Clock of the Ages

History

Overview

The Clock of the Ages was a mystical device created by Merlin. It allows the user to travel to any point in time and return home.^[1]

Events

Tommy Tyme was a Brooklyn youth who frequently skipped school to have fun. In 1943 he was skipping class to go fishing and pulled a magic lamp out of the water. Releasing the genie inside, he wished for something to help alleviate his boredom at school and so the genie gifted the boy with the "Clock of the Ages", a device that would allow Tommy to travel through time. Tommy was soon caught by a truancy officer and was dragged to school. Quizzed by his teacher about the history of Robin Hood, Tommy used the Clock of the Ages to travel to Sherwood Forest during the age of Robin Hood. There he assisted Robin Hood and his merry men develop slingshots to defend themselves from King Richard's men, and suggested that they wear green clothing to camouflage themselves better in the woods. Tommy also assisted Robin in winning an archery contest before being returned to the exact moment he left in 1943 and was able to answer his teacher's questions.^[2] Tommy then frequently began using the Clock of the Ages to help with his school work. Using it meet such historical figures as Benjamin Franklin, inspiring him to invent the clothes washer. During this visit in time, Tommy also assisted the American revolutionary army in fighting off the British,^[3] clashed with Attila the Hun,^[4] and fought Horatius.^[5]

One day Tommy went to a magic show and was unimpressed with the feats there, not believing in magic -- apparently completely ignorant to the magical origins of his own Clock of the Ages. The magician was secretly Merlyn of Otherworld.^[6] Seeking to teach Tommy a lesson about magic, the wizard tripped the boy, activating his Clock of the Ages and sending him back in time to England in the 6th century. There Tommy assisted Merlin in rescuing the captured King Arthur from the evil Black Knight. When Tommy returned to his own time he had learned a greater appreciation and belief in magic.^[7]

Once more stumped in class by his history teacher, Tommy next traveled back in time to ancient Egypt to learn how the pyramids were built and clashed with Phao before returning to the present.^[8][9] After an adventure wherein he met Aladdin and his genie,^[10] Tommy traveled back in time to ancient Rome to witness the gladiatorial battles and ends up being forced into the arena itself and fight animals before Nero.^[11][12] Tommy once more clashed with Attila the Hun, when he traveled back in time to 451 AD and assisted Aetius in fighting off the Hun and his forces in order to find the answer to yet another question posed to him in class.^[13]

Soon after this, Tommy's class got a new history teacher, to whom Tommy was instantly smitten by. In order to impress her during class, Tommy traveled back in time to learn how Genghis Khan failed to conquer China. While in that time, Tommy helped prevent Khan from obtaining the Crown of Confucius, which would have granted Khan full rule over China.^[14] Given an assignment about sports from other ages, Tommy once more traveled back in time to ancient Rome and again finds himself forced into the gladiator arena. Through a stroke of luck, Tommy managed to beat their best champion and convinced the emperor to change their bloody games in favor of fair play when Tommy spares the warrior from death.^[15][16] Next, Tommy traveled back in time and witnessed Hercules battle Antaeus and with his knowledge of the future, tipped Hercules off to Antaeus' connection to the Earth.^[17][18]

When in his own time, Tommy was not one to avoid trouble. One day while getting into a scrap with some of his fellow classmates he overheard the complaints of an old man who claimed that children of his generation were much more well behaved. Tommy decided to see if there was any truth in this statement and traveled back in time to the year 1860 and found that the children of that era were just the same as his own. Overhearing yet another old man make the same claim as the old man from 1946, Tommy then traveled back further to the year 1790. There he got into the middle of an argument between a brother and sister over well water. When Tommy tried to break up the fight, the girl punched him in the eye. Tommy then returned to his era, telling the old man that what he learned and joined back in the scrap that he had left.^[19]

Tommy later traveled back in time to witness the War of 1812^[20][21] and made another trip back to ancient Rome, clashing with Galerius.^[22]

See Also

• 15 Appearances of Clock of the Ages
• Minor Appearances of Clock of the Ages
• Media Clock of the Ages was Mentioned in
• 6 Images featuring Clock of the Ages
• Item Gallery: Clock of the Ages

Links and References

Footnotes