#team fortress lore

[purseownervolatile]

Ok so the TF2 comics are finally done and it was a beautiful end and I loved it but there are some things that don't really make sense, possibly because it's an old ass series and the writers didn't know literally everything that had been written before, so now I'm yapping about that stuff on my tumbler dot com. Come join me if you like!

Part 1: The Family Photo

In 2009's Haunted Hallowe'en Special update page (now retroactively known as Scream Fortress I) clicking on Zepheniah Mann's tombstone would bring up his will. Clicking on the name of Barnabus Hale would then lead to this family portrait:

In 2010, on the Scream Fortress update page, clicking on Silas Mann's Grave led to a larger version of this family portrait

As an aside, it's worth noting that the original portrait appears to be a complete photo, given the white borders all around it, while the second one looks like it was torn in the middle for whatever reason. If you don't remember Silas Mann, I don't blame you. I myself literally found out about him today. His claim to fame is somehow being transformed into the Horseless Headless Horsemann but that's beside the point. The important thing is that, until recently, he was presumed to be Zepheniah's brother and confirmed to be a co-owner of Mann Co. in the first day of The Engineer update (which was actually the first time he was named).

Yet Zepheniah has this to say about himself in Comic #7:

So then who is Silas Mann? Someone Zepheniah did not see the need to eliminate despite having stake in the company. I thought he may be a cousin but this also seems unlikely as Ezekiel Mann lost his 3 sisters to a house fire before becoming a millionaire, which he did at the ripe old age of 17.

So then the particulars of Silas Mann remain contradictory, which is going to be a bit of a theme with this post. Perhaps he expressed disinterest in the company early on in his life? But he was still holding stake in the company for a good long while and even out lived Zepheniah. Alas, a mystery never to be solved.

Part 2: The Mann in the middle

Back to Halloween 2009, when we got to see Zepheniah Mann's Will, there was one paragraph at the bottom conveniently covered in sand. Much later, in 2012's the Mann vs Machine teasers, we finally got to see the obscured text through a mysterious (second) bloodstain that appeared on the main page.

So it is possible that this person could be Gray Mann and I think that's what most people had assumed up to this point but the 7th comic implies that the first time Gray actually appears to anyone related to the Manns is when he shows up at the manor to talk to "Elizabeth" about the Miracle Gravel. Australium.

So now this seems just as improbable. I'm assuming the writers were also aware of this as they conveniently placed soldier's fat thumb over it

But notice how low his thumb is in the image. In the previous versions of the family portrait, the obscured Mann seems to be almost as tall as Redmond, if not taller, yet here Soldier's thumb ends right above his elbow, which sort of implies to me there isn't anyone under there at all (or maybe a really short guy, who knows).

Aaaaand that's it for now! Are these retcons? Small misses by the exhausted writers? Who knows! No one cares! But I care that you read my little wall of text! Thank you and have a great rest of your day!

[renposter]

excerpts from the TF2 wiki

[oblique-lane]

Another take on the TF2 Clone Theory:

Continuation to this.

When I was talking to people about the clone theory, they were always asking me about who were originals and who were clones. I didn't understand why that matters; they're all same people with the same memories of their pre-service past, right?

What I didn't understand is that people had entirely different take on how clones are made than I do. I've never even thought about the fetus tubes until someone specifically pointed out that scene in Emesis Blue... (I also didn't know cloning was a real life thing?? Not just sci-fi trope??)

So yeah I've always thought cloning was instant because it would also explain how respawn works. Classic "resurrection" either isn't the thing (lame) or just takes too much time to commit. However, the super cool very scientific respawn machine will use your remains + storage bio supply to quickly rebuild a new body (as it was at the assigning day) and put your consciousness into that body so you feel like you're living nonstop.

(at least that's the theory)

Also, to answer these questions:

They do remember their connections, their past and their memories. Memories of the past are the same.

Their families were not cloned, they aren't involved in this business in any way. They don't know.

However, to keep this secret from the mercs... Of course if both of the clones will speak to their families they will soon spot some weird things and inconsistencies (talking about things that seemed to never happen). Not even talking about visiting family on holidays, that's an obvious no-no.

So... First of all, a big deal is to make REDs and BLUs lives and experiences here as similar (ideally identical) as possible.

And second: I think their connection to the world is just very limited/prohibited. The telephone connection is entirely controlled by the Administration (Sniper has to drive far away to sneak talk to his parents). Letters are monitored, censored and withhold if necessary (or copied if they are FROM the family). No going home until the contract is due (many years??) etc...

Which contradicts comics in s lot of ways but you know what? I don't even care. Comics are an unreliable narrator anyways. I mean uh... I uh. I'll talk about it some other time.

[the-mercurial-star-o-vesper]

TF2 COMIC THEORY (and Spoilers)

What, did Zephaniah Mann do?

Look, if there's one thing I know about Valve Lore, is that its really hidden, really coded, and TF2 has been fucking TEASING for decades now.

And as far as I'm concerned...

We know who the mystery man in the rip is... That's Gray Mann, the missing brother. Gods knows he's been teased enough over the years.

But here, I'm interested in...

[ Spoilers below ]

... Where the stinger occurs.

Zephy is not an only child.

Because his brother is Silas Mann, the Headless Horseless Mann. Owner of a mansion, haunting that very mansion. Shown in the first picture posted. They ran "Zephaniah Mann and Sons, Quarterly Munitions" Together.

Its a tradition for Mann sons to kill the other siblings. Its why there was such a rivalry between the Mann twins (erm, Triplets).

Our Admin apparently knew already, was already observing the situation...

She was waiting.

What, did Zephaniah Mann do?

Why does the administrator hate him so much?

Does it have something to do with a little girl...

... Who can't remember how her parents died.

The man in the picture wears a Towering Pillar of Hats. While that's just the TF2 Timeline Aesthetic... there is another significant element.

Its in Coal Town, surrounded by Hales. While its the "Booths" hat, it was around, clearly, before Bilious was a baby--in Barnabas Time.

Zephaniah and Sons would become Mann Co, after being given to Barnabas.

What, did Zephaniah Mann do?

Easy.

He murdered the Administrator's father, Silas Mann, and her mother, out of "Tradition", and then claimed that HE was an ONLY CHILD like the selfish self-centered bastard he is.

And Our Administrator ensured, even through vengeance that lasted centuries, to a point where she didn't even remember why she started, that it would Never Continue.

Vengeance of a little girl who lost her parents.

Arguably, in comic lore, the torn picture isn't exactly accurate anymore.

Because that Gray Mann in the center, and our Mann Twins didn't even know there was a Gray Mann, and in fact, most of the people in the picture didn't even know about him. And if they took a picture, then clearly, someone would've known.

So its more than likely, a portrait or lore symbollic only. Only meant for the fans, to know what we're looking for and Who, about the time of the first Halloween Events.

( Look it took decades to get all the comics, mate, its not gonna be a craft masterpiece. We get what we get. )

[pastel-medic]

In another universe, the fight is a bit different.

Reblogs are appreciated!!! 🍰💖

Credits to my twin @hoshi-tsubasa for helping with the class swapping! Gonna make a blurb list on some things about the AU ;P (also I'm developing this as I go so new stuff might be added later!)

Gray Mann's daughter Olivia took over his position as chief executive officer of Gray Gravel Company, and conducted the army of robots to take over Mann Co.

Miss Pauling is the Administrator instead of Helen. She was the one who recruited the mercenaries for the fight against Olivia Mann's army

Mortician's father-son relationship with Kickboxer is a positive one.

Timebomb makes all of his explosives himself and rigs them to have timed detonations or manual ones

Alistair is the only one who knows his real name. Whenever someone asks for his name he provides a different one every time

Alessio is from a former mafia but escaped and took refuge with Miss Pauling

The stitches on Warhorse's face were done by Mortician after an incident on the field that almost left him dead

Welder helped install the sniper eye into Headbuster's eyesocket. It acts as a scope so he doesn't need to use the ones on sniper rifles

Wildfire was a former firefighter who combatted wild forest fires with new fires (a method called backburning)

Will do more doodles of this AU and they'll be on my AF as well! 🍰💖

[quazies]

A pre-head removal discussion.

[anonomi]

Compilation of merc handwriting I could find across the update logs. So far could find Spy, Sniper, Engineer (I believe that's his handwriting), and Soldier (either he got Spy to write it for him or he is actually really good at calligraphy). I could also add Saxton Hale but his handwriting is literally everywhere lol

Correction: It's actually Miss Pauling, not Soldier. Misread "It's" as "Hi" I still believe in Soldier's secret talent however

[cherrybeez]

god's favorite

[mail-me-a-snail]

Hey if requests are still open,,, blu demo?

my first time drawing demo n i had so so much fun.... i don't think he rlly gives a hoot about his missing eye and he'll go around blu base without his eyepatch often. i entertained the idea of him going for a glass eye but yeahh blu demo doesnt really......care about much, so to say. that's the #depression that comes with being a clone

[jevilowo]

I love dates in the tf2 lore. I love knowing exactly when stuff happened. Which makes THIS THING I JUST FOUND a BEAUTIFUL MIRACLE

You've seen this image before, but have you noticed the dates on the prison card thingies? Presumably this is written the American Way (the writers are so american they make Scout and Sniper both call their mothers "mom" despite preferring "ma" and "mum" respectively, as shown previously SEVERal times), so Spy and Scout were arrested on

The 7th of September, 1972.

We can do a lot with this information.

Mann Co was taken over by Grey and Olivia half a month before this: roughly the 23rd of August

Contrary to popular belief, most of the comics have to take place in 1973! Seeing as 6 months after late August is late February.

This also means Scout had to have been born in 1946/7. Not sure about Sniper, I have yet to overanalyse the New Zealand timeline paragraph. I'll get to it eventually.

Medic implies in comic 6 that our mercs have worked together for "at least eight years", while talking about the lore breaking Demo eyeball halloween thing. Assuming the "at least" confusion is over the 1972 Halloween they missed while not working together, the Teufort Nine were hired in 1964.

(I've almost mentally rationalised the lore breaking eyeball as a thing they do at like 4am after regular Scream Fortress shenanigans. Almost.)

Scout claims he has known Ms Pauling for six years. During the War! update, Demoman is unfamiliar with Ms Pauling (he knows she works for the administrator, but thats it), so we can assume that is the point she started working more closely with the mercs, and also 1966/7

I really need to go back to actively working on my timeline instead of passively wondering at 11pm "hey what time of year is it in the comics" and going down a rabbit hole.

Uh if you want to build off this, feel free to, but tell society twas I, the great and nobel Jevil_Owo, who first conceptualised all this.

UPDATE! This post seems to be picking up reblog steam again, so now is a good time to say I was WRONG about the mercs being hired around 1964.

This blog post from 2009 claims the WAR update took place in 1962, meaning the mercs have to have been hired in early 1962 at the latest.

Seeing as Scout would have been 15/16 in 1962, and as that's kind of the youngest one can be hired for just about anything, I'd assume it actually is 1962 they were hired. Ok thats enough I just felt it was my duty as Person Timelining to update people on this Discovery.

SECOND UPDATE!!

Okay this is lowkey blowing up again and I just wanted to add that Valve themselves are not aware of the comics taking place in 1973. Idiots! This is why "7 years later" is 1979 instead of 1980 like it should be. Sigh.

I had already figured that out from a few other things (see the timeline in my pinned post, I point it out a couple of times), but this solidified it lmao.

[intrepid-interloper]

So me and my brother were discussing the new TF2 comic and...

It seems they have made a change in comic 6:

Old:

New:

[renposter]

Team Fortress Classic mercs from the TF wiki,

[aprofessionalwithoutstandards]

Okay a couple people have been doing this and it seems like a lot of fun soooo... spin this big wheel of tf2 lore characters and then vote:

Bonus points if you tell me who you got

[cupofsharks]

Every few months I fall into a rabbit hole of watching mainly hollow knight videos on youtube even if I am currently hyperfixated on other things. That said, bug heavymedic.

[pastel-medic]

The father-son dynamic that Mortician and Kickboxer have gives me life 😩💖

[quazies]

Not ideal, but much better than living in the back of a refrigerator...

I like the dynamic between these two, Spy stuck in this horrible situation, only to be shown kindness by the person who leaves 3rd degree burns on his backside. He’s forced to put his snobbiness aside for a bit. In return he gets ciggarettes and candy, good bargain when you’ve been in a fridge for a year or so!

(How will Spy Head get back home? His team needs some sort of bargaining chip...🐥)