Silver/Bronze Sliding-Time

Introduction to the Silver/Bronze Age Timeline Part 2: Sliding-Time
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Where do we start with the Silver/Bronze Age timeline? We don’t know for certain how much time passes in-between Batman’s debut and the debut of the Justice League of America since that information isn’t specifically given in the comics, but it’s probably two to three years. Since the JLA debut was originally in line with its publishing date of 1960, this meant that Batman and Superman debuted around 1956. But not so fast, kids. Things aren’t so easy in the world of DC. Things done changed thanks to the editorial introduction of sliding-time (i.e. floating timelines). Special thanks and citation to the brilliant Anthony Dean for parts of the information below.

The Silver/Bronze Age operates on a sliding timescale (similar to the sliding timescale later used in the Modern Age). This means that DC editors slid the beginning of the entire DCU timeline to a later date to keep things contemporary and fresh. Nearly all of DC’s use of sliding-time revolved around their franchise player: Superman—specifically, his history of being Superboy for a full decade before becoming Superman.

The first timeline retcon came in 1980 with the debut of Superboy Vol. 2 aka The New Adventures of Superboy #2. Up until that point, all the stories on the Silver/Bronze Age chronology had been operating in real time. Superboy became Superman around 1958-1959 and the JLA formed in 1960. Even 70s issues of Adventure Comics and Superboy noted that Clark’s teenage years were in the 50s. However, by the late 1970s, DC felt that Superman was getting too old (and, by proxy, that all of his peers—including Batman—were getting too old too). Thus, the concept of sliding-time was introduced, although subtly with little fanfare. However, by 1980, the top brass had no choice but to publicly acknowledge it outright, and they did so in a special letter to readership in Superboy Vol. 2 #2 (February 1980). In the letter, writer Cary Bates not only admitted to prior continuity errors, but also stated explicitly that a 16-year-old Clark existed 13-15 years before present day. “Since Superman is constantly moving up year by year, his younger self must do the same. Hence you’ll occasionally see a reference in a Superboy tale to whatever was big some 13 or so years ago. One recent story mentioned The Beatles. […] And 13 or 14 years hence, Superboy will be doing his stuff today!” This meant that in 1965, Clark was 16-years-old, which in turn meant that Superboy didn’t become Superman until roughly 1967 (assuming the Boy of Steel became the Man of Steel at age 18)—which also meant that Batman didn’t debut until around 1967 and that the JLA didn’t debut until 1969-1970!

To further hammer in this new status quo, DC published Superboy Vol. 2 #26-27 (February-March 1982). These issues featured SuperBOY assisting President John F Kennedy in 1963, fully-overwriting and replacing a prior issue of Superman where SuperMAN assisted JFK in 1963. This huge retcon made it so that a grade-school aged Superboy was around during the last days of JFK instead of an adult Man of Steel. In these 1982 JFK retcon issues, Superboy appeared to be about 13-years-old, which continued to bolster the canonicity of the new “slid-up-to-the-Sixties-timeline.” Furthermore, a 1984 issue of Superboy Vol. 2 showed Clark in his late teens as of 1969—the date ascertained by a Lana Lang reference to The Carpenters. This further increased the legitimacy of the “slid-up-timeline,” placing Clark at age 19 (turning 20) in 1969.

DC attempted to slide the timeline once more in 1985, but this was literally right as The Crisis on Infinite Earths was beginning, which basically made this final slide null and void. Bob Rozakis, with an Annie Hall reference in Superman: The Secret Years mini-series, attempted to retcon things so that Clark was still in his late teens in 1977! A DC editorial response in the letters column of this series went so far as to state that Superman was around 27-years-old in 1985, meaning that his Superboy time would have been primarily in the 70s! With the company-wide Crisis reboot literally underway before The Secret Years even finished, it is my firm and personal belief that this Secret Years mini should be regarded as non-canon (or at the very least be taken with a grain of salt). While company policy in 1985 would certainly have been to keep on sliding, why slide our already messy timeline forward another decade mere months before a major reboot? Doesn’t make sense. Disregard.

With all of that sliding timescale information disseminated, we know that specific date references or topical references in the early years of the Silver/Bronze Age timeline must be ignored. The stories themselves can stay the same, but dates must be altered. For example, let’s first look at how things originally happened (prior to time-sliding) in regard to key character debuts and the JLA debut.

Justice League of America #71 and Justice League of America #144 reveal that Martian Manhunter is exiled to Earth in 1955, but he takes no real action as a superhero, instead staying disguised in “Detective John Jones human form.” Taking Showcase #4 as gospel, Flash debuts in October 1956, meaning Superboy’s change to Superman likely happens sometime in mid 1956. Likewise, this means that Batman and Robin likely debut in mid 1956 as well. This also tells us that a lot of other major heroes debut in the 1956 to 1958 range. Justice League of America #144 continues the story in February 1959, at which time a bunch of heroes (including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Aquaman, and more) undertake a secret mission against White Martians. According to Justice League of America #144, seven months later (in September 1959), Hal Jordan debuts as Green Lantern. A few weeks after that (still September 1959), Earth’s heroes repel Appellaxian invasion (as seen in Justice League of America #9), thus publicly becoming the JLA. Justice League of America #144 places the first official JLA mission about six months later in March 1960 (as seen in The Brave and The Bold #28).

Now, in this next paragraph, let’s apply our sliding timescale to the scenario above and we will get our “official” telling of things. As you will see, every date is moved around ten to eleven years later (from its original date of publication).^[1] With a sliding timescale applied, Justice League of America #71 and Justice League of America #144 reveal that Martian Manhunter is exiled to Earth in 1965 (instead of 1955), but he takes no real action as a superhero, instead staying disguised in “Detective John Jones human form.” Due to various retcons, there are significant number of Golden Age Batman and Superman stories that have been canonized for the Silver Age. In order to accommodate these stories, Superboy’s change to Superman happens sometime in early 1967 (instead of mid 1956). Likewise, this means Batman and Robin debut in early 1967 (instead of mid 1956). (Superman, Batman, and Robin starting out in early 1967 provides adequate space for three years’ worth of their Golden Age-slid stories prior to the JLA debuting.)^[2] If Batman and Superman debut in 1967, then Flash’s debut (as seen in Showcase #4) slides about ten-and-a-half years to the middle of 1967 (instead of late 1956). This also tells us that a lot of other major heroes debut in the 1967 to 1969 (instead of 1956 to 1958) range, although many of these heroes no longer have specific dates attributed to their debuts. Justice League of America #144 continues the story in February 1969 (instead of 1959), at which time a bunch of heroes (including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash, and more) undertake a secret mission against White Martians. According to Justice League of America #144, seven months later (in September 1969) (instead of 1959), Hal Jordan debuts as Green Lantern. A few weeks after that (still September 1969) (instead of 1959), Earth’s heroes repel Appellaxian invasion (as seen in Justice League of America #9), thus publicly becoming the JLA. Justice League of America #144 places the first official JLA mission about six months later in March 1970 (instead of 1960) (as seen in The Brave and The Bold #28).

Now that we’ve properly explained how Batman starts in 1967, we can take a look at what got him to the point where he decided to put on a bat costume.

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1. ^[1]COLLIN COLSHER: Since the sliding timescale moves everything to a start date of roughly ten to eleven years later, one can naturally assume that everything on the Silver/Bronze Age chronology simply gets ten to eleven years added onto it. However, we aren’t using a precise formula. The word “roughly” is essential here. For example, by the 1980s things have to “catch up” with real time. Thus, things are compressed—roughly two publishing years equalling a single in-story year—up until early 1983, at which point things evolve into a real-time calendar where a January 1983 publication equals a January 1983 in-story narrative date. Because of the nature of this type of time compression throughout the Silver/Bronze Age, items will generally get bumped forward (via the sliding timescale) in a range of eight to eleven years. (At earlier points on the timeline, items get bumped by around eleven years whereas, at later points, things whittle down to around eight years.) To reiterate, one year’s worth of publications equals roughly two years of in-story narrative until 1983, at which point we enter coextensive real-time (where one year’s worth of publications equals one year’s worth of in-story narrative).↩
2. ^[2]COLLIN COLSHER: For Batman alone, there are well over a hundred-and-fifty items (stuff that has been moved from the Golden Age to the Silver Age due to various retcons) that must get sandwiched-in between his debut and the JLA debut. While I place Batman’s debut in 1967 in order to accommodate, some other timelines, notably the 5 Earths Project, list Batman’s Silver Age start in 1970, months prior to the JLA debut. This is technically possible, but only if you ignore almost all Golden Age-slid stories and retcon references—essential stories and references that I have chosen to include in my pre-JLA buffer period. We aren’t just talking about Batman and Superman stories either. There are a lot of characters that need to get their shit in prior to the JLA debut, and they all have to be accounted for.↩