Earth 616.
Aliases Earth-One, Earth-Two, Earth B, Earth-Earth, Marvel
U, Marvel Universe's reality, The
Positive Zone, Prime Earth, Prime Marvel Universe, Prime Reality, Prime Universe, the 616, The Marvel Universe, Universe Prime.
The reality of Earth-616 has gone through eight different
incarnations, all triggered by different instances of multiversal renewal,
which constitutes in the destruction and re-creation of everything there is.
Little is known of most of Earth-616's incarnations. The
fifth is said to have been a dark cosmos of deep magic, and the sixth was the universe where the
paradise-like planet of Taa existed. When the sixth incarnation was destroyed by an
entity called the Black Winter, it left
an existential void in its wake until the universe was eventually reborn as a
consequence of the Big Bang.
This seventh incarnation is the most widely known of them
all, where the Earth existed, protected by heroes like the Avengers and the
Fantastic Four. The seventh iteration of Earth-616 suffered from an early death
as a consequence of the multiversal phenomena known as the incursions.[20] The
intervention of Mister Fantastic in its rebirth caused the eighth incarnation
to be a direct continuation of the seventh, instead of being a completely new
version. Because of the abnormal nature
of the most recent death and rebirth of the Multiverse, some of the Abstract
Entities argue that the current incarnation is still the seventh, while others
claim it is indeed the eighth.
Seventh and Eighth Incarnations
The Seventh Cosmos came into being with the Big Bang, where
the Celestials appeared and began creating planets, stars, galaxies, and life
itself. The dark god Knull - one of several entities embodying the primordial
void - declared war on them and all existence, and it is at some point during
this time that Ego the Living Planet was created and Galan - the last survivor
of a dead cosmos - emerged from the Lifebringer One as the Devourer of Worlds,
Galactus.
Among the earliest races of beings to evolve and build
mighty civilizations in the expanding new Universe were the various races of
the Elders of the Universe. Another significant race to appear was that of the
Watchers, who took upon themselves the task of observing the other races but
were sworn never to interfere with them. The symbiotes are also among the
primordial species of the cosmos, having been created at the beginning of the
universe in order to corrupt and destroy it.
In time there arose the Kree and the Skrulls, whose galactic
empires were in conflict for millions of Earth years. But it was the enigmatic,
nearly omnipotent Celestials, who first took notice of the seemingly
insignificant world we call Earth.
The first Celestial arrived on Earth four-billion years into
the past, fatally infected by the Horde, and its death contaminated the
primordial planet with its cosmic energies and laid the groundwork for Earth to
become a hotbed of superhuman potential. Roughly one million years ago, the First Host
of Celestials arrived to experiment on humanity's ancestors, creating two new
races: the godlike Eternals and the grotesque Deviants; while purportedly
giving mankind's forbears the genetic potential to one day produce
super-powered beings. Additionally Mutants also emerged as well and much like
their Humans (Homo sapiens) counterparts they were derived from the Celestials.
25,000 years ago the Kree performed similar experiments on
primitive humans, who, as one of the Kree sentries later discovered, became the
highly evolved race of Inhumans.
Meanwhile, great human civilizations arose in Atlantis,
Valusia, and elsewhere, only to be destroyed by the Great Cataclysm. 3,000
years later, sunken Atlantis would be settled by the water-breathing ancestors
of today's Atlanteans.
After the Cataclysm there was a new age of warriors and
wizards on the surface, in which a sword-wielding barbarian rose to become the
greatest monarch of his time.
Still later, powerful humanoids beings descend to Earth to
seek worship as gods from the people of ancient Egypt and Greece and from the Norsemen.
These were the times of legend, when beings such as Hercules and Thor first
walked the Earth.
And when the gods departed, mortal heroes rose in their
place. For example, in medieval times in England, the original Black Knight
defended King Arthur from the many threats to his reign at Camelot.
More centuries passed, and new heroes arose in the 19th
century American West. The adventures of Kid Colt, the Rawhide Kid, the original Night Rider, and the Two-Gun Kid became legends.
With World War I came the first costumed heroes. But there
were only a few, like the first Union Jack,[31] and their careers ended with
the war.
In World War II Sgt. Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos, at
the forefront of millions of other valiant Allied soldiers, proved that men
needed no super-powers to soundly defeat Nazi menaces.
But it was during World War II that first super-powered
costumed heroes appeared. There was Captain America, the Atlantean Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, the
original android Human Torch, and many others. Their victories over the Axis
powers thrilled the world. But these new heroes disappeared after the war's
end.
The age of super hero had not yet truly arrived. But the
lives of certain individuals were moving in fateful directions, and that age
drew ever nearer. The world had lost sight of Captain America, whom cold seas
had placed into suspended animations, to be found and worshipped by Inuits who,
having no idea who he was, supposed him a deity of some sort. His ex-partner,
the Sub-Mariner, had been deprived of his memory by an adversary, and was now
no more than pathetic derelict living on the streets of New York. Nick Fury had
become a colonel assigned to the C.I.A., but he longed to get out from behind a
desk and to plunge back into action. Soon the C.I.A. would send inventor Tony
Stark on a secret mission to a conflict in Afghanistan. But for now Stark
revels in his life as a playboy, free of the burdens he will bear when he
becomes Iron Man.
Another scientist,
Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, finds himself labouring for the government on a secret
test of a new weapon he has invented, the gamma bomb that will turn him into
the monstrous Hulk. And still another scientist, Dr. Henry Pym, is now ready to
test whether certain subatomic particles he has discovered can shrink a human
being in size.
Dr. Don Blake feels a
sudden desire to take a vacation to Norway. Although he does not know it, it is
there he will reclaim his true form, that of Thor, God of Thunder. Professor
Charles Xavier has rarely traveled far from his mansion since he was crippled
years before. For some time now he has tutored Jean Grey in using her powers.
Both of them are mutants. Soon, he will have other students, a team of mutant
X-Men. Dr. Stephen Strange has recently returned from his own travels and taken
a house in New York's Greenwich Village. He is now ready to act on his own,
having been trained in Asia to be a master of the mystic arts. Meanwhile, Matt
Murdock and his best friend Foggy Nelson are studying to begin their careers in
law. It is not as a lawyer that Murdock will bring his father's killer to
justice, however, but as the masked Daredevil.
And a much younger
student, Peter Parker, soon to become the amazing Spider-Man, escapes from the
taunts of bullies into the world of science that he loves.
Testing faster-than-light space travel, scientist Reed
Richards, sister and brother Sue and Johnny Storm, and pilot Ben Grimm sneak
off into space in a rocket. In space, the four are bombarded by cosmic rays.
The auto-pilot lands the ship back on Earth, where they find themselves
physically transformed and possessing remarkable new abilities. Sue can turn
invisible. Ben has transformed into an orange, muscular "thing" with
super-strength. Reed's body became highly malleable, allowing him to stretch
into any shape. Johnny's body bursts into flame, and he can fly. Thus these
four friends become the first of a new generation of Superheroes.
Characteristics
Reality
Earth-616 has all the features of our reality: same
countries, same personalities (politicians, movie stars, presidents, etc.),
same historical events (Trojan War, World Wars, 9/11, etc.), and so on.
However, it also features distinct ones, such as countries like Wakanda,
Latveria, and Genosha, and organizations like the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D.
and its main enemy, Hydra. Earth-616 is the mainstream continuity of the Marvel
multiverse and where most of Marvel's comics take place.
Superheroes and Villains
Earth-616's major heroes (the ones who get involved in most
of the important events) are the Amazing Spider-Man, the Invincible Iron Man,
Doctor Strange the Sorcerer Supreme, Daredevil the Man Without Fear, the Mighty
Thor, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director Nick
Fury, and Captain America. The Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the
Defenders and the Guardians of the Galaxy are the biggest team players,
although the memberships of the groups have often changed. The Avengers have
included most of Earth-616's major heroes as members at one time or another.
The X-Men consists of various mutants, such as Wolverine, Storm, and Phoenix
brought together by Professor X. The Defenders were an ad hoc team formed by
Doctor Strange to help him deal with major menaces to the world, often
including the Hulk, the Sub-Mariner, the Silver Surfer, and various other
heroes with its most recent incarnation consisting of street-level heroes
Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. The Guardians of the Galaxy
are a group of rag-tag cosmic misfits consisting of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the
Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot but the team has included Iron Man, The
Thing, and Kitty Pryde as members. The Fantastic Four are the "First
Family" of superheroes comprising of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human
Torch, and The Thing. The Inhuman Royal Family are the rulers of the city of
Attilan and have Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, and
Lockjaw. The Runaways are six teenagers and a dinosaur from Los Angeles,
California comprised of Alex Wilder, Karolina Dean, Nico Minoru, Chase Stein,
Gertrude Yorkes, Molly Hayes, and Old Lace all of whom rebelled against their
parents known as The Pride. The Midnight Sons have featured Marvel's
supernatural/horror heroes such as Doctor Strange and Moon Knight. The New
Warriors have been the home of various teenage superheroes like Night Thrasher,
Marvel Boy, Namorita, Justice, Speedball, Debrii, and Firestar. The Power Pack
are four children, now teenagers, who got their powers from a dying alien; they
are Zero-G, Energizer, Lightspeed, and Mass Master. Alpha Flight are Canada's
top super-team most of whom are mutants such as Guardian, Sasquatch, Northstar,
Aurora, Snowbird, Shaman, and Puck.
As one would expect from a universe of superheroes, evil and
crime are bound to erupt such as the case with Victor von Doom perhaps better
known as Doctor Doom, archenemy of the Fantastic Four. Doctor Doom has the
record of most heroes fought, having fought nearly every hero on Earth including
the Avengers and X-Men. Other major villains include Magneto, the mutant master
of magnetism, and the mutant overlord Apocalypse, both former archenemies of
the X-Men; corrupt businessman Norman Osborn, the megalomaniacal Green Goblin,
Doctor Otto Octavius, a.k.a Doctor Octopus, and Venom were all top archenemies
of Spider-Man; Victor Creed, Sabretooth, archenemy of X-Men member Wolverine;
the Kingpin of Crime Wilson Fisk and the mercenary Bullseye are archenemies of
Daredevil; Samuel Sterns a.k.a. The Leader and Emil Blonsky, the
gamma-irradiated monster known as the Abomination, archenemies of the
Incredible Hulk; the Dreaded Dormammu and Baron Mordo, archenemies of Doctor
Strange; the Nazi Fascist Red Skull, archenemy of Captain America; the trickster
god Loki, archenemy of Thor; the Mandarin, archenemy of Iron Man; Thanos, Kang
the Conqueror, and Ultron, archenemies of the Avengers; Mephisto, archenemy of
both Ghost Rider and the Silver Surfer; the terrorist organization known as
Hydra and its leader Baron von Strucker are the archenemies of S.H.I.E.L.D. and
Nick Fury. Maximus is commonly the sworn enemy of Black Bolt and the other
Inhumans. Another huge threat is the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus, who has been
fought many times by the Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer, as well as other
heroes.
A degree of paranoid fear against mutants exists due to
stories of mutants being a race or even a species (Homo superior or Homo
sapiens superior) that is evolving and is meant to replace normal humans. This
has caused organizations to form to deal with the problem, who can be divided
into three camps: those who seek peaceful coexistence between mutants and
normal humans (the X-Men and their affiliated groups), those who seek to
control or eliminate humans to give mutants safety or dominance (Magneto and
his followers, as well as other mutants such as Apocalypse), and those who seek
to regulate or eliminate mutants in favor of humans. The latter often use the
robots known as Sentinels as weapons.
Origin of Superhuman Powers
Most of the superhumans owe their powers to the Celestials,
cosmic entities who visited Earth one million years ago and experimented on our
prehistoric ancestors (a process they also carried out on several other
planets). This resulted in the creation of two hidden races, the godlike
Eternals and the genetically unstable Deviants, in addition to giving some
humans an "x-gene" in their genes, which sometimes activates
naturally, resulting in sometimes superpowered, sometimes disfigured
individuals called mutants.
Others require catalysts (such as radiation) to cause their
powers to manifest. With the exception of psionic abilities, these powers are
usually random; rarely do two people have the exact same set of powers. It is
not clear why the Celestials did this, although it is known that they continue
to observe humanity's evolution.[48] The majority of the public is unaware of
what may cause superhuman powers.
Earth-616 0001.
Other origins for superhuman powers include magic, genetic
manipulation, or bionic implants. Some heroes and villains have no powers at
all, but depend instead on hand-to-hand combat training or advanced
technological equipment. Technology is slightly more advanced than in our
world; this is due to unique individuals of genius intelligence, such as Reed
Richards (Mister Fantastic) of the Fantastic Four, Tony Stark (the Invincible
Iron Man), Bruce Banner (the Incredible Hulk), and Doctor Doom. However, most of
the really advanced devices (such as powered armor and death rays) are too
expensive for the common citizen, and are usually in the hands of government
organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D., or powerful criminal organizations like the
Maggia, A.I.M., and Hydra. One major company producing these devices is Stark
International, owned by Tony Stark (Iron Man), but there are others. Advanced
technology has also been given to humans by hidden races, aliens, or time
travelers like Kang the Conqueror, who is known to have influenced the robotics
industry in the past.
The battery effect; the cells in the body have the same
function as batteries, being charged with energy that comes from an outer
source. This is most often seen in gamma exposed individuals as the Hulk, who
get their powers from this stored energy. The powers will remain as long as the
energy is present, and can even be increased by filling the
"batteries" even more. If the energy is emptied, the powers will fade
away.
Power Primordial is a leftover force from the Big Bang, and
is controlled by the Elders of the Universe.
Psionic energy, which is assumed to be an invisible, unknown
form of energy generated by all living brains which has the ability to
manipulate other forms of matter and energy.
Universal psionic field is a force present everywhere in the
universe, but only those with abilities to connect to it can make use of its
energy.
The Enigma Force is suspected to be connected to the
Microverse, and is also the source of the Uni-Power, which transforms an
individual into Captain Universe.
Extra-dimensional spaces can be tapped in order to pull mass
from them, to add to objects on Earth, or take away from those objects and be
stored in those "pocket dimensions" to be retrieved later. This is
how characters like the Hulk can grow and shrink with no visible absorption of
mass. A type of subatomic particle called Pym Particles can be used for these
effects. (Note that many giant-sized characters have the secret ability to
manipulate gravity to handle their increased weight.) The change in mass can be
in the form of a density change instead, allowing a character to become harder
or incorporeal. Some characters can seem to "transform" themselves
(or others) into nonliving substances, or even pure energy, by storing their
bodies in extradimensional space and replacing them with bodies made from
matter or energy from that dimension, while their souls remain on Earth,
controlling their new body. Travel into other dimensions can also be used as a
way to "teleport" by exiting the Earth dimension and re-entering it
at a different point.
Darkforce is a dark substance from the Darkforce Dimension
which can be summoned and manipulated in many ways: to create impenetrable
darkness, to solidify it in various forms, and (most notably) to absorb the
"life energy" from living beings (not all users can use all these
effects). The Darkforce can also be used to travel to and from its home
dimension, but this is dangerous to all except those with Darkforce powers. Some
believe that the Darkforce is sentient and sometimes has an evil influence on
those who use it. Various heroes and villains have versions of Darkforce
powers, including Darkstar, the first Blackout, the Shroud, Cloak, and Quagmire
(of the Squadron Supreme Universe). Cloak seems to be the prime 'portal' to the
Darkforce, however.
Lightforce or the Living Light is the opposite of the
Darkforce and a form of energy which resembles light and also comes from its
own dimension, but has healing effects on living beings (except ones made of
darkness or Darkforce). It is unknown if it might be sentient. Cloak's partner,
Dagger, seems to be the Living Light's main avatar.
The Power Cosmic is a force which can alter reality,
allowing the user to do whatever he or she wants (including breaking the laws
of physics), only being limited by how much cosmic energy the character can
harness at one time. It seems to be part of the universe itself and it can be
linked directly to Galactus as its primary wielder or even source. The Heralds
of Galactus, including Silver Surfer and Nova are imbued with the Power Cosmic.
Magic also appears to be like a form of energy, except that
it can defy the laws of physics naturally. However, it does have rules of its
own to follow, which vary with the method of invocation, usually in the form of
spoken spells. It appears to be present in everything, even living beings. All
humans in the Marvel Universe have the ability to use magic, but only if
properly trained. Most people are unaware that magic actually works. In
addition, powerful magical beings from other dimensions have created specific,
extremely powerful magical spells that they allow to be used (often
indiscriminately) by those sorcerers who invoke their names; one example is the
trinity of beings called the Vishanti, who serve as patrons to heroic
sorcerers. At any given time, there is a sorcerer on Earth whose task is to
protect the universe against extradimensional mystical invaders; this sorcerer
is known as the Sorcerer Supreme, an office formerly held by Doctor Strange,
and later held by Doctor Voodoo.
"Hellfire" is a magical force which resembles
fire, but is cold and hurts the soul rather than the physical body; it is used
mostly by demonic beings.
Non-Human Races
In addition to mutants, Eternals, and Deviants, several
other intelligent races have existed secretly on Earth. These include: The
Inhumans, another genetically unstable race (like the Deviants, but in their
case its due to their use of a substance called 'Terrigen') which was created
by a Kree experiment long ago; The Subterraneans, a race of humanoids adapted
to living below the surface, created by the Deviants (some subterraneans were
transformed into 'Lava Men' by a demon); and Homo mermanus, a humanoid race of
water-breathers that lives in Earth's oceans. Most of these races have advanced
technology but existed hidden from humanity until recent times. More variants
of humanity can be found in the Savage Land (see the
"Places"-section, below).
Alien Races
There are thousands of intelligent alien races in known
space (the local group of galaxies). Earth has interacted with many of them due
to the fact that a major "hyperspace warp" happens to exist in our
solar system. The three major space empires are:
The Kree, who rule the Kree Galaxy, also known as the Large
Magellanic Cloud
The Skrulls, who rule the Skrull Galaxy, also known as the
Andromeda Galaxy
The Shi'ar, who rule the Shi'ar Galaxy
The three are often in direct or indirect conflict, which
occasionally involve Earth people; in particular, the Kree and Skrulls are
ancient enemies, and the Kree-Skrull War has involved humans on several
occasions. Other interstellar powers include the Brood, the Phalanx, the
Badoon, the Annihilation Wave, the Troyjans, and the Charter Federation.
Another prominent alien race is the Watchers, immortal and
wise beings who watch over the Marvel Universe and have taken a sacred vow not
to intervene in events, though the Watcher assigned to Earth, Uatu, has
violated this oath on several occasions.
The Elders of the Universe are ancient aliens each the last
of their own species who have often had great impact on many worlds, for
billions of years, acting alone or as a group.
The major interstellar powers have formed an “Intergalactic
Council” to have their say on matters that affect them all, such as
interference from Earth humans in their affairs. Their membership includes
hundreds of thousands of alien worlds.
Supernatural Creatures
Also abundant are legendary creatures such as gods, demons
and vampires. The ‘gods’ of most polytheistic pantheons are actually powerful,
immortal human-like races from other dimensions who visited Earth in ancient
times, and became the basis of many legends (obviously not all such legends can
be true, since they contradict scientific facts, as well as each other).
Besides mythological gods, many deities made up by Marvel writers exist as
well, such as the Dark Gods, enemies of the Asgardians. Note that many persons
and beings have falsely pretended to be gods or demons during history; in
particular, none of the ones claiming to be figures from Judeo-Christian
beliefs (such as Satan, God, or the Angels) have turned out to be the real
article.[49]
Similarly, demons are evil magical beings who take affairs
in the matters of the universe, one of the most notorious being Mephisto.
Others include Nightmare, D'Spayre, N'Astirah, Dormammu, and Shuma-Gorath.
Most of the current generation of gods have been revealed to
be the descendants of the Elder Goddess Gaea. The two most prominent pantheons
are the Asgardians (of whom Thor is a member) and the Olympians (of whom
Hercules is a member). The lords of the various pantheons sometimes gather in
groups known as the Council of Godheads or the Council of Skyfathers.
The gods were forced to stop meddling with humanity (at
least openly) a thousand years ago by the Celestials, and most people today
believe them to be fictional.
Cosmic Entities
Above all other beings in the universe are the cosmic
entities, beings of unbelievably great levels of power (the weakest can destroy
planets) who exist to perform duties that maintain the existence of the
universe. Most do not care at all about "lesser beings" such as
humans, and as a consequence their acts can occasionally be dangerous to
mortals.
When dire perils threaten the universe, it is not uncommon
for these beings to gather together to discuss the threat, and even act.
Dimensions
Several dimensions coexist simultaneously without affecting
each other directly, ranging from the Earth-like to the totally alien. Some are
magical in nature and others are scientific; some are inhabited and others are
not. These include realities like the Microverse, Darkforce Dimension, the
Mojoverse, and many more.
Time
Another noteworthy feature of this universe is that time
"branches out" creating new alternate realities when certain
important events happen. Those realities can also spawn realities of their own.
There exist hundreds, probably thousands, or even millions of such realities.
It is unknown why this happens, though a warp known as the Nexus of All
Realities exists in a swamp in Florida. For the most part this does not matter,
as most beings are unaware that this occurs, or even that their universes were
recently "born" from another. However, organizations exist which try
to monitor or manipulate the various realities. These include the Captain
Britain Corps, the Time Variance Authority, and Kang the Conqueror's forces.