Some heroes are born, and some heroes are made. Whichever way they come to be, each has their own origin story that sparks the rest of their journey saving cities, teaming up with other supes, and concealing their identities to protect loved ones (while wearing some pretty cool outfits). From Oliver Queen’s (Stephen Amell) harrowing start on the island of Lian Yu to fighting crime in Starling City to Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) getting electrocuted by S.T.A.R. Labs’ particle accelerator explosion to become the fastest man alive, these heroes have been through the wringer only to come out stronger on the other side.
Superhero origin stories have a way of drawing viewers in and latching on to characters, seeing what they will do with their newly acquired skill set. Or, in Kara Zor-El’s (Melissa Benoist) case, the skills she was born with but has to keep hidden from the people of Earth. And, besides Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, these superhero shows are some of the best when it comes to telling a thrilling origin story.
10 ‘Jessica Jones’ (2015-2019)
Created by Melissa Rosenberg
Often thought of as an anti-hero but still a superhero all the same, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) follows the story of the title character as she goes from being a powerless orphan to a super-powered individual. In a series of flashbacks, viewers see Jones being experimented on by Karl Malus at IGH before waking up from a coma with super strength near invincibility. A private investigator with a witty and sarcastic attitude, Jones tends to use her powers to find her perpetrator. While her adoptive sister, Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), always said Jones should use her powers for good, it takes a series of investigations before she does.
The series is a bit different from the typical MCU television formula, with voice-overs making it seem like an old-school detective show, only in color instead of black and white. Jones is a damaged, dark, and deeply troubled former superhero who somehow pulls herself up and defeats evil. Of course, with a whole lot of backtalk and snark, Even so, Jessica Jones is a pivotal series that showcases a complex female lead and why she is one of the most charismatic and fearsome Defenders.
9 ‘Daredevil’ (2015-2018)
Created by Drew Goddard
Like many superheroes, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) was not born with his skills in Daredevil. Sadly, he was blinded in an acid attack when he was a kid, blinding him and heightening his other senses. While he is not super strong, his ability to feel vibrations, hear breathing patterns, and feel shifting wind helps with his vigilante endeavors, while he’s not a daytime lawyer, that is. Yes, he is a vigilante, but Daredevil gets the hero title as he does something many vigilantes don’t take into consideration – he has a no-kill policy. According to showrunner Steven DeKnight, Murdock is a devout Catholic and considered one, if not the most religious character across Marvel. It’s ironic, considering he doesn’t mind beating up bad guys.
Even with the morally gray area of taking the law into his own hands when the justice system fails, Murdock is considered one of the good guys, even if he isn’t invincible. The series steamed off the success of Jessica Jones, with viewers enjoying how the story mainly stuck to its original source material, the gritty action scenes, and how the origin story of Murdock working alongside Stick and Elektra wasn’t overshadowed by his present-day fighting in Hell’s Kitchen.
8 ‘Supergirl’ (2015-2021)
Developed by Ali Adler, Greg Berlanti, and Andrew Kreisberg
The character of Kara Zor-El is different than most superheroes, as she was born with her powers. Born on the planet Krypton, Kara was tasked with protecting her baby cousin, Kal-El. Their planet was dying, and they needed to go to Earth in order to survive. Fast-forward 29 years: Kara’s ship was knocked off course, Kal was on Earth and Superman, and Kara was told by her adoptive family that she shouldn’t use her powers. It takes Kara 12 years of living on a foreign planet to fully embrace who she is and that her powers are nothing to be ashamed of.
Viewers watch as she saves her adoptive sister, Alex (Chyler Leigh), from a plane crash, finally using her super strength and becoming Supergirl. Supergirl is a bit lighter than other superhero origin stories, as Kara doesn’t go through trials and tribulations to gain her powers, just a few questionable costumes before settling on the skirt and long-sleeve shirt combination. Even so, there are some storylines that get very intense, especially when the entire Arrowverse gets involved with multiverse-wide crises.
7 ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ (2013-2020)
Created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen
While Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a show about numerous heroes, one in particular has an incredible origin story – Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet). She starts out as nothing more than an orphan hacker working with an anti-establishment organization known as The Rising Tide before being apprehended by Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and S.H.I.E.L.D. Viewers watch as she slowly but surely becomes an agent herself, but also as some of her heritage comes to light in the form of an 805 (object of unknown origin). This 805 happens to be an ancient obelisk, something Kree that only Inhumans can touch.
Well, Daisy touches it and gets earthquake powers. It is amazing to watch her character go from living in a van to becoming one of the most powerful people on the planet, helping her team take out HYDRA and other criminals trying to take over the world. The series is one of the better origin stories, as each season shows Daisy growing stronger, more comfortable with her powers, and becoming a leader of the team, even if she does pass over the role of Director. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. weaves together events taking place throughout the MCU into its plot, giving viewers new information on what is going on in the background while the Avengers are fighting in the foreground.
6 ‘My Adventures With Superman’ (2023-)
Created by Jake Wyatt, Brenden Clougher, and Josie Campbell
The animated series My Adventures with Superman is a lighter coming-of-age story than a majority of shows surrounding The Man of Steel. Following Clark Kent (Jack Quaid), Lois Lane (Alice Lee), and Jimmy Olson (Ishmel Sahid), viewers watch as the three start their jobs at the Daily Planet and become an investigative reporting team, uncovering conspiracies around the city of Metropolis and fixated on figuring out who Superman is. And that brings viewers to the origin story. During the first season, Clark struggles to figure out who he is and where he is from, and eventually, he builds his secret identity as Superman in order to help the city.
Wanting to explore the early years of the main trio, the creators of My Adventures with Superman aimed to expand on Superman media already out there, giving Clark, Lois, and Jimmy more of an overarching origin story that complemented the facts and information fans already knew, especially the budding love story between Clark and Lois. The series was praised for the spin and new charm put on the beloved story, as well as the amazing artistry put into the animation to make it one of the best animated Superman shows out there.
5 ‘Hawkeye’ (2021)
Created by Jonathan Igla
Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the miniseries Hawkeye follows Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) as he teams up with archer Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to fight enemies from his past. Of course, it was difficult for viewers to watch Barton partner with someone other than Natasha. Even so, in a flashback, viewers are transported back to the Battle of New York, where a young Kate watches Hawkeye jump from a building, spin in the air, and take down one of the Chitauri. Back in the present day, Kate becomes Hawkeye’s protegee, learning how to take up the mantle while fighting Echo (Alaqua Cox) and other Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) lackeys, and even Natasha’s (Scarlett Johansson) sister, Yelena (Florence Pugh).
The series was a bit different for Marvel, as it took a deeper dive into the life of one of the lesser-known Avengers, even though Barton’s been there from the start. Hawkeye is one of the better origin stories; between Barton’s life post-Endgame, the detective-style storytelling, and the chemistry between Renner and Steinfeld in what is one of the best MCU team-ups, it shows how difficult it is not only to be a hero but how to overcome past choices in order to persevere in the future. The street-level action sequences instead of the typical explosive fight scenes were also a nice change of pace for a Marvel show.
4 ‘The Flash’ (2014-2023)
Developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns
A forensic analyst who wants nothing more than to figure out who killed his mother when he was a kid, Barry Allen had no idea what his life would turn into at the beginning of The Flash. During the first episode of the series, Barry gets struck by lightning when the S.T.A.R Labs particle accelerator explodes, putting him in a nine-month coma. When he wakes, he has superhuman speed and, after a whole lot of training alongside employees at S.T.A.R Labs, becomes The Flash, aka the fastest man alive.
It was the most-watched CW pilot since The Vampire Diaries and was even said to have a flair about it that Arrow didn’t have until its later seasons. The Flash’s origin story is only part of the show’s formula, as it brings viewers into the world of Metahumans, aliens, and heroes trying to save innocent people and their loved ones with a mixture of both power and science. It is an interesting concept that other hero shows don’t encounter, as they tend to have fancy equipment but not scientific brains or engineering skills to understand the problems they face.
3 ‘Young Justice’ (2010-2022)
Developed by Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman
Instead of following the story of big-named superheroes, Young Justice takes a look at their sidekicks and how they turn into fully-fledged heroes themselves. The widely beloved animated superhero series takes a look at Superboy (Nolan North), Artemis (Stephanie Lemelin), Robin (Jesse McCartney), Kid Flash (Jason Spisak), and others as they make a name for themselves, fighting crime and pursuing their own agendas instead of those of their mentors. It all starts with the sidekicks uncovering a conspiracy at Cadmus Labs. Impressed by their initiative, Batman (Bruce Greenwood) and other members of the League of Justice decide the sidekicks can form their own team, known as ‘The Team.’
Viewers watch The Team fight their own villains as well as some well-known faces typically found fighting their mentors, such as Lex Luther (Mark Rolston) and Ra’s al Ghul (Oded Fehr). It is an interesting take on the typical superhero origin story, as the sidekicks already have training, knowledge, and other skills that make them heroes. The only thing they were missing was the opportunity to prove they could make it on their own and not in the shadows doing assistant work.
2 ‘Arrow’ (2012-2020)
Developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg
Stranded for five years on the island of Lian Yu in the North China Sea after his family’s yacht goes down, billionaire Oliver Queen learns very quickly what it takes to survive. In a series of flashbacks, viewers watch as Oliver goes from being the life of the party to a vigilante known as ‘The Hood’ to the superhero known as the Green Arrow, all thanks to his training from Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) and others who become allies on the island. He becomes a fast, deadly archer and, with the help of his father’s book of names, goes back to his city to take down those who have wronged the people of Starling and to stop a conspiracy known as ‘The Undertaking.’
Of course, Oliver becomes so much more than a vigilante. Throughout Arrow, viewers watch as he makes friends with other superheroes who show him there is another way to go about justice. He becomes a leader and someone who will do whatever it takes to keep his friends and family safe. As far as hero origin stories go, Arrow is one of the darker, grittier tales. But it is also one of the best and most fun to watch as Oliver’s character development is so well written it is hard not to binge-watch the entire eight seasons of Arrow.
1 ‘Batman Beyond’ (1999-2001)
Created by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett
With his old age and failing health, Bruce Wayne has hung up his Batsuit and retired from being Batman. Of course, that is not where the story ends for the superhero. In Batman Beyond, Bruce encounters Terry McGinnis (Will Fridle), a juvenile delinquent who happens to find himself on the steps of Wayne Manner fighting off a gang known as the Jokerz. Being a nosy teenager, Terry finds the Batcave and Bruce’s secret. It doesn’t take long for Terry’s life to be flipped upside down, eventually stealing the Batsuit and becoming Gotham’s new Batman.
The idea for Batman Beyond wasn’t overly popular since Bruce Wayne wouldn’t be at the forefront of the story. Instead, it would be a teenager with a sense of personal justice who Bruce doesn’t want to take up the mantle but eventually mentors. The writers proved people wrong, though, with the animated series gaining critical acclaim and praise for its cyberpunk storytelling and dark tone. Considered one of the best-animated series of all time, the origin story of Terry going from a delinquent to the savior of Gotham is one all fans of The Dark Knight need to watch.
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