In 2010, with the New 52, Cosmic Teams ceased covering the DCU holistially. This section is archival only.
Chronology of the Pre-20th Century
This Chronologies applies only to pre-New 52 continuity.
Thanks to <Alec Holland> and Loki Carbis.
» SEE ALSO: Unauthorized Chronology of the DC Universe • Jonah Hex Coral • DC Western Characters • DC Westerns • Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics!
| The Obsidian Age of Atlantis | |
| 1043 BCE: Because of superstition, the blond-haired child, Gamemnae is expelled from underwater Atlantis.1020 BCE: Gamemnae returns to Atlantis as a great sorceress. She raises the city above the water and becomes its ruler. This act binds her soul to the continent and gives her godlike powers. The bond cannot be broken unless the continent itself is destroyed. NOTE: Follow the 21st century events here. | JLA #75 (Jan. 203) |
| The statesman, Rama Khan travels from Jarhanpur to Atlantis. He is ensnared by Gamemnae, and the pair leads the nation to greatness. This is Atlantis' "Obsidian Age." | JLA #70 (Late Oct. 2002) |
| 1015 BCE: As part of a magical contingency plan, all of 20th Century Atlantis is shunted 3,000 years into the past. They find it has been raised above sea level and many suffocate. Aquaman leads the survivors to the water. He is soon trapped in aqueous form in a magical pool by Gamemnae. The Atlanteans are enslaved beneath the water. | JLA: Our Worlds at War #1 (2001), JLA #72 (Late Nov. 2002) |
| 1004 BCE: Rama Khan and Gamemnae recruit heroes from across the globe (and rival societies) to form a multicultural League of Ancients: the Anointed One, Manitou Raven, Sela, Tezumak and the Whaler). This is Atlantis' "Obsidian Age." | JLA #70 (Lat Oct. 2002), JLA/JSA Secret Files (Jan. 203) |
| In response to a dire prophecy by Gamemnae, Manitou Raven and Tezumak travel to the 21st century to destroy the JLA. | JLA #66 (July 2002) |
| 1000 BCE: The JLA cast a spell and arrive in Atlantis to find Aquaman. | JLA #68 (Sept. 2002) |
| Part 2: Raven and Tezumak return from the future. They alert the Ancients that the JLA have arrived as well. The JLA discover Aquaman's essence, trapped in a pool. | JLA #70 (Late Oct. 2002) |
| Part 4: The JLA locate Mera and the remains of 20th Century Atlantis. She explains how Atlantis' fabled "Chronicles" had been altered to reflect a golden era of peace. This is what misled Aquaman to lead them to this time period. | JLA #72 (Late Nov. 2002) |
| Part 6: The JLA are slain by the Ancients, but Green Lantern's bravery convinces Raven to switch sides. He uses GL's heart as a sacrifice in order to save the JLA's souls. Raven uses this power to cast a containment spell around Atlantis, effectively trapping Gamemnae. | JLA #74 (Early Dec. 2002) |
| Part 7: The JLA's successors arrive with a plan: they free Aquaman from the pool. He then re-sinks Atlantis, breaking Gamemnae's soul-bond to the continent and nullifying her magicks. (This returns Aquaman to human form.) Raven and a female companion sneak through the portal to the future along with the returning Atlanteans. | JLA #75 (Jan. 2003) |
| c. 1000 BCE: An alien race of shape-changers visits Earth. One star ship is damaged and crashes back to Earth. Its nuclear engine explodes and buries the ship under the Earth in the region later known as Qurac. | New Titans #64 (Mar. 1990) |
| 1005 BCE: Worship of Astarte, the love goddess (later Ishtar) begins. Temple prostitution practiced in the near-East. | Sandman #45 (??) |
| 776 BCE: The power of the Spectre is again unleashed on Earth. | DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 (Feb. 1999) |
| 594 BCE: The Athenian statesman and poet, Solon travels to Egypt where the Great Priest relates the early Atlanteans' arrival in primitive Egypt. The Priest claims it happened 9000 years before. NOTE: Solon and the priest are regarded as real world historical figures. | Atlantis Chronicles #6 (Aug. 1990) |
| 500 BCE: As "Oneiros," Dream fathers Orpheus with the Muse, Calliope. Orpheus' bride Eurydice is struck down on their wedding night, and attempts to retrieve her from Hades. He fails and is torn apart by the Furies. NOTES: First chronological appearance of Destruction. Calliope is the youngest of the Muses and their representative. In Greek mythology, Oneiros is regarded as an aspect of Hermes. Also, Orpheus is regarded as Apollo's son. This is the earliest depiction of Dream as a member of the Greek pantheon. | Sandman Special #1 (1991) |
| 331 BCE: Per Degaton travels back in time from 1947 to help the Persian king Darius defeat Alexander the Great in the Battle of Arbela, changing history. The JSA later travels back in time to thwart Degaton, restoring history to its original course. | All-Star Comics #35 (6-7.47) |
| 323 CE, Rome: Vandal Savage lives as as Licinius and leads a 130,000-man revolt to Chrysopolis, where he is still defeated by the Emperor Constantine. Later, Savage moves on and another man is killed in his stead. | JSA Classified #10 (May 2006) |
| 213 BCE: Chinese emperor Chou Houang Ti orders books throughout the kingdom to be burnt. A number of the books escape being burned and are later collected by a man named Sassenos. | Justice League of America #54 (June 1967) |
| c. 70 BCE: Vandal Savage adopts the identity of Gaius Julius Caesar. | Who's Who #25 (Mar. 1987) |
| 62 BCE: Caius Octavius, the future Caesar Augustus, is born. 50 BCE: Caius Octavius first meets Julius Caesar.46 BCE: Caius Octavius travels to Spain at the request of Julius Caesar. On his first night in camp, he is raped by Caesar. | Sandman #30 |
| 45 BCE: Swamp Thing and Milo Mobius meet again to battle gladiators and lions, at the Coliseum arena. Mobius dies again. Caesar's "Hell Jewel" vanishes, and takes Swamp Thing with it. | Swamp Thing v.1 #12 (Oct. 1974) |
| 44 BCE: Vandal Savage fakes his death as Julius Caesar to adopt a new identity. NOTE: This is the historical date of Caesar's death. | * |
| c. 30 BCE: The human race of Homo magi seals itself off from the world in the mountains of Turkey. This race diverged from Homo sapiens during the Stone Age. | Justice League of America #165 (Apr. 1979) |
| 6 BCE: The Spectre is banished to limbo because vengeance and forgiveness (Jesus Christ) cannot walk the Earth at same time. | DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 (Feb. 1999) |
| c. 4 BCE: The angel Gabriel rapes the Virgin Mary. NOTE: Yes, it was Garth Ennis' assertion that Gabriel was Jesus' father (his take on the Annunciation.) | Hellblazer #64 |
| c. 1 BCE: The consciousness of dying Green Lantern Yalan Gur is absorbed, along with the Lantern's shattered power battery, into the Starheart, which crashes in China as a green, glowing meteorite. It is found by a blacksmith named Chang, who fashions it into a lantern. The lantern issues a cryptic prophecy: "Three times shall I flame green: first, to bring death; second, to bring life; third, to bring power." When Chang is killed by superstitious neighbors, the lantern fulfills the first part of the prophecy by slaying his attackers with a burst of energy. | All-American #16 (July 1940), Secret Origins #18 (Sept. 1987), Green Lantern v.3 #19 (Dec. 1991) |
| 1 BCE: Blackbriar Thorn, the last of the druids, transforms himself into a wooden statue to elude the Roman army. | DC Comics Presents #66 (Feb. 1984) |
| Birth of Christ: Upon Christ's birth, the Spectre is exiled to Limbo because "forgiveness and vengeance could not walk the Earth at the same time." NOTE: An ancient historian may have mistaken the date of Christ's birth; if so, his birth is technically 4 BCE. | Spectre v.3 #0 (Oct. 1994) |
| A man named named Josephus offends Jesus on his way to the cross. He is cursed to live until the end of the world. NOTES: It was also postulated that the Phantom Stranger was the Wandering Jew (Secret Origins v.2 #10), but an issue of the Spectre showed him in Egypt centuries before the crucifixion. | Arak, Son of Thunder #7-8, 10, 35, 36 (1982–84) |
| c. 33 CE: Christ is crucified. The Swamp Thing's spirit inhabits the cross and he speaks directly to Christ, as the martyr dies. NOTES: This untold tale was meant for Rick Veitch's Swamp Thing #88 but never saw print. It was revealed later by Tefé Holland. | Swamp Thing Secret Files #1 (Nov. 1900) |
| c. 33 CE: The Roman centurion Longinus uses his spear to pierce the side of the dead Christ as he hangs on the cross. The spear of Longinus becomes one of the most important Christian relics, imbued with tremendous mystical power. In future years it falls into the hands of many great conquerors, including Constantine, Charles Martel, Charlemagne, and Frederick of Barbarossa. It becomes known as the Holy Lance — the Spear of Destiny. Notes: The spear was first mentioned in John 19: 34, but not the name "Longinus." (Please also visit the Spear of Destiny site.) | Weird War Tales #50 (1.77) |
| Following the crucifixion of Christ, the Spectre goes berserk, raising the dead and causing widespread chaos. The forces of Heaven temper the entity's rage by binding it to a human soul, an Indian man named Caraka, who was murdered along with his family by the necromancer Beltane. | Spectre v.3 #0 (Oct. 1994) |
| Caraka becomes corrupt and relinquishes his bond to the Spectre. He later becomes the demon Azmodus (first chronological appearance). | Spectre v.3 #25 (Jan. 1995) |
| 64 CE: Captain Atom battles an alien invasion and Monarch as Nero's Rome burns. | Armageddon: The Alien Agenda #2 (Dec. 1991) |
| 70 CE: The Romans burn the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. A number of books from the temple are later found by Sassenos and collected in his library. | Justice League of America #54 (June 1967) |
| c. 240 CE: In Britain, the Spectre is again bound to a human soul, that of a young woman brutalized by highwaymen. | Spectre v.3 #0 (Oct. 1994) |
| On the planet Rann, the humanoid race defeats the blue-skinned Kirri, who are seemingly wiped out after hundreds of years of warfare. In fact, some surviving Kirri flee Rann for other worlds. Note: The exact date was never given, but the war was said to have begun "thousands of years ago." By the time the Kirri were defeated, the humans of Rann had developed modern technology, so the final battle took place sometime prior to the nuclear war that destroyed Rannian civilization. | Mystery in Space #69 (Aug. 961) |
| Merlin (Myrddin Ambrosius), the son of Belial and a mortal witch is born. | Batman #544 (July 1997) |
| c. 560: Camelot | |
| 6th century CE: Prince Khufu is recincarnated as Brian Kent, Shining Knight. He shares adventures with King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. | Brave & Bold #1 (Aug. 1955) |
| King Arthur's friend, Merlin, bestows Sir Justin with an enchanted blade, armor and winged horse. Legend calls him the Shining Knight. After his first mission, Justin is encased in ice and is not revived until 1941, but after that, he frequently time-travels back to Camelot. NOTE: It's bizarre that Justin would travel back to Camelot and not attempt to change his destiny by freeing himself from the ice. | Adventure Comics #66 (Sept. 1941), All-Star Squadron #62 (Oct. 1986) |
| Post-Crisis: During a battle, the sons of Belial — Etrigan, Scapegoat and Merlin — do battle. Merlin charges Scapegoat to carry all Hell's sins and imprisons him in the "Region Beyond." In the years that follow, Merlin and King Arthur imprison many of their foes in the Region Beyond, including the Thing-That-Cannot-Die, Wotan and the Wild Hunt. After the quest for the Holy Grail, Merlin sets Sir Percival to guard the Region's exit. As part of this "family battle," Merlin also bonds Etrigan to the human, Jason Blood (see next). NOTES: Jason and Merlin were also described as the blood brothers Iason and Myrddin in Gaiman's Books of Magic. In pre-Crisis continuity, Merlin transformed Etrigan into Jason Blood and Blood lived for centuries with no knowledge of his demonic self. | Demon #16-20 (Oct. 1991-2.92) |
| Merlin and Etrigan observe a man named Jason Blood, with his wife Marie and their two daughters. Jason cares little for King Arthur's battle with Mordred. Since Etrigan has also refused to help save Camelot, Merlin bonds Etrigan to Jason. The pair go insane from the stress, and Jason murders his wife and daughter Claire with an axe. Marie's brother discovers the slaughter, and incites a mob to kill Jason. But Jason turns into Etrigan, killing them all. A year later, Etrigan and Jason regain their sanity. | Demon #0 (Oct. 1994) |
| Jeffrey Sloane, boyfriend of Zatanna, is accidentally sent back in time to Camelot while Zatanna is attempting to catch a glimpse of Merlin. Zatanna rescues him from Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot. NOTE: This story did not involve Supergirl. | Supergirl v.1 #1 (Nov. 1972) |
| The young Shining Knight and Merlin enlist the time-travling Swamp Thing to find the Holy Grail and help defend Camelot against Morgaine LeFay. Justin finally finds the Grail, but when the Swamp Thing is drawn back through time, Camelot — which rested upon his "back" — falls! The Dark Ages ensue. Justin travels to the 20th Century to tell Abigail Holland of her husband's fate. | Swamp Thing #87, 109 (June 1989, 7.91) |
| Nimue Inwudu (the future Madame Xanadu), sister of Morgaine Le Fey and the keeper of the forests around Camelot, is asked by the Phantom Stranger to stop the machinations of Merlin. She traps him within a grove of plants. | Madame Xanadu #1-2 (Aug.–Sept. 2008) |
| Merlin is imprisoned by the sorceress Nimue. NOTES: Merlin later escapes this imprisonment, and remains active in modern times. He has at least two descendants: the Golden Age magician, Merlin (National Comics #1, 1940), and Merba (Supergirl v.1 #4, 3.73). | Books of Magic #1 (Dec. 1990) |
| 700-730: Abdul Alhazred writes his infamous Al Azif, which is later to be translated and known as the Necronomicon. NOTE: Date from H.P. Lovecraft's History of the Necronomicon (1927). The Necronomicon is a creation which first appeared in Lovecraft's short story, "The Hound" (1922) and has appeared in numerous other stories. Any real world books claiming to be a "true" Necronomicon are not. It's been used in the DCU by Felix Faust (JLofA #10), Superman (DC Comics Presents #18) and the Joker (Batman #544). Alhazred was also mentioned in JLofA #206 and 225. Alhazred was part of the inspiration for Ras al Ghul's Elseworld equivalent in Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham. According to Lovecraft's "History of the Necronomicon" (which can be found at: ), it was translated into Greek in the 9th Century, which explains why the Joker referred to it as being from that time in Batman #544. | |
| 790: Dream is willed the ancient city of Baghdad by its ruler, so that it may live forever in dreams. NOTE: Based on the dates of the CaliphHaroun al Rashid's reign, and the reference to the Koran being revealed 180 years before. | Sandman #50 (June 1993) |
| 790: Loki is imprisoned by Odin beneath the Earth. | Sandman #24 (Mar. 1991) |
| On the planet Rann, a clash between the city-states of Ranagar and Zared leads to nuclear war. Alva Xar, Diktator of Zared, survives the conflict by going into suspended animation in a hidden lab beneath Zared, later reviving to threaten present-day Rann. Most Rannian city-states descend into barbarism. Note: Adam Strange's first appearance in Showcase #17 revealed that Rannian civilization had collapsed a millennium ago due to a nuclear war, but the circumstances weren't explained until Mystery in Space #81. The precise date of the war was never revealed, only that it was "a thousand years" before Adam first appeared on Rann. | Showcase #17 (Nov./Dec. 1958), Mystery in Space #81 (Feb. 1963) |
| 1066: The Manhunter androids first discover and infiltrate the Earth. | Secret Origins #22 (Jan. 1988) |
| 1199: Etrigan slays a cardinal five miles from Jerusalem. | Demon #0 (Oct. 1994) |
| c. 1206, China: Vandal Savage adopts the identity of Genghis Khan and becomes prince of the Mongols, leading their invasion of China. | Who's Who #25 (Mar. 1987) |
| 1272: A young Marco Polo passes through the Desert of Lop, falling unconscious. In his dreams, he meets Rustichello, the future chronicler of his tales, as well as the spirit of Fiddler's Green, and Dream of the Endless. NOTE: Fiddler's Green is based on English writer G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936). His first appearance was in Sandman #11. | Sandman #39 |
| c. 1272-1295: Nimue (the future Madame Xanadu), is now the seer for Kublai Khan's court. She crosses paths with the Phantom Stranger again as he guides Marco Polo's expedition to the courts. Polo stops the assassination of Khan's fourth consort, and is allowed to choose one treasure. He chooses the Starheart artifact that will later become Alan Scott's lantern. | Madame Xanadu #3-4 (10–11.08) |
| 1295: Marco Polo returns from the East. His stories of the Orient will inspire numerous other explorers, including Columbus and Vasco da Gama. He returns from his journey with a book of arcane knowledge, which is later translated by Leonardo da Vinci. | Secret Origins v.2 #27 (June 1988) |
| 1298: Marco Polo tells his tales to a cellmate in prison, Rustichello. | Sandman #39 |
| 13th century: Shining Knight is trapped in the time of Genghis Khan by the Nebula Man. He is soon rescued. | Justice League of America #101 (Sept. 1972), Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. #9 |
| 13th century: Robin Hood teaches Vandal Savage knifeplay. | Arsenal #3 (Dec. 1998) |
| c. 1330: Nicholas Flamel, ancestor of Zatara and Zatanna, is born. Note: According to JLA Annual #2 (1998), he is still alive today. The real world Flamel is reputed to have died in 1415. He was also mentioned in Batman #544 (July 1997). | Secret Origins v.2 #27 (June 1988) |
| 1372: A man named Jacek publishes a book named Mystic Abominations and is burned at the stake. All known copies of his books were burned. | Justice League of America #164 |
| 1370s: The Pied Piper frees the city of Hamelin from its rats... and its children. NOTE: This story involves Zatanna, not Supergirl. | Supergirl v.1 #2 (Jan. 1973) |
| 1389: Dream and Death visit the White House Tavern, and Robert "Hob" Gadling is granted eternal life until he chooses death. | Sandman #13 (??) |
| 1452: Leonardo da Vinci, ancestor of Zatara and Zatanna, is born. NOTE: The Vertigo title, Chiaroscuro (1995) was a semi-fictionalized, non-DCU da Vinci's life. Leonardo was also an inspiration to Bob Kane's creation of Batman. | Secret Origins #27 (June 1988) |
| 1470: The Iroquois Indian Flying Stag becomes the immortal Super-Chief, when he absorbs the radiation from a meteorite. NOTES: Super-Chief was the first Native-American superhero. | All-Star Western #117-119 (1960-61), Superman v.1 #245 (Jan. 1972) |
1493: In Spain, Madame Xanadu witnesses one of Torquemada's executions. After saving a woman during childbirth, she and her lover Marisol come under suspicion of the Inquisition. Marisol is tortured and killed by Torquemada. 1495: Three Jews—Miller Shepherd and Fields—become spies for the Inquisition, turning in many who practice Islam. One man has an uncle who is a powerful sorcerer, and unleashes an Ifrit on the three. Over the centuries, their families live a nomadic lifestyle, constantly staying ahead of the Ifrit. |
Madame Xanadu #11-15 (July–Nov. 2009) |
| 1503-1566: The life of Michel de Nostredame (aka Nostradamus), ancestor of Zatara and Zatanna. | Secret Origins #27 (June 1988) |
| 1503-1506: Vandal Savage blackmails Leonardo da Vinci into painting the Mona Lisa. NOTE: Batman Annual #18 tells a different origin of this painting, which includes a Renaissance-era Batman. It is unclear whether the story was meant to be Elseworlds. Another non-DCU origin of the Mona Lisa is told in Chiaroscuro #5-6. | Final Night #2 (Nov. 1996) |
| 1558: Jon Valor becomes the Black Pirate. Soon after, he is temporarily taken to 20th Century by the Lord of Time. | Sensation #1 (1.42), JLofA #159-160 (10-11.78) |
| The Black Pirate returns and continues his adventures. But before the year is out, he is killed, and now forced to wander the seas as a ghost. | Starman v.2 #31 (Feb. 1991) |
| 1566: The court of Suleiman the Magnificent, last ruler of the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power falls to the assaults of the demon Etrigan. Suleiman and Merlin hide the magic of the empire in an enchanted scimitar. Merlin's Eternity Book is also hidden with the scimitar. | JLA Annual #4 (2000) |
| 1588: As Vandalo Salvaje, Vandal Savage leads the Spanish Armada in a failed campaign against Sir Francis Drake. | Who's Who #25 (Mar. 1987) |
| 23 June 1593: Wiliam Shakespeare and Lord Strange's Men perform "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for Auberon & Titania of Faerie, at the request of Morpheus. 1596: Hamnet Shakespeare dies. | Sandman #19 |
| 16th Century, Poland: The Ragman costume is created. (No name is given for the first Ragman.) | Ragman v.2 #3 (Dec. 1991) |
| 16th Century: The conversion of Mexico to Christianity confines the Aztec god Queztalcoatl to centuries of slumber. | Superman: Man of Steel #3 (Sept. 1991) |
| 1604: An unnamed Ragman fights a vampire over London. | Ragman: Suit of Souls #1 (Dec. 2010) |
| 1635: Captain Jon Logerquist of Sweden founds Gotham City. | Swamp Thing #52 (Sept. 1986) |
| 1607-1673: The life of Count d'Artagnan (later reincarnated as Travis Morgan, Warlord). NOTE: D'Artagnan is the main character in The Three Musketeers series of books by Alexandre Dumas (1844). Prior incarnations for Morgan include a caveman, Gaius Thetalos, a Nubian slave, Lancelot du Lac, Jim Bowie, Crazy Horse, and an Iowa farm boy). The real world d'Artagnan lived from 1615-1673. | Warlord #27 (Nov. 1979) |
| 1648: The Trenchcoat Brigade (John Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult and Mr. E) travels back in time to battle against Constantine's ancestor Piotr and the cancer god M'Nagalah. NOTE: M'Nagalah first appeared in Swamp Thing #8. | The Trenchcoat Brigade #1-4 (Mar.–June 1999) |
| 1656: Etrigan and Jason Blood meet with Lucifer in Hell. They agree to a scheme for the death of the pirate William Scumm, long overdue to go to Hell.1660: Lucifer, Etrigan, and Jason Blood drink a toast to the death of Scumm. Jason Blood asks Lucifer where a man should seek his fortune on Earth. Lucifer advises him to go west. | Demon #0 (Oct. 1994) |
| 1660: Alf Oldland of rural England is murdered by Stuart Fisby when his croft is set on fire. He returns to life as the Swamp Thing called "Jack In The Green." However, he does not learn the identity of his killer for many years. | Swamp Thing #47 (Apr. 1986), Hellblazer: Lady Constantine #1 (??) |
| 1665: Jack In The Green returns home from his worldwide travels, and witnesses the horrors of the Bubonic Plague, known as "the Black Death." | Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days (??) |
| June 6, 1666, London, England: To avoid dying from the black plague, Milo Mobius steals a magical spell from his mistress and curses himself with the Hell Jewel's gift of immortality. Mobius is cursed to live forever, to time-travel, suffer endless violent deaths, and reincarnate into the past, present and future for all time as the Eternity Man (or Immortal Man). | Swamp Thing v.1 #12 (Oct. 1974) |
| 1775-1781: The American Revolutionary War July 4, 1776: The Founding Fathers of the United States sign the Declaration of Independence. | |
| 1777: Shortly after signing the Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers, led by Benjamin Franklin, conduct a ritual to create the American Talisman, to represent the spirit of the new nation. The Talisman in turn bonds with Taylor Samuel Hawke, an alchemist. It first manifests during the Revolutionary War as The Minuteman, and fades away after the Rvolutionary War. NOTE: This was Uncle Sam's earliest chronological appearance. The origin in National Comics #5 only named Uncle Sam. The tale in The Spectre changed it a bit, naming Hawke and the Minuteman. | National Comics #5 (July 1940); Secret Origins v.2 #19 (Oct. 1987); The Spectre v.3 #38 (Feb. 1996) |
| Cagliostro advises Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Benjamin Franklin during the American Revolution. NOTE: In the real world, Cagliostro never visited America... as far as we know. | Secret Origins v.2 #27 (June 1988) |
| 1776: Thomas Hawkins becomes the Tomahawk during the Revolutionary War. The boy, Dan Hunter, fights at his side. NOTE: His adventures ran through Star-Spangled #121. | Star-Spangled #69 (June 1947) |
| Bess Lynn becomes Miss Liberty. Soon after, she is temporarily taken to 20th Century by the Lord of Time. | Tomahawk #81 (??.62), Justice League of America #159-160 (Oct.–Nov. 1978) |
| 1779: Tomahawk, Dan Hunter and Miss Liberty are taken to the 20th Century by the cosmic Crisis. | All-Star Squadron #54 (Feb. 1986), Firestorm #42 |
| Miss Liberty is killed on a mission to rescue the Liberty Bell from the enemy. Note: She also appears in Squadron #54-55. | All-Star Squadron #61 (Sept. 1986) |
| 1785: In England, Johanna Constantine seeks to regain her family's noble title. She is drafted into seeking the mystical Pandora's Box. She enlists the aid of "Jack in the Green", a Swamp Thing from the late 1600s. She succeeds in her mission at a cost of several lives, and she becomes Lady Constantine. NOTES: Jack in the Green first appeared in Swamp Thing #47, Lady Constantine in Sandman #13) | Hellblazer Special: Lady Constantine #1-4 |
| 1786: Cagliostro is involved in the affair of the Diamond Necklace, which helps lead to the overthrow of the French Monarchy. | Secret Origins v.2 #27 (June 1988) |
| 1786: Johanna Constantine steals some papers from the Russian Court. | Sandman #29 |
| 1787: The Madame de Xanadu is the guest of the French Queen Marie Antoinette for seven months. She attempts to warn Marie of the impending Revolution. | Madame Xanadu #5 (Dec. 2008) |
| 1789: Lady Constantine confronts Morpheus and Hob Gadling. | Sandman #13 (Feb. 1990) |
| 14 July 1789, France: The storming of the Bastille (The French Revolution) | |
| 1793: Madame Xanadu visits Marie in her cell. She herself is captured and imprisoned. Besting Death with a deck of Tarot cards, she is granted eternal life, until such time as she chooses to relinquish it. | Madame Xanadu #5–6 (Dec. 2008-1.09) |
| September 27–30 1888: In Whitechapel, Madame Xanadu seeks to prevent the murders of Jack the Ripper (after he has killed his first two victims). She fails to save Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes. | Madame Xanadu #7 (Mar. 2009) |
| November 9 1888: Madame Xanadu fails to save Mary Kelly from the Ripper. The Phantom Stranger reveals that Kelly was pregnant with Jason Blood's child. The Stranger later kills the Ripper. | Madame Xanadu #8 (Apr. 2009) |
| 1791: Johanna Constantine involved in a scandal in Louisiana. | Sandman #29 |
| 1793: Shortly before his death, a guilt ridden Jacob Stockman writes his account of the Ceremony of the Bat. | Batman #452-454 (8-9.90) |
| 1793: An unnamed Ragman fights a sorcerer. | Ragman: Suit of Souls #1 (Dec. 2010) |
| June 28, 1794: Morpheus asks for Lady Constantine's assistance in obtaining Orpheus' head. July 24, 1794: Lady Constantine obtains and extricates Orpheus' head from the midst of the French Revolution. | Sandman #29 (Aug. 1991) |
| 1795: 20-year old Seminole Indian brave Ho'tah Makanaw drinks from the Grotto of Eternal Youth and becomes immortal. Later that day, ten drunken traders burst into the Seminole village and murder all of the tribe but Ho'tah, who vows to keep the Grotto a secret and the memory of his lost tribe alive in Florida. | Swamp Thing v.2 #20 (1.84) |
| c. 1796: As Marshal Sauvage, Vandal Savage becomes an advisor to Napoleon; he presumably takes a new identity after Napoleon's abdication in 1814. | Flash v.1 #137 (June 1963) |
| 1799: Darius Wayne begins construction of Wayne Manor. | Swamp Thing #86 (May 1989) |
| Late 18th century: A member of the Drake family serves as a member of London's "Bow Street Runners" (forerunners to the Metropolitan police force). NOTE: This Drake is definitely an ancestor of Gotham Police Detective Richard Drake, as well as both Black Canaries. It is unknown if Tim Drake is related to this Drake. | DC Secret Origins of Superheroes (Apr. 1979) |
| 19th Century | |
| January 1, 1800: The aging Tomahawk confronts a slave trader — Jason Blood — in Gotham. Blood's ally, Lord Shilling, impersonates Tomahawk's ally, Stovepipe, and the two begin a fight which leads to the discovery of a cave (which will one day be the Batcave. This seaside entrance is later sealed and kept a long-held secret of the wealthy Wayne family and their servants.) In the cave, they discover the magic piece of amber which houses the Swamp Thing's soul; it is strung around the neck of a giant bat. Shilling dies when he tries to retrieve the amber from within an arcane pool. Tomahawk claims the crystal — withered hand attached — and meets Moon Fawn and her brother Wise Owl. He journeys with them to Echo Valley. Their father, Grey Elk has been communing with the Swamp Thing as an oracle. NOTES: Lord Shilling first appeared in Tomahawk #28. Stovepipe in Tomahawk #97. | Swamp Thing #86 (May 1989), Detective #205 (??) |
| Tomahawk marries Moon Fawn, has two sons, Hawk and Small Eagle. His brother-in-law is called Wise Owl; his father-in law Grey Elk. | Tomahawk #131 (1970??) |
| July 5, 1810: Phineas Taylor (P.T.) Barnum is born. | |
| 1810: Farmer/widower Waverly Sayre becomes the first Green Lantern of Earth, Sector 2814. Waverly Sayre is succeeded upon his death as Green Lantern by the alien, Starkaor. | G.L. Corps Quarterly #2 (Aut.92), Legends of the DCU #20 (Sept. 1999) |
| War of 1812: The American Talisman bonds with a new host and becomes Brother Jonathan. ; he will later be known as Uncle Sam. NOTE: This was Uncle Sam's earliest chronological appearance. The origin in National Comics #5 only named Uncle Sam. The tale in The Spectre named Hawke and the Minuteman. | The Spectre v.3 #38 (Feb. 1996) |
| 1818: Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus is published by Mary Shelley. | |
| 1818: Gaston Hupert, an officer in Jean Lafitte's army, proclaims the foundation of Hub City, although actual construction does not begin for some years. | The Question #5 (June 1987) |
| February 14, 1819: Joshua Norton is born to John and Sarah Norton in London, England. NOTE: Norton is a historical character. | Sandman #31 (Oct. 1991) |
| 1826: Murderous pirate and magician "Dark Conrad" Constantine is pursued by his hated arch-enemy Captain Jean Lafitte, into a ghostly supernatural dimension. NOTE: As with Lady Johanna, Dark Conrad is an ancestor of John Constantine. | Swamp Thing #111, 114-115 (Sept. 1991, 12.91, 1.92) |
| 1830: Alicia Collins is born in South Yorkshire, England. | Swamp Thing #120 (July 1992) |
| 1835: P.T. Barnum stages his first carnival sideshow.June 20, 1837: Alexandrina Victoria is crowned Queen of Great Britain. The Victorian Era begins. | |