Timeline of appearances of the Black Organization in the manga

Okay, I personally put the Conan timeline as to occurring over 1 to 1 1/2 years. We know that Shinichi was sixteen when he was poisoned and that he turned seventeen not long afterwards (in the first movie which is set before Ai turned up anyway and possibly not long after meeting Heiji), also Ran's birthday is close to Shinichi's. As there as been no mention of another birthday for either I think it's safe to assume that they are still seventeen. Also, some cases occur over 1 - 2 days and take up an entire manga volume (volume 26 for example), so I think that works out!

Volume 1: Shinichi's encounter with Gin & Vodka. They leave before his "death" so they don't know about the shrinking effect. Only appear in the 1st chapter & were conducting some blackmail business when Shinichi was spying on them.

Volume 2: Probably occurring about a month later. Sherry/Ai Haibara's sister Akemi Miyano is shot by Gin after doing her last job for the Black Org. Gin mentions that Akemi's sister is very important to the Black Org. Gin & Vodka leave before Conan and Ran reach Akemi - who dies after speaking with Conan.

Volume 4: Conan encounters Gin & Vodka on the Shinkansen to Kyoto - this is where he finds out their code names. Gin & Vodka leave the train after setting up a bomb (which Conan foils later).

Biiiiiig gap in time before Gin & Vodka's next appearance. They are highlighted in volume 12 when Conan meets Tequilla and over hears him talking to Vodka. Tequilla is later killed by a bomb. Conan learns that the man Tequila was meeting with was planning to sell a list of genius computer programmers to the Black Organization.

There is a case in volume 8 involving a computer virus that has some ties to the Black Org. This is the first time that the Org. is shown (however vaguely) to be dealing with computer programs.

Volumes 18 - 19: I guess I would time this gap as about 4 - 5 months. Ai's first appearance, she reveals her identity to Conan and explains how she managed to escape the Black Org. Note: Ai tells Conan how APTX 4869 has killed others and that a team went to his house because the death of Shinichi Kudo had not been confirmed ­ Ai changed the records to show Shinichi's death as confirmed and there were no more investigations (that she knew of). The Black Org destroyed her lab after her escape and all the files on APTX 4869 were destroyed ­ despite an attempt on Ai and Conan's part to retrieve them. Ai decides to stay with Professor Agasa and work on an antidote to APTX. Gin and Vodka appear briefly ­ trying to track down Sherry.

Volume 24: One month or 2 later... Gin & Vodka back in Tokyo. Ai spots Gin's distinctive black car, Conan puts a bug in it & they follow G & V, listening in on the plans. Gin spots the bug and a strand of Ai's hair, he figures it is Sherry and only Sherry following. Conan and Ai go to the memorial of a famous filmmaker to try and stop G & V, they also suspect that the operative at the memorial (Pisco) may have the Apotoxin. Ai is caught by Pisco who knew her as a child and nearly killed by Gin, she manages to escape with Conan's help. Pisco is killed by Gin for failing to be discreet in his assassination. At the end, one of the attendees at the memorial, US movie star Chris Vineyard, is revealed to be another Black Org. member, codename: Vermouth. Hints that Vermouth is very high up in the Black Org. She states her intention to stay on in Japan.

Volume 27: Maybe another month later? First appearance of "Jodie Sensei" but she's been around since volume 26, just not seen, as she saw Shinichi when he returned briefly. Calls Shinichi "Cool Guy" (and Conan "Cool Kid") and knows Conan's identity. Calls an unknown person and says she's found one for the targets, whom she doesn't name, but calls 'Rotten Apple'.

Volume 29: Bus Jack episode.

Starts with Vermouth meeting Gin & Vodka at the bar/club. It is quite clear that Vermouth has not told anyone else regarding her suspicions about Conan/Shinichi. Gin says that she likes to keep secret to which Vermouth replies: "A secret makes a woman, woman." There are hints of a relationship between Vermouth & Gin'. On the bus, Ai tells Conan that she can 'sense' a Black Org. member and the reason that she didn't sense Pisco (volume 24) was because there was another, more evil, presence there. Ai then freezes and begs Conan to change places with her. He does and then Jodie sensei comes on board with Dr Araide ­ this is Jodie's first meeting with the Detective Boys.

During the bus jack, Jodie aids Conan and also endeavours to find out who Ai is (Ai's face is concealed). It is suggested that Vermouth and Jodie are the same person, and when the bus jackers are foiled, one asks Jodie who the hell she is and she leans over saying: "It's a big secret, I'm sorry, I can't tell you. A secret makes a woman, woman." Shuichi Akai makes his first appearance in this case. Initially he seems to be just a passenger, but at the end he speaks into a concealed communicator: "Due to unforseen circumstances, the target failed to show."

Volume 32: Not too long afterwards, Conan meets the mysterious Mr James Black, a suspicious man who thinks of Conan as "Cool Guy" at one point. Akai appears for the second time, following James' kidnappers. Later he and James are in the car talking. Akai mentions an 'old girlfriend' whom he intends to make cry 'tears of blood'. Many fans believe that he is talking about Sherry, but that has so far not been confirmed.

Volumes 33: During the story about Officer Satou's match-up, Ran passes Akai and vaguely recalls seeing him before. This bothers her so much that in later cases she is distracted thinking about him. During a case involving a missing watch and a murder, Officer Takagi tells Conan that Kogorou's casefiles were stolen and then returned. At the end of the case, Shuichi is shown standing in an alleyway, looking up at the Mouri Detective Agency. Later, Jodie is involved with another case with Conan, Ran and Sonoko. She asks the girls if they have seen a stalker around and tell them that if they do they should tell her immediately.

Volume 34: At the end of the case started in volume 33, Jodie watches Conan leave and thinks: "Is it time to pick the apple?" Later, Vermouth writes to Gin via email: "Can you please tell me Gin? Do you believe in heaven?" She throws a dart at a board and it impacts on a photo of Sherry which has a black cross drawn over it. There are also photos of Ran and Conan on the board. Conan's is titled 'Cool Guy' and Ran's is titled 'Angel'.

Conan tells Agasa about Kogorou's stolen casefiles and they agree that there is a strong possibility that the Black Org. is behind it. Heiji shows up and suggests that this is a ploy to draw out Shinichi Kudo. Conan mentions his suspicions concerning Chris Vineyard harking back to the case in volume 24 and Heiji guesses that Conan is suspicious of a foreign woman nearby ­ which is Jodie Saintemillion. Conan and Heiji investigate Jodie, but a murder interrupts them. During the investigation, Jodie takes photos of Conan and Heiji at work. At the end of the case Heiji points out that Jodie is disguising her Japanese proficiency and refuses to tell her his name. However, she is well aware of his identity as revelled when she is alone and moves her bathroom mirror to look at the photos she has behind it ­ which includes one of Heiji.

In the next case, Conan asks Agasa what he has found out about Chris Vineyard. Agasa tells him that Chris was very reclusive until her mother's death and when harassed by reporters at Sharon's funeral, she said: "A secret makes a woman, woman."

Volume 35: Ran's flashback to Shinichi's New York case. They meet Sharon Vineyard, Chris's mother, who mentions that her daughter is proficient in disguise (like Sharon herself) and that Chris has fallen in with a bad crowd. Later, Ran bumps in Akai in a dark street, apparently he is part of an FBI team tracking down a serial killer ­ who is later killed (although authorities believe it is suicide).

Mitsuhiko's disappearance ­ Ai recognises the escaped criminal, [check name], and tells Conan that [name] was a lackey of the Organisation and later used as a human 'experiment' by the scientists.

Volume 37: A month later? Conan concludes that the Black Org's major source of income is assassination, but they deal with developing new poisons/drugs and are gathering together talented computer programmers for some unknown purpose. During a case, Conan finds a computer disk belonging to a murdered computer programmer that has diary entries relating to the Black Org. On the way back home, Conan and Ran run into Akai who observes that Ran is crying again ­ referring to the time he met her in NY ­ he says that he once knew a woman who put on a calm face but cried inside. Conan asks Ran where she met Akai and she tells him about NY and that Akai was with the FBI ­ Conan finds this unbelievable.

Conan and Agasa read the disk and discover that the programmer was forced to work for the organisation ­ Tequila was his first contact and later he spoke to a woman on the phone - I think it's Vermouth. When the programmer asked the woman about the purpose of the program he was developing she says: "We can be both of God and the devil since we're trying to raise the dead against the stream of time" - er... right...

Gin & Vodka make their first appearance in a loooong time at the end of 37 & the beginning of volume 38 - Conan tries to trick them into a trap & winds up nearly getting caught... Gin is smarter than Vodka! Ai finds Conan and as they walk back, Akai passes them. He stares back at Ai with a disbelieving expression.

Volume 39: During a camping trip, Agasa tells Conan that he once met Ai's parents.

Volumes 41 & 42:Akai pops up again, bugs Agasa's phone and listens in on Agasa and Conan's conversations... where Agasa calls Conan 'Shinichi'! And Vermouth makes the connection between Sherry and Ai... her comment: "I see you... ready or not, here I come."

Movie 5: Countdown to Heaven ­ Gin and Vodka are dealing with a computer programmer and continuing to try and track down Sherry. They get close using a phone tap to track Ai's calls to her dead sister's answering machine, but ultimately fail to discover Ai's new identity and location.

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