The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Valentine wants the Mortal Cup because it's one of the three Mortal Instruments, powerful artifacts created by the Angel Raziel. With the Cup, Valentine could create an army of Shadowhunter/Demon hybrids by mixing demon blood with human or Shadowhunter blood. His goal is to wipe out all Downworlders (vampires, werewolves, warlocks, faeries) and create a world ruled exclusively by Shadowhunters.

Foreshadowing: Earlier references to Valentine's extremist views about purifying the Shadowhunter race hint at his radical agenda.

• valentine
• mortal cup
• shadowhunters
• demon army
• downworlders

Jocelyn erased Clary's memories to protect her from Valentine, who had been searching for her daughter. Knowing that Valentine was Clary's father and would use her powers for his dark purposes, Jocelyn used a spell from Magnus Bane to remove all knowledge of the Shadowhunter world from Clary's mind. This was meant to keep Clary safe and allow her to live a normal life away from the dangerous supernatural conflict.

Foreshadowing: Clary's strange drawings of symbols she couldn't explain suggest buried memories surfacing unconsciously.

• jocelyn
• memory erasure
• magnus bane
• clary memories
• protection

Simon is captured by vampires in the vampire lair during the rescue mission. While imprisoned, he is turned into a vampire, which explains why he later emerges with two puncture marks on his shoulder. This transformation also explains his new ability to see clearly without his glasses, a side effect of his enhanced vampire senses.

Foreshadowing: During the rescue, the vampires specifically target Simon for capture, indicating they plan to turn him.

• simon
• vampire
• transformation
• puncture marks
• rescue mission

Clary discovers the truth about Valentine through a combination of revelations. After Luke (who is revealed to be her mother's old friend) tells her about her older brother's tragic death, Clary pieces together the connection. She learns that Valentine and Jocelyn were once married, making him Clary's biological father. This shocking revelation completely changes Clary's understanding of her identity and family history.

Foreshadowing: Valentine's intense interest in finding Clary specifically, beyond just the Mortal Cup, hints at a personal connection.

• valentine
• father
• clary
• family secret
• luke reveal

After learning Valentine is her father and understanding her own powers, Clary devises a clever plan. She uses her newly awakened Shadowhunter abilities to create a portal, then tricks Valentine into approaching her. When he does, she activates the portal and sends him through it, effectively defeating him. This moment showcases Clary's growth from a confused teenager to a capable Shadowhunter who can outmaneuver a powerful enemy.

Foreshadowing: Clary's training at the Institute and her discovery of her rune-writing abilities prepare her for this confrontation.

• clary
• valentine
• portal
• defeat
• trick

Shadowhunters are half-human, half-angel warriors created when the Angel Raziel mixed his blood with that of human Jonathan Morgenstern. They possess angelic blood that gives them enhanced abilities, including the power to use magical runes called Iratess. Unlike demons, who are purely evil creatures from other dimensions, Shadowhunters have free will and choose to protect humanity. They can temporarily inscribe runes on their skin to gain supernatural powers, while demons are fundamentally different beings that possess humans and feed on darkness.

Foreshadowing: Jace explaining the Shadowhunter legacy to Clary establishes the foundational rules of this world.

• shadowhunters
• angels
• demons
• raziel
• runes
• iratess

Jocelyn becomes comatose during the confrontation with Pangborn and Blackwell when they invade the Fray household. To protect Clary from them and prevent them from finding the Mortal Cup, Jocelyn uses a spell that forces her own body into a protective coma. This magic was a last-resort defense mechanism, her consciousness remains hidden from the intruders, but she cannot wake up. The spell keeps her alive but in a deep unconscious state throughout most of the movie.

Foreshadowing: Jocelyn's increasing anxiety earlier in the film foreshadows her desperate protective measures.

• jocelyn
• coma
• protection spell
• pangborn
• blackwell

The Mortal Cup was hidden in plain sight within one of Madame Dorothea's tarot cards, a Conjur card that Jocelyn had specially created. After Clary discovers this hidden card and retrieves it, she realizes her mother had entrusted the most powerful artifact in the Shadowhunter world to a mundane fortune teller for safekeeping. The Cup was disguised as part of a tarot reading, making it nearly impossible for Valentine's agents to find.

Foreshadowing: Madame Dorothea's tarot reading sessions earlier hint at her connection to magical artifacts.

• mortal cup
• tarot card
• madame dorothea
• hidden
• conjure card

Clary inherits her Shadowhunter abilities from her mother Jocelyn, who was a powerful Shadowhunter herself. After being drawn into the Shadowhunter world, Clary begins to exhibit the ability to inscribe Iratess, magical runes, onto her skin temporarily. These runes grant her various supernatural abilities. Unlike trained Shadowhunters who learn this skill over years, Clary's powers emerge instinctively, suggesting she has significant potential. Her mother had suppressed these abilities along with her memories.

Foreshadowing: The strange symbols appearing in Clary's drawings before she knew about the Shadowhunter world were actually dormant powers manifesting.

• clary
• runes
• iratess
• shadowhunter powers
• abilities

Clary and Jace develop romantic feelings for each other throughout their dangerous adventures together, which creates a love triangle. Simon has been in love with Clary for years as her best friend, and when he finally confesses his feelings to her, Clary gently tells him she sees him only as a friend. This rejection, combined with Simon witnessing Clary's kiss with Jace, causes significant emotional pain for Simon. Despite this, he remains supportive and helps fight alongside them.

Foreshadowing: Early moments of tension and chemistry between Clary and Jace during their first encounters hint at their eventual romantic connection.

• clary
• jace
• simon
• love triangle
• romance

Luke Garroway is revealed to be an old friend of Clary's mother Jocelyn and her former lover. He owns the antique shop where Clary seeks refuge and helps protect her during the attacks. Luke is actually a werewolf, having been turned years ago, but remains allied with the Shadowhunters. He provides crucial information about Clary's past and helps her understand her family history, including the truth about her brother's death and Valentine's connection to her family.

Foreshadowing: Luke's antique shop being a safe haven and his willingness to help Clary suggest a deeper personal connection.

• luke
• werewolf
• jocelyn
• friend
• antique shop

Downworlders are supernatural beings who exist in the shadows of the human world. The main factions include vampires (who drink blood and have eternal life), werewolves (humans who transform into wolves during full moons), warlocks (humans born with magical abilities, often serving as advisors), and faeries (magical beings from another realm). Valentine seeks to exterminate all Downworlders using the Mortal Cup's power, viewing them as threats to pure Shadowhunter bloodlines. The Shadowhunters typically police both human and Downworlder threats.

Foreshadowing: The rescue mission into vampire territory introduces the dangerous world of Downworlders.

• downworlders
• vampires
• werewolves
• warlocks
• faeries
• factions