Help?

[illuminatius.livejournal.com]

 Hey y'all. First post, yay. *ahem* 

I got a question about Tony's age. I know Steve was 27 when he got frozen, and is probably 30 (not counting the decades during which he was frozen) at this point, but how old is Tony? I can't find a birthday on Wiki, and I don't know if it has been mentioned in the comics. Anyone here know/have a rough estimate? 

Comments

[kyrdwyn.livejournal.com]

I went skimming through my Winter Soldier books (I'm a research nerd, I apologize in advance).

According to them, Bucky was 16 in 1941. The explosion that dropped him and Steve in the water was 1945, Bucky was found by the Russians, revived, then stuck in stasis until 1955. According to Fury, the Winter Soldier only aged 5 years between 1955 and 1976, and then when he showed up before blowing up part of Philly in that arc, he'd aged three more years. So, it sounds like Bucky was somewhere around 28 during Winter Soldier, which would put Steve at 32, since it's mentioned in the 1941 flashback that Bucky was 4 years younger than Steve.

[illuminatius.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Now I don't have to calculate his age and get the headache associated with the Marvel timeline. So this pretty much means that there is about 5-6 years between Bucky and Tony. Perfect.

(Also, being a research nerd is awesome. Be proud)

[kyrdwyn.livejournal.com]

*owns her research nerdiness*

Actually, re-checking, the Russian's thawed Bucky out and put his arm on in 1954. Guess he didn't show up on SHIELD's radar until '55. Just in case that tidbit is vital for whatever you're writing. *eyes her own Cap/Ironman fic that is going nowhere*

[illuminatius.livejournal.com]

It might be, actually. I'll have to see as I write more. *eyes his recently started Bucky/Tony fic*

[muccamukk]

Though Steve also says in Cap um... 49 or 50 (Bucky's Birthday issue), that Steve spent his 21st birthday in Dr Erkstane's lab (in 1941).

[kyrdwyn.livejournal.com]

*checks* actually, it was Steve's 20th that he spent in the lab, according to that issue (yes, I pulled out my Road to Reborn hardback). Which puts Bucky's 20th birthday in March of 1941.

*apologizes for her nerdiness again*

[muccamukk]

You mean '45, surely?

[kyrdwyn.livejournal.com]

yes, I do mean '45. Silly fingers. *blames her writing group for distracting her*

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Steve's birthday would have been earlier -- the first issue of Captain America hit the stands in late 1940, it's just the cover date that was March 1941, and the Rebirth project took some months, so in Brubaker's version his 20th in the lab would have been 1940. Or 18th, if you go with Marvel's official timeline.

I personally go with 'Steve tried to sign up as soon as he turned 18 in 1940, got pulled into the Project, became Captain America a little before the end of 1940.' It fits both the canon timeline and fits in best with his story and desire to do justice. Since plenty of horrible stuff was happening in Europe before 1940, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a 19 year old Steve to hang around and then in mid 1940 develop a desperate passion to join the Army. Makes a lot more sense for him to have to wait to get to legal age and then immediately sign up.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

I like your nerd!maths re Bucky. :D

But re Steve... Just because he was four years older than Bucky in 1941, doesn't mean he still is now. He's 25 + however long it's been since the big defrost. And while we don't have exact figures on that, I think it's closer to ten than seven, given that he is supposed to be tied to Tony's age too...

[kyrdwyn.livejournal.com]

Oh good point. hadn't thought about that. *sigh* Silly Marvel timelines. Worse than trying to figure out the ages of the Robins over in DC.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

Bwa ha ha ha. Had that argument conversation last week. ;-p

If Bruce is 37, I can make it work. If he's 33, as Grant Morrison apparently claims, there's no damn room for five Robins!

[kyrdwyn.livejournal.com]

I haven't read enough to really be able to figure it out no matter how many Robin there are and what age Bruce is.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

In my ideal logic loving world:

Bruce 37, Dick 27, Jason 22, Tim 19, Damian 10. I'm less up on Steph.

In Batman's too valuable to ever grow old and retire land:

Bruce 33, sorry Dick I guess you're back to 23, and while we're at it we'd better kill some of your friends' kids lest they make you look old, Jason no one liked you anyway, you can spend a year instead of three with Bruce so 19, Tim 17 because everyone loves a teenager and their wacky hijinx, Damian, yeah 10'll do.

Actually DC compression is more whacked after all.

[requiem2adream.livejournal.com]

Steph is about a year older than Tim so she'll be 19/20ish.

[tavella.livejournal.com]

I'd certainly put it as at last ten -- the current span of the Marvel history is at least ten years, probably more like 15, and Cap defrosting is one of the big early markers for that. However, per current canon birthdate he was 22 when frozen, so he's 32-37, which I think feels about right.