Pruning is a process wherein something is released from time, violently ripping it from every thread of time and space. It is used by the Time Variance Authority to keep the Sacred Timeline isolated by pruning any new branched timelines and individuals.
Description[]
According to Ouroboros, pruning violently rips whatever it is used on from every thread of time and space all at once, releasing them from the time stream. This includes individuals and entire timelines. However, according to Ravonna Renslayer, it's impossible to destroy all of a branched timeline's matter. Instead, pruning sends whatever it is used upon to the Void at the End of Time where Alioth consumes it.
Using a TemPad and a Time Door, it is possible to return from being pruned.
Combined with using a Temporal Aura Extractor on the Temporal Loom, pruning is used to resynch an individual who is experiencing time slipping.
After the death of He Who Remains and the unleashing of the Sacred Timeline, the branched timelines that were pruned by General Dox's rogue operation quickly began growing back.
History[]
Loki[]
"Glorious Purpose"[]
The TVA used a reset charge to prune Loki's timeline, but Mobius M. Mobius convinced them to spare Loki himself, needing Loki's help with the Variant.
"Lamentis"[]
After being unable to enchant a Minuteman in the TVA, Sylvie grabbed his Time Stick and pruned him instead, also pruning one of the other two Minutemen that attacked her. While fighting with two others, Sylvie shoved one in front of the other's Time Stick, causing him to be pruned.
"The Nexus Event"[]
After defying orders upon learning that he was a variant, Mobius M. Mobius was pruned by Hunter D-90 on the orders of Ravonna Renslayer. Later, Renslayer pruned Loki himself which enraged Sylvie as pruning was believed to be immediately fatal.
"Journey Into Mystery"[]
After being cornered by Sylvie, Renslayer revealed that Loki could still be alive, explaining that rather than being destroyed outright, everything that was pruned was sent to the Void at the End of Time. Cornered by Minutemen, Sylvie used a Time Stick to prune herself and was rescued from Alioth in the Void by Mobius M. Mobius who was still alive following his own pruning.
In the Void, Loki encountered a number of other variants of himself who had been pruned along with their timelines by the TVA, but had managed to survive in the Void, nonetheless. Loki also witnessed several pruned timelines being dumped into the Void and then being consumed by Alioth.
After Sylvie and Mobius joined up with Loki, Classic Loki, Kid Loki and Alligator Loki, Mobius was able to use a TemPad to open a Time Door back to the TVA, but the Loki's all refused to go back with him, Loki and Sylvie staying to confront Alioth and his master while the other variants chose to take their chances in the Void.
"Ouroboros"[]
Mobius and Hunter B-15 ordered the TVA to stop pruning branches despite He Who Remains' death unleashing the Sacred Timeline. After hearing them out, Judge Gamble agreed with the order, although General Dox protested and later sent out an army of Minutemen armed with Reset Charges.
After seeing that the Temporal Loom was melting down, O.B. revealed that their only options were to prune all of the new branches, which would kill billions of people, or to lock down the Temporal Loom until O.B. could figure out how to retrofit it to handle all of the new branches.
O.B. revealed that, in order to fix Loki's time slipping, he had to prune himself after Mobius launched the Temporal Aura Extractor into the Temporal Loom. After Loki time slipped into the future, he struggled to find a Time Stick with which to prune himself in a TVA that was being evacuated as the Temporal Loom went critical. At the last possible second, Loki was pruned from behind by an unknown individual, allowing the Extractor to pull Loki out of the time stream and resynch him.
"Breaking Brad"[]
General Dox organized a large rogue operation to prune all of the new branches against orders. Finding out her location from Brad, Loki, Mobius and Sylvie assaulted her headquarters, pruning some of her equipment and at least one of her men in the process before Loki and Sylvie combined powers to take the Minutemen down. However, some of Dox's men escaped and her mission was partially successful, pruning a number of the new branches and killing countless people.
"1893"[]
O.B. revealed that the branched timelines that General Dox had pruned were growing back.
"Heart of the TVA"[]
After being released by Ravonna Renslayer and Miss Minutes, Brad pruned Hunter D-90 from behind in order to capture Victor Timely.
After encountering his time slipping self, Loki pruned him from behind with Hunter D-90's dropped Time Stick, enabling Mobius and O.B. to resynch him in the past.
Under the control of Sylvie, Brad pruned Renslayer herself while Loki and Sylvie rescued Victor.
Deadpool & Wolverine[]
Paradox mentioned to Deadpool that the TVA used to prune timelines, but the TVA didn't like to do that anymore. However, Paradox didn't agree with this, feeling that the Multiverse didn't need a babysitter but a mercy killer for dying timelines.
During the fight at Logan's grave, Deadpool pruned a TVA Hunter with his own Time Stick
Paradox later used a Time Stick to prune both Deadpool and the Wolverine variant that he attempted to replace his Wolverine with, sending them both to the Void at the End of Time.