Rising Stars Timeline
Notes on Sources
These are notes on the sources used for the Rising Stars Timeline.
Key:
i-p: issue number - page number
The timing of the Flash has never been clearly stated in the comic book. Publicity materials place it in 1969. The Supreme Court decision dated March 25, 1975 (shown on page 11 of Issue 0) says that none of the children are over six years old. This means that the oldest child was born sometime after March 25, 1969. With 113 children evenly spaced over a nine-month period, it can be assumed that the oldest child is born within a few days after the Flash.
The yearbook photo on page 3 of Issue 0 is titled "Class of 1986". Normally, the majority of children born between March and December of 1969 would graduate in 1987. This would indicate that the date of the Flash might need to be pushed back to 1968. However, on page 15 of Issue 1, Paulson states that the Specials are "smarter and more mature than children at that age could possibly be". So, it is possible that the majority of them graduated high school in 1986 even if they were born in 1969.
Another indication that the date may need to be pushed back to 1968 is the tombstone of Edward Claiborne on page 12 of Issue 1/2. It says he was born in 1969, and on page 3 of that same issue Paulson says he "wasn't conceived until nearly a year after the Flash". A Flash in early Spring 1969 would put Edward's conception in early 1970 and his birth in late 1970. The date of the Flash would have to be moved back one year to accommodate the tombstone.
Next, there is the Enhanced Abilities Child Welfare Act of 1973. This act was obviously passed after Matthew Bright first demonstrated his powers. That demonstration took place during photographs for a school yearbook, so it was presumably during the Autumn of 1973. A Flash in 1969 would make most of the Specials four years old, with the youngest like John Simon still three years old. The children look older than this in the artwork, and it seems unlikely that even an advanced three-year-old would be sent to kindergarten (if the state of Illinois even had public kindergarten programs in the early 1970's).
Since the references seem to favor a Flash in 1968, this timeline will assume that as the case. The only two points which must be ignored to accommodate this assumption are the non-canonical publicity references and the reference to the children being under the age of six in March 1975. It will be assumed that the Supreme Court decision should have stated seven years of age.
Lee Jackson's burning of the camp counselor poses a difficult problem. The artwork in this and other scenes indicates that the children are older than six. Also, several events must be compressed to fit them between 1973 and 1975.
It is possible that Lee Jackson's use of his power took place after the Supreme Court decision. If that were the case, then the Randy Fisk's comments about Lee giving the Government the excuse it had been looking for to clamp down on the Specials (Issue 3, page 5) could refer to a different act of repression than the one that prompted the Supreme Court case. This is supported by the various scenes of the Specials during their teenage years that seem to indicate that they have their own school and even live in dormitories.
However, this timeline will assume that Lee's actions prompted the Supreme Court case. This seems to match the narrative of the comic. Issue 1 was John Simon's "flashback" to the events up to Lee's use of his power. Issue 2 follows with Dr. Welles' flashback to the Supreme Court decision and his appointment. The impact to Lee's story is that his three visits to the camp must be compressed to Spring, Summer, and Autumn of 1974.
There is a "Class of 1986" yearbook photo.
Poet refers to the story's time span as "sixty years".
Dr. Welles writes that Matthew has been able to fly for one year. The tone of his journal entry indicates that he may have only been in his position for several months.
The text of the Supreme Court decision is printed. It mentions that none of the children are over the age of six. It is assumed that this is an error and should have stated an age of seven. (See the dating of the Flash above.) It also refers to the Enhanced Abilities Child Welfare Act of 1973.
Slappy the Clown assumes the children are in third or fourth grade. However, he's been hitting the vitamin juice pretty heavily, so this timeline assumes he was wrong about their ages in order to place this story before the Supreme Court decision.
Corinne asks, "What about those three in Texas?"
Dr. Welles says that Jason Miller's son was born "three weeks ago". Jerry Montrose appears to already be a teenager when his power manifests itself.
Jerry Montrose ran away not long after his power manifested itself.
Jerry Montrose tells Dr. Welles that Jason Miller's comic book was stolen the day after he tried on his costume for the first time.
Jerry Montrose says, "The day I turned 18 I was out of there."
Jerry Montrose says, "For two years it was great," before he was charged with extortion.
Dr. Welles tells Jerry Montrose, "He died this past Thursday. We just had the funeral the other day."
Jason Miller finds the comic book on his doorstep.
Paulson says Edward Claiborne "wasn't conceived until nearly a year after the flash hit town".
Dr. Welles writes, "Then, the next day, my worst suspicions were confirmed."
Edward Claiborne's writes in his journal, "So tomorrow, I'm going to become special."
Edward Claiborne's tombstone says 1969-1983.
John Simon was the last Special conceived before the Flash.
The children are having their yearbook photos taken. This takes place before the Enhanced Abilities Child Welfare Act of 1973.
Mrs. Simon visits the clinic. Scenes of the testing follow.
The Specials are seen at a day camp session.
Randy Fisk asks Lee Jackson about the camp because he's been there twice before.
John Simon writes about Lee burning the counselor "over five decades" later. Lee didn't use his ability for over twenty years after that.
The police tell Dr. Welles that Peter Dawson was murdered "some time between ten and eleven p.m. last night".
Dr. Welles was appointed after the Supreme Court decision.
Dr. Welles remembers some of the Specials.
Dr. Welles tells the police, "Another of the Specials was killed two weeks ago. Joseph Drake."
John Simon meets with Dr. Welles.
John Simon writes, "That night the camp teachers clamped down, and nobody was allowed to go flying for almost a month afterward."
One of the "models" says, "He was in People just last week.
Randy Fisk tells John Simon, "It was all over the news today"
Randy says, "I came up with Ravenshadow all by myself. Of course I was twelve at the time."
Randy Fisk says, "We didn't know Lee had been molested in that same camp the summer before."
Randy Fisk says, "For about two years, they went from town to town..."
Lee Jackson watches a news broadcast about Matthew Bright.
Randy Fisk tells the story of Lee Jackson.
Randy Fisk says, "He was helping her around the house for two weeks before she found out he was homeless, living in the streets."
Randy Fisk says, "Lee was apparently a model houseguest for the year he stayed there."
Randy Fisk says, "It must've been around the time he was being abused by the camp counselor."
Randy Fisk says, "The day Lee died, I noticed something..." The NexusCorp scientist tells Jason Miller, "Since the incident this evening we have noticed additional increases in all other areas of your metabolism."
Cathy Jean relates the story of Matthew Bright.
Cathy Jean says, "Nobody knew where Matthew had gone. Not for about two years."
Cathy Jean says that Dr. Welles "worked out that Jacob was conceived a few days too late".
Assumes the Specials registered for college classes after graduating from high school.
Cathy Jean says, "She disappeared a few years ago."
David Mueller appears to be in his late teens when his mother dies.
David Mueller is murdered while Cathy tells her story.
John Simon says, "I haven't slept since I called you." Therefore, this sequence takes place over a span of less than a day.
Chandra's power manifested itself fairly late in her teenage years.
The events of Issue 6 are fairly straightforward.
Jerry Montrose says he and Jason "have fought almost nonstop for, what, ten years now".
Jason Miller tells Jerry Montrose, "You never told anyone what we found in Josh's closet that night."
The headline of the July 14, 2012 issue of Mediaweek is "Ten Years After" the Surge.
Jerry Montrose was hired because "starting ten years ago, things went a little nuts."
An article refers to uncertainty about the "days and weeks after the subpoenas and warrants were issued by the Senate," indicating a span of several weeks between Issue 6 and Issue 8.
Mediaweek refers to "her first public comment on the subject in over a year".
The Mediaweek article says, "The second burning of Atlanta took place only a few months after the Surge... during the fourth game of the Braves/Dodgers World Series."
The NexusCorp add boasts, "NASDAQ's leading growth stock for six years running!" based on the June 17, 2012 Wallstreet Bulletin.
John Simon has the magazine when Randy Fisk visits him.
Randy Fisk says, "Nobody's heard from you in over a year."
Randy Fisk says, "I got it in writing. Signed, sealed, notarized."
The events of Issue 10 are fairly straightforward.
The events of Issue 11 are fairly straightforward.
The events of Issue 12 are fairly straightforward.
The events of Issue 13 are fairly straightforward.
It isn't clear whether Critical Maas infected Jason Miller before or after Lee Jackson died.