Table of contents

The Marvel movie timeline covers from the dawn of time to now across 21 movies and many more TV shows: here's a complete history of the MCU.

10 years ago, Marvel introduced moviegoers to a unique, innovative movie universe with a shared timeline, one that's grown to become the biggest film franchise on the planet. But how do you weave this ongoing story into a single, cohesive narrative? That's the fundamental challenge facing Marvel visionary Kevin Feige, in the face of an ever-expanding canon. He's promised an official timeline will eventually be published, and claims it will answer every fan's questions. But this timeline is unlikely to resolve all the issues, and if it's published by Marvel Studios, it may not even include the TV shows and tie-in comics.

Read More: Marvel Has Released An Official MCU Timeline

First, here's the order of when all the MCU movies take place. This is a chronological order, not release order: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 released in 2017 but is set shortly after the original, several films are set directly in the wake of Captain America: Civil War, while 2019's Captain Marvel is set in 1995.

With that established, it's now time to dive deeper into the history of the MCU, from the Dawn of time to Thanos' snap.

Last updated: March 7, 2019

The Dawning Days of Creation Itself

The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to follow the so-called "cyclic model," with an eternal cosmos locked in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. According to the Collector, the Infinity Stones come from the universe before our own. As he told the Guardians of the Galaxy:

"Before creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots... Infinity Stones."

The Infinity Stones weren't the only thing to survive the previous universe. The dying days of the universe before ours were ruled by the Dark Elves, some of whom also somehow made their way into this cosmos. They were used to a reality that was in the last stages of heat death, an infinite darkness. They settled on the realm of Svartalfheim, and would forever seek to restore their dark universe.

Sources: Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: The Dark World

RELATED: The Origin of Marvel's Infinity Stones Explained

The Age of the Celestials

Power Stone Celestials

The powerful race known as the Celestials were born in the earliest days of the universe. These beings were forged from so-called "living light," which they used to manipulate matter itself and create their own bodies. It's possible these were the beings who "forged" the Infinity Stones into their current form. They certainly took possession of the Power Stone, and the Collector showed footage of the Celestials using it to judge entire worlds and civilizations.

The final fate of the Celestials is unclear, but it seems likely that other races rose up to wage war against them. The Celestials were rendered virtually extinct, with just fragments of their bodies left behind; one gigantic skull would ultimately become the mining installation Knowhere. Only one last Celestial was left, the newborn being who would come to call himself Ego.

According to the Collector, the Power Stone was briefly acquired by a group of lesser beings, who used its power for moments before being consumed. It's possible they used it against the Celestials, and that these monstrous alien beings were destroyed by their own weapon. The Power Stone was ultimately secreted on the planet Morag.

Sources: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The Founding of Wakanda

2.5 million years ago, a Vibranium meteorite impacted East Africa. The entire area was transformed by Vibranium dust, with the energies emitted from the rare metal leading flora and fauna to evolve in a unique way. Humans settled in the area over 10,000 years ago, and warring tribes battled it out. The tribal conflict ultimately came to an end when one warrior-chieftain, Bashenga, received a vision from the Panther God. He was guided to the rare Heart-Shaped Herb, and ingesting this granted Bashenga tremendous superhuman powers. Bashenga used these powers to unite the tribes, and formed the world’s first civilization – Wakanda. He became the first Black Panther.

RELATED: Wakanda is an 'Anchor Point' for the MCU Going Forward

Wakanda was mostly dedicated to worship of the Panther God, Bast, although the Jabari tribe continued to worship Hanuman. It seems likely Bashenga was the one who first guided the Wakandans to begin tapping into the secrets of Vibranium, as they named the Vibranium mound after him. The Black Panthers became ancestral defenders of Wakanda, with successive Black Panthers protecting their nation from any threats. Wakanda became increasingly isolationist over the millennia, distancing itself from the rest of the world.

Sources: Black Panther; The Art of Black Panther

Page 2: Extraterrestrial Societies

The Inhumans and the Beginning of Hydra

Millennia ago, the blue-skinned race known as the Kree began to form a warlike empire. Around 5,000 years ago, the Kree began to travel the universe, experimenting on other races. Their goal was to create super-soldiers, who would serve as their greatest weapons. Although most of these experiments were unsuccessful, on Earth they succeeded in creating the Inhumans. The first Inhuman, Alveus, possessed the power to take control of other members of his race. He led an uprising against the Kree, driving them away from the planet. It's unclear quite how this happened, given the Kree actually believed the Inhumans had been rendered mostly extinct in the aftermath.

Humans and Inhumans alike feared the power of Alveus. They united to banish Alveus through a Kree Monolith, sending him to the planet Maveth. Alveus's disciples formed a secretive cult with the sole purpose of finding a way to bring him back to Earth; always seeking power, this cult would endure through the millennia, known as Hydra.

Tension grew between the humans and Inhumans, with humanity fearing their power. The bulk of the Inhumans chose to relocate to a Kree outpost on the Moon, which they dubbed "Attilan." There, the Inhumans established a strict caste system in order to control their population.

Sources: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 3, 'Failed Experiments'; Inhumans

RELATED: Marvel Can Just Ignore the Inhumans Now

The Age of Asgard

thor-Asgard-gate

In 2,988BC, the Dark Elves recognized that a cosmic event known as the Convergence would see the fabric of reality weakening. They sought to use the Reality Stone (which they called the Aether) to recreate their own universe of darkness. Fortunately, the Dark Elves were opposed by the forces of Asgard, under the leadership of Bor. When the dust settled, Bor thought he had committed genocide, wiping the Dark Elves out. Believing the Reality Stone to be too dangerous, he had it secreted away. Unknown to Bor, the last survivors of the Dark Elves – including their leader, Malekith – locked themselves in suspended animation, awaiting the next Convergence.

Bor would be succeeded by his son, Odin, who initially pursued an imperial policy. The forces of Asgard ransacked other worlds and civilizations, taking their treasures for themselves. Odin’s greatest warrior was his daughter, Hela, who cut a bloody swathe through all Asgard’s opponents. Finally, as the centuries passed, Odin began to believe he was leading Asgard in the wrong direction. He attempted to push Asgard towards a more benevolent policy, but was fiercely opposed by Hela. The All-Father ultimately banished his daughter, trapping her with his own might; it was a decision that cost Asgard dearly, as she briefly escaped and slaughtered Asgard’s famous Valkyrie warriors.

Odin may have renounced the old imperialism of Asgard, but he was still willing to intervene in galactic affairs. He led Asgard in defense of other realms, most notably Midgard (the Asgardian name for Earth). When King Laufey of Jotunheim invaded Midgard in approx. 1,000AD, the Asgardians intervened. The Frost Giants were driven back to Jotunheim, and their most powerful weapon – the Casket of Ancient Winters – was secreted away in Odin’s Vault. The All-Father stumbled upon a Frost Giant child, who he adopted as his own son in the hope he would become a bridge between the two races. Asgard would launch another campaign on Midgard in the 1300s, and one of their Berserker warriors would choose to desert. A century later, in 1409, Odin decided to hide the Tesseract with a group of worshipers in Tønsberg, Norway. It would remain hidden until the 20th Century.

Sources: Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1, 'The Well', Marvel Studios: The First 10 Years

The Fall of Titan

Another alien society developed upon the planet Titan, a rich and lush world. Population growth on Titan was explosive, not helped by the exceptional long lives of the world's inhabitants. One of Titan's philosophers, Thanos, game to believe that population growth was in danger of outstripping Titan's natural resources. He believed this would lead to a global catastrophe. Thanos's solution was an act of genocide, the proposed slaughter of half of Titan's population. "At random," he explained. "It would be fair, for rich and poor alike." This inhuman idea was dismissed by Titan's rulers, and Thanos was called a madman.

Tragically, Thanos's warning came to pass. Somehow, overuse of Titan's resources led to an extinction level event. Thanos, who had seen the disaster coming, was the sole survivor of Titan. As he looked out at the universe, Thanos realized he saw the same pattern repeating on a cosmic scale; everywhere he looked, life was flourishing, and consuming resources. Thanos would ultimately decide to apply his twisted philosophy to the rest of the cosmos.

It's impossible to accurately date the fall of Titan. All life on the world seems to have been consumed, and this may have even affected the planet's bacteria, meaning the normal process of decay no longer affects the planet. Thanos's exceptionally long life actually means this could actually have happened millennia ago.

Source: Avengers: Infinity War

Page 3: Ancient Societies

K'un-Lun-ironfist

K'un Lun, the Hand, and the Divine Pairing

Sometime in the distant past, Earth’s mystics learned to access another dimension, one that only overlapped with Earth once every 15 years. They established a city in this dimension, K’un Lun, which became a center of enlightenment and learning. The Iron Fist was chosen to act as protector of K’un Lun, and guardian of the gateway.

RELATED: Iron Fist: K'un Lun's Monastery and Danny Rand's Powers Explained

Five of K’un Lun’s disciples sought to pervert the city’s teachings, seeking out the secret of immortality. The Elders of K’un Lun banished these five, but were unaware that they had already learned how to conquer death. These five, led by the woman known as Alexandra, were able to tap into the energy of dragons, and create a “substance” that granted immortality from their bones. Using the promise of immortality to gain powerful allies on Earth, the five formed the Yami no tethe Hand. The Hand would be responsible for countless atrocities over the millennia, and their quest for dragon bones would frequently lead to tragedy due to powerful releases of energy. In AD79, the Hand were responsible for triggering the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius, destroying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The Elders of K’un Lun learned of the Hand’s evil, and sought to combat it. The Iron Fist became their greatest weapon against the Hand, and he allied with some of the Hand’s victims, who he trained into an organization known as the Chaste. These two secretive groups – the Hand and the Chaste – would wage war against one another for millennia.

Meanwhile, in North America, a famine struck the area that would become New Orleans. The local Choctaw tribe was saved by the first known "Divine Pairing," with a Choctaw girl sacrificed in a ritual to bring an end to the famine. It's possible that this established the pattern of the "Divine Pairing," a cycle that would run throughout history. Whenever New Orleans was threatened, a new Divine Pairing would emerge, and the death of one would save the area.

Sources: Cloak & Dagger season 1, 'Colony Collapse'; Daredevil season 2, 'Guilty as Sin'; Iron Fist season 1; The Defenders, 'Royal Dragon'

There's now something of a gap in the MCU timeline, running up to the 20th century. There have only ever been occasional flashbacks to the last 1,000 years or so of world history, but all they've done is confirm that everything we've seen so far was still ongoing. Hydra were still sending sacrifices through the Monolith, the Hand and the Chaste were waging war, and an Asgardian berserker was becoming a legend on Earth.

Hydra Allies with Nazism

In the twentieth century, Hydra used the rise of Nazism as an opportunity to gain power and influence. The most notable figure was Johann Schmidt, a scientist who believed the legends of Asgard were the key to ancient, advanced science. He ingratiated himself within the SS, and in June 1934 took advantage of the Night of the Long Knives to take control of the Nazi's weapons testing program in Kumersdorf.

Under Schmidt's leadership, Hydra pursued two avenues of research. Arnim Zola continued to develop advanced weapons systems, which Hydra secretly tested during the Spanish Civil War. But Schmidt himself was more interested in attempts to create the perfect human, and became fascinated by the theories of Dr. Abraham Erskine. When Erskine attempted to flee Germany in September 1935, Schmidt intercepted him, and forced him to cooperate with Hydra.

RELATED: The History of Hydra in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

1940 proved a turning point in the history of Hydra, with war now raging across Europe. British Intelligence stole footage of weapons testing in Guernica, sharing it with the United States; this evidence persuaded the Strategic Scientific Reserve to prepare for outright war with Hydra, and they recruited genius industrialist Howard Stark. In November that year, Schmidt forced Erskine to pursue human trials of his super-soldier serum, and was transformed into the Red Skull. British Intelligence smuggled Erskine out of Germany before Erskine could be killed for his apparent failure.

In December 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor forced the United States to finally enter the Second World War. Only three months later, though, Hydra’s weapons programs received a terrifying boost; the Red Skull was finally able to locate the Tesseract, the Space Stone, which had apparently been left on Earth by Odin. Hydra swiftly recognized that they could use the Tesseract as a powerful energy source.

Sources: Captain America: The First Avenger; Captain America: First Vengeance

Page 4: WWII, Hydra, and S.H.I.E.L.D.

Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter in Captain America the First Avenger

The War Between the SSR and Hydra

The SSR's super-soldier program proved successful, but Erskine was assassinated by Hydra after creating just one super-soldier: Steve Rogers, a skinny kid from Brooklyn who Erskine recruited for his strength of character. Although the so-called "Captain America" was initially used as a propaganda tool, in October 1943 Rogers launched an unauthorized mission behind enemy lines to rescue POWs. He proved successful and was recruited by the SSR as a field operative against Hydra. Rogers would serve across the entire European continent, leading an attack on the SSR's Leviathan submarine, neutralizing a Hydra base in the Danish Straits, and capturing a Hydra spy in London.

Meanwhile, Hydra operatives continued to research paranormal phenomenon. In 1945, Werner Reinhardt conducted a dig in Portugal, discovering an ancient Kree Obelisk. He returned to his base in Austria, where he conducted human trials. The same year saw the 5th U.S. Infantry Division encounter the phenomenon known as “Zero Matter,” likely another Hydra experiment.

RELATED: Hidden Weapons in the MCU that even True Fans Forgot About

Finally, the SSR successfully captured senior Hydra scientist Arnim Zola, although at a cost; Rogers's friend Bucky Barnes was believed killed. Using Zola's intelligence, the SSR launched a crippling campaign against Hydra. Desperate, the Red Skull used Tesseract technology to empower his Valkyrie bomber, and piloted it in a bombing run on the United States. Captain America stole aboard, and the two super-soldiers battled. The Red Skull was (apparently) consumed by the power of the Tesseract, while Rogers crashed the Valkyrie into the Greenland Ice Cap. Both Steve Rogers and the Red Skull were believed dead; in reality, Rogers was left in suspended animation, while the Red Skull was transported to the distant world of Vormir.

All that was left for the SSR was the mopping up, and the last Hydra base to be taken out was Reinhardt’s Austrian headquarters. The Kree Obelisk became the SSR’s first “0-8-4” (object of unknown origin).

Sources: Captain America: The First Avenger; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2, 'Shadows'; Captain America & Thor: Avengers!, Captain America: First Vengeance, Marvel's The Avengers: The Avengers Initiative

S.H.I.E.L.D. and the "Beautiful Parasite"

The SSR had badly underestimated their opponents, though, believing Hydra merely to be a rogue Nazi science division. In reality, Hydra was a vast and ancient organization, and Hydra agents could still be found in other countries. Barnes’s battered body had been found by Hydra agents and ferried into the USSR. There, Hydra would begin the long and arduous program of transforming him into the Winter Soldier.

When the Second World War finally came to an end in September 1945, Allied governments began to consider what to do with Nazi scientists. In the United States, powerful political and military forces pushed for “Operation Paperclip,” allowing the best German scientists to be given a fresh start in the U.S.. This allowed many of Hydra’s best minds, including Arnim Zola, a chance to infiltrate the United States government and intelligence services. Hydra had learned that humanity would resist any attempt to take their freedoms, so humanity would need to surrender its freedom willingly. This reformed Hydra sought power and influence in order to control the direction of history.

RELATED: Ant-Man Concept Art Reveals Arnim Zola Was Originally In The Film

In 1946, SSR agent Peggy Carter proved herself when she exposed Stalin’s most secretive spy agency, Leviathan. The next year, she traveled to the SSR’s new Los Angeles office and brought an end to some unwise experiments with Zero Matter. This involved a mysterious conspiracy known as the Council of Nine, who may have been loosely connected to Hydra. Bolstered by these and other successes, Carter became a particularly important figure in the SSR. In 1949, she oversaw construction of the SSR’s secret headquarters, the Playground, and was placed in charge of the base. Shortly after, the SSR was formally renamed S.H.I.E.L.D., with Carter as the organisation's first Director.

Sources: Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Agent Carter season 1 & 2; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4, 'Meet the New Boss', Marvel Studios: The First 10 Years

Page 5: Plans for Domination

The Return of the Celestials

Meanwhile, in the depths of space, the last of the Celestials - Ego - had created an entire world around his "living light." Creating a biological form for himself, Ego traveled the cosmos, seeking any hint that others of his race had survived. He ultimately realized he was alone. Ego forged an insane plan to absorb the rest of the galaxy into himself, but swiftly realized he would need another Celestial in order to achieve this. The solution, Ego decided, was to travel the galaxy and sire progeny, in the hopes some race would prove compatible with Celestial DNA. In 1980, Ego arrived on Earth, and met Meredith Quill.

To Ego's horror, he realized he was genuinely coming to fall in love with Meredith. He was increasingly tempted to abandon his cause, and instead live on Earth. Separated from his "living light," Ego would become mortal, and die a human. This temptation was dangerous, and so Ego chose to create a tumor within Meredith, one that would gradually kill her. He then left Earth forever.

Meredith gave birth to a son, who she named Peter. Over the years, Meredith's cancer progressed, and she finally died in 1988. Sensing her impending death, Ego hired the Ravager Yondu to collect Peter and bring him to Ego's Planet. Instead, Yondu adopted the child as his own, bringing him up as a "Star-Lord."

Sources: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

RELATED: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's Real Villain Explained

The Secret of Eternal Youth

In 1989, Hydra agents discovered the Inhuman Jiaying. They recognized Jiaying as a woman experimented upon by Werner Reinhardt back during the Second World War, and realized that she had not aged at all. Fascinated by the discovery, Hydra arranged for Reinhardt to be freed from jail, and he took the identity "Daniel Whitehall." Whitehall was ultimately successful in reverse-engineering Jiaying's powers, restoring his own youth. It was at a terrible cost; he literally dissected Jiaying, and dumped the remains of her body in Austria. There, she was found by her husband Calvin Zabo.

In order to restore herself, Jiaying literally drained the life-energies from an entire village. This horrific act caught the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., and a S.H.I.E.L.D. team took Calvin and Jiaying's daughter, Daisy, hoping to keep her safe from these monstrous forces. The baby's parents pursued her, killing off the S.H.I.E.L.D. team one by one; the last two survivors secreted Daisy at Saint Agnes' Orphanage, giving her the name "Skye."

Broken by her torture under Whitehall and the subsequent loss of her daughter, Jiaying abandoned Calvin and retreated to the Inhuman colony of Afterlife.

Sources: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1, 'Seeds,' season 2, 'What They Become', 'The Things We Bury', 'S.O.S. Part 1'

Hydra's Quest for Super-Soldiers

Hydra grew particularly interested in the so-called "Pym Particle," discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant Hank Pym. Pym had unlocked the ability to change size, and had used these powers to run a number of key missions. He'd paid a terrible price, though, with his wife Janet Van Dyne sacrificing herself in order to stop an ICBM strike on the US.

RELATED: Ant-Man & the Wasp May Have Major Impact on the MCU

At the same time, Daniel Whitehall began work on what he called a "Particle Infusion Generator." This would allow Hydra to infuse a subject with specific particles, granting them the properties of said particles. Whitehall believed the best subject would be bred for this, and had a Hydra student undergo artificial insemination. Ultimately, Pym Particles proved to be a dead end; when Pym learned S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were attempting to duplicate his technology, he quit. Hydra instead turned their attention to the element Gravitonium, which had been theorized by Dr. Franklin Hall.

In December 1991, Hydra learned that Howard Stark had finally replicated the super-soldier serum. They used the Winter Soldier to assassinate Stark and his wife, and recovered samples of the serum. Hydra's experiments proved unsuccessful; the subjects were dangerously unstable, and Hydra were forced to abandon the project and place them in cryogenic suspension. Whitehall's strategy, to breed and train the perfect test subject, seemed the right way to go.

Sources: Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5, 'Rise and Shine'

Page 6: The World Needs Heroes

Ulysses Klaue talking in Black Panther

Prince N'Jobu's Treachery and Klaue's Vibranium Smuggling

In the late '80s and early '90s, Wakanda's King T'Chaka began sending his agents out into the world to carefully monitor potential threats. One of these agents was his brother, Prince N'Jobu, but T'Chaka had failed to reckon on N'Jobu's passionate nature. The prince fell in love with an African American woman, and the two had a secret child. Increasingly invested in the outside world, N'Jobu watched with fury as the planet's social system seemed to conspire against black people. He believed Wakanda had a responsibility to intervene, and concluded that Vibranium weapons could be used to arm black insurgencies across the globe.

N'Jobu conspired with the smuggler Ulysses Klaue to smuggle Vibranium out of Wakanda. Wakandan forces captured Klaue, and branded him as a thief; but they failed to appreciate the scale of the threat Klaue posed. In 1991, another near-capture led Klaue to detonate explosives, killing members of Wakanda's Border Tribe. T'Chaka began a personal investigation, and swiftly discovered his brother's treachery.

The confrontation between T'Chaka and N'Jobu turned to tragedy, with N'Jobu actually attacking the king - who killed his brother. Horrified at what he had done, T'Chaka left America, abandoning N'Jobu's son in the United States. Klaue remained Wakanda's most hated enemy, but the smuggler managed to stay under the radar for decades.

Source: Black Panther

RELATED: Black Panther's Secret Weapon is Killmonger's Backstory

Captain Marvel - 1995

Brie Larson as Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel

In 1989, US fighter pilot Carol Danvers disappeared. She returned to Earth in 1995 as Kree Starforce member Vers on the hunt for invading Skrulls. She discovers her past on Earth and that the Kree-Skrull war she's waging is not quite as it seems. Unlocking her full powers, she vows to protect the universe.

Along the way, she meets S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury who loses an eye and eventually becomes Director, vowing to find more heroes to protect Earth.

Source: Captain Marvel

The Fate of the Zehoberei

Meanwhile, in the depths of space, Thanos the Mad Titan visited the world of Zen-Whoberi. Thanos had concluded that population growth across the universe risked outstripping the cosmos's natural resources, and had launched an insane campaign to slaughter half the life in the universe. As part of this, he had gathered armies and acolytes to himself, and begun to raze world after world. Thanos had half the population of Zen-Whoberi killed, and claimed one surviving Zehoberei - Gamora - as his "daughter." Although Gamora remained with Thanos for over 20 years, in truth she hated Thanos for what he had done, and would ultimately betray him.

In the wake of Thanos's horrific slaughter, the survivors of the massacre grouped together. Over time, they formed what Thanos viewed as a paradise, a world without want or need. He would cite it as an example of his philosophy, a proof that he was doing the right thing.

Source: Avengers: Infinity War

Origin Stories

Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark in Iron Man

There's a sense in which the '90s was the decade of the origin story. In the United States, the young Tony Stark inherited his parents' wealth and connections. This was held in trust until he turned 21 in 1992, when Stark became CEO of Stark Industries. He worked closely with his parents' old friend, Obadiah Stane, unaware that Stane was more than willing to do illegal deals with terrorist groups like the Ten Rings. Only a year later, the young Natasha Romanoff was inducted into the Red Room program, which had outlived the fall of the Soviet Union. She remained active as an agent of the Red Room for several years, until she was brought in by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Clint Barton. Barton persuaded Romanoff to join S.H.I.E.L.D., and she continued to operate under the codename "Black Widow."

In Hell's Kitchen, nine-year-old Matt Murdock was involved in a toxic waste accident that left him blinded. He was orphaned not long later and wound up at Saint Agnes' Orphanage. There, Matt came to the attention of Stick, a member of the Chaste. Stick swiftly realized that Matt had somehow gained advanced senses, and attempted to train him to become a weapon against the Hand. In the end, Stick realized that Matt was simply too loving to take on this role, and moved on. He'd always remain close to Matt Murdock, though, watching from the shadows and carefully manipulating his life.

In 1998 the young Jessica Jones and her family were involved in a car accident. Dr. Karl Malus used experimental genetic editing to save both Jessica and her mother. The effects on Alisa Jones left her out of control, and she was kept for observation and monitoring. Jessica was sent back to Metro General Hospital, believing herself to be an orphan. She was adopted by the Walker family, and it didn't take Jessica long to learn that she'd somehow gained superhuman strength.

Finally, sometime around this time young Ava Starr was exposed to a burst of quantum energy when one of her father's experiments went catastrophically wrong. Rendered intangible, Ava was approached by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Bill Foster, who took her under his wing. S.H.I.E.L.D. created technology to help Ava control her powers, and trained her as a Combat and Espionage Specialist.

Sources: Ant-Man & the Wasp, Daredevil season 1, Jessica Jones season 2, Guidebook to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Iron Man 2, Marvel Studios: The First 10 Years

The Pride Are Formed

In the mid-'80s, the mysterious and charismatic being named Jonah had founded the Cult of the Gibborim. He'd remained heavily involved with the cult through the decades, even becoming the lover of cult leader Leslie Dean. But it wasn't until the late '90s and early 2000s that Jonah advanced his plans. He gathered together a group of allies, who he called his "Pride." These included ex-con Geoffrey Wilder, who became owner of a strange house with secret passageways and chambers.

RELATED: Marvel's Runaways Finally Reveals The Pride's Evil Plan

The Pride didn't gather until 2002, when Jonah manipulated them into conducting a ritual to kill another in order to rejuvenate himself. Most of the Pride were unwilling participants in this murder, not realizing what would happen, but it had been secretly filmed; the footage was used to blackmail them into remaining involved for over a decade of similar ceremonies.

Jonah began manipulating events so members of the Pride gained positions of power and prominence in Los Angeles. His goal was to drill some sort of tunnel into the ground, seeking an unknown mineral. When the Hernandez family discovered unusual properties in geological samples from the dig, Jonah had them killed; he didn't know it, but exposure to the samples had granted their daughter Molly superhuman strength.

Matters would become increasingly tense for the Pride over the next decade, as each family had children of their own to care for. Unknown to her husband Frank, Leslie's daughter Karolina had actually been sired by Jonah, and would grow to share his powers.

Source: Runaways season 1

The Creation of the Hulk

Betty and Bruce under the rain in The Incredible Hulk

In 2005, the military's continued focus on the super-soldier program led to the creation of the Hulk. General Thaddeus Ross placed immense pressure on his chief scientist, Bruce Banner, who was eager to gain Ross's approval due to his love for his daughter, Betty. Bruce unwisely exposed himself to high levels of Gamma radiation and transformed into the Hulk. Betty was one of the people hospitalized by the Hulk's first rampage.

RELATED: Characters Marvel Still Doesn't Have The Movie Rights To

To Banner's horror, Ross saw the Hulk as a potential weapon. He fled across the Canadian border, becoming one of the world's most wanted men. A year after fleeing the country, Banner made an attempt to reach out to Betty; the message was intercepted by S.H.I.E.L.D.. Seeking to get a read on this mysterious new "enhanced" individual, Nick Fury personally arranged a meeting with Banner, carefully manipulating circumstances so as to trigger a Hulk incident. Fury was less than impressed, concluding that the Hulk was too volatile to become an asset.

Sources: The Incredible Hulk - The Big Picture, The Incredible Hulk: The Fury Files; Guidebook to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Incredible Hulk

Page 7: The Age of Heroes

The Avengers In New York

When Marvel released Captain America: Civil War, they appeared to set in place a basic rule of thumb; that, unless otherwise indicated, every Marvel movie happens in the year of its release. That was in line with frequent statements from Marvel insiders; Scarlett Johansson once stated that The Winter Soldier was set two years after The Avengers, and Kevin Feige himself indicated that Infinity War is set in 2018. Continuity isn't perfect - especially in light of Spider-Man: Homecoming, which significantly complicates the issue. But using that approach, it's possible to create a basic timeline of the Age of the Avengers. This runs all the way from the day Tony Stark first suited up as Iron Man, to the encounter between Asgardian refugees and Thanos's ship, the Sanctuary II, just moments before Infinity War.

"I Am Iron Man" - 2008

Tony Stark raising a prototype gauntlet in Iron Man 2008

Tony Stark had successfully transformed Stark Industries into one of the world's foremost weapons manufacturers. Unknown to Stark, though, senior partner Obadiah Stane was secretly selling weapons to terrorists. The company was actually under investigation by S.H.I.E.L.D., who were unsure whether or not Stark was implicated in his company's crimes. Stane's growing ambitions ultimately caused him to conspire with the Ten Rings terrorist organization to have Tony Stark assassinated. Instead, to Stane's fury, the Ten Rings captured Stark and attempted to force him to create weapons for them.

Injured during the Ten Rings' attack on a convoy in Afghanistan, Stark created a miniaturized Arc Reactor to keep shards of shrapnel away from his heart. He then created the first Iron Man armor, successfully escaping. Returning to the US, Stark dedicated himself to taking illegal Stark Industries weapons off the table. This led him into direct combat with Stane, who successfully created his own armor. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. attempted to help Stark conceal his identity, Stark dropped the cover story in a press conference and admitted himself to be Iron Man.

Sources: Iron Man; Iron Man: Fast Friends, Iron Man: Security Measures

RELATED: Obadiah Stane Originally Lived in Iron Man

The World Changes - 2008-2011

Stark's announcement effectively made him the world's first celebrity superhero. In Wakanda, T'Challa - who had just become the new Black Panther - was unimpressed. In Russia, Ivan Vanko was furious; his father had worked with Howard Stark on the first designs for the Arc Reactor, and he blamed the Starks for his father's misfortunes and death. Tony Stark, for his part, used his celebrity to launch a campaign to bring an end to war. "I've successfully privatized world peace," he bragged. The fact he sat outside the chain of command, however, made Tony Stark a dangerous loose cannon. S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury assigned Black Widow to go undercover at Stark Industries and monitor Stark's mental health.

Fury believed S.H.I.E.L.D. would play an important role in the age to come. He began to redirect S.H.I.E.L.D.'s funds to two specific projects; a new headquarters, known as the Triskellion, and the so-called Avengers Initiative. Fury's pet project, the Avengers Initiative would see S.H.I.E.L.D. assemble "gifted" assets and "enhanced" individual as a combat unit against exceptional threats. The director believed the world would soon be in real danger from these threats, and an incident in Bahrain in 2009 proved him right. There, a rogue Inhuman - who had left the secretive Inhuman colony of Afterlife - took control of criminal gangs, and rejoiced in causing pain and suffering. S.H.I.E.L.D. Specialist Melinda May was forced to kill the Inhuman, a child who had undergone Terrigenesis despite lacking both emotional and physical maturity.

Fury soon recognized one major problem with the Avengers Initiative; the death of a single "enhanced" individual would effectively devastate S.H.I.E.L.D.'s defense. To that end, he initiated the secretive "Project T.A.H.I.T.I.," an attempt to use Kree technology to resurrect the dead.

RELATED: 20 Characters Who Have Worn Iron Man's Armor

Marvel originally intended this time-period to be a little shorter - dialogue in Iron Man 2 suggests it should have only spanned six months. However, that directly contradicts Civil War, which establishes fixed dates for Iron Man and The Avengers. Stretching it out only contradicts a single line of dialogue.

Sources: Iron Man 2; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1, season 2, 'Melinda'; Iron Man 2: Security Breach, Iron Man 2: Fist of Iron, Iron Man 2: Public Identity, Iron Man 2: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Page 8: Fury's Big Week and The Avengers Initiative

Fury's Big Week - 2011

Although the next three Marvel movies were technically released between 2008 and 2011, they're bound together in a tight chronology by the tie-in comic Fury's Big Week. This establishes that the events of The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor all intersect. In order to examine how these events relate to one another, we'll mostly examine them from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s perspective.

General Ross tracked down Banner in Brazil, and launched an unsuccessful covert op to bring him in. This led to Banner sneaking into the United States, much to Fury's concern. Unfortunately, this coincided with a difficult period for Tony Stark, whose body was dying of palladium poisoning. Under intense pressure due to an attack from Ivan Vanko, Stark crumbled, and a drunken party turned dangerous. His friend James Rhodes, disgusted, took one of the Iron Man armors and became the superhero War Machine.

Fury intervened personally, helping stabilize Stark and point him towards his own father's research to cure his poisoning. This intervention led Black Widow to blow her cover, and Widow supported Stark directly in defeating an attack by Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer. With Black Widow no longer needed at Stark Industries, Fury sent her to Culver University, to monitor the growing conflict between General Ross and the Hulk. That situation went public when General Ross's illegally-created super-soldier, Emil Blonsky, went on a rampage in Harlem. Blonsky was defeated by the Hulk.

RELATED: Unanswered Questions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

At the same time, Agent Phil Coulson dealt with a first contact situation in New Mexico. Thor was banished to Earth after picking a fight with the Frost Giants; his brother Loki pursued him with the Destroyer. Thor eventually triumphed, and returned to Asgard in order to defeat Loki. In order to do so, he was forced to destroy the Bifrost.

The New Mexico incident made it clear that Earth was dangerously outgunned. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s budget was increased, and Fury focused on both the Avengers Initiative and creating Tesseract weapons. These experiments attracted the attention of Thanos, who claimed Loki as his agent. Meanwhile, in space, the destruction of the Bifrost had plunged the Nine Realms into chaos. The other Realms depended on Asgard for protection, and were now victim to countless forces of raiders.

Sources: The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor; Fury's Big Week, Thor: The Dark World Prelude, Marvel's The Avengers: The Avengers Initiative

The Avengers Initiative - 2012

Iron Man, Hulk, Cap, Thor, and Black Widow corner Loki with Hawkeye pointing his arrow in The Avengers

S.H.I.E.L.D. successfully recovered Steve Rogers, and discovered he was still alive. Rogers was briefly sent to a S.H.I.E.L.D. safehouse in the countryside to acclimatize, before returning to New York. He would soon be needed.

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s experiments with the Tesseract drew Loki to Earth, and the Asgardian prince successfully opened a portal for the Chitauri using the Tesseract. Fortunately, Fury was able to assemble the Avengers - who were joined by Thor, sent by Odin to take Loki back to Asgard for trial. The Avengers defeated the Chitauri forces, and deactivated the portal. Although Thor took Loki back to Asgard, it was without the mysterious scepter Loki had wielded; that was stolen by Hydra agents within S.H.I.E.L.D., and taken to a Hydra base in Sokovia.

RELATED: Who Are Thanos's Allies In Avengers: Infinity War?

Although the Avengers had saved the world, it was at a price Nick Fury believed too high; the death of Coulson. Fury reluctantly had Coulson resurrected using Project T.A.H.I.T.I..

The Battle of New York is a pivotal moment in the MCU's history. It marks the point when the world had to accept that aliens existed, but also the moment when the Avengers became public knowledge. Reactions to this dual revelation were mixed; on the one hand, Earth suddenly felt a lot more vulnerable. On the other, though, it had defenders for the first time. World leaders began to consider both how to protect themselves from alien threats, and how to regulate and control "enhanced" individuals. One possible option was to follow the lead of James Rhodes, who continued to operate as the US Government's War Machine. Rhodes wasn't involved in the Battle of New York, as he was in Asia at the time, dealing with a Ten Rings terrorist attack.

Sources: The Avengers; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1; Iron Man 3 Prelude, Thor: The Dark World Prelude, Avengers: Age of Ultron - This Sceptre'd Isle

Page 9: Avengers Fallout

Iron Man 3 - Extremis Soldier

Extremis - 2012

The US Government rebranded War Machine as the Iron Patriot, continuing to field him against potential terrorists. One particular challenge was the threat of the Mandarin, an individual blamed for a spate of terrorist attacks across America. In reality, the Mandarin was a cover created by Aldrich Killian in order to generate a climate of fear. Killian's explosives were actually the byproduct of a bioengineering process he called Extremis, one that was dangerously unstable. Although Killian managed to kidnap the President of the United States, he was nevertheless defeated by Iron Man and War Machine.

RELATED: All of Tony Stark's Iron Man Suits, Ranked

Hydra took samples of Extremis, and began using it in an attempt to create their own super-soldiers. This particular project was run by a Hydra cell that operated under the code-name "Centipede."

Sources: Iron Man 3, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1, 'Pilot'

The Convergence - 2013

Asgard used the Tesseract to repair the Bifrost, and began a military campaign to restore peace to the Nine Realms. This distracted Asgard's forces from the impending Convergence; although Thor noted that the barriers between dimensions were crumbling, he believed this was due to Loki's old dimensional jaunts. On Earth, Jane Foster stumbled across a dimensional rift and became infected with the Aether. Thor swiftly traveled to Earth, and took her to Asgard for study. He had failed to anticipate the return of the Dark Elves, awakened from suspended animation when the Aether returned to this dimension. The Dark Elves once again attempted to use the Aether and the Convergence combined to restore their own dark universe.

Thor defeated Malekith, but at a price; the Dark Elves had successfully raided Asgard's cells, meaning the Nine Realms' most terrifying villains had escaped. Meanwhile, Loki took advantage of the chaos to disguise himself as Odin, and banished the real All-Father from Asgard.

Sources: Thor: The Dark World; Thor: Crown of Fools; Guidebook to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1

The Fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. - 2013-2014

The Helicarrier crashes in Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Back on active duty, although with memories of his resurrection wiped, Phil Coulson began to investigate the "Centipede" conspiracy. He was placed in charge of a small tactical team, heavily supervised by Fury's agents for any sign of instability. It didn't take long for Coulson to add to the team, though, picking up the mysterious hacker Skye. Hydra agents attempted to use Skye to discover the secret of Coulson's resurrection, but their investigations resulted in the destruction of Project T.A.H.I.T.I.. Meanwhile, Captain America became an active S.H.I.E.L.D. asset, usually working alongside Brock Rumlow and Black Widow.

RELATED: This Is What the Black Widow Movie Should Be About

Hydra began to prepare for what they believed would be their masterstroke. They believed humanity was finally at the point where it would sacrifice liberty for security; to that end, S.H.I.E.L.D. funding was redirected towards the controversial Project Insight. This would allow Hydra to kill all potential opponents in one single devastating attack. When Nick Fury questioned Insight, Hydra had the Winter Soldier launch an assassination attempt. This caught the attention of Captain America and Black Widow, and they exposed Hydra.

S.H.I.E.L.D. entered a brief period of "civil war," with Hydra triggering their agents across the world. S.H.I.E.L.D. ultimately emerged triumphant, with Captain America and Falcon neutralizing Project Insight, and Black Widow dumping all S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets on to the Internet. In the aftermath of this disaster, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were both branded terrorist organisations, and the US Government assigned General Talbot to capture every active S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. In spite of General Talbot's interference, Coulson and his team successfully continued their war against Hydra. To Coulson's surprise, Nick Fury placed him in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the new director. Unknown to Coulson and Fury, a S.H.I.E.L.D. splinter group also formed, based on the S.H.I.E.L.D. ship Illiad.

In Sokovia, Baron Strucker resolved that other branches of Hydra could be sacrificed in order to maintain his own experiments with Loki's Scepter. He had already successfully created two "enhanced" people, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch.

RELATED: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Easter Eggs, References, & Trivia

Sources: Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 & 2; Avengers: Age of Ultron - This Sceptre'd Isle, Captain America: Homecoming, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Infinite Comic

Page 10: A New Kind of Hero

Guardians of the Galaxy break out of prison together

The Guardians of the Galaxy - 2014

The millennia-old war between the Kree and Xandar finally came to an end, but Kree extremist Ronan was dissatisfied. He launched a wave of terrorist attacks across Xandarian space, and ultimately acquired the Power Stone with the intention of destroying Xandar. Fortunately, Ronan was opposed by a ragtag group of "a-holes," the self-proclaimed Guardians of the Galaxy. They were able to defeat Ronan due to Peter Quill's Celestial heritage, as he was able to handle the Power Stone and survive.

The Guardians of the Galaxy became famous for their actions on Xandar, and traveled the cosmos, working as mercenaries. They wound up on the wrong side of Ayesha, High priestess of the Sovereign, but were saved by Ego himself. Having heard of a human who could wield the Power Stone, Ego correctly deduced that Quill was his son. He took Quill to his planet, and attempted to launch his plan to absorb the whole universe into his being. The Guardians used Sovereign technology to destroy Ego's Planet, and the "living light" it contained.

In the aftermath, Ayehsa created a new Sovereign, who she called "Adam."

Source: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Terrigenesis - 2014-2015

Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson, aka Quake, on Agents of SHIELD

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s shadow war with Hydra continued, with both groups seeking to explore the mysteries of the Kree Obelisk. Drawn out of the shadows after decades, Calvin Zabo manipulated events to ensure his daughter Skye was exposed to Terrigen, and revealed her real name, Daisy. Daisy developed powerful abilities to manipulate the ground and generate vibrational blasts. Fearful and out of control, she was discovered by the Inhumans of Afterlife, and taken for training. The schisming inside S.H.I.E.L.D. caused some difficult interactions between S.H.I.E.L.D. and this newly-discovered Inhuman community; Jiaying took advantage of this to attempt to incite open war between humans and Inhumans. In the end, Terrigen was dumped into the ocean, absorbed into the world's water supplies and into marine life. Although most people would be unaffected by this, exposure to Terrigen would trigger Terrigenesis in anyone with Inhuman DNA.

Although these events happened on the small screen, they're a turning point for the wider MCU. Marvel Television shows could now explore super-powers themselves, and the Inhumans would become a major part of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

Source: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2

RELATED: Inhumans: The Terrigenesis Ritual Explained

The Sokovia Incident - 2015

Sokovia crater in Avengers Age of Ultron

Tension was growing over how the world should respond to the growing importance of "enhanced" beings and superheroes. Matters were made infinitely worse when the Avengers retrieved Loki's scepter, which contained the Mind Stone. Affected by the Scarlet Witch's powers, Tony Stark created the artificial intelligence Ultron, which went rogue. Although the Avengers attempted to defeat Ultron, the AI was able to use the Scarlet Witch to trigger a battle between Iron Man and the Hulk in Johannesburg. Ultron's masterplan - an attempt to trigger an extinction-level event - brought devastation to the war-torn nation of Sokovia. It was clear to the world's governments that the Avengers could not go unchecked, and they began work on what they called the "Sokovia Accords," to police and control superhumans.

Captain America formed a new team of Avengers, including the Scarlet Witch, Falcon, and the android being called Vision. Thor, who had experienced visions of galactic destruction, left Earth in pursuit of the Infinity Stones.

Meanwhile, in the depths of space, Thanos the last survivor of Titan had committed himself to wielding the power of the Infinity Stones. With Loki's Asgard failing to safeguard the Nine Realms, Thanos was able to visit the legendary world of Nidavellir and force the Dwarves to construct the Infinity Gauntlet.

Source: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War

Superheroes and Vigilantes - 2015

Hell's Kitchen became a center of vigilante activity when Matt Murdock returned to his old neighborhood, and took up the superhero identity of Daredevil. He swiftly found himself taking on the growing criminal empire of Wilson Fisk. Shortly after, superhumans Jessica Jones and Luke Cage were confronted by the threat of the mind-controlling Kilgrave. Jessica snapped Kilgrave's neck, becoming one of the most hotly-debated superhumans in New York. Public opinion divided over whether or not her account was accurate, and how she should be handled by the Justice System.

In July, thief Scott Lang was freed from prison. He soon wound up connected to Hank Pym, who recruited him as the new Ant-Man in order to stop the Pym Particles being abused.

Sources: Ant-Man; Daredevil season 1, Jessica Jones season 1

Page 11: Hydra, The Hand, and... The Avengers Fall

The Return of Hive and the Fall of Hydra - 2015-2016

Public reaction to the emergence of new Inhumans - often with uncontrollable powers - led the US Government to form the Advanced Threat Containment Unit (ATCU). In reality, the ATCU was under the control of Hydra, and was being used to collect Inhumans for study and control.

RELATED: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3: Hive Concept Art Revealed

After millennia of study, Hydra successfully brought Hive back to Earth. More interested in establishing his own Inhuman empire, Hive paid little attention to the day-to-day running of Hydra. That allowed S.H.I.E.L.D. the opportunity to capture Hydra leader Gideon Malick, who revealed countless Hydra secrets before his assassination. Working with General Talbot, Coulson and his team were able to take Hydra down once and for all.

Hive launched his own insane plan to convert all of humanity into Alpha Primitives, a mutated form of being he could control. S.H.I.E.L.D. were able to stop him, and Hive died in space.

Source: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 3

The Defenders - 2015-2016

Perhaps partly inspired by Daredevil's vigilantism, Frank Castle launched a campaign against the criminal gangs responsible for the deaths of his family. He gained the name "the Punisher," and after his arrest went through an extremely high-profile trial. This led to intense public debate on the role of vigilantes.

At the same time, vigilantism in New York became even more pronounced. Daredevil was forced to confront the Hand, entering into an uneasy alliance with his old mentor Stick and his old love Elektra. Ex-con Luke Cage became a public superhero who defended Harlem against street crime. And Danny Rand took control of Rand Industries, battling against the Hand as the latest Iron Fist.

RELATED: Iron Fist: Colleen Wing's Comic Book History Explained

The Hand's plans escalated, with their leaders seeking access to dragon bones buried beneath New York. Success would have continued their immortality, but at the cost of the entire city, which would have been destroyed in a release of energy. Fortunately, Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones worked together against the Hand. Daredevil was believed killed after the final victory.

Shortly after, the Punisher once again began brutal vigilante activity against criminals in New York. He was falsely blamed for a major terrorist attack, and is still wanted by the police.

Sources: Daredevil Season 2, Luke Cage season 1, Iron Fist season 1, The Defenders, The Punisher season 1

The Superhero Civil War - 2016

Angry Iron Man confronts Captain America

In the wake of another high-profile Avengers incident in Nigeria, the United Nations passed the Sokovia Accords. These required all "enhanced" individuals to register, with human members of the Avengers forced to do so as well. The Avengers schismed under the Sokovia Accords, a divide encouraged by terrorist attacks by Helmut Zemo. Zemo used footage of the Winter Soldier's assassination of Howard and Maria Stark to drive a final wedge between Iron Man and Captain America. Steve Rogers was ultimately forced to abandon the identity of Captain America altogether, while several of his allies wound up imprisoned in the Raft.

The passing of the Sokovia Accords, and the resultant "superhero civil war," introduced the Avengers to two new heroes; Black Panther and Spider-Man. T'Challa's father T'Chaka was killed during Zemo's terrorist attack, and he returned to Wakanda to become king. Unfortunately his cousin, Killmonger, used the regime change as an opportunity to attempt a coup. In the aftermath of Killmonger's defeat, T'Challa committed Wakanda to a new direction, abandoning his homeland's isolationist past. Meanwhile, Stark had built a strong relationship with Peter Parker, the Spider-Man. Stark monitored Spider-Man carefully to see if he was ready to become an Avenger, but Parker himself decided he wasn't yet after defeating the Vulture.

RELATED: Spider-Man's Goal is to Be An Avenger

For S.H.I.E.L.D., the passing of the Sokovia Accords began a six-month process to legitimize themselves once again. Their Inhuman assets were registered under the Sokovia Accords, and their bases became known to the US military. Coulson stepped aside as Director, and the President proposed Jeffrey Mace for the role. Unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. became involved in a complex scenario involving the Ghost Rider, anti-Inhuman pressure groups, and a rogue android. They were blamed for an assassination attempt on General Talbot, and officially declared outlaws. In the end, only Leopold Fitz was actually arrested; the rest were captured by the Chronicom Enoch, and transported to a dystopian future.

Sources: Black Panther, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4, Iron Fist season 2, Jessica Jones Season 2, Luke Cage season 2; Avengers: Infinity War Prelude

Trouble in New York

Luke Cage and Iron Fist

A successful prison break meant the authorities were no longer concerned about keeping the Raft a secret, and it became a public tool to keep "enhanced" individuals in check. Superhumans could be transported to the Raft without trial, and would be held in isolation for 23 hours a day. When Jessica Jones's mother revealed herself, alive and well but mentally disturbed, Jessica feared she'd be sent to the Raft. In the end, Alisa Jones was shot by Jessica's adopted sister, Trish Walker.

The power vacuum left by the collapse of the Hand increasing caused problems in New York, as rival criminal gangs attempted to extend their control. In Harlem, the police viewed Luke Cage as something of a "necessary evil" in order to keep crime under check; the arrival of Bushmaster forced Cage to step up, and he actually took control of a criminal empire in Harlem in a desperate attempt to protect his area. Chinatown, meanwhile, was initially looked after by Danny Rand, but he struggled to prevent a Triad War. An encounter with Davos led Rand to pass on the Iron Fist to Colleen Wing, who took over peacekeeping in Chinatown.

Wilson Fisk had been biding his time from jail, and had successfully corrupted the FBI. He manipulated events to get himself out of jail, and had disgraced FBI agent Dex Poindexter suit up as a Daredevil impersonator to cut a bloody swathe through New York. Fortunately, Fisk's plans were exposed by the real Daredevil, with the help of Foggy Nelson and Karen Page. Poindexter was left with his back broken, while Fisk returned to jail, warned against trying to take control of New York's criminal undertakings again.

Sources: Iron Fist season 2, Jessica Jones Season 2, Luke Cage season 2, Daredevil season 3; Avengers: Infinity War Prelude

Page 12: A Galaxy on the Brink of Destruction

Dormammu's face as seen in Doctor Strange

The Threat of the Dark Dimension - 2016

For untold millennia, the Sorcerers Supreme had kept the dimension safe from mystical threats. But the Ancient One unwisely allowed several of her students to steal notes from the Book of Cagliostro, and - under the leadership of Kaecilius - they opened a portal to the Dark Dimension. Empowered by Dormammu, these Zealots attempts to tear down the barriers between the dimensions. The Ancient One herself died to oppose them. Fortunately, new sorcerer Stephen Strange was able to use the power of the Time Stone to defeat Dormammu, forcing the cosmic being to end his attack on Earth.

The history of the Sorcerers Supreme remains a mystery. Given they were actually aware that the Power Stone was hidden on Morag, it's possible that this order was actually formed back when the Celestials were defeated millennia ago.

Sources: Doctor Strange; Avengers: Infinity War Prelude

RELATED: Doctor Strange Gained 'More Mastery' Of Powers In The Dark Dimension

A Storm is Brewing on Earth - 2017-2018

The Secret Avengers looking up in Avengers Infinity War

An uprising on Attilan led the Inhuman Royal Family to ultimately destroy their home. The Inhumans of the Moon traveled to Earth, seeking to forge a new society here. They presumably chose an isolated location, as there has been no mention of these Inhumans since. In Los Angeles, the Pride's plans fell apart when their children began to discover the truth. The children wound up becoming runaways. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Roxxon's attempts to tap into new energy sources almost caused a disaster. The crisis was averted by two teenagers, Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, who had been empowered as the "Divine Pairing."

Steve Rogers, Falcon and Black Widow continued to act as independent heroes, traveling the world and dealing with crises as they encountered them Ant-Man and Hawkeye returned to America, signing plea bargains and being placed under house arrest. Tony Stark gave up on the Avengers Initiative, and instead focused on creating new tools that he believed would be essential in the defense of Earth. He blamed himself for losing focus over the years, and resolved to create a defense to protect the planet from alien threats.

Coulson and his S.H.I.E.L.D. team returned from a dystopian future, one in which the world had been shattered like an eggshell, and resolved to save the planet. They soon uncovered the last Hydra conspiracy, headed up by General Hale, who was seeking to create a super-soldier to protect the world from the threat of Thanos. General Talbot was ultimately transformed into Graviton, a powerful being able to manipulate gravity.

Scott Lang was broken out of house arrest by the Pyms in order to help rescue Janet Van Dyne from the Quantum Realm. They were successful, and Janet used her powers to heal Ghost from her intangibility.

Sources: Ant-Man & the Wasp; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5, Cloak & Dagger season 1, Inhumans, Runaways; Avengers: Infinity War Prelude

The Fall of Asgard - 2017-2018

Hela Marching Down The Bifrost - Thor Ragnarok

After two years seeking out the Infinity Stones, Thor returned to Asgard, and discovered that his brother Loki was masquerading as the All-Father. The two brothers returned to Earth, only to bear witness to Odin's death. That death unleashed Hela, who used the Rainbow Bridge to travel to Asgard. She cast Thor and Loki to the planet Sakaar, where they allied with the Hulk and a group of revolutionaries in order to return to Asgard.

Hela proved too powerful, and Thor realized there was only one way to defeat her; to cut off the source of her power. He incited Ragnarok, destroying his own homeworld. Only a small number of refugees escaped aboard a single vessel. In the final, ominous scene set seconds before Avengers: Infinity War, this vessel was confronted by the Sanctuary II, the ship of Thanos himself.

Source: Thor: Ragnarok

Thanos Triumphant - 2018

Thanos at the end of Avengers Infinity War

Thanos, last survivor of Titan, finally launched his insane campaign to "rebalance the universe." He and his Black Order razed Xandar, claiming the Power Stone, and then intercepted the Asgardian refugees to capture the Space Stone. Thanos then divided his forces; while he traveled to Knowhere in order to acquire the Reality Stone, he sent the Black Order to Earth in pursuit of the Time Stone and the Mind Stone. This brought them into conflict with the Avengers.

With the threat of Thanos more real than ever before, Graviton attempted to boost his powers by absorbing more Gravitonium into himself. This act would actually have destroyed the planet, but Graviton was successfully stopped by S.H.I.E.L.D..

Thanos forced his daughter Gamora to reveal the location of the Soul Stone, and sacrificed her in order to acquire it. Three of Earth's heroes battled him on Titan, but Doctor Strange was ultimately forced to surrender the Time Stone. With only one Infinity Stone left to acquire, Thanos himself headed to Earth, where the assembled Avengers were battling the Black Order in Wakanda. In spite of the Scarlet Witch's best efforts, Thanos successfully acquired the Mind Stone, killing Vision. He was able to use the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out half the life in the universe with just a snap of his fingers.

Source: Avengers: Infinity War, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5

MORE: The Best MCU Rewatch Order Before Infinity War

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