Editing Marvel Universe (section)

==Cosmology==
===Multiverse===
{{Main articles|Multiverse (Marvel Comics)}}
The Marvel Universe is part of a [[Multiverse (Marvel Comics)|Multiverse]], with various universes coexisting simultaneously, ''usually'' without affecting each other directly.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=September 2014}} Furthermore, each universe has various other dimensions associated with it, and one such group is collectively known as a Reality. Often what is referred to in the comics as a ''Universe'' is actually a ''Reality''. According to mythology, the Multiverse has been created by the omnipotent being [[One-Above-All]].

Even the Marvel Multiverse, however, is only a part of the Omniverse, which consists of all of fiction and reality combined, including all the works that are outside of Marvel's copyright restrictions.<ref>''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' (vol. 4) #2</ref>

The action of most of the Marvel Comics titles takes place in a [[Continuity (fiction)|continuity]] known as [[Earth-616]]. This continuity exists in a [[multiverse]] alongside trillions of alternative continuities.<ref>''Exiles Annual'' #1 (November 2006)</ref> Alternative continuities in the Marvel Multiverse are generally defined in terms of their differences from Earth-616.

Continuities besides Earth-616 include the following (for a complete listing see [[Multiverse (Marvel Comics)]]):
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Caption text
|-
! Earth !!  !! Description
|-
| Earth-65 ||  ||  A reality where [[Gwen Stacy]] was bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker (who became the [[Lizard (character)|Lizard]] in this universe and died) and where Gwen [[Spider-Gwen|became a superhero]]. It also includes variations of other Marvel characters, such as a gender-bent version of [[Falcon (comics)|Sam Wilson]] (known as Samantha Wilson, who became [[Captain America]] instead of Steve Rogers).
|-
| Earth-295 || ''[[Age of Apocalypse]]'' || An alternate reality ruled by the mutant god [[Apocalypse (character)|Apocalypse]].
|-
| Earth-311 || ''[[Marvel 1602]]'' || A reality where Marvel superheroes emerged in the early 1600s.
|-
| Earth-615 || || Sometimes being the same universe as [[Earth-616]], and sometimes not.
|-
| Earth-712 || Squadron Supreme || The home of one version of the [[Squadron Supreme]], a super-team from another universe and pastiches of [[DC Comics]]' the [[Justice League]].
|-
| Earth-811 || ''[[Days of Future Past]]'' || A dystopian alternate future where the [[Sentinels (comics)|Sentinels]] rule North America and have enslaved mutants.
|-
| Earth-928 || ''[[Marvel 2099]]'' || A reality showing a possible future for the Marvel Universe in the year 2099. Also designated as '''Earth-616 circa 2099'''
|-
| Earth-982 || [[Marvel Comics 2|MC2]] || Another alternate future for the world of the Marvel Universe and its superheroes and supervillains
|-
| Earth-1218 || || The setting of the real world, where superheroes, supervillains, and supernatural entities don't exist.
|-
| Earth-1610 || [[Ultimate Marvel]] || A modern-day re-imagining of [[Ultimate Spider-Man|Spider-Man]], the [[Ultimates]], the [[Ultimate X-Men|X-Men]], the [[Ultimate Fantastic Four|Fantastic Four]] and [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]], as well as other Marvel heroes and villains in a new setting. The home reality of [[Miles Morales]], the Maker (a.k.a. Reed Richards), and [[Jimmy Hudson]]. 
|-
| Earth-2149 || ''[[Marvel Zombies]]'' || A reality where all the Marvel superheroes and supervillains were turned into cannibalistic flesh-eating zombies.
|-
| Earth-2301 || ''[[Marvel Mangaverse]]'' || A reality containing [[manga]] versions of the Marvel Universe characters.
|-
| Earth-2447 || ''Spider-Man: Life Story''|| A reality where Spider-Man and the other Marvel superheroes who debuted in the 1960s aged in real-time.
|-
| Earth-4321 || || The reality of [[Marvel Universe: The End]]
|-
| Earth-7642 || ''Earth-Crossover'' || A universe where Marvel characters co-exist with characters from [[DC Comics]]
|-
| Earth-8096 || ''Christopher Yost Universe'' || The reality of TV shows and movies such as [[Wolverine and the X-Men (TV series)|''Wolverine and the X-Men'']], ''[[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]], [[Hulk Vs.]],'' and ''[[Thor: Tales of Asgard]]''.
|-
| Earth-8101 || ''[[Marvel Apes]]'' || A reality where apes are the dominant species and the superheroes and supervillains are apes themselves
|-
| Earth-8311 || Larval Universe || The home reality of Peter Porker (a.k.a. [[Spider-Ham]]); a reality where [[talking animals in fiction|talking animal]] versions of Marvel superheroes and supervillains exist.
|-
| Earth-9591 || ''[[Ruins (comics)|Ruins]]'' || A reality where "everything that can go wrong will go wrong", where the experiments and other incidents that granted the superheroes and supervillains their powers instead resulted in horrific tragedies and deaths. 
|-
| Earth-9602 || [[Amalgam Comics|Amalgam Universe]] || A pocket universe where the Marvel and the DC Universes were combined into one reality. 
|-
| Earth-9997 || ''[[Earth X]]'' || An alternate future for the Marvel Universe depicting an Earth mutated by the Terrigen Mists. The series was followed by two other series, ''Universe X'' and ''Paradise X''.
|-
| Earth-11326 || ''[[Age of X]]'' || A reality in which a series of anti-mutant events cause the United States government to hunt down all mutants, confining the survivors to Fortress X.
|-
| Earth-12041 || [[Marvel Universe (TV)|Marvel Universe on Disney XD]] || The universe containing ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series)|Ultimate Spider-Man]]'', ''[[Avengers Assemble (TV series)|Avengers Assemble]]'', and ''[[Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.]]''.
|-
| Earth-20051 || ''[[Marvel Adventures]]'' || An all-ages imprint.
|-
| Earth-30847 || [[Marvel vs. Capcom]] || The reality of the ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom (series)|Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' games
|-
| Earth-58163 || ''[[House of M]]'' || A reality in which mutants are the ruling class, humans are the oppressed and Magneto and his family rule Genosha. 
|-
| Earth-90214 || ''[[Marvel Noir]]''||  A reality home to [[Noir fiction|noir]] versions of superheroes.
|-
| Earth-92131 || || The universe of the 1990s Marvel animated TV shows, such as ''[[X-Men: The Animated Series]]'', ''[[Spider-Man (1994 TV series)|Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]'', ''[[Fantastic Four (1994 TV series)|Fantastic Four]]'', ''[[Iron Man (TV series)|Iron Man]]'', and  ''[[The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''.
|-
| Earth-93060 || [[Ultraverse]] || The home of the super-team known as [[Ultraforce]] and superhumans known as Ultras.
|-
| Earth-96283 ||  [[Sam Raimi]]’s [[Spider-Man (2002 film series)|''Spider-Man'' trilogy]] || An alternate reality in which Spider-Man and Doctor Strange (mentioned) are the only two superheroes on Earth.
|-
| Earth-148611 || [[New Universe]] || An alternate reality where a major catastrophe that is known as the "White Event" caused numerous people to develop superpowers in a world where there are no hidden races, gods, magic or super-technology. The home reality of [[Star Brand]]
|-
| Earth-199999 || Marvel Cinematic Universe || A shared universe of films and TV shows by [[Marvel Studios]] featuring versions of the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]], the [[Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team)|Guardians of the Galaxy]], the [[Defenders (comics)|Defenders]], [[Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.]] and the [[Eternals (comics)|Eternals]], as well as [[Doctor Strange]], the [[Black Panther (character)|Black Panther]], [[Carol Danvers|Captain Marvel]], [[Nick Fury]], [[Shang-Chi]] and many others. Called and designated as '''Earth-616''' by some of its inhabitants.
|-
| Earth-200111 || MAX universe || A gritty, realistic, violent universe where traditional superheroes do not exist. Stories include: ''[[The Punisher (2004 series)|The Punisher MAX]]'', ''[[Born (comics)|Born]]'' and its prequel ''[[Punisher: The Platoon]]'' (these series are [[Canon (fiction)|canon]] to the main Marvel Universe, with the [[Vietnam War]] later updated to the [[Iraq War]], and then, the fictional Siancong War), ''[[Alternate versions of Wolverine#Wolverine MAX|Wolverine MAX]]'', ''[[Foolkiller#Michael Trace|Foolkiller MAX]]'', ''[[Fury (2001 series)|Fury]]'', and ''[[Fury: My War Gone By]]'' (the latter, also canon).
|-
| Earth-807128 || [[Old Man Logan]] || Another dystopian alternate future where the supervillains killed all the superheroes and took over the United States (and presumably the world), dividing it among themselves. The home reality of the titular Old Man Logan, an alternate version of [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]
|-
| ''[[Alterniverse]]''|| || The reality of some of the ''What If'' stories.
|-
| [[Shadowline (Epic Comics)|Shadowline]] || || A horror imprint separate from the mainstream Marvel continuity.
|-
|}

===Time===
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2014}}
One cannot normally alter the Marvel Universe's history; if a time-traveler should cause an alteration to the established flow of events at some point in the past, a [[Parallel universe (fiction)|divergent universe]] will simply "branch out" from the existing timeline, and the time-traveler will still return to his or her unaltered original universe. Those realities can also spawn realities of their own. There exist hundreds, probably thousands of such realities. It is unknown why this happens, though a warp known as the Nexus of All Realities exists in a swamp in the Florida Everglades of Earth-616. For the most part, this does not matter, as most beings are unaware that this occurs, or even that their universes were recently "born" from another. However, individuals and organizations exist that try to monitor or manipulate the various realities. These include [[Immortus]], the [[Captain Britain|Captain Britain Corps]], the [[Time Variance Authority]], the [[Timebreaker]]s/[[Exiles (Marvel Comics)|Exiles]], and [[Kang the Conqueror]]'s forces. It is possible to travel through time without creating a new alternative universe, instead of altering events in the future, but this seems to have devastating and very far-reaching repercussions, as depicted in [[Marvel 1602]] (it almost destroyed the whole multiverse, including the [[afterlife]]).{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

Also, time itself passes much differently within the confines of the Marvel Universe than it does in the real world. Despite various characters having appeared within company publications for decades, few, if any, have aged to any appreciable degree. For example, the patriotic hero [[Captain America]] was created in 1941 but stopped appearing in titles soon after the end of [[World War II]]. The character was revived more than 20 years later, explained as having been frozen in a block of ice though believed to be dead, to lead Marvel's latest team of superheroes the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]]. This first Avengers team featured several characters that would go on to be some of the company's most famous and most popular. Although the characters would be portrayed in hundreds and even thousands of adventures over the decades, they have been portrayed as having aged little or not at all.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

Naturally, this tendency is purely due to story conveniences (or a somewhat haphazardly shifting patchwork pattern of authors), and mainly that the fictional "continuity" has been maintained and expanded far beyond what [[Stan Lee]] and others originally planned or hoped for. Hence, the passing of time was more discernible in the very early years, such as the graduation of [[Spider-Man]]; and what started as children or teenaged characters, such as [[Kitty Pryde]], [[Franklin Richards (character)|Franklin Richards]], [[Valeria Richards]], [[Power Pack]], or the [[New Mutants]] are all allowed to age at wildly shifting rates (in the second case even backward at times), whereas surrounding characters somewhat dependent on a certain age limit do not change at all. This recurrently creates inherently contradictory effects, as events are routinely described to have happened several years ago, even in cases when this would mean that some of the involved characters would have been toddlers. Different approaches also exist regarding allowing "second-generation" descendants of heroes or villains, full-grown over 18 years after an event (for example, [[Hulkling]], other members of the [[Young Avengers]], the [[Runaways (comics)|Runaways]], and the [[Secret Warriors (Team White)|Secret Warriors]]), whereas other books, such as ''[[Young Allies (Marvel Comics)#Heroic Age|Young Allies]]'' use the inherent contradiction to debunk similar claims. If a past storyline wherein a direct depiction of a then-current president or similar is referred to in a later era, it tends to become updated accordingly, sometimes with an "in-joke" acknowledgment.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

A more recent explanation was given by Galactus to the Ultimates, namely that some important events – for instance, the creation of the Fantastic Four or the Avengers –  have a 'gravity' all their own and warp time around them, causing the timeline to subtly change to accommodate this.<ref>''Ultimates'' (2015) #5</ref>

===Space===
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2014}}
While the Marvel Universe is presumably as large as the non-fictional universe comic book readers inhabit, for all intents and purposes the [[Local Group]] is the universe; practically all action takes place in it. The Skrull Empire is located in the Andromeda Galaxy, the Kree Empire in the Greater Magellanic Cloud, which is a satellite of the Milky Way galaxy in which Earth, of course, is found, and the Shi´ar Empire is located somewhere between them in one of the smaller galaxies (perhaps the Triangulum Galaxy); frequently, these three empires are quoted as the main political powers "in the universe".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-30|title=Who is Marvel's Most Powerful Alien Race?|url=https://screenrant.com/marvel-most-powerful-alien-race/|access-date=2021-08-14|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref> Similarly, the Local Group seems to be the only affected area when the [[Annihilation Wave]] cut its bloody swath "across the universe".