Marvel Chronology Project
| Website | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Marvel Chronology Project |
| Owner/Maintainer: | Russ Chappell |
| Dates: | 1999 - present |
| Type: | Fansite, Resource |
| Fandom: | Marvel Comics |
| URL: | http://www.chronologyproject.com/ |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The "MCP is an effort to catalog every actual appearance by every significant character in the Marvel Universe, and place them in their proper chronological order." The project was begun approximately 1999[1] as an unofficial, unaffiliated extension of the Official Marvel Index, a series of comic books which provided synopses of various Marvel series. The official index was discontinued in 1995 - the Marvel Chronology Project attempted to fill the gap by producing a website that "cataloged every actual appearance by every significant character in the Marvel Universe, placing them in their proper chronological order[2]".
The website is maintainer by Administrator Russ Chappell. A Board of Directors oversees the project as a whole - as of the last page update on March 5, 2022, the board was comprised of: Daron Jensen, Gerard McMenemy, Michel Racaud, Nick Smiles and Arthur Stein - several had contributed to the official index during the 2000s[3].
The Chronology
The Chronology lists characters by code name/"civilian" name. In the case of characters who are known by several different names, they appear under each name chronologically, with links provided to the next identity. For example, Amanda Sefton/Daytripper Magik II is listed three times in order of appearance - Amanda Sefton/Jimaine Szardos -> Daytripper - > Magik II.
Under each character is listed the comics they appeared in, in chronological order. There is a key provided as acronyms are used for both the comic book titles and to identify the type of appearance (flashback, being controlled by someone else, there's two synchronous appearances of the same character in different books, etc).
It's impossible to know how many characters are included in the Chronology, but given the size of the website, it's in the hundreds of thousands and includes continuity from the first Marvel comics of 1941 through to March 5, 2022[4], the latest update.
The Forum
The MCP maintains a forum for those working on the project to discuss and submit their work. It has sections for the General Chronology, Technical Support and the Commmunity.
The FAQ
The FAQ not only explains the concept of the chronology and how to use it, but provides instruction for potential analysts and reasons for what is and isn't included.
References
- ^ Per the main page Page Source information on the website.
- ^ Marvel Chronology Project - Main Page
- ^ Marvel Chronology Project FAQ
- ^ Marvel Chronology Project - Updates