issue 17 // volume 43 arts // no. 9 Timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe > Superheroes with super complicated chronology a & = a a Greg Waldock Staff Writer A s Marvel glides gently into the 2017 eleases for its colossally profitable Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it’s good to take a moment for a refresher on the canon order of all these stories and how they connect together. This won't just include all 17 movies—the TV shows are almost as important to the canon. So here’s a largely spoiler-free list of the MCU as it stands now, in its near-entirety. Agent Carter (2015-16): The story of the founding of S.H.LE.L.D., the agency devoted to fighting Hydra and alien threats. It lasted two seasons before being cancelled, and not without reason. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): The transformation of Steve Rogers into the world’s first superhero, Captain America. Iron Man (2008): The film that launched a franchise and restarted Robert Downey Jr’s career. Also includes Samuel L. Jackson and introduces the idea of a larger expanded universe, though originally it was meant as fanservice, not as a real possibility. The Incredible Hulk (2008): Starring Edward Norton instead of Avengers’ Mark Ruffalo, this wasn't supposed to be a part of the MCU though it was made canon later as the series became a universe. The ending was filmed in Bella Coola, British Columbia, which is pretty much the only time Canada is mentioned in the series. Thor (2011): The goofy, wacky fantasy film that started to explore the more niche genres that the MCU could tap into. Iron Man 2 (2010): Largely forgettable, but it does introduce War Machine, Iron Man’s partner. So that’s great. A bunch of robots punch each other and it’s all a lot of fun. The Avengers (2012): The blockbusting extravaganza uniting the heroes for the first time. The ramifications of the events here will define the MCU. The amount of money this movie made was so staggering, it kept the rest of the franchise funded. Little known fact: it was directed by Joss Whedon, creator of Firefly. Explains all the quips. Agents of S.H.I-E.L.D. (2013-): S.H.1.E.L.D. contains and recruits super-powered individuals. Set after the events of Avengers, this was Marvel Studios’ first foray into television. It’s cheesy and kind of schlocky, but it has a certain comic book charm that attracts a decent audience every season. This series is heavily impacted by the movies, so the films are required viewing Photo collage by Mike LeMieux to get the most out of the show. Iron Man 3 (2013): Tony Stark deals with his PTSD and alcoholism after fighting aliens and nearly dying a few dozen times a week. Thor: The Dark World (2013): A mysterious red liquid accidentally awakens an ancient evil, which Thor has to punch in the face. Also includes something about planetary alignment and Stonehenge, as well as classic Loki shenanigans. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): A ragtag band of misfits save the galaxy. The most out-there and best rated of all the Marvel movies up to this point, Guardians of the Galaxy is a comedy above all else and shines for it. Also: Infinity Stones. They're kind of a big deal. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): A huge moment in the franchise. Plots are twisted, friends become enemies, enemies become frenemies. Agents of S.H.LE.L.D. is also radically changed after this. The Defenders: The hugely- The offerings of the Alola region > Pokémon designs and redesigns Caroline Ho Arts Editor kémon Sun and Moon, released last November, seem to be a pretty big departure from the previous six generations of main series games, and not just because they've finally broken away from D-pad grid movement. The games take place in the region of Alola, a tropical land based on Hawaii that’s made up of four islands. Being quite far away from the other regions, Alola has a unique culture, and the trainer challenge system is entirely different: Instead of eight gym leaders, there are trials where you battle Totem Pokémon and island bosses called Kahunas. But of course, like every new Pokémon game, the most important parts of what’s new is the designs of the creatures themselves. New Pokémon Sun and Moon feature 81 new Pokémon, and for the most part they’re original without being outlandish. There are the starters, which all evolve into somewhat unique type combinations. There’s the generic bird with its final form Toucannon, which isn’t quite as badass as Gen V1's Fire/Flying Talonflame but looks perfectly appropriate for the island environment. Normal-type rodents Yungoos and Gumshoos, while cute enough with their huge pointy-toothed grins, are pretty standard. The stock Pikachu stand-in Togedemaru looks about as Pikachu-like as expected. Speaking of Pikachu lookalikes, Game Freak has managed to reach the genuinely creepy with the Ghost/ Fairy Mimikyu. This Pokémon’s actual appearance is a mystery, because it always covers itself with a rag to disguise itself as the aforementioned Electric mouse mascot. With a face scribbled onto the cloth, Mimikyu is unnerving enough in its regular form, but it’s even creepier once you hit it—it changes from Disguised into Busted Form and its neck snaps. Another interesting and faintly creepy critter introduced in this generation is the Sea Cucumber Pokémon Pyukumuku. It looks like a little black blob with pink spikes, and to defend itself it basically spews out its internal organs, spitting this large white arm-like thing out of its little mouth in some weird mix of adorable and abominable. Fittingly, Pyukumuku’s Ability is called Innards Out. Old Pokémon Being so geographically distant from the rest of the known Pokémon world, Alola has also introduced native versions of a few classic Gen I Pokémon, changing up their designs and types. While it does make sense if you think about (Darwinian) evolution and nature, some of these are so wonderfully ridiculous. Right on the first couple of routes you can run into Rattata, which is now Dark/Normal type. Aside from being bipedal and black instead of purple, it doesn't look vastly different from its Kanto counterpart, so it’s not a huge culture shock for well-travelled trainers. Meowth, Dark-type as well in Alola, also doesn’t look too dissimilar from the Kanto variant, except for having silvery- blue fur and an expression that has somehow managed to out-smug Snivy. Diglett found in Alola might not look at all foreign at first glance, except for three little strands of hair on the top of its head. The fact that it can have the Ability Tangling Hair should probably hint to trainers that there’s something more to this version of Diglett—but nothing can prepare you for the luscious flowing golden locks that adorn the head of Dugtrio. Seriously, they are so luscious. But by far, the most glorious Kanto Pokemon to receive an Alola variant is Exeggutor. On a tropical climate, it’s probably not surprising that a palm tree- like Pokémon would flourish, but it’s acclaimed Netflix exclusive shows, which show a darker and grittier side of New York (because it’s always New York). The timeline is kind of confused here, but they can be watched any time after the first Avengers. Here’s the chronological order: Daredevil (2015-), Jessica Jones (2015-), Daredevil Season II, and Luke Cage (2016-). Coming this year is Iron Fist, following a magical Irish kung-fu master, and later this year is the crossover series The Defenders, about which very little is known. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): Involving about a million plot threads in nearly three hours, this movie is a gloriously confusing mess. But basically, Tony Stark messes everything up and an Avengers reunion ensues. Ant-Man (2015): The lamest name for a hero, but a pretty solid movie. It’s mostly a standalone and doesn’t deal with the main series too much, and it feels a lot more like the original Iron Man than anything else. Captain America: Civil War (2016): About as long and complicated as Age of Ultron, about as important as Winter Solider. More plots twists, more frenemies. Doctor Strange (2016): The weirdest Marvel film to date, and the first proper introduction of magic into the MCU. Asgardians like Thor don’t count, as they're aliens using alien technology. That’s a ton, and it’s only the ones already listed. Most of these are getting sequels, along with two Avengers movies, an Infinity War two-parter, a Punisher Netflix series, yet another Spider-Man movie, and who knows what else. It’s a franchise that just keeps on giving. Images via Nintendo still a bit of a surprise to see that, instead of its rather stout body, Exeggutor has been endowed with a super long neck, reaching 10.9 metres tall in Alola. And the most awesome part: it’s Grass/ Dragon. According to the Pokédex entry in Sun, the locals claim that this is Exeggutor’s ideal form, and according to the entry in Moon, this magnificent creature has grown so tall that it has “awakened the power of the sleeping dragon.”