(HELP WANTED) - Pre-Unity Timeline confusion - (SPOILERS)

[Malev_Emperor]

Valiant Ones,

While working on my Valiant Universe Ultimate Chronology, I have come across some questionable dates in the Pre-Unity: 20th Century section and I was hoping for some opinions so we can sort this out once and for all.

CONTINUITY QUESTIONS:

DATE: 3/25/1991 - 3/26/1991:
Solar, Man of the Atom #5:
Solar becomes aware of the Spider-Alien menace on earth and heads to space.

Solar, Man of the Atom #6:
Solar rescues humans aboard a Spider-Alien vessel, but they are all killed. Solar decides to destroy the Alien fleet.

Solar, Man of the Atom #7:
Solar fights off a Spider Alien in an X-O Manowar armor. After the battle, Solar heads off to locate the Spider Alien homeworld.

DATE: No Date Given
X-O Manowar #0:
Aric of Dacia is captured by Spider Aliens in 408AD and is held prisoner for 7 years (his time). Due to the time/space dilation, thousands of years have passed. He escapes from the Spider Alien craft using their X-O Manowar ring/armor at the same time Solar destroys the Spider Alien fleet (in Solar, MOTA #6 & 7).

DATE: No Date Given
X-O Manowar #1:
Aric falls to earth, landing in Peru. He befriends Ken, a human working with the Spider Aliens, who leads Aric to New York. He decides he cannot hand him over to the Spider Aliens and warns him. Aric dons the X-O MAnowar armor and fights the Spider Aliens.

DATE: No Date Given
X-O Manowar #2:
The Aliens capture Ken as X-O Manowar destroys several of their operations in the US. Aric almost falls for a trap set by Lydia, but doesn't and takes over Orb Industries.

DATE: 5/1/1991 - 12/25/1991
Harbinger #0-4:
The Harbinger kids are chased across the US by the Harbinger Foundation. They head to space in a captured Spider Alien craft and when they return, they discover they have been missing for 5 months and it is now late December, 1991. (Harbinger #4 sort of explains why they were gone for five months (they postulate that the Spider Aliens had them in some form of stasis/hibernation when they got captured in Harbinger #3)).

DATE: 1/7/1992 - 1/8/1992:
Solar, Man of the Atom #8:
The Harbinger Foundation briefs Toyo Harada on the weird happenings of late.
This issue specifically dates the events of Solar #3 as 9/30/1990.
Also, it specifically dates the events of X-O Manowar #1-2 as early morning 12/31/1991.

X-O Manowar #3 is not dated, but must take place in January of 1991 by the fact that Toyo Harada hires X-Caliber to defeat X-O Manowar. This is a giveaway that it takes place after Solar #8 (the issue where Toyo decides to hire X-Caliber). Also, a Doctor tells Ken his arm is healing nicely in the "three weeks" since it's been gone (this comment supports the 12/31/1991 comment the Harbinger Foundation told Harada).

Now, the BIG question is: If Solar went to Space in late March of 1991 and X-O escaped from a Spider Alien ship during that story (in his own title) and fell to earth, is it due to the time dilation that he arrived on earth in late December?

What would be the BEST way to read these so that they are IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER?
THANKS FOR READING!!!

[magnusr]

The official timeline puts Solar's battle with the X-O soldier in November '91.

Also, some interviews have indicated that there was an internal misunderstanding over how long time it was between Aric's arrival on Earth and his arrival in the US. So maybe the dating of the events on new year's eve was meant (possible by mistake) to take place a while after Aric's arrival.

/Magnus

PS, this link has some great info, though it doesn't cover this specific question.
http://www.valiantfans.com/vctimeline/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[greg]

Chronological order:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16905" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Release date order:
http://www.valiantfan.com/valiant/releaseorder.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Malev_Emperor]

Magnusr,

First of all a BIG thank you for the links! I am positive they will be VERY helpful in the months to come as I compile my chronology!

The official timeline puts Solar's battle with the X-O soldier in November '91.

Although it is from the OFFICIAL Valiant Timeline, I do NOT buy this event happening in November '91, simply because at the end of Solar #6, Solar decides to take matters into his own hands and strike back at the Spider Aliens by destroying their fleet. The opening page of Solar #7 shows him actually destroying the fleet. Since the fleet was still orbiting Earth, this had to take place immediately after Solar #6. During this skirmish, the Spider Alien X-O Manowar champion is summoned and he and Solar brawl, until the Alien dies as a result of his wounds.

The ONLY way this is REMOTELY possible is via that pesky time/space dilation!!!

Also, some interviews have indicated that there was an internal misunderstanding over how long time it was between Aric's arrival on Earth and his arrival in the US. So maybe the dating of the events on new year's eve was meant (possible by mistake) to take place a while after Aric's arrival.

I was thinking this, as well. At first I thought Aric had spent a few months in Peru or there was a few months between X-O issue #1 & #2, but the fact that Ken's wound is still fresh & bleeding in issue #2 negates that theory.

It is quite possible that the quote from Solar #8 (about X-O destroying the lair in PA & attacking the Orb Industries building) is incorrect. I say it may be incorrect on the writer's part because I don't believe (in story terms) Toyo Harada would be given such blatantly wrong information! The employees of the Harbinger Foundation know the price of failure!

Amazing how one little line of dialogue can mess up like 6 or more books of continuity!

P.S. Greg - I also thank you for your helpful links. Since I have been buried in the pre-unity books for the past 2 weeks, I can tell you that there are a few errors. And that's why I'm doing this... to straighten this out once and for all!

[Malev_Emperor]

Valiant Ones,

I have ultimately decided to lay the books out this way for the chronology:

Solar, Man of the Atom #5-7 - Solar fights Spider-Aliens
X-O Manowar #0 - Aric escapes from the Spider-Aliens with the X-O Armor and falls to earth.
Harbinger #1-4 - The gang is on the run and defeats Spider-Aliens.
X-O Manowar #1-2 - Aric arrives on earth (due to the time/space dilation)

Any comments would be helpful!

[iwantvaliant]

I have always been of the opinion that the battle took place in March and it took Aric several months to arrive in the US. The timeline that magnusr linked to will reflect that soon.

When compiling the timeline this was one of the most confusing moments and I'm sure that some of my comments on it will be controversial.

Also, watch out for Shadowman #3 - Some of the dates in that issue have it taking place during Unity, which of course make no sense. In my timeline I moved the events in that issue up a few weeks.

[Malev_Emperor]

I have always been of the opinion that the battle took place in March and it took Aric several months to arrive in the US. When compiling the timeline this was one of the most confusing moments and I'm sure that some of my comments on it will be controversial.

Yes, it is absolutely the first of many little headaches I ran into.

Also, watch out for Shadowman #3 - Some of the dates in that issue have it taking place during Unity, which of course make no sense.

I know. It is dated completely wrong, even going past 4/4/1992. Very sloppy dating on that issue, but one that doesn't cause me quite the pain that X-O #1 & 2 does.

Thanks for you comments... Please keep them coming!

[iwantvaliant]

I think of XO #1 as taking place over a long period of time. Lots of walking, meeting people, learning, more walking.