History Main / SuperHeroOrigin

# '''TheChosenOne''': Given powers by an [[MentorArchetype ancient and wise being]], such as an [[TouchedByVorlons alien]], one of the PowersThatBe, or a being that's a [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien combination of the two]]; e.g., Captain Marvel (who is [[IAmNotShazam not Shazam]]) or UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}} ComicBook/GreenLantern, or [[BequeathedPower the previous wielder handed it down]]. They were probably granted these powers because they were deemed worthy to handle them or, maybe, as part of a [[TheProphecy prophecy]]. Note that the transfer of power isn't always positive as they may now be BlessedWithSuck thanks to a GypsyCurse; e.g., ComicBook/GhostRider.

* {{Deconstructed}} by the post-Crisis ComicBook/CaptainAtom, whose actual origin was kept secret by the military, which "revealed" his pre-Crisis, [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]], Charlton comics origin as his origin to the public.

* Obscure UsefulNotes/D20System superhero game ''Deeds, Not Words'' lets players mix power origin, race, and class to make their own SuperHeroOrigin, with a PointBuildSystem to help custom-build to fit whatever the player wishes. Most of the origins listed above specifically correspond to power origins you can take, such as [[SuperpowerfulGenetics supernaturals]], [[EvolutionaryLevels mutants]], [[TheChosenOne avatars]], or [[AppliedPhlebotinum channelers]]. Class choice is the go-to for origins such as "My Own Creation" or "Pure Will" types, however.

* In WesternAnimation/YoungJustice: Several of the young heroes have different origins than their comic counterparts.

# '''SuperpowerfulGenetics''': They inherited their powers (whether the same or completely different) from, at least, one superpowered parent or ancestor; e.g., Spider-Man's daughter [[ComicBook/SpiderGirl Spider-Girl]], Violet and Dash from ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', [[ComicBook/{{Magneto}} Magneto's]] twin children ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}} and ComicBook/{{Scarlet Witch}} or the entire student body of [[Film/SkyHigh2005 Sky High]]. Tends to overlap with Evolutionary Levels.

* Creator/DCComics' ComicBook/AmbushBug claims that his costume was sent to Earth by a scientist who predicted (wrongly) that his planet would explode; along the way the clothes were bitten by a giant space radioactive spider. Obviously, this is a send-up of both Franchise/{{Superman}}'s and Franchise/SpiderMan's origins. Considering Ambush Bug is crazy, he likely made up the whole thing.

* A running joke in Ed Brubaker's ''Comicbook/SleeperWildStorm'' is that bored supervillains like to kill time by telling third-person, slightly hokey versions of their own origin stories. These are accompanied in the story by an ArtShift to brighter colors and a more traditional panel lay-out.
* WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls origin is already established, but the comic book story "Everything You Know About The Powerpuff Girls Is Wrong" (issue #40, DC run) plays with this. The students of Miss Keane's kindergarten class offer up their own interpretations of how the girls came about, using the origins of Superman, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four as parallels.

[[ComicBook/{{Hourman}} I tried an]] [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica experimental drug]]\\