TIME
GUARDIAN(S)
TIME
GUARDIAN(S)
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Extratemporal (No-Space Dimension) humanoid entity/entities
Occupation: Ruler(s) of some portion of Limbo
Group Membership: Member of the Time Guardians
Affiliations:
Super-Conductor (servant);
Cable, Dark Guard (Albion, Stacy Arnheim, Dark Angel,
Death's
Head,
Killpower,
Motormouth, Tigon Liger, Ultra-Marine),
G-Force;
Enemies: Cyberdrones, Sidney Fishburne, Mys-Tech, Warheads
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: the
Crossroads of Time, within the
Refuge, in the
No-Space dimension;
the reality of the Time Guardians is accessible via the Parton Magna stone
circle in England.
First Appearance: Motormouth and Killpower#9 (February, 1992)
Powers/Abilities: The Time Guardian has some degree of
power of temporal manipulation. He can open portals in time and space and
bring others to and from his Refuge. Whether these powers are intrinsic or
a result of technology is unknown. However, several of his comments made
it apparent that he was immune to conventional attack. He may be able to
change his appearance at will (or we may have been seeing him at different
periods in his career).
The Time Guardian may be able to use his powers in offensive fashion, but
he prefers to use others as pawns to accomplish his goals.
In some instances, he appears to have the
Clavis Key on his person, and may thus have
access to its full power.
History: Next to nothing is known about the Time Guardian(s). They are apparently a race that has appointed themselves to be the Guardians of Time.
(Killpower: the Early Years#1-4) - About five years ago, the
Chronifact was developed by Sidney Fishburne at Gena-Sys labs. Its power
was a threat to the being known as the Time Guardian, who sought to steal
it for himself. Instead, the Chronifact split in half and each part was sent
to different time periods. The energies of the fragmented Chronifact weakened
the Time Guardian, so he sent Killpower back in time to bring the pieces
to him.
Killpower found the first piece in ancient Egypt, @ 3000 BC, and retrieved
it from the base of Rama-Tut. As Killpower departed to find the next piece,
@ 1 million BC, he was blasted by Rama-Tut in mid-transport. The Time Guardian
sent his own agents to retrieve the pieces of the Chronifact, since Rama-Tut's
blast had given Killpower partial memory loss. The Guardians' hunters were
tricked and captured by some primitive men, and the second half of the Chronifact
was recovered by the Genetix, who had been sent to find Killpower.
Fishburne attempted to recover the Chronifact for himself, but only succeeded
in sending one half of it to a time period five years after his own. This
half ended up in a war among the Punisher and two New York street gangs,
the Street Amazons, and the Huns. Fishburne sent some battle armor to the
Street Amazons and attempted to manipulate them into obtaining the Chronifact
half for him. The Time Guardian sent the Genetix forward in time as well,
and as the two halves of the Chronifact approached each other, he began to
regain his power.
However, Fishburne and the Time Guardian attempted to retrieve
the halves at the same time. Somehow, Fishburne obtained both fragments while
the Time Guardian, Genetix, and Killpower were sent to the distant future.
Fishburne attempted to use the Chronifact's power to eliminate his rival,
the Time Guardian, but his energy output was detected by his superior at
Gena-Sys, Dr. Oonagh Mullarkey. Suspicious of unauthorized power, Mullarkey
cut power to Fishburne's lab, who barely managed to activate the full power
of the Chronifact, which could then operate under its own energies. When
Mullarkey realized she could do nothing to stop Fishburne, she contacted
her superiors in Mys-Tech, who used their occultechnological power to batter
at his force shields.
Desperate, Fishburne contacted the Time Guardian and agreed to an alliance
to protect the Chronifact, although each clearly intended to betray the other.
As the Mys-Tech Techno-Wizards broke through Fishburne's shields, the Time
Guardian teleported Fishburne and the Chronifact to safety. The Time Guardian
honored his bargain to share the Chronifact, in a fashion. The Time Guardian
drained the energies of the Chronifact and took them for himself, and left
Fishburne with its empty shell. The Guardian then teleported Fishburne to
the future from which he had just escaped. However, without any means to
recharge the Chronifact, it was useless, and Fishburne fled from the bestial
natives of that time
period.
(Motormouth/Killpower#7,
8 (fb)-BTS) - Some of Mys-Tech's Warheads stole the Clavis Key from one of
the Time Guardians' operatives. The Time Guardians apparently contacted Cable,
requesting his aid in recovering the Key.
(Motormouth/Killpower#8-BTS, 9) - Cable and Badhand returned
the Clavis Key to the reality of the Time Guardians via the Parton Magna
Stone Circle, despite the efforts of Mys-Tech.
Claiming to see great things in Motormouth and Killpower, the Time Guardian
brought them to the Crossroads of Time. He then showed them how to use their
MOPED units to travel backwards, forwards, and sideways in time. To demonstrate,
he sent them to 55 BC, to the middle of the Coliseum, in the midst of the
Emperor's Games.
(Mys-Tech Wars#1-3-BTS, 4) - The Time Guardian observed the combined forces of the heroes of Earth opposing and defeating Mys-Tech's plans to use the Un-Earth to warp the reality of Earth-616. He was most impressed with Albion, Dark Angel, Death's Head, Motormouth, Dr. Strange, and Professor X, who repaired a rift in reality and thus saved the universe. He took hope in the fact that Mys-Tech could be beaten.
(Die-Cut vs G-Force#1) - The Time Guardian watched as Daniel Jones embarked on the journey which would transform him into G-Force. The Guardian hoped that Jones' discoveries would help him ruin Mys-Tech.
(Die-Cut vs G-Force#2) - The Time Guardian instructed G-Force in how to master his powers so he could stop the Cyberdrones from assimilating Earth. He later appeared before Albion, revealing Jones' transformation, but refusing to divulge too many details.
(Motor/Kill#12) - The Time
Guardian revealed that he had wiped Motormouth and Killpower's memories of
him, because the time wasn't quite right. He revealed that he had plans for
them to be working for him soon.
(Dark Guard#1(fb)-BTS) - The Time Guardian summoned Killpower, Motormouth, and Ultra-Marine to the Refuge.
(Dark Guard#1, [2], 3, [4]) - The Time Guardian summoned Death's
Head, Tigon Liger and Stacy Arnheim of the Warheads, Dark Angel, and Albion
to the Refuge. After naming the eight heroes the Dark Guard and explaining
that their mission was to prevent Mys-Tech from spreading across the Universe,
Stacy Arnheim attempted to break free and was seemingly destroyed upon falling
out into the No-Space. The Time Guardian warned the rest that they might
suffer similar fates if they did not comply with his directions. He then
vanished and dispatched them to Eopia to thwart Mys-Tech's plots on that
planet.
Tiring of dealing with the heroes, the Time Guardian sent the Superconductor
to explain the situation to them. Later, he chastised the Superconductor
for allowing the Dark Guard to return to the surface of Eopia to rescue captured
members Killpower and Liger from the Technarchy. He was quite disappointed
with their performance to that point. While the rest of the Dark Guard fought
on Eopia, both the Time Guardian and the Superconductor were surprised to
find Stacy Arnheim alive and well in the Crossroads Chamber, free from the
exo-skeleton she had always apparently needed.
The Dark Guard ultimately succeeded in driving Mys-Tech from Eopia, but when
they returned to the Refuge, neither the Time Guardian nor the Superconductor
were anywhere to be found. Only Stacy was there, and she claimed to have
no idea where they were--nor did she recognize any of her past allies.
The saga of the Dark Guard (and presumably the Time Guardian) was promised to continue in the upcoming Dark Guard Gold, which to the best of my knowledge never came out.
Comments: Created by Graham Marks and John Freeman under the Marvel UK imprint.
The fact that Cable refers to the Time Guardians as a race of
self-appointed beings seems similar to what little I know of the
Gallifreyans/Time Lords. The fact that several Marvel characters have interacted
with characters out of the Dr. Who saga does NOT place those events in Earth-616
continuity. They would occur within a separate reality, perhaps even a separate
Multiverse, within the greater Omniverse. In addition, existence within a
Limbo-like realm would enable beings to interact with a multitude of different
temporal realities.
Later, when the Time Guardian first brought Motormouth and Killpower to the
Crossroads of Time, he referred to himself as the current Time Guardian.
This may mean that while there is a race of such beings, only one is active
at a time. The details of their race are simply unrevealed, and likely to
remain that way, since Marvel UK stopped publishing new stories back around
1994.
In the Doctor Who universe the Time Lords have been revealed to be the first race to discover time travel. They started out quite pro-active, lending aid to races where they felt it was needed, but this led to the destruction of at least one civilisation, the Minyans, who used the technology they were given to war amongst themselves. As a result, the Time Lords became observers only (sound a bit like the Watchers to anyone?). We also have confirmation that Time Lord equivalents exist in other dimensions - the Great Old Ones who sometimes battle the Doctor have been shown to be the surviving Time Lords from the universe that pre-existed our own and which was destroyed by the Big Bang that created ours; we've encountered another being who is a "Time Lord" from the universe that will replace ours. And the Ferutu are Time Lords who might come into existence in one possible future, and who travelled back in time to ensure that future comes about. So it's well within the bounds of possibility that the Time Guardians are simply the Marvel Universe's equivalent of the Time Lords, a little more pro-active and thus with a slightly more dynamic choice of name. - Loki
As a Doctor Who fan I'd have to point out that the fact that the Time Lords have a strict policy against interfering in the affairs of other races so unless the Time Guardians are an evolutianary offshoot like the Inhumans, these are a different bunch of guys. Though surely they must be connected, the technology is very similar. - Changeling
Of course the Time Lords of realities other than the Doctor's home one may well not have this policy of non-inteference. - Loki
The Time Guardian from Motormouth and Killpower#9 looks different from the version in Motormouth#12, both of which look different from the version seen in all other appearances (as seen in the top image). However, in each appearance, the Time Guardian referred to his experiences in the previous appearance, so it would SEEM to be the same character.
Chronology is difficult to do when dealing with a being who dwells in a timeless realm and can travel through the timestream at will. I've listed all of the appearances I could recall, but whether they're in the right chronological order as relates to the Time Guardian himself is uncertain.
When frustrated, the Time Guardian exclaimed, "Farrago!"
This means "a confused mixture; jumble; hodgepodge"
Per John Freeman: I have a vague recollection that the Time Warden (see image) may have been an incarnation/aspect of the Time Guardian, but if he was, it was never actually alluded to in the "Dark Guard" mini series, which was published after I left Marvel UK.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Time Guardians have NO KNOWN connection to other temporal entities, and
exactly how he relates to some of the more mainstream beings is unknown.
Other Temporal Administrators/Rules include
Similarly, the relationship between No-Space and the Crossroads of Time, or to either of the following realms is unknown:
The Clavis Key has no known connections to:
Dark Angel, Shevaun Haldane, the MUK heroine, @ Hell's Angel#1, should be distinguished from:
Death's Head (Minion)
Superconductor, the servant of the Time Guardian, has no known connection to:
The Technarchy of Eopia have no known connection to:
Clavis Key
The Clavis Key's origins are unknown. It is held by the Time
Guardians, but it is not known whether they created it or merely discovered
it. It serves as a cosmic key between a myriad of realities, and also keeps
those realities balanced and secured--so that none of them disintegrate into
oblivion.
The Key was stolen from an agent of the Time Guardians by a member of Mys-Tech's
Warheads. Not appreciating the power of the Key, it was simply filed away
initially. The displacement of the Clavis Key set forces in motion which
threatened to wipe out several alternate dimensions. The Guardians may have
requested the assistance of Cable in recovering the Key, but at any rate,
Cable recruited Badhand of SHIELD (Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage
Logistics Directorate) and they stormed Mys-Tech Central and retrieved the
Key. The two then traveled to the Parton Magna stone circle, an access point
to the realm of the Time Guardians, and returned the Key to the
Guardians--despite the efforts of Mys-Tech's agents, the Harpies.
With the Clavis Key back in place, it releases a pulse of energy that combined
arcane and physical energies to restore normality to the destabilized section
of the Omniverse.
The Clavis Key can potentially be used as a weapon, able to annihilate entire
realities. After being returned by Cable, it has apparently been held by
the current Time Guardian/
--Motormouth/Killpower#7 ([8(fb)], 7-9, Mys-Tech Wars#4?, 12?, Dark Guard#1?, 3?
Crossroads of Time
aka Crossroads Chamber, this the pocket realm within the Refuge from which the Time Guardian directs all of his temporal travels.
--Motormouth/Killpower#9 (Dark Guard#1, 3, 4
No-Space
The pocket realm which contains the Refuge, the base of the Time Guardian. It is composed of raw temporal energy, which will apparently tear apart most forms of matter which are exposed to it. The Refuge is protected from the Ravages of No-Space by a bubble of cold matter.
--Dark Guard#1 (2-4
The personal assistant to the Time Guardian. After the Dark Guard faired poorly in their initial encounter with the forces of Eopia, the Time Guardian sent him to explain the politics of Eopia to them. The Time Guardian chastised him for allowing the Dark Guard to try to rescue Liger and Killpower from the Technarchy. The Superconductor was spared from the latter half of the Time Guardian's tirade by the sudden appearance of Stacy Arnheim, but what happened next is anyone's guess.
--Dark Guard#2 (3
Appearances:
Motormouth & Killpower#9 (February, 1993) - Graham Marks & John
Freeman (writers), David Taylor (artist), Jacqui Papp (editor)
Motormouth/Killpower#12 (May, 1993) - Andy Cartnel (writer), Richard Elson (pencils), Ramon Rosanas (inks)
Mys-Tech Wars#4 (June, 1993) - Dan Abnett (writer), Bryan Hitch (pencils/inks)
Die-Cut vs G-Force#1-2 (November-December, 1993) - John Freeman (writer), John Royle (pencils), Tim Perkins (inks)
Dark Guard#1 (October, 1993) - Dan Abnett (writer), Carlos Pacheco (pencils), Oscar Jimenez (inks)
Dark Guard#3 (December, 1993) - Dan Abnett (writer), Carlos Pacheco (pencils), Oscar Jimenez (inks)
Killpower: the Early Years#1-4 (September-December, 1993) - Mike W. Barr (writer), John Ross (pencils), Martin Griffiths (inks)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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