
Rip Hunter, a studier of Temporal Mechanics[1]
Temporal Mechanics is the study of Time travel. Rip Hunter is an expert in this field of science.
DC temporal mechanics are confusing and in some cases seemingly contradictory but they can be boiled down to three basic concepts:
Fixed Time: The past cannot be changed. Events will conspire to prevent any changes to history.[2] In some cases a time traveler is forced to be part of the very event they were to observe and make sure it happens as recorded.[3] In others a person will become a phantom unable to interact with events.
Plastic time: history can be changed, but there can be consequences for doing so.[4]
Parallel Universes: time travel to your actual past is impossible, and all time travel does is either shift you into a parallel universe[5] or into an alternate timeline. In some cases travel to "the" future or past was actually travel to an parallel Earth with a similar but also different history.[6]
Hypertime can be viewed as a strange mixture of plastic time and parallel Universes.
References[]
- ↑ As seen in the DC Heroes role playing game.
- ↑ Superboy Vol 1 85
- ↑ DC Comics Presents Annual Vol 1 2
- ↑ Superman Vol 1 146
- ↑ Superman Vol 1 146
- ↑ Action Comics Vol 1 399