Board Thread:Administrative/@comment-1713281-20130519071039/@comment-1713281-20130605235324

Ok. I think I've crafted a write-up that addresses the common issues of canon, and our stances on them. Read the post below, and let me know what you guys think.

**** Canon is the term used to describe what falls into the established history of the Marvel Comics Universe. Canon is a key part of the Marvel Database Project, as the MDP does no cover information it determines outside of established canon. Since canon can be somewhat hard to determine, as information can fall into a number of grey areas, this page is meant to serve as a break down into the finer points of what does and does not fall into canon.

The Basics
Firstly, all characters are inherently non-canon, and only become canon via two methods:


 * Reference material:

The ground level of the Marvel Comics Canon is determined by official Marvel Comics reference materials. This includes the various editions of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, the various Marvel Indexes, Encyclopedias, Atlases, and any other miscellaneous reference issues. Any characters, teams, realities, locations, events, items, vehicles, etc. that are covered in one of these reference issues are automatically entered into the Marvel Comics Canon.


 * Interaction:

The Marvel Comics Canon is further expanded through interaction. If a character interacts, in any capacity, with a character, team, reality, location, event, item, vehicle, etc. that has been established to exist in the Marvel Canon, that character then also falls into canon.

Now, the above is a fairly broad definition of canon, but it’s a good rule of thumb. Below we’ll delve into a little more detail on how we determine canon.

The Finer Points

 * Any issue published by a Marvel publisher is eligible for inclusion in the Marvel Canon via one of the above two methods. This includes the flagship company, Marvel Comics, its predecessors Timely and Atlas, any imprint owned by Marvel (such as Epic, Icon, or MAX), or any company absorbed (bought out) by Marvel (such as CrossGen or Malibu). Please note that the Marvel Database Project covers all issues published by a Marvel Publisher, regardless of an issue's standing in canon.


 * All media forms are eligible for inclusion in the Marvel Canon. This includes, but is not limited to, print media such as comics, novels, newspaper comic strips, and graphic novels, as well as digital media such as films, television shows, video games, and web series.


 * Unofficial depictions of Marvel Comics characters are not eligible for inclusion in the Marvel canon. Examples include Thomas Jane’s portrayal in the 2012 Punisher fan film Dirty Laundry or the depictions of Captain America and Spider-Man in the 1973 Turkish cult-favorite action film 3 Dev Adam. This rule stands for any and all unofficial depictions, regardless of what medium they come from, or what publisher is behind them.


 * Licensed characters and creator-owned characters are not a clear-cut area when it comes to canon. Like all characters, they are considered non-canon until they are established as a part of canon by one of the two main rules (though truthfully, nearly all are kept outside of canon). In addition, when dealing with licensed characters and creator-owned characters that have been established as a part of canon, only appearances in Marvel publications are covered on the site. For example, we do not detail things like Conan the Barbarian’s adventures under Dark Horse, or any of Fu Manchu’s tales prior to his appearances alongside Shang-Chi.


 * While all the above points stand, remember: the fact that something is eligible for inclusion in Canon in no way means that it will ever become a part of Canon. At the same time, just because something is ineligible for inclusion at the time of publishing, that does not exclude it from future inclusion in Marvel Canon, provided it eventually meets the above criteria.

The Fine Print
This guide is in no way meant as an official definition of canon on behalf of Marvel Comics, nor is it meant to be an authoritative guide to Marvel canon. This guide is meant only to define “canon” for the purposes of the Marvel Database Project. Also note that this page is not meant to be an absolute ruling on canon at the Marvel Database Project; this is simply a general guide that attempts to address the most common issues related to canon, as canon is best viewed on a case by case basis.