Chronology: Defeat of Galactus to Master Plan of the Mandarin

[StrayLamb]

Amazing Spider-Man 43 (4:6) is listed twice, and ASM 42-43 are also listed completely after their breakdowns.

Thanks DotStinks, and welcome to the MCP! Corrections have been implemented.

[DotStinks]

Defeat of Galactus to Master Plan of the Mandarin
...
Amazing Spider-Man 37 [Spring?]
Thor 132 (14 - 16)
Daredevil 16-19
Thor 133 (1 - 5)
Amazing Spider-Man 38
Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man 1-3
Amazing Spider-Man 39-40 [Spring]
...
Amazing Spider-Man 41
Amazing Spider-Man Annual 3
Daredevil 20
Amazing Spider-Man 42 (1 - 8:2)
Daredevil 21
Amazing Spider-Man 42 (8:3 - 19)
Daredevil 22 (1 - 3:2)
Amazing Spider-Man 42 (20)
Amazing Spider-Man 43 (1 - 4:6)
....

Amazing Spider-Man 41 is currently placed with the Green Goblin Unmasked arc (which has a calendar reference in ASM 39 -- "a clear spring night" on page 17, panel 2 -- ASM 37 was a few weeks ago so that's probably spring too), and separated with the next issue via a summer break. However, it can't be separated by that many months, considering Rhino's lawyer is still being picked out in ASM 42 (this takes a lot of time but it's all written as shortly after), and at the end, Aunt May arranges for Peter & MJ to finally meet next Sunday. It doesn't make any sense for a roughly six month gap between the two. I would move Amazing Spider-Man 41 to just before Amazing Spider-Man Annual 3, since there's no indication of how much time passes between ASM 40 to 41.

[RobinHoodMtl]

Engagement of Reed and Sue to Defeat of Galactus:
...
Tales of Suspense 74-75
Tales of Suspense 76 (1 - 12:3)
Avengers Spotlight 22/2 [History of the Swordsman]
Avengers 48 (12:1 - 12:2)-FB
Marvels 3 (5)
Amazing Spider-Man 657 (3 - 10)-FB
Amazing Spider-Man 29-33 [Peter begins classes at ESU][September]
...
Daredevil 10-11 [DD vs The Organizer; NY pre-elections, prior to Nov 2]
... (many many issues)
Strange Tales 160-161-FB [November 9-10]
...(many many issues)

Defeat of Galactus to Master Plan of the Mandarin
Fantastic Four 50 (15 - 16)
Fantastic Four 50 (17:1 - 17:3) ~ Marvels 3 (42:1 - 42:2)
Fantastic Four 50 (17:4 - 20)
Thor 131 (3:3 - 20)
Amazing Spider-Man 36
Tales of Suspense 76/1 (12:4 - 12:6)
Tales of Suspense 77
Tales of Suspense 78 (1 - 11)
Marvels 3 (42:3 - 43:4)
Tales of Suspense 78 (12)
Tales to Astonish 81
Tales of Suspense 79-80
Tales to Astonish 82
...

In Tales of Suspense 76 (1 - 12:3), Iron Man cures the Freak, aka Happy, takes off his armor to show up as Stark, gets subpoenaed by Byrd who takes him prisoner, vanishes from the senator's car and materializes into the Mandarin's castle. 12:1 - 12:2 is a double panel recapping a fight between those two, and last panel of that sequence, 12:3, shows the Mandarin zapping the briefcase out of Stark's hand.

Tales of Suspense 76/1 (12:4 - 12:6) shows the briefcase flying outside the window, the Mandarin activating a lever to unleash Ultimo and the briefcase at the bottom of the moat.

In between you have a few dozens of stories, and assuming Parker started school at the end of September, your time references seem to imply that at least 12 days have passed between the moment the briefcase leaves Stark's hand and the moment it falls down into the moat. That's a bit of a long flight!

I know that your break down is trying to comply with Marvels 3 which fvcked it up a bit. In Marvels 3 (4:3 - 4:5), the news announce that Stark has disappeared and the Byrd has issued a subpoena summoning him to appear before an investigative committee, your placement for this is good, as it occurs somewhere between TOS 73 and 74.

The arc with Happy getting injured and turning into the Freak has to be kept close up until the point where Harrington arrests Tony Stark. Yet, in the meantime, in Marvels 3, many events unfold: Attuma's attack, the FF's battle against Dragon Man, the Hulk's attack at the White House, the arrest of Ka-Zar, then the threat and defeat of Galactus.

In Marvels 3 (42:3 - 43:4), Sheldon learns that Byrd has cancelled all of Stark's contracts with the Government, and that his plants will closed by the end of the week. TOS 77 (12:3) shows that the plants are already closed, so this you placement is a bit off for this scene. I will get to that later.

That said, it's impossible that everything that happened in Marvels 3 occurred while Stark's briefcase was making its way towards the window. BUT... Tales of Suspense 76 (10:5) shows Byrd alone in his car, shocked that Stark has vanished. Tales of Suspense 76 (11:1) has Stark traveling through a space-time continuum caused by the Mandarin. It is quite plausible that Stark remained in that space-time anomaly only to reappear in the Mandarin's castle a few weeks after he vanished from Byrd's car. Even if the separate events in Marvels 3 occurred simultaneously, Byrd had to make his way to Washington, cancel Stark's contracts, then take a few days to get his plants shut down. I know that my hypothesis that Stark got caught in a space-time continuum for that long is a bit of a stretch, but it is no more of a stretch than a briefcase that flies out the whole time.

As for the placement of In Marvels 3 (42:3 - 43:4), it should occur way before TOS 77 (12:3) and not during TOS 78. Here is what I suggest:

Tales of Suspense 74-75
Tales of Suspense 76 (1 - 12:3) --> Tales of Suspense 76 (1 - 10)
Avengers Spotlight 22/2 [History of the Swordsman]
...
Amazing Spider-Man 36
Marvels 3 (42:3 - 43:4) <-- MOVE TO HERE
Tales of Suspense 76/1 (12:4 - 12:6) --> Tales of Suspense 76/1 (11 - 12)
Tales of Suspense 77
Tales of Suspense 78 (1 - 11) --> Tales of Suspense 78
Marvels 3 (42:3 - 43:4) --> MOVE FROM HERE
Tales of Suspense 78 (12) --> DELETE
Tales to Astonish 81

[StrayLamb]

Amazing Spider-Man 41 is currently placed with the Green Goblin Unmasked arc (which has a calendar reference in ASM 39 -- "a clear spring night" on page 17, panel 2 -- ASM 37 was a few weeks ago so that's probably spring too), and separated with the next issue via a summer break. However, it can't be separated by that many months, considering Rhino's lawyer is still being picked out in ASM 42 (this takes a lot of time but it's all written as shortly after), and at the end, Aunt May arranges for Peter & MJ to finally meet next Sunday. It doesn't make any sense for a roughly six month gap between the two. I would move Amazing Spider-Man 41 to just before Amazing Spider-Man Annual 3, since there's no indication of how much time passes between ASM 40 to 41.

Yep, good idea.

[StrayLamb]

That said, it's impossible that everything that happened in Marvels 3 occurred while Stark's briefcase was making its way towards the window. BUT... Tales of Suspense 76 (10:5) shows Byrd alone in his car, shocked that Stark has vanished. Tales of Suspense 76 (11:1) has Stark traveling through a space-time continuum caused by the Mandarin. It is quite plausible that Stark remained in that space-time anomaly only to reappear in the Mandarin's castle a few weeks after he vanished from Byrd's car. Even if the separate events in Marvels 3 occurred simultaneously, Byrd had to make his way to Washington, cancel Stark's contracts, then take a few days to get his plants shut down. I know that my hypothesis that Stark got caught in a space-time continuum for that long is a bit of a stretch, but it is no more of a stretch than a briefcase that flies out the whole time.

As for the placement of In Marvels 3 (42:3 - 43:4), it should occur way before TOS 77 (12:3) and not during TOS 78. Here is what I suggest:

Tales of Suspense 74-75
Tales of Suspense 76 (1 - 12:3) --> Tales of Suspense 76 (1 - 10)
Avengers Spotlight 22/2 [History of the Swordsman]
...
Amazing Spider-Man 36
Marvels 3 (42:3 - 43:4) <-- MOVE TO HERE
Tales of Suspense 76/1 (12:4 - 12:6) --> Tales of Suspense 76/1 (11 - 12)
Tales of Suspense 77
Tales of Suspense 78 (1 - 11) --> Tales of Suspense 78
Marvels 3 (42:3 - 43:4) --> MOVE FROM HERE
Tales of Suspense 78 (12) --> DELETE
Tales to Astonish 81

Okay, i'll buy that for a dollar!

It's quite plausible for someone to get stuck in a space-time anomaly for a few weeks. I think that happened to me one time in the 70's.

Updates applied in BOLD.

[RobinHoodMtl]

Defeat of Galactus to Master Plan of the Mandarin
...
Strange Tales 150-153
Strange Tales 151/2-155/2
Avengers 38 (1 - 8:5)
Tales of Suspense 88/2 (1 - 5)
Avengers 38 (8:6 - 9:2)
Tales of Suspense 88/2 (6 - 10)
Avengers 38 (9:3 - 20)
Avengers 39 (2:3 - 2:6)-FB
Avengers 39 (1 - 4:5)
Tales of Suspense 89/2
Avengers 39 (4:6 - 20)
Tales of Suspense 90/2
Avengers 40
Avengers 41 (4:3 - 7)-FB
Tales of Suspense 91/2
Captain America 101 (6:3 - 7:1)-FB
Strange Tales 154-155
Thor 136
...

There is something wrong with the placement of Strange Tales 154-155. At the end of issue 155, the President himself confines Fury to his quarters. In Avengers 36 (3:2 - 3:3), Fury hears a news report about the Black Widow's apparent treason, but also mentions that he is still confined to quarters.

For Issue A 38, Official Index for Avengers states that Fury, Dugan and Sitwell's appearance is "between ST #153 & 154, '67." and for issue A 39, "between ST #155 & 156, '67." MCP is also correct in their listings. Based on what we know about the Black Widow and Fury's timelines, Strange Tales 154-155 cannot occur after Avengers 39 (2:3 - 2:6)-FB because this flashback of her theft occurred just a few hours (Wanda in A 39 (2.3)) before the Avengers read the news. It's very unlikely that everything happening in ST 154-155 takes less than a few hours. Therefore, the only solution is this:

...
Strange Tales 150-153
Strange Tales 151/2-155/2
Avengers 38 (1 - 8:5)
Tales of Suspense 88/2 (1 - 5)
Avengers 38 (8:6 - 9:2)
Tales of Suspense 88/2 (6 - 10)
Avengers 38 (9:3 - 20)
Strange Tales 154-155 <-- MOVE TO HERE
Avengers 39 (2:3 - 2:6)-FB
Avengers 39 (1 - 4:5)
Tales of Suspense 89/2
Avengers 39 (4:6 - 20)
Tales of Suspense 90/2
Avengers 40
Avengers 41 (4:3 - 7)-FB
Tales of Suspense 91/2
Captain America 101 (6:3 - 7:1)-FB
Strange Tales 154-155 --> MOVE FROM HERE
Thor 136
...

[StrayLamb]

Thanks, Robin! Updates applied.

[RobinHoodMtl]

Defeat of Galactus to Master Plan of the Mandarin
...
Fantastic Four 64
Fantastic Four 66 (12:3 - 14:3)-FB
Avengers 42
Age of Ultron 6 (1 - 5)
Fantastic Four 65
Fantastic Four 66 (3:3 - 6:2)-FB
Wolverine & the X-Men 27AU
Age of Ultron 6 (8 - 10)
Age of Ultron 6 (11) ~ Age of Ultron 9 (9)
Age of Ultron 6 (12)
Age of Ultron 9 (10 - 18)
Age of Ultron 10AI (10:4)-FB-FB
Age of Ultron 9 (19 - 22)
Fantastic Four 66 (1 - 3:2)-FB
Fantastic Four 66 (6:3 - 12)-FB
Fantastic Four 66 (14:4 - 18:1)-FB
Fantastic Four 66 (20:1 - 20:5)-FB
Fantastic Four 67 (1 - 3:3)-FB
Avengers 43
Avengers 44 (1-19:5)
Fantastic Four 67 (7 - 9:1)-FB
Fantastic Four 66 (18:2 - 19)
Fantastic Four 66 (20:6)
Fantastic Four 67 (3:4 - 6)
Fantastic Four 67 (9:2 - 20)
Fantastic Four 68 (1 - 2)
...

I don't think I understand the way the story about Him and Alicia is broken down here. Of course, Alicia's timeline in this one does not flow at the same pace as the FF's timeline, which makes it a bit more complex.

Roughly, the Fantastic Four's timeline goes as follows:

• The team face Ronan and defeat him.
• Next day, they find Alicia is missing. Ben gets angry and storms out. While he wanders the streets and Johnny meets Crystal, Reed goes back to his lab and works for a few hours on a heat-image tracer.
• Ben goes back to Alicia's home where Reed uses his device to see what happened to her.
• The FF and Crystal are back home where Reed has been in his lab for hours to find a way to locate Alicia. He finds how the visitor used a bracelet to travel trough walls.
• Several hours later at least, most likely next day, Reed is still working on a way to replicate the bracelet and gets components from Tony Stark.
• Next morning, Reed gets out of the lab to have breakfast with the others since he has not slept for over two days. Soon after, he

For Alicia, it's basically this:

• Alicia is waiting for Ben but gets a visit from Hamilton who leaves with her. She arrives at the Beehive probably seconds later and meets the other scientists. She demonstrates her sculpting skills right away and after many minutes, the scientists are convinced she's the one they need. This all happens while the FF are busy facing Ronan.
• Some time later, most likely next day, Alicia is shown around the Beehive and learns about Him and why she was brought there.
• Much later on, the same or the next day, Alicia has put on a suit and geared up to go on her mission to meet Him. She and Hamilton enter Lock 41. Because Hamilton attempted to blindly shoot him down, the creature only allows Alicia to come closer. Meanwhile, in the Citadel, the other scientist discuss of their plan to destroy the creature. As she finds the cocoon, Hamilton fails to destroy it. Alicia gets rescued by her friends.

So it all starts near the end of FF 65, but I see that you did not break that issue at all. Yet the flashback of Alicia's encounter with Hamilton in FF 66 really brings elements that were not shown or were off panel in that scene. MCP's listing for Alicia has broken that scene down properly.

For the two timelines to merge at the same time by the end of the adventure, we have to assume two things: a) some time has to pass between Alicia's getting informed of her mission and the time she entered Lock 41, and b) since Alicia's timeline is a bit ahead in most of the story, several earlier scenes with the Fantastic Four are flashbacks. In other words, from the moment she's about to enter the lock in FF 66 (18:2), if we're to assume her timeline is present time, all the scenes outside the Beehive are flashbacks right until the Fantastic Four are ready to use the bracelet to rescue her.

Here's the way I see it:

Fantastic Four 66 (12:3 - 14:3)-FB - The Beehive's creature grows and escapes his tank.
...
Fantastic Four 65 (1 - 15:4) - The Fantastic Four confront Ronan the Accuser.
Fantastic Four 66 (17:3)-FB - Alicia is sitting home, waiting for Ben.
Fantastic Four 65 (15:5 - 15:6) - A voice warns Alicia that he's there.
Fantastic Four 66 (17:4)-FB - Alicia reacts to the voice.
Fantastic Four 66 (17:6)-FB - Hamilton reaches for Alicia's hand.
Fantastic Four 65 (16: 1 -16:2) - Alicia stands up to escape but her visitor reassures her.
Fantastic Four 66 (18:1)-FB - Hamilton guides Alicia through the wall.
Fantastic Four 65 (16:3 - 20) - Alicia and her visitor are almost gone. The FF defeat Ronan.
Fantastic Four 66 (3:3 - 6:2)-FB - The scientists greet Alicia at the Beehive where she shows her skills.
...
Fantastic Four 66 (1 - 3:2) - The day after they fought Ronan, the FF find Alicia's apartment empty.
Fantastic Four 66 (6:3 - 18:1) - Reed works on a heat tracer. Alicia visits the Beehive and learns about Him. Back at Alicia's home, Reed reveals what happened to her.
Fantastic Four 66 (20:1 - 20:5)-FB - Reed spends hours to find a way to locate Alicia.
Fantastic Four 67 (1 - 3:3)-FB - Reed is working on a way to replicate Hamilton's bracelet.
...
Fantastic Four 67 (7 - 9:1)-FB - Next day, the team is having breakfast with Reed who is exhausted.
Fantastic Four 66 (18:2 - 19) - Some time later Alicia has geared up and enters Lock 41.
Fantastic Four 66 (20:6) - Alicia feels the creature's presence.
Fantastic Four 67 (3:4 - 6) -As they go deeper into Lock 41, only Alicia is allowed to move further.
Fantastic Four 67 (9:2 - 20) - Alicia finds the cocoon while the Fantastic Four manage to rescue her. Him deals with the evil scientists.

[Russ Chappell]

I don't think I understand the way the story about Him and Alicia is broken down here. Of course, Alicia's timeline in this one does not flow at the same pace as the FF's timeline, which makes it a bit more complex.

Take a look at this topic for some background.

[StrayLamb]

Updates applied in BOLD.