History of Prehistoric Earth
145,000 Years Ago
The first true human civilization emerges on the continent of Atlantis, where the inhabitants learn to master the wild magic energies of the Earth. The descendants of many of these sorcerers would evolve into humanity's sister species homo magi.
50,000 Years Ago
Vandar Adg, leader of the Cro-Magnon Blood Tribe, is exposed to strange radiation from a crashing meteor. The radiation makes Vandar immortal and raises his intelligence, setting him on a path of a continuous quest for more power that turns him into the man now known as Vandal Savage. A member of the rival Bear Tribe named Klarn also witnesses the meteor and is transformed as well, though in his case his immortality is in the form of perpetual reincarnation where he would be reborn in a new body after each death, but with his knowledge and memories intact. Klarn would become Savage's perennial foe through the ages as the Immortal Man.
45,000 Years Ago
In Atlantis the sorcerer Arion becomes Lord High Mage and later king, protecting Atlantis from enemy attacks as well as the encroaching Ice Age. Atlantis and its colonies remain the sole islands of civilization in a world still governed by primitive savagery.
42,000 Years Ago
A small group of Gods from the world of New Genesis come to Earth and raise four mighty cities to serve as their homes there. From these lofty sanctuaries they set out to bring order to the savage world. Through their power and technology these New Gods take a Neanderthal warrior and transform him into the man-god Aurakles, Earth's original superhero. The New Gods entrust Aurakles with seven imperishable treasures, the Sword, the Cauldron of Rebirth, the all-knowing Fatherbox, the Hammer, the Merlin sprite, and the winged steed Pegazeus. With the champion thus empowered the New Gods depart for their home in the stars and leave Aurakles to battle alone against the 666 Monsters of Chaos.
35,000 Years Ago
The Godwave strikes Earth, giving rise to the planet's pantheons of gods that will come to be worshiped by the world's early human civilizations.
12,000 Years Ago
A nobleman named Arthur gathers many of the lost treasures of Aurakles and with them becomes king of the Antediluvian Earth, creating the golden age of the first Camelot. The golden age ends when Arthur takes his knights on a failed quest to recover another treasure, the Cauldron of Rebirth, from the Castle Revolving of the Sheeda. Tales of Arthur's deeds would echo down through the ages, inspiring future Camelots.
10,000 Years Ago
In the waning days of Atlantis, the immortal Vandal Savage would come to the island and spread darkness and chaos despite the efforts of an aged and weakened Arion. Savage's presence would herald the first of many disasters that would chip away at the once great kingdom. A few centuries later the end would finally come when, during the reign of King Orin I, a great skull-shaped meteor would strike the Earth in the North Atlantic, leading to a Great Deluge that would sink the last parts of Atlantis beneath the waves. Many of the citizens of Atlantis find a way to survive the sinking, with the residents of the city of Poseidonis turning to science to erect a dome over the city, keeping the water out for a time until they develop a serum that allows them to survive underwater. Elsewhere the city of Tritonis turns to magic to save them, though the dark nature of the spell would result in the citizens of that city transforming into merpeople.
9,000 Years Ago
In the Ancient Near East, in the land that will come to be known as Canaan, a young shepherd is chosen by the six gods of Magic to become their champion. Gifted great powers by speaking the magic word VLAREM, made up from the names of the six gods, the champion would protect the land for many centuries to come, notably battling and then imprisoning the living embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins. Millennia later the champion would become the wizard known as Shazam, evoking power using the names of the newer incarnations of the gods of Magic.
6,000 Years Ago
A stellar cataclysm upsets the celestial firmament, greatly disrupting the forces of magic on Earth. A group of homo magi, as well as many other beings dependent on magic, escape from Earth to the other-dimensional magical realm of the Gemworld.
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