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Character ages as of 2012

Fantastic Four

The recent Fantastic Four #605 comic showed that Reed Richards is 51 years old (being born in 1961, the year the first FF comic came out). Sue's age was more ambiguous, however close inspection seems to show she was also born in the 60s meaning her minimum age would be 43 (she's younger than Reed, being 12 when he was in college). We can assume Ben about the same age as Reed considering they were college roomates. Johnny is a bit more ambiguous, in the classic comics he was 16 when he became the human torch (616 would presumably follow those same rules). If we follow the sliding timeline introduced from retcons like heroes reborn and House of M Johnny was 16 1996 (when the heroes reborn comic was published). Meaning he is currently 32 years old.

Spider-Man

Peter got started when he was 15 years old (according to the Civil War). He became Spider-man a undisclosed yet short time after the FF got started. Currently Peter's age would range from 29-31 years old.

Ben Grimm has a Masters Degree in Engineering.

Ben Grimm went to college at Empire State University with Reed Richards on a Football scholarship, though it was never explained exactly what it was he studied there. To qualify as an Air Force Test Pilot, which Ben later became, you need at least a B.S. in Engineering, Math or Physics. Ben Grimm has a history of underplaying his own intelligence because he prides himself on being a "regular guy." When visiting Empire State again in Fantastic Four #35, Reed said "you've got a couple college degrees yourself, you know!" The phrasing of that ("a couple") implies Ben might have a Master's Degree or more than just a Bachelor's.

Firebird (Bonita Juarez) was originally intended to be a Phoenix.

Jean Gray died in 1980, and Bonita Juarez first appeared in 1981. Bonita gained the ability to manipulate flame with her mind, assuming a flaming bird shape around her body. When she uses her powers for the first time in a while she creates an enormous giant flaming bird shape on the horizon. She also had mental powers and could sense when someone like Hank Pym was in trouble and distress. And it was stated she was immortal and could not naturally die. Those three powers, together in combination: fire manipulation in a flame bird shape, mental powers, and tremendous longevity/life force are so idiosyncratically "phoenix-like" the character idea seems totally random if she isn't a phoenix. Also, there were a bunch of other events that showed she was more than just a typical pyrokinetic. For instance, she was able to use her flame to deal additional damage and purify demons and do extra harm to werewolves, as well as destroy illusions during the team up between the Avengers West Coast and Werewolf by Night.

None of this is real.

At some point, Franklin Richards went under such emotional trauma that his latent mutant abilities caused him to complete re-shape the entire Marvel Universe in his unique image. All of his favourite heroes underwent twisted, darker adventures as he grew older and more aggressive. He erased the powers of his created double to prevent suspicion, and - though he kept them happy - he went to great lengths to always maintain the status quo in his family. Thus, there will always be a Fantastic Four.

Alternately, Franklin has no powers and the entire MU is all his delusion.

Johnny Storm will return.

Johnny never died in the negative zone. He was actually rescued at the nick of time by Lyja who was also last seen in the Negative zone a few months prior. Before he returns they will rekindle their relationship. Lyja will come back with Johnny, pregnant with their son Torus Storm.
- Wasn't sure if everyone knew the news yet, ergo I hid the spoilers.
  - Additionally Johnny's return won't (immediately) revive the team because he's going to be replaced by the more efficient Original Human Torch Jim Hammond. Needless to say he'll be pretty hurt knowing he was replaced so easily.
- Johnny has returned, though the details seem to be a bit different.

Marvel Time exists because humans on Earth-616 age more slowly than they do in Real Life.

Sometime in the early 1970s, Reed Richards developed a cheap and effective anti-aging serum. (So maybe he's not quite useless after all.) He probably did this by reverse-engineering part of the Super Soldier Serum in Captain America's blood. This serum causes people to age much more slowly than normally, which explains why most people in the Marvel Universe don't look much older now than they did in the 1970s. It also gives people a low-level healing factor -- nothing like that of Wolverine or Deadpool, but enough that, over time, normal people can heal from injuries that would cause permanent damage otherwise. That explains how Badass Normals like the Punisher can survive injuries that you'd normally think would cause serious brain damage or crippling.

This was a plot-point in Alan Davis' 2006 miniseries Fantastic Four: The End. Far in the 616-future, after a vaguely-defined Mutant War had wiped out that, er, species to the point of being Un Personed (other than their collective deadness), Reed Richards created something called a Methuselah Treatment that extended life-spans, but also upped the dosage on fatalism and depression. So...kind of useless in a What the Hell, Hero? way.
- Judging from the current state of the Marvel Universe, a weaker form of that treatment is already in the water...
- A formula that reduces aging and extends lifespans? Sounds like Nick Fury's Infinity Formula.
- Actually, it sounds exactly like modern, real-life technology, complete with too much "length of life" and not enough "quality of life."

There is no Doctor Doom.

Doombots are all there is. They keep building each other and perpetuating the myth that somewhere there is a human. It's all a trick to get everyone else to waste their time hunting a being who does not exist.

Can robots use magic?
- "Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke
- There have been several MU robots and machines that use magic. The New Salemites used them, for example.

The power to create/manipulate/be-engulfed-by fire is genetically related to the power of flight.

The Human Torch. Firestar. Firebird. Unless fire-power is genetically related to flight-power, the probability of these three unrelated characters having the exact same power set is unlikely.

Firebird of the West Coast Avengers comes up with a reason for this. She learns that her powers are not direct control of heat or fire, but of random molecular motion. This explains how fire-heroes can generate heat and turn air into plasma, and also how they can fly -- they unconsciously direct molecular movement of the plasma around them in specific directions, giving them buoyancy and thrust. It also explains Sunfire's protective plasma field and implies that all Marvel fire-powered heroes have potentially far greater applications of their powers than they are aware of. But, since this tends to be a Personality Power for the Hot-Blooded, it's unlikely that most will have the mental discipline to develop these applications.
Pyro couldn't fly. Granted, he couldn't generate his own flames...but he certainly had complete manipulation of fire.
- No, but he can make fire form solid objects, something it shouldn't be able to do. So his power is clearly more than just reshaping flames. He just lacks the imagination to use his power for flight.
Synch from Generation X should prove as to how smarts form how energy powers manifest since he could use his team-mate Chamber's powers to fly?

The Dark Reign Arc is to show fans what it would look like if a real Supervillain was in charge of Registration.

Certainly explains how a low level guy like Osborn got that kind of power.
This troper assumes it's an Author's Saving Throw for Civil War to allow Marvel to claim that, notwithstanding the Word of God that readers were supposed to support the pro-reg side, this had always been planned from day one and that Civil War, Secret Invasion and Dark Reign, taken together, were intended to be a parable about why you shouldn't allow the government too much power, even when notionally "good" people (who will merely throw you into an extra-dimensional concentration camp without charges) are in power because less scrupulous men may follow them and abuse that power.

The Marvel universe as it is now is another alternate reality forged by Scarlet Witch.

Since her friends rejected the perfect Utopian world where they all have the life that they always wanted, she came to the same conclusion that the machine of The Matrix came to: humans (and mutants, aliens, etc.) define reality by suffering and pain. So she created a universe where everyone suffers as much as possible. This explains Secret War, Civil War, Annihlation, Planet Hulk, World War Hulk, One More Day, Secret Invaison and Dark Reign: these events only propogated more suffering.

Because Wolverine didn't have a loophole desire, he can see past the illusion. No one is currently aware of this with the possible exception of the Watcher; but he, being the Watcher, is not allowed to interfere.

The fact that Marvel doesn't take that Author's Saving Throw and run with it is all the proof I need that there's no God. Then again...

The 616 Earth is descended from the The 12 Colonies Of Kobol

Both populations share a marked lack of survival instinct and an odd willingness to turn on those who've saved their asses time and time again.

Howard the Duck will be Retconned into originating from the Disney Ducks Comic Universe

Obvious, what with Disney buying up Marvel.

That alone might make the whole thing worthwhile.
I think that Disney and Marvel may do a howard the duck and donald the duck. Why, you may ask? Because it be awesome! and plausible! I though of it awhile ago.

The Celestials in Earth X were planning the Instrumentality.

They were trying to make people all alike, with no identity and no will, becoming basically all the same. Sounds familiar?

Bruce Banner wasn't really researching Gamma Rays

That was a cover-up - after all, there's nothing special about them. His real subject of research was Getter Rays, a green energy of potentially limitless power which embodies evolution and can cause things to shift between different forms or regenerate, but tends to drive its users into berserk rages.

Access is Star Brand

One of the side effects of Star Brands's messing with time and causality is that an Alternate Reality version of his was spawned in a state of reverberation between the Marvel and DC Universes. Additionaly, that reality shakeup (the White Event) woke up the Brothers and made them aware of each other.

Bruce Banner is a mutant, whose power is to absorb gamma rays for strength.

As are Doc Samson and a few others. That's why most people die when exposed, but a few live and are empowered.

Confirmed. See the Marvel Database page for Gamm Mutants: "Gamma mutants are usually the result of exposure of gamma radiation to individuals who possess the "gamma" gene, which allows them to convert gamma radiation into a mutagenic change. In some cases, the change is permanent. In others, the change can occur when desired. The mutation is usually indicated by green coloration."
And it was also confirmed (I think...) that Bruce inherited the Gamma gene due to his father constantly being exposed to radiation at work before conceiving Bruce.

The Watcher gave the Fantastic Four their powers.

Unshielded cosmic rays during a solar storm would, in fact, give you radiation sickness and probably cancer. Uatu, who can see through time as well as space, knew the FF would provide him with plenty of observable conflict if they had powers, so he made sure the crew's broken DNA molecules fit themselves back together in particular ways. He may even have given all the other characters in the MU powers, just for the lulz. His oath of noninterference is a lie-- he's just bored and likes to watch people do crazy things. Earth 616 is his Reality TV and YouTube.

SO what about the U-foes or alternate universe F Fs.
We've encountered other members of the Watcher race, and they also have a similar code and oath of non-interference. In fact, they've remarked that Uatu is, by Watcher standards, misbehaving, delinquent and too emotionally involved.

The Void's corruption has been responsible for many recent earth-bound events, including Civil War, One More Day, and Dark Reign, all leading up to Siege.

Whatever the Void appears to be right now as of Siege #3 (a black-red figure with scorpion legs of red energy coming out of his back), it appears to be a darkness embodied. I'm not sure since when Siege was set up from, but ever since Sentry showed up, we've gotten the above mentioned events, and the heroes have slowly been losing against the villains. We know Sentry's able to use telepathy to mind-wipe the entire world, so maybe it's possible that he's been influencing the entire Marvel Universe without anyone knowing the wiser, in preparation for his final strike against the world.

Characters "revived" during House of M have no soul, resulting in the events of Civil War, One More Day, and the associated Character Derailment.

In House of M, the authors introduce Layla Miller, a young girl who is able to make characters remember that they are in fact part of a Cosmic Retcon by Scarlet Witch. After the event, she disappears for a bit before reappearing in X-Factor, where it is eventually revealed that she has the power to bring things back to life, only without a soul. Now, if you'll pardon a bit of Wild Mass Guessing, here's where the brilliance kicks in: everyone in House of M was dead except for the Scarlet Witch, who had killed everyone. Layla brought the people back to life, and they lost their souls in the process. In House of M, Layla does her magic on, among other heroes Tony Stark. However, they specifically do NOT revive Captain America. Cut to a bit later, you've got a certain other crossover event going on where a potentially soulless Tony Stark is heading the pro-Registration side (widely disfavored by the writers), while Captain America heads the anti-Registration side. This doesn't entirely account for where other heroes end up standing, but it DOES justify some of the Character Derailment they put Iron Man through. Romancer Bruce

Also, check out some of the other characters that were restored by Layla. You've got Spider-man, who sells his marriage (but not his soul) to Mephisto in One More Day. You've got Cyclops, who starts X-Force, a black ops team that goes against the peaceful co-existence that the X-Men have gone for in the past. You've got Emma Frost, who uses a Battle Royale to select students who will have continued education. You've got Doctor Strange, who starts using darker magic. Basically all of the characters who had their memories restored by Layla have been subject to some sort of derailment since House of M.

The Sentry didn't exist in the Silver Age until he retconned himself in

The official story is that the Sentry did exist as a Silver Age character, but somehow managed to mind-wipe everyone to forget about him. But if that's the case, how come the stories still turn out the same without him in them? His insertions are done very clumsily, along the lines of Mary Sue fanfic. That's because he did them himself. We've seen that a sufficiently powerful reality warper (Wanda) can change not only the present but also the past history of the Marvel Universe, so that everything was always the way that person thinks it should have been. Bob Reynolds is just a loser with delusions of grandeur... and one hell of a mutant superpower that lets him force the entire world to live out those delusions with him.

- with this wmg is true then he wouldn't be a loser he would be the most powerful man on earth who limits his power slightly

The constant resurrections is causing everyone else to go crazy.

People in the Marvel Universe see people dying and then coming back. As a result, they slowly lose the ability to grieve since they are never sure if their loved ones will come come and they can't go on. It's like if a person goes missing, their loved ones can't grieve properly until they know for sure that person is dead. But this is worst since that person really is dead and when they come back, they throw everything in a loop. So, people lose fear of death and can't truly move on after death.

Joe Quesada had a crush on a redhead in high school, and she broke his heart.

This explains why Marvel's top red-heads have been all but destroyed in recent years. Look at the list. Jean Grey; dead. Rachel Grey; lost in space with no writers interested in bringing her back. Scarlet Witch; went crazy, responsible for Decimation, generally reviled by the mutant community. Mary Jane Watson; marriage undone by Mephisto, all that character development she underwent since the mid-eighties being reversed in a matter of weeks. Conclusion; Joe Quesada has a pathological hatred of redheads and is taking it out on the redheads of the MU!

Civil War was waged entirely by Skrulls and Captain America (comics).

Self Explanatory. The reason no one ever actually mentions that the Skrulls, not them, did all that stuff, used to be misplaced guilt over Cap's lone sacrifice. They've still kept it up because Cap is embarrassed that he didn't realize they were Skrulls, so everyone decided to Let Us Never Speak of This Again.

All event comics are Franklin Richards' fault.

First conceived of on this scans_daily thread. Basically, every time Franklin wonders about something, bizarre changes to the status quo happen to reflect his thoughts, regardless of characterization, history, or logic. Ex, if Franklin wonders "What if the bad guys won?" BAM. Siege. "Nah, I don't like the bad guys winning." BAM. Age of Heroes. "Why are mutants treated like a minority?" BAM. House of M. "Uncle Tony and Uncle Steve are really close. What if they fight?" BAM. Civil War. "I really wish Uncle Peter had more time to spend with me." BAM. One More Day.

- Perfect Author's Saving Throw, because you can run with it forever without totally handwaving away the events. "The Hulk almost killed Uncle Ben! I hate him!" BAM. Planet Hulk. "The Fantastic Four are so much cooler than The Avengers!" BAM. Avengers Disassembled. "Why does everyone hate superheroes? Do they prefer supervillains or something?" BAM. Dark Reign. And his confusion over everyone flipping out like this all the time? "Are these guys all Skrulls, Daddy?" BAM. Secret Invasion.

The silver age isn't 616 canon

The 616 univererse split off after the iconic event that marked the start of the Darker and Edgier Bronze Age- Gwen Stacey's death. The more simplistic, black and white characerization of early heros and villians is never brought up because they are different characters. This also explains why pre-Claremont Magneto went from Adolf Hitler to Holocaust survivor. Squirell Girl and other joke characters are in the fun, silly silver age universe, which is why mainstream super teams don't call on her to save the world more often. Deadpool can enter and exit both universes at will, because he has No Fourth Wall.