Best Origin Story

[harlo]

In honor of the shiny new forums. What's the best origin story for a character out there? Comics, movies or otherwise.

[poltah]

Even though we know very little of it, I like Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly. Just the scene in Serenity (the episode) where he looses everything and become the Mal we know from the show, that's golden.

A lot of the classic superhero origins are pretty cool. Wolverine, Spider-Man, Superman, Batman.

Captain America kicks ass too.

One of the problems is though that all of those heroes have like 5 different origin stories each :P

[dicknixon]

Most origin stories are lame, which is why I like mutants better. Spiderman, for example - bitten by a radioactive spider - lame! But then Wolverine's origin story turned out to be disappointing as well.

[harlo]

If you count all of Batman Begins as the one true Batman origin, it'd have to be way up there. Spider-man is my fav sup but the spider biting is much more generic then the death of Uncle Ben. That moment defined his entire life which is awesome.

Best character with the worst origin story? Darth Vader. I liked the sequels for the most part, but man.. Anakin was the weak point throughout which is bad considering he's the subject of the story. Though the slaughter in RotS almost makes up for all the annoying acting up to it.

[dicknixon]

Now that I think about it less bitterly, there are some cool aspects to the superhero origins. They just seem cliched over time. But Batman Begins did a great job of telling an origin story, so I guess that they can be done well sometimes.

And I agree with Poltah about Mal/Firefly. The battle scenes were a great way to start the pilot and they set up the character so well. The later episode with Mal getting the ship was jusr awesome - it's great when you get an origin story for an already established character, and it makes that character even better.

One origin story I am not loking forward to at all - Kirk and Spock at Starfleet Academy.

[diela]

As an origin story, you really can't beat Buffy. It may not have been in a comic, but the episode where Buffy went back through the shadow portal to meet the very first council of watchers gives me goosebumps.

Angel's story is good too, but still pretty generic vampire fare. Ooh, he got bit.

[poltah]

Angel/ANgelus is also pretty cool actually. I love the whole buffyverse mythos.

[point5o]

I like how Batman Beyond's origin is tied into the Batman mythos. The series finale of Justice League Unlimited was basically a Batman Beyond episode.

Darkman is an underrated origin movie(while Unbreakable is overrated).

Conan the Barbarian's origin is generic but still fun to watch.

And just for fun, but actually it's terrific origin :D, Orgazmo.

[guano]

I've never seen an origin story so cool and presented so well over the course of the series as with Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop.

[boxcarjay]

how about the teenage mutant ninja turtles where the splinter learns how to fight in his cage and then they get the radioactive goo and he teaches turtles. its a classic

[jawapunkin]

masterchief the one and only

[briangilmore]

Most origin stories are lame, which is why I like mutants better. Spiderman, for example - bitten by a radioactive spider - lame! But then Wolverine's origin story turned out to be disappointing as well.

Batman: Year One (better than Begins, more real and grittier, so good. Also shows you how awesome Jim Gordon really is)

Killing Joke (by Alan Moore, amazing...not only makes you HATE the joker, but sympathize with him as well, SO good)

Neo from the Matrix (the first fight between him and smith is classic)

Rorschach in Watchmen. (no need to elaborate).

[dicknixon]

Batman: Year One (better than Begins, more real and grittier, so good. Also shows you how awesome Jim Gordon really is)

Killing Joke (by Alan Moore, amazing...not only makes you HATE the joker, but sympathize with him as well, SO good)

I've read both those Batman books and I agree, those are examples of origin stories done well. In them, Batman manages to be a guy in a costume, without powers, without being lame, because his origin is so well written. But when cliched (his parents got killed so he dresses as a bat?) it is an exmaple of the lameness of superhero origins.

And yes, Jim Gordon rocks. He is definitely one of the best supporting characters in comics and I love it when he gets written well. I liked him in Batman Begins as well.

[jonathanlondon]

Nacho Libre. I loved that origin story.

But if you're going strictly comics... you gotta go with Spidey. It's the best one.

[briangilmore]

Nacho Libre. I loved that origin story.

But if you're going strictly comics... you gotta go with Spidey. It's the best one.


ok, i'll agree with that only if you tie it up with Joker's origin story in Killing Joke. cause like a limp penis, that's is pretty ****in unbeatable.

[weebl]

I read it as "Best Orgy Story"...tee hee :)

Someone should make that thread!

[diela]

I read it as "Best Orgy Story"...tee hee :)

Someone should make that thread!

Sweetie, we're *geeks*. The best you're going to get is "I watched Bachelor Party once."

:p

[proglodyte]

I like Green Lantern Hal Jordon's origin story a lot.

[abacusand13south]

Besides what has already been mentioned by my clone BrianGilmore id have to say Swamp Thing, I also like Wolverine Origin.

[chrischristman]

I really liked the whole mystery behind the origin of Wolverine, but I think they really dropped the ball as they started to reveal what really happened. The best origin story for me would have to be Remy LeBeau AKA Gambit. I thought it was cool that you really didn't know who his parents were, but he was adopted by a thief. Then the mutant massacre thing that he took part of just was really cool. Gave a great amount of emotional depth to him and Rogue as well.