Avengers: Timeslide #1

The claim that the Avengers have gone back 10 years is presumably meant to fit in with the general idea that Fantastic Four #1 always happened 10 years ago. And Howard Stark's newspaper says the FF's fateful spaceflight is imminent. **** However I have some problem accepting this. Not just because this would make older Tony now only 29, when he was clearly depicted as mature (and probably older than 29) when Iron Man started. But also because of some of the other appearances that have been shoe-horned in. **** Matt Murdock is described as teenaged, but by depiction he is at the 20-end of teenage. Even if Marvel time travels at the same speed as real time for the first few years, this doesn't give him long to get a law degree in time to open his law office for Daredevil #1 less than 3 years later (from FF#1 Nov 1961 to DD#1 Apr 1964). **** Peter Parker is clearly shown as a pre-teen in short trousers. Not only would this make him somewhat dubiously less than 20 at the time of the Crossing crossover, but would make him younger than claimed (a High School kid) when bitten by the radioactive spider in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug 1962). **** Even Tony Stark's life story causes problems. His trip home from M.I.T. fits with him having just graduated at 19, having entered college at the tender age of 15. But the online Marvel Universe and various editions of the Handbook of the Marvel Universe agree that his parents were killed 2 years later in a car crash when Tony was 21. Tony inherited his father's company, but this would mean Iron Man's debut in Tales of Suspense #39 (Mar 1963) must happen very soon after. And 21 year old Tony must already be a debonair man-about-town. **** Note that Iron Man: The Iron Age #1 might support this reading. It doesn't say how long elapses between Stark taking over the company and ToS#39, but gives the impression that it isn't very long. And it has Tony already a proficient playboy before 21.

The script makes it sound like the Anachronauts have occupied Avengers mansion for a long time. No previous issue makes this claim. The mansion was walled off by Stark's 'security towers' in Avengers #392 because they couldn't stop enemies coming through the door in the basement. And in my timeline subsequent issues of the crossover happened in a few days following this. Since then only Neut has been seen to actually come through the door, in Iron Man #322. **** The Iron Man hologram at the door must somehow have been left by his good side. While his bad side was secret, his good side didn't know what was going on. But after his bad side took over in Iron Man #323, he still seemed to have traces of his good side, supposedly due to teenage Luna's earlier intrusions. Perhaps his good side could occasionally take control to do things like this hologram. **** Malachi and Tobias keep referring to themselves as 'this one', which would fit with their being raised by Mantis. But this one is the only issue they do it in. **** The reason the Avengers embark on the events of this issue is to get hold of young Tony Stark to help them against his older self. They don't mention that they need a version of Tony before he is corrupted by Kang. Nor that they expect him to be the only person able to understand his future self's technology. **** The fact that they take young Tony to the future and don't bring him back (and that his parents'?death is different from the main Marvel timeline) means that the Avengers have created a divergent timeline to take Tony from.

This issue of the Crossing crossover follows from Avengers #394. **** This is Thor's only appearance in this crossover. Where does it fit within his own series? He wears the minimalist costume he donned at the end of Thor #493 and kept for several issues through #496, which is part of the First Sign crossover which follows the Crossing. At the end of #495 the Avengers recruit him into their post-Crossing ranks. And in the middle of #495 Thor rings Jarvis and asks how young Tony Stark is, so that scene must follow this issue. At the beginning of #495 Thor loses his godly powers, and becomes just a very strong mortal. His weakened state in this issue could refer to that, although #495 isn't written with any suitable gap in time for his brief visit to happen. There is another alternative. Thor was also weakened during the Worldengine storyline in #491-494. This appearance could occur between #493 and #494 within the Worldengine story, and he doesn't stick around for the rest of the crossover because he has to rush off to #494. **** Captain America does stay with the Avengers to see them through to the end of the crossover. His position is easier to pinpoint. He was assumed dead in Captain America #444. #445-448 detailed how Red Skull saved him from death, for his own purposes. #449 is part of the First Sign crossover. So Cap arrives here fresh from #448.