustle415's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Riv86672 View Post
    Since at least 1,000,000 BC…:

    LOL, this is exactly what I was going to post.

    I mean superheroes have been around in the Marvel Universe before Earth even existed especially if you take into account all of the gods and aliens running around

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phoenixx9 View Post
    Yes, both answers are correct!
    Exactly. In the 616 Universe, the Marvel Age started roughly 15 years ago from whatever year it is in the present. Superheroes as we think of them started in the early forties. But fantasy and science fiction characters from the Kree to various demons have been present since the begining of Earth.

  10. #10
    Better than YOU! Alan2099's Avatar
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    How do we factor time travel into this? There are a lot of modern day heroes that have had adventures, saved lives, and impacted people ages before they even got their powers chronologically.

  11. #11
    Ultimate Member Holt's Avatar
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    If you're referring to the modern age that started when the Fantastic Four first appeared, the current take seems to be roughly 15 years ago. The Marvel's #1 says that Flash Thompson joined the Army (which happened in Amazing Spider-Man #47 after he and Peter had graduated high school) 12 years ago.


  12. #12
    Original CBR member Jabare's Avatar
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  13. #13
    Uncanny Member Digifiend's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Holt View Post
    If you're referring to the modern age that started when the Fantastic Four first appeared, the current take seems to be roughly 15 years ago. The Marvel's #1 says that Flash Thompson joined the Army (which happened in Amazing Spider-Man #47 after he and Peter had graduated high school) 12 years ago.

    Yeah, it used to be 13 years ago - before Secret Wars. Between the eight month timeskip that event caused, and Miles Morales' mother and Kamala Khan's sister-in-law both having full term pregnancies since then (which would be at least nine months), it does seem to be 15 years ago now. When the Fantastic Four reunited, it was mentioned that a year had passed for Ben and Johnny since they'd last seen the others too.
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  14. #14
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    It varies on the writer but generally it's been 12-15 years since the first appearance of the Fantastic Four in the MU.

  15. #15
    Latverian ambassador Iron Maiden's Avatar
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    I think what throws a monkey wrench in things is the birth of Franklin and Valeria. Now they both are getting to be as tall as their parents. So Reed and Sue became engaged in Fantastic Four #35, got married annual #3 then Franklin is born in annual #6. Marvel kept him at the age of 4 or 5 for a long time to keep everyone from aging to quickly. Valeria, the one that is now in existence, was born in Fantastic Four #54 volume 3. We won't even get into Sue's miscarriage in Byrne's run and how Valeria Von Doom fits in.

    These days it does seem like 15 years has to be the sliding time range but soon it will have to increase. The kids seem to be getting older at a faster rate or maybe Marvel just wants to make that one jump and leave them at their current age, whatever that may be, for now.

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