- "The Multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little."
- ―Doctor Strange
The Multiverse is the aggregate of all dimensions and parallel realities in existence. Although dimensions are just portions of reality within a universe, there are also parallel universes that coexist with one another. The Multiverse is believed to be explained by the eternal inflation system, however, the exact nature of its existence is largely unknown to its inhabitants.
Once the Multiversal War came to an end, a scientist named Nathaniel Richards chose a collection of universes that followed the same baseline and isolated it from the rest of the Multiverse. This collection was dubbed the Sacred Timeline and was assigned to the Time Variance Authority for protection. The Time Variance Authority's secret work was to prune and delete the timelines that branched off either by time travel or unscripted decisions by individuals who lived in the Sacred Timeline that could cause the arise of an evil version of He Who Remains which could lead to a new Multiversal War. After the death of He Who Remains at the hand of Sylvie Laufeydottir, numerous branches were created across different points in time, which paradoxically gave birth to alternate universes that had always been part of what individuals like the Ancient One and The Watcher knew as the Multiverse.
The Multiverse is always in fluctuation, and the several outcomes of certain events, which could result in the creation of alternate timelines, can be perceived and studied. Machines like Victor Stein's time machine and the Chronicoms' time stream were able to sense the nearest possible outcome within the timestream of the Multiverse. Realms where time is irrelevant, like the Quantum Realm, are a mechanism to travel either through time or access alternate timelines.
On Earth, to those who knew of the existence of the Multiverse this meant the existence of evil beings as Dormammu that could threaten the peace of their worlds was more than certain. Hence, organizations like the Masters of the Mystic Arts were created. Travel between dimensions of the Multiverse is also possible. Some places located in other dimensions, such as K'un-Lun, could be accessed from Earth only in certain periods of time, while some other dimensions, like the Mirror Dimension, can be visited through the use of Sling Rings. The interactions between dimensions and the Earthly plane in humanity's story and the danger it meant proved how the existence of the Masters of the Mystic Arts was more than necessary.
Known Universes[]
| Name | Description | First appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Universe
(Earth-9988) |
The Sacred Timeline and main universe. | Iron Man |
| New York Time Heist
(Earth-732) |
An alternate universe where Ant-Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Iron Man travelled to New York City in 2012 to perform the Theft of the Mind Stone, the Theft of the Time Stone and a failed Theft of the Space Stone. | Avengers: Endgame |
| Asgard Time Heist
(Earth-733) |
An alternate universe where Rocket Raccoon and Thor travelled to Asgard in 2013 to perform the Theft of the Reality Stone. | Avengers: Endgame |
| Cosmic Time Heist
(Earth-734) |
An alternate universe where Black Widow, Hawkeye, Nebula and War Machine travelled back to Morag and Vormir in 2014 to perform the Theft of the Power Stone and Theft of the Soul Stone. | Avengers: Endgame |
| Camp Lehigh Time Heist
(Earth-735) |
An alternate universe where Captain America and Iron Man travelled to Camp Lehigh in 1970 for a second attempt in the Theft of the Space Stone. | Avengers: Endgame |
| Captain America's Full Life
(Earth-736) |
An alternate universe where Steve Rogers travelled back to 1949 to live with Peggy Carter. | Avengers: Endgame |
| He Who Remains' Universe
(Earth-870) |
Home of He Who Remains. | Loki: 1.06: For All Time. Always. |
| Sylvie Laufeydottir's Universe
(Earth-866) |
Home of Sylvie Laufeydottir. | Loki: 1.02: The Variant |
| Classic Loki's Universe (Earth-868) | An alternate universe where Loki survived the Attack on the Statesman and spent centuries in isolation. | Loki: 1.04: The Nexus Event |
| Kid Loki's Universe
(Earth-867) |
An alternate universe where a young Loki killed Thor. | Loki: 1.04: The Nexus Event |
| Alligator Loki's Universe
(Earth-869) |
Home of Alligator Loki. | Loki: 1.04: The Nexus Event |
| Boastful Loki's Universe
(Earth-871) |
An alternate universe where Loki killed Iron Man and Captain America and collected all six Infinity Stones. | Loki: 1.04: The Nexus Event |
| Super Soldier Peggy Carter
(Earth-82111) |
An alternate universe in which Peggy Carter took the super soldier serum in place of Steve Rogers. | What If...?: 1.01: What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger? |
| Ravager T'Challa
(Earth-21818) |
An alternate universe in which T'Challa was taken by the Ravagers in place of Peter Quill. | What If...?: 1.02: What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord? |
| Avengers Assassinated
(Earth-51825) |
An alternate universe in which Hank Pym murders most of the Avengers after losing his daughter when she became an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. | What If...?: 1.03: What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes? |
| Corrupted Doctor Strange
(Earth-91233) |
An alternate universe in which Christine Palmer accompanied Doctor Strange on the car trip and died in the accident, this was the reason Strange went to Kamar-Taj, became a Master of the Mystic Arts and the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. | What If...?: 1.04: What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands? |
| Zombie Outbreak
(Earth-89521) |
An alternate universe that Janet Van Dyne contracted a Quantum Virus and caused a zombie apocalypse upon returning to the Earthly Plane. | What If...? 1.05: What If... Zombies!? |
| Killmonger's War
(Earth-32938) |
An alternate universe which Erik Killmonger saved Tony Stark in Afghanistan and betrayed him later. | What If...? 1.06: What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? |
| Party Prince Thor
(Earth-72124) |
An alternate universe in which instead of Loki being adopted by Odin, he was returned to the Frost Giants. | What If...? 1.07: What If... Thor Were an Only Child? |
| Age of Ultron
(Earth-29929) |
An alternate universe that Ultron won and exterminated all life existing in his universe. | What If...? 1.08: What If... Ultron Won? |
| Amazing Spider-Man's Universe
(Earth-120703) |
Home of Amazing Spider-Man, Electro and Lizard. | The Amazing Spider-Man
Spider-Man: No Way Home (in MCU) |
| Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's Universe
(Earth-96283) |
Home of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Sandman, Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. | Spider-Man
Spider-Man: No Way Home (in MCU) |
| Venom's Universe
(Earth-8518) |
Home of Venom and Eddie Brock. | Venom
Spider-Man: No Way Home (in MCU) |
| Utopian Parallel | The previous home of America Chavez and her mothers before they were separated. | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness |
| Defender Strange's Universe
(Earth-6177) |
Home of Defender Strange. | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness |
| Illuminati Assembled
(Earth-838) |
An alternate universe where an organization called the Illuminati controls everything and is responsible for dealing with beings from other universes. | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness |
| Sinister Strange's Universe
(Earth-954) |
An alternate universe where Doctor Strange read the Darkhold and used it to dreamwalk through the Multiverse causing his reality to destabilize. | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness |