Hero or villain, who's got the best origin? There are obviously those that really stick in the imaginations of many people, such as Batman's, Superman's and Spider-Man's. Who else has a great origin in your opinion? Why does one work better than another?
I don't know if I have a favorite origin, but it would likely be either that of Batman or Spider-Man. I think anyone could identify with the motivations of Bruce Wayne, and while the way he gained his powers was farfetched (until the Marvel Universe identifies that specific gene that some people have that allow them to survive radiation poisoning), his motivation to use his powers to fight crime and save people is one that's also easily understood.
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I tnink Superman, Batman and Spider-Man are iconic.
Beyond that, the first one that popped into my mind is Miracleman (or "Marvelman" if you prefer).
Easy! Spider-Man.
You have the motivation, the guilt, and the responsibility all right there in one nice little package.
I also like the way this idea of responsibility runs through so many of his stories--Aunt May needing her medicine, Gwen Stacy dying... I just can't think of a better, more perfect set-up for a super-hero anywhere else in comics.
Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man said:
Easy! Spider-Man.
You have the motivation, the guilt, and the responsibility all right there in one nice little package.
I also like the way this idea of responsibility runs through so many of his stories--Aunt May needing her medicine, Gwen Stacy dying... I just can't think of a better, more perfect set-up for a super-hero anywhere else in comics.
I agree. Bruce Wayne was a helpless child who couldn't have saved his parents. Peter Parker already had his powers and could easily have stopped the criminal who went on to kill his uncle. His bitterness caused him to let him go.
They didn't make too much out of it, but he was indirectly (or possibly directly) responsible for George Stacy's death also. His decision to interfere with Doctor Octopus' control of his mechanical arms led to the uncontrolled arms smashing the chimney that caused Captain Stacy's death.
Guilt, guilt, guilt!
It's possible many kids who read "Batman" in the 40s and 50s never knew Batman's origin. It was mentioned in some stories, but I don't think all that many. After Detective Comics #33 (which had the first version) and Batman #1 (which reprinted it with a different splash panel) the instances I know of are "The Origin of Batman" from Batman #47 and "The First Batman" from Detective Comics #235. "When Batman was Robin" from Detective Comics #226 contradicts it: in that story Batman tells Robin he hero-worshipped a detective called Harvey Harris for his fight against crime and created the Robin costume so he could learn from him while his parents were abroad for the summer.
I remember reading an account by (I think) E. Nelson Bridwell of the older versions of Robin's origin, and being surprised by how few there had been. The GCD tells me he wrote the version of Robin's origin in Batman #213, which had a cameo reference to "When Batman was Robin".
In the 50s Quality three times ran a text page titled "Origin of the Blackhawks" in Blackhawk, and also retold the story in "The Man Who Could Defeat Blackhawk" in Blackhawk #71.
Origins may explain why the hero became a hero, how he did, or some combination thereof. In Batman's case the how part ("he studied hard and exercised hard") is supported by the why part ("this is why he was so motivated").
Sometimes they're also just good as stories. Doctor Strange's origin is interesting for his character arc, but is also memorable because the spell Mordo puts on Strange is just so well-depicted.
One might quibble over whether Thor's first appearance counts as his origin. The story leaves a lot unexplained. It was only retrospectively that it became the story of how Thor got his hammer and Thor identity back, rather than how Don Blake became Thor.
Wonder Woman's Golden Age origin is a strong one, with a lot to it: the Amazons and their origin, Diana's origin as a clay statue, her love for Trevor, her winning the right to be WW.
I've not read the origin of the Golden Age Mr Terrific, but his motivation was interesting and different.
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