Only Time Will Tell

by Al Feldstein et al.

Release: May/June 1950
Format: Comic Book
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: YA and Up
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

Start by reading Heinlein’s “By His Bootstraps” (1941), and then read this one. You’ll enjoy both and stretch your mind around the first ex nihilo idea that we’ve spotted in comic books. Note that the half blueprint itself does have an origin, and you can trace it’s timeline from that origin to the past and back again. It’s only the concept expressed in the blueprint that has no origin.

— Michael Main

—are the same piece!

DEBUT

“Only Time Will Tell,” Weird Fantasy #13 (EC Comics, May/June 1950).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TRANSLATIONS

Translations to German

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 1950 to 1959: The story’s start and the first ten years of Dorner’s work.
Circa AD 1960 to 1969: A calendar on page 4 suggests that the elder Dorner comes from 1969.

Timeline Models

Single Static Timeline

Time Travel Methods

Time Portal: Dorner’s machine opens a portal.

Themes

Ex Nihilo Obects and People: But who originallydrew the half that I stole, copied and later put in the drawer?
Self-Visitation

Groupings

EC Comics (franchise): Weird Fantasy #13, May/June 1950

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

From Dorner’s lab, 1969 ⋙ to the same lab, 1950. Note: The older Dorner travels back. The 1969 date is from a calendar shown on the top of page 4. The same panel shows 1958 as being eight years after the start of the story, hence the 1950 date.
From Dorner’s lab, 1950 ⋙ to the same lab, 1969. Note: Both Dorners return.
From Dorner’s lab, 1969 ⋙ to the same lab, 1950. Note: The younger Dorner returns with half the blueprint.

Weird Fantasy #13 (1950)

Only Time Will Tell

by Al Feldstein et al.

DEBUT