TV Superheroes Timeline

From Stormravengaming

The following timeline describes some of the source material, events, time periods and interpretations that influence the world of TV Superheroes. Note: spoilers regarding the plots of these shows appear throughout without special marking.

1890s

1893

Brisco County, Jr., a noted bounty hunter, hunts for the gang of John Bly, who, along with his gang, was responsible for murdering his father, famous marshall Brisco County. Brisco has several encounters with mysterious Orbs, which evince several mysterious powers and which John Bly seeks. In the event, John Bly is actually from the future (the 2900s) where he plans to return and use the power of the orbs to rule the Earth. He is thwarted by Brisco, his eventual partner Lord Bowler and a time-traveling agent from further in the future named Karina (who comes from the time of the orbs). After these events (and after suffering betrayal by some of their own conventional agents), the U.S. government realizes it is not equipped to deal with high-powered, idiosyncratic or supernatural events, and creates a task force reporting directly to President Cleveland, with Socrates Poole as The Official in charge of unconventional agents Brisco and Bowler. This task force would eventually become The Agency under many names and in many forms. (The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.)

1930s

1936

Ben Hawkins, a young man with the mysterious ability to heal by taking life from others, is hidden by the mysterious traveling circus "Carnivàle." He has an unexplained connection with Justin Crowe, a preacher in central California with special powers of his own. The two are entangled in events stemming from the battle between good and evil during World War I, ultimately battling over which instincts of humanity will control the awesome power of the atomic age. (Carnivàle)

1940s

January 1945

Dr. Von Reichter flees Germany to Brazil. Von Reichter, a leader in robotics and electronics, starts work on his androids. His plan is to ultimately have them supercede humanity, and rule the world as their leader. (Cybersix)

August 1947

Rabbi Judah Hirsch and Frankie McCarthy create a golem to defeat some racketeers. Snow in August)

1950s

1952

The Silver Shadow battles crime in Australia with advanced technology. He battles criminals such as the Crab. (Legacy of the Silver Shadow)

September 1958

British scientist Peter Brady, while working on an invisibility formula, suffers a tragic accident, which turns him invisible. Unfortunately, there is no antidote, so, while working on a method to regain his visibility, he undertakes missions for his government. Dr. Brady completes missions for both for MI-5 and MI-6. (The Invisible Man (1958))

July 1959

While working on a mission for MI-6. Dr. Brady disappears. Sadly he is never seen again. (The Invisible Man (1958)

1960s

1960

The Silver Shadow dies battling his arch-nemesis The Crab. (Legend of the Silver Shadow)

1966

The Time Tunnel

May 1966

The first Black Rose fights crime in Hong Kong.

1968

The Champions

1970s

1970

Ace of Wands and The Immortal.

1973

The Tomorrow People

March 1973

Col. Steve Austin crashes while flying an experimental plane. He is rebuilt using bionic grafting processes pioneered by FLAG and appropriated by the OSO (which later becomes the OSI). (The Six Million Dollar Man)

October 1973

Col. Steve Austin stops the hijacking of an American submarine. (The Six Million Dollar Man)

1974

Land of the Lost

February 1974

Col. Steve Austin saves Professor Abbott (creator of a portable laser) from kidnapping with the help of his daughter Susan (who possesses ESP). Major Sloan is replaced by a robot, creted by Dr. Dolenz. Col. Steve Austin stops the scheme. (The Six Million Dollar Man)

March 1974

The Athena One space capsule is rescued by Steve Austin. (The Six Million Dollar Man)

April 1974

Astronaut Josh Lang develops mental powers (including being able to talk to dolphins.). Steve Austin is kidnapped to learn how his bionic limbs work. He later foils the scheme. (The Six Million Dollar Man)

November 1974

The OSI fields a second bionic agent, Barney Miller. Barney was injuring during a car race. Barney proves not the wisest of choices and has his bionics reduced to normal levels after he goes rogue. Santa Ventura, a small latin american country, brakes off diplomatic ties with the United States. (The Six Million Dollar Man)

January 1975

Dr. Dolenz tries to use robot duplicates to steal a prototype energy formula and is stopped by Steve Austin. (The Six Million Dollar Man)

March 1975

Tennis star Jamie Sommers, and Steve Austin’s fiancée, is injured in a skydiving accident, and is given bionics to save her life. She suffers amnesia as a result of the accident. (The Six Million Dollar Man)

May 1975

Dr. Daniel Westin was a brilliant scientist working for an American thinktank (KLAE) who discovered a method to turn objects invisible. Not wanting his notes to fall into the wrong hands (including those of the U.S. Government), he destroyed all evidence of his discovery, and turned himself invisible to test it. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to turn himself visible again, so he wore an extremely realistic mask in public while searching for a cure. (The Invisible Man (1975))

1976

The Monster Squad, The Bionic Woman

May 1976

Secret agent Sam Casey gets injured during a diving accident which renders him invisible. The agency called INTERSECT found a way to control his invisibility by the use of a wrist watch. Pressing a button on the watch would make him invisible, which was a helpful tool in his line of work. He could however, only do this for 15 minutes per day or else he would die. (?)

April 1976

Project Quicksilver is proposed by Dr. Peter Donovan. The premise is that invisible agents, long known to exist, can be created in mass if the right catalyst can be found. (The Invisible Man (2000))

September 1976

Gemini Man takes on a robot minotaur. (?)

1977

Man from Atlantis

April 1978

Dr. Simon Shane and Dr. Ezra Louthin, noted bio-chemists, succeed in cloning Dr. Shane 13 times. While protecting their process from unscrupulous government agents and a greedy industrialist, Dr. Shane and his clones split up and go underground to avoid problems. A side effect of the process allows the clonemaster an unlimited ranged mind link with his clones. (?)

1979

The Omega Factor

1980s

1981

The Greatest American Hero and Mr. Merlin

1982

The Powers of Matthew Star, Voyagers!, The Phoenix and Knight Rider

1983

Manimal and Automan

1984

The Master

1985

Misfits of Science

February 1985

Dr. Von Reichter starts the cyber line of androids. (Cybersix)

1986

Northstar, The Greatest American Heroine and Starman

1989

Quantum Leap and Hard Time on Planet Earth

1990s

September 1990

Project Quicksilver approved. (The Invisible Man (2000))

1992

The Tomorrow People, Nightmare Cafe and Forever Knight

1993

The X-Files and Time Trax

January 1993

Black Rose and her sidekick Thorn battle crime in Hong Kong. (?)

1994

Weird Science, M.A.N.T.I.S. and Ocean Girl

1995

Strange Luck

August 1995

Dr. Von Reichter destroys the cyber line of androids because they develop free will. Due to a slave revolt, at least one android escapes. Designated Cybersix, she decides to fight back. (Cybersix)

November 1995

Cat assassinates her first victim. (Her Name Is Cat)

1996

The Sentinel and Early Edition

1997

Team Knight Rider, Night Man and The Visitor

May 1997

Project Catevari is closed down by The Agency when the test subject goes into a coma, and is unable to be awakened. (?)

June 1997

Thorn, Black Rose's sidekick, becomes disillusioned when control of Hong Kong is to be given to the People's Republic of China. She severs ties with Black Rose and becomes Poison Ivy. (?)

1998

Brimstone, Charmed and The Vanishing Man

May 1998

Project Quicksilver begins testing in earnest. (The Invisible Man (2000))

June 1998

Cat falls in love with the detective sent to stop her. (Her Name Is Cat)

1999

Now and Again, Roswell and Good vs. Evil

February 1999

Project Quicksilver tests on its first human test subject, Simon Cole. Cole is chosen because he is a CIA operative.