Console Doom timeline

The SNES Doom timeline (aka the Midway/Williams timeline) is the structured events of the original series of Doom games from the original 1993 release to the 1997 Doom 64, to 2020's Lost Levels based on the manual from the SNES Doom. For a more complete listing of the timeline from iD multiverse perspective see ID multiverse timeline (Doom 3 as sequel). An alternate version of the Doom timeline based on the Doom Novel's settings for the event might place Doom 1 as early as c. 2011-2012 about a decade earlier.

This timeline is notable as it only appears in the Midway/Williams based games which include SNES Doom, PSX Doom (Saturn Doom), PSX Final Doom, and Doom 64. The latter three which were designed by the same developers, using enhanced Doom engine, share the Aubrey Hodges soundtrack & sound effects, new levels*, new animated skymaps (lower parts of hell include animated orange, or green flamed areas in all three games), new enemies, new endings, and fully realized in Doom 64 with new textures, monster designs and story. This series create a self-contained trilogy of its own.


 * Doom PSX & Final Doom PSX offer modified versions of classic Doom with occasional new areas, or side rooms (the areas based on areas from Doom 1 have Doom II enemies added to them). New secret levels, new final 'boss level' and new ending for each campaign. In addition the new 'trilogy' adds new enemies such as the Nightmare Imps and Nightmare Specters.

Background
Noteably, original Doom (and the early sequels) does not have clear dates for when events take place. Only in SNES Doom (and the novels), is it implied to take place during early 21st century in a neo-1990s retro-futuristic setting, and there are only a few references to amount of time between games. Only the SNES manual gives any 'clear dates' for the events leading up to the events of the original Doom (while novels makes it less clear, and deviates from the games' plots). Otherwise there really isn't much of a timeline to actually list.

Tom Hall has indicated that the protagonist of Doom (the original Doom/Ultimate Doom which he worked on) is the descendant of the main characters from Wolfenstein and Commander Keen series. He is grandson of Commander Keen (which was part of the early concepts of the ID multiverse). Tom Hall's comments that he is the grandson of Commander Keen, this supports the theory that the timeline of the SNES manual is accurate. Since Keen grew up in the late 1980s-early 90s and likely would have had a son in the late 20th century to early 21st century (and grandson would have been born in 21st century). The Doom RPG series also took this route with the characters B.J. Blazkowicz and Stan Blazkowicz (though clearly from a later century). The novels which lie outside of the game canon (or canons) also places the general events in the early to mid 21st century, see Doom novels timeline.

Tom Hall has also noted that Doomguy might not necesarily be the grandson of Commander Keen, but some future decendent 'way later', many generations down the timeline (to avoid any specific dating of when Doom took place). This could support the 22nd century references too (Doom 3/Doom RPG series).


 * Originally, I had (if I recall correctly):
 * 1940s B.J. > 1960s Arthur (newscaster) > 1980s Billy > . > . > . way later .... > DOOM guy (although this was very patriarchal for these three.) I had it that being a hero skips every other generation.
 * ...but for the old games: Wolf3D, Spear, Keen1-3, Keen Dreams, Keen 4-6...(many generations)... DOOM 1&2.

Certain aspects about classic Doom games and their manuals are confusing and don't always seem to line up. This has opened up theories that there are events not covered in the game's or even multiple Doom Marines involved. For example Doom's original ending and Ultimate Doom's ending are different than the prologue to Doom 2 with the heroes reaching Earth by different means. Doom 2 also talks about Mars Base being invaded as well from the Outside, and the invasion stopped by the marine who lands on earth via drop ship discovering that Earth has been invaded. Some fans think this might even be the events shown in Doom 3.

Several of the later manuals and websites claim it's the same hero in all the games confusing matters further.

Note: Technically no exact date is given for Doom II, but its assumed by the fans to take place directly after Doom/Ultimate Doom at least chronologically (it technically would depend on how long it takes to get from Mars to Earth in a drop pod).

The exact order of Final Doom is not clear either, but the scenarios are listed in the order of TNT:Evilution followed by The Plutonia Experiment.

Classic Doom (Original Doom Games)
(Includes Doom SNES, Doom PSX (Saturn), Doom Jaguar, Doom 32x, Doom 3DO, Final Doom PSX and Doom 64 (The Lost Levels)... The PC versions of Ultimate Doom, Doom II (No Rest for the Living, Master Levels), and Final Doom are of less importance)


 * 2018 - The military, UAC's biggest supplier, has used the remote facilities on Phobos and Deimos to conduct various secret projects, including research on inter-dimensional space travel.
 * 2019 - The Marine assaults a superior officer, and is transferred to Mars, home of the Union Aerospace Corporation.
 * 2021 - July 1 - DOOMNL 01-D19305-1C is published.
 * 2022
 * Doom SNES/PSX/Saturn begins...
 * March 15 - Mars receives a message from Phobos base stating that the base is under attack and requesting backup.
 * A few hours later, the marines land and try to stop the invasion. The Marine is ordered to stay behind and protect the perimeter. The marine forces are wiped out or turned into monsters. Planetary authorities send the final Marine the new DOOMNL 01-D19505-1D replacing earlier manual (now including briefing for the Marine, and images from the invasion captured by remote video cameras. The video data was computer analyzed by the UAC and the results are provided "here and only here") . The Marine leaves the escape pod vowing to take down as much of the invasion force as possible before death.
 * Knee Deep In the Dead begins as the Marine arrives in the Hangar Atrium.
 * Knee Deep in the Dead ends as the Doom marine is ambushed by the forces of hell upon arriving on Deimos, and presumably dies.
 * Shores of Hell begins as the Doom Marine finds himself alive somehow, and pushes against the forces of Hell.
 * Shores of Hell ends as the Doom Marine rappels down the surface of Deimos, discovering that it is now orbiting above Hell itself.
 * Inferno begins as the Doom Marine arrives on the surface of Hell.
 * Inferno ends with the Doom Marine killing the Spider Mastermind, the general of the Phobos and Deimos invasions, and 'rewarded' with a gateway to Earth discovering Earth has been invaded and his pet Rabbit is killed.
 * Doom PSX ends
 * The Hero's victory enabled humankind to evacuate Earth and escape the nightmare. But then Earth Control pinpoints the source of the alien invasion. The marine is their only hope. He painfully gets up and returns to the fray."
 * Doom II PSX/Saturn begins
 * Doom II PSX/Saturn Ends
 * The Marine had done it; by turning the evil of the horrors of Hell in upon itself he had destroyed the power of the demons. Their dreadful invasion had been stopped cold. Now he could retire to a lifetime of frivolity (or so he thought). Congratulations were given to him.
 * The Union Aerospace Corporation is entirely reformed, as the original stockholders, trustees and management were killed in the invasion of Earth, and begin managing two projects; one in an unknown jungle, and the other on one of the moons of Jupiter.
 * 2023
 * Yearly supply ship reaches Jupiter's moon. Demons use it to invade the UAC base there.
 * TNT Evilution/PSX begins with the Doom Marine, the last surviving marine on the Jupiter moon base, once again fighting against the forces of Hell.
 * TNT Evilution ends with the Doom Marine destroying the Demon-spitter
 * The Quantum Accelerators succeed in their maiden test, however fail in their second activation leaving one Gate left open for the forces of Hell to enter.
 * The Plutonia Experiment/PSX begins as the Doom Marine fights against the forces of Hell again after arriving via pickup truck.
 * The Plutonia Experiment ends with the Doom Marine destroying the Gatekeeper, swallowing up the final demons and the accelerator.
 * Master Levels' of Final Doom PSX...
 * Final Doom PSX Ends
 * The Marine gloats over the carcass of the Guardian. With its death he wrested the accelerate from the stinking claws of Hell. He is finally done. Hell has returned to pounding dead folks instead of good live ones. He must remember to tell his grandkids to put a rocket launcher in his coffin. If he goes to Hell when he dies he will need it for some cleaning up.
 * The fatigued Doom Marine could completely retire finally, he was decommissioned, and the military DOOM Episodes were classified. The UAC's bases were sealed, and quarantined by radioactive bombardment.
 * Years Later
 * Mother Demon survived in radiation of bombarded planetary space installation. Shielded in the radiation it resurrected the demons mutates them into stronger and more vicious forms.
 * A long forgotten relay satellite barely executing, decayed by years of bombarding neutrons, activates and sends its final message to Earth. The satellites message was horrific, from the planetary void there came energy signatures unlike anything sampled before.
 * The classified archives are opened. The military episodes code named "DOOM" were not actually completed.
 * Doom 64 begins. The Doom Marine, the only experienced survivor of the DOOM episode is re-commissioned to stop, the latest invasion, he stops the Motherdemon's forces which had been building in the former battlegrounds he failed to clear.
 * Doom 64 ends. The Doom Marine decides to stay in Hell to prevent the rise of another demon lord after destroying the Motherdemon.
 * The Lost Levels begins. A new chapter in the Doomguy's saga, taking place shortly after [Doom 64's] original campaign concludes. The Mother Demon the marine defeated, had a sister, and Doomguy has been messing up Hell non-stop, she tried to get rid of him by sending him away back to a base on Earth. He makes it back to the sister in Hell and take's revenge.
 * The Lost Levels ends. The Marine had not expected to be torn from Hell so soon after his fateful decision. Getting back there was his only concern. The plans of the sister Resurrector to exterminate him had failed. A grim vision took hold of his mind as the demon carcasses steam in his wake. Stretched before him is was a path of perpetual torment... A path through DOOM...

Doom Reboot

 * 2149 (future and/or parallel universe?)
 * Doom VR
 * October
 * Doom (2016) Begins
 * 2163
 * Doom Eternal