In Marvel Mystery #92 (February 1949), the Human Torch‘s origin story is re-told, with a framing story of his creator, Professor Horton, passing away. This is also the last appearance for years of the original Human Torch. After this issue, Marvel Mystery Comics is renamed to Marvel Tales and becomes a horror / supernatural anthology […]
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For the tenth anniversary of Superman’s first appearance, DC re-told Superman’s origin in even greater detail in Superman #53 (May 1948) with a compelling splash page showing Superman’s sadness at losing two sets of parents. The first half of the story takes place on Krypton. In it, we see in greater detail how Jor-el tried […]
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Batman learns that his parent’s killer, Joe Chill, is still alive and confronts him in Batman #47 (April 1948). This is the first time the Wayne’s mugger is given a name and the third time Batman’s origin has been re-visited. Upon confronting him, Batman dramatically reveals his secret identity. Oh, that’s not going to bode […]
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In Action Comics #106 (January 1947), Clark is told he is a long-lost heir to an English barony. But what’s interesting (as a reader 70 years later) is the blurb in which it is revealed that Clark doesn’t even know he is not human. At this point in his history, Clark does not know anything […]
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For the first time in five years, the origin story of Robin the Boy Wonder, is re-told in Batman #32 (October 1945). The story recounts how his parents were murdered and the criminals brought to justice, but it also focuses on how Dick Grayson worked hard to transform himself from circus acrobat into detective sidekick.
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As the Superman writers begin to cast about for fresh ideas, I am sure they were heavily influenced by the Captain Marvel Family and wanted to capture the young reader fantasy like Captain Marvel Jr and Mary Marvel did. Superboy debuts for the first time in More Fun Comics #101 (November 1944). This Superboy is […]
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I don’t know if DC decided to give origin stories to some of their superhero partners or if this was a coincidence, but Green Arrow and Speedy are given an origin story in More Fun Comics #89 (January 1943): Roy Harper is orphaned and marooned on a mesa while Oliver Queen chases after an archaeologic […]
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Well it’s 1943 – and the World War II rages on. In Star Spangled Comics #18 (January 1943), the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy are given an unlikely origin story: two strangers decide, at the same time, independently, to take up costumed adventuring, on the same case, and choose different parts of the flag as their […]
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Detective Comics #66 (June 1942) saw the introduction of another great macabre Batman villain: Two-Face! This origin story features everything: Handsome public defender, angry criminal court scene, acid splash and then a psychotic break into a supervillain with a fascination for the number 2. The only difference from the modern day version is that he […]
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In All-Star Comics #8 (October 1941), the third of DC’s “Trinity” finally arrives: Wonder Woman! Tucked behind a Justice Society of America story (in which Hourman and Green Lantern have been replaced by Starman and Dr. Mid-Nite), Dr. William Moulton Marston, aka Charles Moulton gives us the definitive Wonder Woman origin story. This story has […]
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