The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Timeline
- 965 A.D.
- Centuries ago, in 965 A.D., the monstrous race known as the Frost Giants attack a Norwegian village with the Cask of Ancient Winters, in the first step of their plan to conquer the Nine Realms. The Asgardians, led by their king, Odin, step in and defeat the Jotuns and banish them back to Jotunheim, and confiscate the Casket of Ancient Winters to leave them powerless. (Thor)
- 1917
- Steve Rogers is born. (Captain America: The First Avenger)
- 1930s
- Dr. Abraham Erskine works in a German university doing research into the serum. (Captain America: The First Avenger)
- 1941
- Schmidt takes part in an test involving Erskine and his Super Soldier Serum which turns Schmitd into what he would become known as the Red Skull. (Captain America: The First Avenger)
- 1942
- Steve Rogers is injected with the Super Soldier Serum. (Captain America: The First Avenger)
- 1945
- Steve Rogers is presumed dead. (Captain America: The First Avenger)
- Howard Stark discovers the Cosmic Cube. (Captain America: The First Avenger)
- 1950
- Howard founded Stark Industries with Obadiah Stane.
- 1960s
- Anton Vanko defects to the US and begins work with Howard Stark in developing Arc Reactor technology.
- Stark has Anton Vanko deported as a spy. Vanko returns to Soviet Union but is sent to exile in Siberia.
- Bruce Banner is born.
- 1970s
- Tony Stark is born.
- Howard founded S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Howard Stark hides secret to perfecting the Arc Reactor in layout of the Expo for Tony to find.
- 1980s
- Howard Stark dies when his son Tony is 15.(Iron Man 2
- Tony Stark graduates MIT at the top of his class.
1990s/2005
- Bruce Banner meets Betty Ross while undergrads at Harvard. They begin dating and at one point volunteer for an experiment involving hallucinogenics.
- Dr. Bruce Banner and Elizabeth “Betty” Ross, joins the group at Culver University in Willowdale, VA in southwestern Virginia working on way to strengthen cellular resistance to radiation.
- Tony Stark inherits Stark Industries becoming, at age 21, the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company. In addition to the company’s numerous military contracts, Stark Industries also does pioneering work in medical technology and in combating world hunger with their Intelli-Crops program. In the process he becomes somewhat of a media celebrity.
- 2006
- A gamma radiation accident transformed scientist Bruce Banner into the Hulk, whom then hospitalized his lover, Dr. Elizabeth "Betty" Ross. Banner was on the run from Betty's father, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who wanted to use Banner's power as a weapon. (The Incredible Hulk)
- 2010
- Tony Stark is kidnapped by Afghani terrorists and constructs the first three Iron Man armors. (Iron Man)
- At a press conference the day following his showdown with Stane, Stark rejects SHIELD’s constructed alibi for the events of the previous evening and admits to the world that he is Iron Man.
- Anton Vanko dies in poverty in Moscow. His son Ivan vows revenge on Stark. He begins building his own portable Arc reactor to power an energized whip/body harness.
- Tony Stark is confrunted by Nick Fury about “Avengers Initiative.” Stark declines, Fury calls in Black Widow
- Banner heads into the Rio De Janeiro favela known as Rocinha, to find a way to clandestinely contact Dr. Samuel Sterns, professor in Cellular Biology Department at NYC’s Grayburn College on the Upper East Side, for help in developing a cure. They communicate using codenames of “Mr. Blue” and “Mr. Green.”
- .Tony Stark as Iron Man manages to bring about a period of relative peace and is credited by some press as having stabilized East-West relations. Stark realizes that the Paladium core of his Arc reactor is slowly poisoning him. He begins searching for a cure but keeps his condition a secret.
- 2011
- The Stark Expo is opens with plans to run for one year.
- Tony appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Weaponized Suit Defense Program Hearings chaired by Pennsylvania Senator Stern. Stern pushes Stark to turn the Iron Man suit and technology over to the military but Stark refuses. Stern calls Justin Hammer, CEO of Hammer Industries and Lt. Rhodes to testify against Stark. Stark testifies that although other countries, including North Korea and Iran are working to replicate the technology, they are years away from being able to do so. He also reveals that Hammer Industries have also had their share of lack-of-success, leading to the cancellation of Hammer Industries’ contacts with the Department of Defense.
- Steve Rogers is found by S.H.I.E.L.D. and defrosted, waking up in modern New York, Rogers panics. Nick Fury explains to him what happened and recruits Rogers into the Avengers. (Captain America: The First Avenger)
- Tony Stark is attacked by Ivan Vanko in Monaco and again at the Stark Expo in Flushing Meadows. (Iron Man 2)
- Stark was brought on as consultant for the Avenger Initiative. (Iron Man 2)
- Bruce Banner is tracked down by General Thaddeus Ross down after years on the run. (The Incredible Hulk)
- Emil Blonsky is injected with the Super Soldier Serum and a sample of Banner's blood and becomes a Hulk-like monster. (The Incredible Hulk)
- Thor is banished to Earth by Odin. (Thor)
- Phil Coulson is transfered to New Mexico, where he discovers Mjolnir. (Iron Man 2) (Thor)
- Thor finds Mjolnir but gets captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. (Thor)
- Thor, when proving himself worthy, regains his powers and returns to Asgard to stop Loki's plans. To stop Loki, Thor destroys Bifrost stopping him from returning to Earth until another way is found. (Thor)
- Tony Stark informs General Ross of the Avenger Initiative. (The Incredible Hulk)
- Nick Fury asks Erik Selvig to study a great source of power. Loki possesses Selvig. (Thor)
Movies
In film chronology:
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
- Thor (2011)
- Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
References to the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe
Captain America: The First Avenger
- The Cosmic Cube - An item from Odin's collection.
- Howard Stark - He is Tony "Iron Man" Stark's father.
Iron Man
- Nick Fury makes an appearance after the credits.
- When Tony was taking off his suit in the background Captain America's shield can be seen.
- In the climatic fight scene, you can see the Roxxon Energy Corporation building behind Iron Monger when he shoots Iron Man with his back rocket.
Iron Man 2
- As Nick Fury debriefs Tony near the end of the film, the television screen on the right shows a news report of a destructive aftermath on a university campus. This is the same news report of the Culver University battle caused by the Hulk that was featured midway in the film The Incredible Hulk, indicating that the last moments of Iron Man 2 is concurrent with the events of the latter film.
- When Phil Coulson was looking around Tony's workshop he finds a familiar, incompleted shield in a crate. It's heavily hinted to be either Captain America's actual shield or a prototype of it. It was previously featured midway in Iron Man.
- Natasha Romanoff appears as a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- In New Mexico, Phil Coulson finds Mjolnir, the weapon used by Thor, in a crater.
- Nick Fury mentions problems in the southwest region which is where Mjolnir was lying.
- Tony Stark looks at a folder and has "Avengers Initiative" printed on it, again a reference to his upcoming participation with the Avengers.
The Incredible Hulk
- Nick Fury and Rick Jones names are seen in the intro.
- Stark Industries logo is also seen in the intro showing they created the Sonic Cannons used later and it is also on the Cyrosync container containing the Super Soldier Serum.
- The SHIELD logo is seen in the intro, it's again seen when Bruce Banner uses a computer.
- General Ross talks about a program in World War 2 to create Super Soldiers with the Super Soldier Serum which is obviously refering to the creation of Captain America.
- When General Ross first takes the Super Soldier Serum out of its Cyrosync container, the label on the container says it was developed by Dr. Reinstein, the alias of Abraham Erskine. The label also says the program was called Weapons Plus.
- When General Ross is sitting in a bar, Tony Stark appears and talks to him about The Avengers
The Consultant
- The short uses scenes directly from The Incredible Hulk.
Thor
- Erik Selvig references Bruce Banner's gamma incident.
- Clint Barton appears as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- When The Destroyer arrives on Earth the question is asked "Is that one of Stark's?"