DC Timeline

Characters - Organizations - Locations - Timeline - NPCs

Golden Age

Events taking place during "Golden Age of Heroism": from World War II to the end of the Space Race and the Vietnam War.

Pre-War

• ...

World War II

• Several costumed individuals assist the Allies in the war against the Axis.

Post-War / Cold War

• Costumed crime fighters become active in America. A number of costumed criminals arise in response.

• Jay Garrick is exposed to a "flash" of tachyon radiation from the drive core of a crashed alien spacecraft at Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. He becomes connected to the Speed Force, and eventually becomes the costumed vigilante known as The Flash. (1967)

• The Department of Justice creates the Justice Society of America to sanction certain vigilantes, including Hawkman and The Flash.

• The Department of Energy is signed into law. The Federal Energy Administration, Energy Research and Development Administration, and Advanced Research Group (A.R.G.U.S.) become subordinate agencies. (1977)
• Ronnie Raymond is presumed killed as a result of Project Firestorm experimentation with Martian cold fusion technology. (1977, [1])

Dark Age

Events taking place during the "Dark Age", where most vigilante heroes had retired. Late Cold War, and Gulf Wars. (1980s-2001)

• Crisis. Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, an incident claims the lives of several members of the Justice Society of America (JSA), including Hawkwoman and Kent Nelson. The Vigilante Regulation Act (VRA) is subsequently signed into law in June 1989, officially disbanding the JSA and prohibiting future costumed vigilantes. Most of the former Justice Society members retire, either voluntarily or under duress. Checkmate is formed in secret by a mix of government agents and former JSA members, to continue their mission in a covert fashion, outside of legal channels. (1989)

• Kal-El crashes on Earth. He is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, and raised in Smallville as Clark Kent.

• Bruce Wayne is orphaned after his parents are shot in a mugging-gone-wrong. Alfred Pennyworth becomes his legal guardian.
• Oliver Queen is orphaned when his parents are killed during a safari accident. William Glenmorgan becomes his legal guardian.

• 9/11. Several acts of metahuman terrorism kill or injure thousands of American citizens, despite efforts by illegal vigilantes to intervene. The death of Dove, a vigilante killed in the incident, leads his brother Hector Hall to approach Nabu and offer to become the new host of Doctor Fate, in the hopes of some sort of retaliation. Having been powerless to act for over a decade - since the death of Kent Nelson - however, and citing his absence as the reason the attacks could not have been foreseen and prevented, Nabu refuses to allow Hector to ever remove the helmet, effectively hijacking his body as a vessel. This causes a rift between Doctor Fate and Hector's father, his former Justice Society comrade Carter Hall; and the loss of both brothers drives Dove's twin Hank Hall into retirement. (2001)

Modern Age

Events taking place in the early part of the 21st Century. (Dates relative to Year One)

Fifteen Years Ago

• Oliver Queen is lost at sea, and becomes stranded on an island.
• Queen Industries is taken over by William Glenmorgan. He makes the company public, and Checkmate acquires most of the shares through various shell corporations.

Ten Years Ago

• Oliver Queen returns to Star City, and becomes active as the Green Arrow.

Seven Years Ago

• Cadmus Labs experiences a breakthrough with its experiments to combine Human and Kryptonian DNA. The company disappears from public records, and begins Project Kr in secret.

Five Years Ago

• Hector Hall is finally allowed to remove the helmet of Doctor Fate, and become mortal again. He enrols in the Gotham City Police Department.

Four Years Ago

• Wally West replicates the circumstances that gave Jay Garrick and Barry Allen their powers. He becomes the Flash's sidekick, Kid Flash.

Two Years Ago

• Roy Harper leaves Star City to attend university in Ivy Town. Mia Dearden replaces him Green Arrow's new sidekick, Red Arrow.

One Year Ago

• Kara Zor-El crashes on Earth. She begins living in Smallville as Linda Danvers to learn about human culture.
• Abin Sur crashes on Earth. His ring chooses Hal Jordan as his successor; the related events cause Hal to be fired from Ferris Aircraft.

• Hector Hall and John Constantine begin investigating occult crimes as "Infernal Affairs" on behalf of the GCPD.

The Present

Events taking place "now". (ie. current roleplay events)

Year One

• Barbara Gordon takes a year off university to return to Gotham, and begins blogging as Oracle.
• Wally West transfers to Brentwood Academy on a Wayne Foundation scholarship, hoping to qualify for early entry to Gotham University.
• Linda Danvers transfers to Brentwood Academy as part of an arts program.
• Oliver Queen and Tatsu Yamashiro move to Gotham City to begin investigating Queen Consolidated's activities.

• Hal Jordan gets a job at Wayne Enterprises and moves to a crummy apartment in a seedy area of Gotham. ([2])
• Connor Kent arrives in Gotham City investigating his origins. He becomes involved with Barbara Gordon's investigations into The Crows.
• Connor Kent meets Oliver Queen, and breaks his nose. He later becomes involved in Oliver's investigations into Queen Consolidated. ([3], [4])
• Barbara Gordon and Connor Kent discover that a mysterious client is buying drugs smuggled in by The Crows, in exchange for military grade hardware. Through their efforts, the GCPD is able to launch a raid against the Crows, effectively terminating the gang's activities. ([5], [6], [7])

• Cheshire arrives in Gotham City, on the run from the League of Assassins.
• Connor Kent is shot, but proves to be (mostly) bulletproof. Oliver Queen discovers his nature as a clone of himself and Superman, and makes arrangements for his "son" to be enrolled at Brentwood Academy. ([8], [9])
• Exhausting alternative avenues, Oliver Queen commits to remaining in Gotham City, and approaches Queen Consolidated for a job, hoping to investigate the company from the inside. Oliver is given an inconsequential position as an executive overseeing the Gotham Globe. ([10])

• Impulse arrives from the future, disrupting quiet town life in Smallville. He is apprehended by A.R.G.U.S., and shipped off to Project Tartarus for processing. ([11], [12])

Appendices

• June 1989, when the Vigilante Regulation Act was passed, is also when Batman first premiered.