Time variance authority

[jugernaut]

What is the T.v.a? Is it a joke or? What is its place in the MU? Is it above the the one above all, or is it something that the living tribunal has ordered?

[Expletive Deleted]

Here is pretty much everything on the subject.

The TVA's origin is currently unknown.

[jugernaut]

Thanks Expletive Deleted! I see I have much to learn.
Is it known who TVA answer to? Who pays the check?

I think the "human office environment" is a bit stupid though. Maybe it is like Galactus, that he is perceived in different ways by different races?

[kelvingreen]

Apparently, Walt Simonson based the concept on the Time Lords from Doctor Who, albeit a more bureaucratic version.

Death's Head worked for them for a while, circa Fantastic Four #338.

The TVA were eliminated by Kang. I'm not sure when or where this happened, but you saw it in flashback in Avengers Forever #9. Apparently they've got better, as they've appeared more recently, although I suppose these could be appearances from before Kang killed them. Anything's possible with time travel!

Originally Posted by jugernaut

Is it known who TVA answer to? Who pays the check?

The origins and leader of the TVA have not been revealed. All we've seen of them so far is their "office" and their field agents.

Originally Posted by jugernaut

I think the "human office environment" is a bit stupid though. Maybe it is like Galactus, that he is perceived in different ways by different races?

I quite like it myself, as it's a fun joke based around the ultimate in complex bureaucracies. But it's certainly possible that the TVA only appears as such to human eyes because that's how humans would understand the idea.

[Brian Cronin]

I really liked the TVA.

They made for some REALLY cool issues by Simonson.

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa just used them in Marvel Knights 4.

Very nicely, I thought.

-Brian

[Walter Simonson]

Originally Posted by kelvingreen

Apparently, Walt Simonson based the concept on the Time Lords from Doctor Who, albeit a more bureaucratic version.

Actually, the TVA had nothing to do with Doctor Who. Where do these ideas come from? Just curious. Did you read this somewhere? I've never seen any Doctor Who programs although I drew a few Doctor Who illustrations a zillion years ago for Marvel.

The TVA (Time Variance Authority) was a satire of bureaucracy in general and of Marvel at that particular time and place as the company was moving towards a more corporate model. (The initials of the TVA were taken from the Tennessee Valley Authority, one of the New Deal developments during the depression.) The point of the TVA is that it was an infinite organization and still expanding (a new desk and monitor for each new universe born out of every possible time bifurcation). The office environment was the perfect visual symbol for a bureaucracy as were all the faceless monitors. The one character with a face was middle management and his was the only face you ever saw.

Which is another way of saying that there was no upper management visible. It's possible one didn't exist. Or if it did exist, it was irrelevant to the operations of the TVA.

The purpose of the TVA was deliberately vague. Whether or not the TVA had anything to do with the actual management of time remains a mystery. It's possible it existed to serve itself and had no real function regarding the regulation of time.

Its HQ had a great clock on the front of the facade and the hands of the clock denoted a non-real time.

Best/Walter

[Brian Cronin]

See, you should be proud.

The amount of urban legends surrounding you are growing. :)

-Brian

[mattbib]

I'm rarely in awe, but Walt just posted here. :)

[jugernaut]

Originally Posted by Walter Simonson

The TVA (Time Variance Authority) was a satire of bureaucracy in general and of Marvel at that particular time and place as the company was moving towards a more corporate model. (The initials of the TVA were taken from the Tennessee Valley Authority, one of the New Deal developments during the depression.) The point of the TVA is that it was an infinite organization and still expanding (a new desk and monitor for each new universe born out of every possible time bifurcation). The office environment was the perfect visual symbol for a bureaucracy as were all the faceless monitors. The one character with a face was middle management and his was the only face you ever saw.

Which is another way of saying that there was no upper management visible. It's possible one didn't exist. Or if it did exist, it was irrelevant to the operations of the TVA.

That's bureaucracy alright. I like the idea behind TVA, humorous but with a serious undertone. Thank you for the answer

[kelvingreen]

Originally Posted by Walter Simonson

Actually, the TVA had nothing to do with Doctor Who. Where do these ideas come from? Just curious. Did you read this somewhere? I've never seen any Doctor Who programs although I drew a few Doctor Who illustrations a zillion years ago for Marvel.

Blimey, Walt Simonson himself, and after I've just devoured his entire Thor run too!

Yes, I did read that somewhere quite recently, although I can't for the life of me remember where. If I run across the reference again, I'll let the webmasters know that it's wrong! ;)

Although it seems that someone after you did forge a link between the Doctor and the TVA in Justin Alphonse Gamble, a very Doctorish character.

[StoneGold]

I just like the idea of Crisis on Inifinite Mark Gruenwalds.