# Best (or worst) superhero origin stories **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458 "2009-03-31T16:54:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/61 "2009-04-02T01:00:43Z")
IIRC, doesn’t the Joker’s origin change every time he’s asked about it? ISTR he has a line somewhere about his personal history being multiple choice. I like Captain Marvel’s origin story: A Wizard did it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/62 "2009-04-02T01:10:54Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > IIRC, doesn’t the Joker’s origin change every time he’s asked about it? ISTR he has a line somewhere about his personal history being multiple choice. From _The Killing Joke_: > [@The Joker](#): > > “Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another… if I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice! Ha ha ha!” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/63 "2009-04-02T01:51:59Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > I like Captain Marvel’s origin story: The moral of which is: Follow strange old men into dark, out of the way places. Only good can come of it. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/64 "2009-04-02T02:09:19Z")
Tim Drake, a pre-teen who does what no supervillian has done when he deduces the secret identity of Batman and the first two Robins, thereby earning the right to become the third Robin. Aside from being unbelievable (even in the world of comic books), it’s really just a retelling of Betty Kane’s origin as Bat-Girl. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/65 "2009-04-02T03:16:28Z")
I thought Captain Marvel’s origin was that National Comics was selling a truckload of Superman comics every month. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/66 "2009-04-02T03:46:40Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > Most superhero origin stories, other than “train like a mo-fo and spend truckloads of money,” are crap. You just have to willingly buy into the crap to get to the exciting stories of honor, courage, and beautiful people in spandex. Actually, as superhero origins go, “train like a mo-fo and spend truckloads of money” is just as much crap, and doesn’t even have the excuse of violating physical laws. You can’t become a superhero with money and training, any more than you can gain superpowers with radiation. [Animal Man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Man) doesn’t even really have an “origin story,” as the concept is generally understood; it’s more akin to that giant foot that squashes down at the end of the Monty Python credits. One might suppose that any choice of explanation for such generic “animal powers” would be pretty much equally implausible, but one would be wrong. A basic underlying convention of superhero origins is that of _thematic consistency_: there needs to be some degree of consonance between origin and abilities, however tenuous. There are any number of origin scenarios of varying plausibility whereby a person might hypothetically acquire ill-defined “animal powers.” For example, any sort of mystical or totemic origin is ideal: the ill-defined limitations of “animal powers” are neatly masked by the ill-defined character of comic book magic. Being raised with animals is also a highly plausible origin, though this depends to a certain extent on the powers thereby gained-- communication with animals, enhanced physcial prowess and feral senses are plausible; flight is less so. There is also a longstanding tradition of animal abilities being gained via quasi-scientific means, although these tend to be much more specific in nature. Spider-Man’s origin-- direct, concise, sharply delineated-- is probably the best such example. By contrast, Beast Boy’s origin (he contracts green monkey disease and is cured by a “serum” which grants him the ability to shapeshift into any animal) illustrates the far limits of plausibility for such an origin device. And then there’s Animal Man, who gained his “animal powers” by getting caught in the blast radius of an exploding UFO. While out hiking one day, he stumbled across a crashed UFO, which exploded… and that’s why he has “animal powers.” That’s it. That’s all the explanation you get. As far as we know, the UFO didn’t even have any animals in it. Even by comic book standards, it’s a complete _non-sequitur._ He might as well have gotten his powers by being allergic to peanuts. Animal Man has the worst origin story ever. His powers make no damn sense either, but that’s a whole other issue. (Actually it probably is the same fundamental issue, namely: “Animal Man creator Dave Wood never worked in comics again.”) ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/67 "2009-04-02T05:38:39Z")
The 1940s have some kooky origins. Liberty Belle? Has a strange connection to the Liberty Bell because her belt bucket is made of a piece of it. The bell rings, she gets an adrenalin rush, which helps her fight crime. Given the location of the buckle, I always thought the words “adrenalin rush” were euphemistic. Also from the 1940s, Johnny Quick says a formula which inexplicably gives him superspeed. The formula was given to him by a scientist, who thought obviously it would be better to give such a piece of technology to a news reporter than the US government facing Japan in a war. In the 1990s this was retconned to some sort of mantra. And Hourman, as had been pointed out many times in the past two decades, was a steroid junkie. Did the Red Bee ever have an origin? Wolverine’s past, as partially explained in Wolverine:Origins, was a dreadful let down for a character who is effectively immortal. So much for being born in prehistoric Canada. As for the best origin, its hard to beat Rorschach’s origin for gritty and understandable realism, but I’ve always llike the origin for Raven of DC Comics’ New Teen Titans (I have no idea if the current emo Raven is the same as the 1980s Raven). Daughter of a mad otherdimensional god, who over time struggles with her inner self and eventually wears her cowl full time to hide the slow, inevitable changes to her face which is the evil in her slowly manifesting itself. it was an extraordinary revelation in the pages of NTT, to realise that for the previous five years Wolfman and Perez had been slowly changing her appearance. > [@Tengu](#): > > The moral of which is: Follow strange old men into dark, out of the way places. Only good can come of it. And bring your sister with you. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/68 "2009-04-02T06:04:06Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The worst – Kid Flash. > > Now, the silver age Flash’s origin was pretty classic: police scientist Barry Allen is working late when lightning hits a cabinet of chemicals, drenching him and giving him superspeed powers. > > For the Kid Flash, Allen’s nephew Wally West is visiting his uncle in the lab when lightning hits a cabinet of chemicals, drenching him and giving him superspeed powers. > > Even in comic books, the unlikelihood of the _exact thing happening_ with not only the lightning, but the exact same chemicals in the exact same proportion strains disbelief. > > DC later came up with some explanation that both events were caused by some supernatural creature, which reduced the unlikelihood but increased the ridiculous factor by several hundredfold. The creature has never been referred to again. I remember reading a short “Secret origins” story that told the life and times of Barry Allen. At the end of it, when he dies, he becomes the same lightning that gave powers to Wally West (He wasn’t his nephew at he time, IIRC, as Barry wasn’t married to Iris Allen back then). Anyway, that’s totally the canon in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/69 "2009-04-02T06:56:45Z")
> [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](#): > > Did the Red Bee ever have an origin? \*ACT III SCENE I. A room in Rick Raleigh’s house. ``` Enter RALEIGH*RALEIGH: To bee, or not to bee: that is the question... ``` > [@](#): > > Wolverine’s past, as partially explained in Wolverine:Origins, was a dreadful let down for a character who is effectively immortal. So much for being born in prehistoric Canada. To be fair, in the 1890s much of Alberta was still prehistoric. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/70 "2009-04-02T13:03:56Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > “Kick ass and take names”. Also, God is a 6-foot-tall badger named Gladys. Badger? As in “Those are the _ **worst** _ ninja hand signals I’ve ever seen!” Badger?? ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/71 "2009-04-02T13:51:32Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > I remember reading a short “Secret origins” story that told the life and times of Barry Allen. At the end of it, when he dies, he becomes the same lightning that gave powers to Wally West (He wasn’t his nephew at he time, IIRC, as Barry wasn’t married to Iris Allen back then). > > Anyway, that’s totally the canon in my mind. Doesn’t he also become the lightning bolt that gave Barry his own powers? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/72 "2009-04-02T14:28:02Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > And don’t forget Princess Projectra Of all the pics linked to, this is the one I’d call borderline pornographic. I think it’s because of the realistic, non-balloony breasts. You can almost see them moving. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/73 "2009-04-02T15:00:41Z")
What do you guys think about Thor’s origin story? I always liked the idea of All-Father Odin sending his overly-proud son to Earth to teach him humility. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/74 "2009-04-02T15:06:10Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > What do you guys think about Thor’s origin story? I always liked the idea of All-Father Odin sending his overly-proud son to Earth to teach him humility. That was a retcon, of course. Originally Don Black was just a guy who found a cane that turned him into a 7-foot blond muscleman carrying a magic hammer; as Thor, he still had Blake’s personality and mannerisms. Lee (or perhaps Lieber; I’m too lazy to look it up) decided to include the pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue, and also began including elements of Norse mythology. It wasn’t till the 70s that it was established that Blake was a fiction intended to teach Thor some manners. And, of course, it didn’t work, because Thor didn’t NEED humility. Odin only perceived him as arrogant because the All-Father was an asshole and Thor is not. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/75 "2009-04-02T15:11:07Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Of all the pics linked to, this is the one I’d call borderline pornographic. I think it’s because of the realistic, non-balloony breasts. You can almost see them moving. Projectra obviously agreed and went the other way. When she rejoined as [Sensor Girl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Projectra) she wore a full length costume, cape, and even a mask. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/76 "2009-04-02T15:16:40Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Projectra obviously agreed and went the other way. When she rejoined as [Sensor Girl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Projectra) she wore a full length costume, cape, and even a mask. Only for certain values of “wore,” as Sensor Girl’s costume was an illusion. When the Emerald Empress (who wasn’t fooled for a second) blasted her with the Eye and made her lose her concentration, the glamour disappeared and she was back to being stripperific. Once she recovered she waved her hand and bam! significantly less exposed flesh. Also, as SG she made her hair appear flaxen blond rather than platinum. But I think she was just doing that to fuck with Querl. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/77 "2009-04-02T15:17:40Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That was a retcon, of course. Originally Don \*\*Black \*\* :smack: Don **Blake**. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/78 "2009-04-02T16:41:45Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Of all the pics linked to, this is the one I’d call borderline pornographic. I think it’s because of the realistic, non-balloony breasts. You can almost see them moving. Mitch Foust is an excellent artist! I need to commission a “Panther Girl gets KOed!” pic from him sometime. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/79 "2009-04-02T16:44:21Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > That was a retcon, of course. Originally Don Black was just a guy who found a cane that turned him into a 7-foot blond muscleman carrying a magic hammer; as Thor, he still had Blake’s personality and mannerisms. Lee (or perhaps Lieber; I’m too lazy to look it up) decided to include the pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue, and also began including elements of Norse mythology. It wasn’t till the 70s that it was established that Blake was a fiction intended to teach Thor some manners. > > And, of course, it didn’t work, because Thor didn’t NEED humility. Odin only perceived him as arrogant because the All-Father was an asshole and Thor is not. How soon did the “pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue” and Norse mythology appear in the early Thor (originally “Journey Into Mystery”) issues? ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458/80 "2009-04-04T07:09:35Z")
From day one, from memory. I assume it was to make the character sound lofty. Roy Thomas in an early issue of All-Star Squadron in the 1980s, having just left the script-writing chores on Thor, has a villain acquire an other-worldly “hammer of Thor”. Said villain is speaking in Shapespearian English, and one of the characters, Tarantula, queries why. I guess Thomas’ point was that Thor should be speaking in Old Norse/Icelandic or something. Thor’s problem was always that he was one amongst dozens. Asgard makes him less than unique. Didn’t Juggernaut get his powers from a magic spell? What are the odds that the most powerful telepath in the world’s evil brother get zapped by a magic spell which makes him invulernable and super-strong? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-worst-superhero-origin-stories/491458.md?page=5)