So I did iconic origins it was only fair to discuss the lamer one’s. These are origins so stupid you have to wonder what the writer who came up with it was thinking. The difference with this list is that the origins were so silly that they didn’t last without adjustments to them, if they weren’t tossed entirely.
#5.Catwoman
Is Catwoman a hero? Eh, who cares. A lot of people took offense in the 80’s when Frank Miller retconned Catwoman’s backstory. In the new version she was a prostitute who learned self defense to protect herself. Harsh, but better than her original origin. She was a flight attendant who hit her head and had amnesia. The cat connection was so weak it was laughable. Yeah, she pretty much had the same backstory as King Tut from the old 60’s Batman show. Ouch.
#4.Batgirl
Barbara Gordon’s history as a character is really quite interesting. I guess it was no coincidence she came along at the same time as the 60’s tv show. The problem is the in universe story. She was going to a masquerade ball dressed as Batgirl when she saw Bruce Wayne in trouble. So she jumped int to help. That was it. No pathos no nothing until later retcons tried to give her more of a background.
#3.Mon-El
The big problem with the Legion of Superheroes is that the roster is so big, that there is just no way that every member can have an iconic origin. Some members have abilities that are simply native to their species, like Chameleon Boy. Others are 100% fluke accidents like Bouncing Boy (who drank something he thought was soda). And then there is Mon-El. He basically has the same powers as Superman. How did he get them? He was eaten by a space monster, and inside the radiation affected him and gave him the powers. Uh, sure. The original story even tries to draw a parallel the biblical story of Jonah and the whale. Uh huh. This of course would tossed very very quickly and he’d get a whole new backtory which worked a lot better.
#2.Donna Troy
Kind of hard to have a cool origin when you never even had an origin story. It’s a pretty well know legend that this character was created by accident for the original Teen Titans book. Thus, she never had an origin. She was just, there. Writers have tried to give her a back story for decades but nothing ever fits. First she was rescued by Wonder Woamn ans raised on Paradise Island. Then it was the Titans of Myth in a convoluted story line I couldn’t understand. Later she was a mirror image of Wonder Woman created so Diana could have a friend, who had kidnapped and forced to lifetime after lifetime all ending in tragedy. Sure. Thank goodness this character is so damn awesome we can ignore the ridicukous back stories.
#1.The Original Flash
The Flash’s seem to always have weak origins. Jay Garrick could be the poster child for nonsensical origins that are just dumb. At last Barry Allen had being doused with chemicals at the same time being struck by lightning. And as silly as it is that the same thing would happen to Wally West, you can still kinda buy it. How did Jay get his powers? He was a lab assistant when one day he decided to take a smoke break. In the lab! He then, somehow, knocked over some of the stuff he had been working on. He was rendered unconscious, and breathed the vapors all night. What where these awful chemicals? Hard water. Yep, that’s it. Water with a high mineral count. Ooooohhhh!! But apparently breathing the stuff in gave him super powers. You know, it’s expected in the old day that stories play fast and loose with science. This was the time when hypnotism could do anything and magnets always worked even if there was no metal around. But this is just, weak. My favorite part of the original story is Doctor “Exposition” who desperately tries to explain how this makes any damn sense. He even says the gas “injected him like a vaccination”. Uh huh. Retcons have made this story better over the years, like pointing out there were other chemicals there and dropping the far fetched lecture about what hard water does to people, but man was this lame!
Honorary villain mention :
I always hated the origin given to Lex Luthor for a time during the silver age. It seems the two were friends when they were kids. One day Lex’s lab caught on fire, and after Superboy blew the fire out somehow the mix of chemicals caused Lex to lose his hair. And, thinking Superboy did the act intentionally. he vowed vengeance after that. Ugh, THAT is why he hated Superman for years?? Thankfully this would eventually disappear
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Did I miss your favorite? Comment and let me know.
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