When Does the Comic-Book "The Time Machine" (1960) Take Place?
"Four Color" #1085 - "The Time Machine" is a science fiction comic-book written by anonymous [adapting "The Time Machine" (1895) by H.G. Wells and "The Time Machine" (1960) by David Duncan] that released June 9th, 1960. So when is "The Time Machine" set?
It takes place in the year:
We know this because when George Wells, the Time Traveler, finally settles in for his classic plot his famous time machine's dials read "NOV" and "802701" and he narrates to his friends and to us that "...thousands of centuries had passed...I was in the year 802,701!" So it is November of 802701 AD.
802701 AD
We know this because when George Wells, the Time Traveler, finally settles in for his classic plot his famous time machine's dials read "NOV" and "802701" and he narrates to his friends and to us that "...thousands of centuries had passed...I was in the year 802,701!" So it is November of 802701 AD.
Additionally, there are opening and closing scenes that form a frame narrative taking place in the Time Traveler's home time early George says, "You're right, David! That's exactly what I have...all the time in the world...ever since we were all together five days ago, the last day of eighteen hundred ninety-nine!" So it is January of 1900 AD at the start.
12.1899 + 5 days = 1.1900.
Furthermore, the first omniscient textbox tells us, "The year is 1900. The place is London, England"...
Finally, an extended flashback begins in the frame narrative that make the second part of the prologue and it includes George saying, "Because we're in this room on December 31st, 1899, while the model is perhaps a hundred years away!" Once he sees his friends off for their New Years' Eve celebrations, he steps into his Time Machine and as he begins to travel forward in time, its dials read: "31" "DEC" and "1899". So it is absolutely December of 1899 AD in the second part of the prologue when the Time Traveler begins his trip through time.
Also, the Time Traveler stops off in three time periods at the beginning of his journey. His narration textbox specifically says, "I pressed the lever forward" and then, a few panels later. "In the year 1917, I stopped..." and the time machine's main dial does indeed say "1917". On the next page, he even says, "No one had cared for my house for seventeen years..." and he left from December 31st, 1899 AD. So it is clearly 1917 AD.
Then, after his second jump George narrates, "Then, in 1940, I began to be buffeted from side to side." and then afterward, "There must have been an interval of peace between this war and the one of 1914." So for just a few panels we are in 1940 AD.
Finally, he finds himself in a futuristic world: "It was 1966 and another, more horrible war was in progress..." so we can only presume his instruments direct him properly and we are in 1966 AD.
