Tumgik
#Kal el easiest son of krypton
frownyalfred · 1 year
Text
showing my mom man of steel for the first time and she turns to me and goes “Kal? Like Hebrew for ‘easy’?” and I can’t stop laughing
314 notes · View notes
bisupergirl · 3 months
Note
what's your favorite background for kara? not necessarily one single canon one, it can bit a mix-and-match of canons (for example, i like the n52 'older than kal and sent alongside him from krypton', but the post-crisis 'lived in themyscira and then with lana lang', etc (i also really like the danverses, but i can't make sense of a random couple adopting her without having clark just drop her at an orphanage, which doesn't make sense, or them being cops, which ew)). also, do you prefer her bio parents being alive or dead?
(hi i'm the previous anon who asked about kara's background, sorry to send another ask, i just thought of something) how would you feel about a combined backstory where lana lang married fred and edna's son before taking in kara? that way they could still be related to her but without either the orphanage or DEO plots happening (i know lana is dating steel rn but checks wiki jan danvers could still die at some point after their wedding)
thank you so much for the question this is going to be a little long <3
i really liked kara's origin in woman of tomorrow where it mixes some of her different backstories together. so she was born and raised on krypton (and is older than clark) and then lived briefly on the surviving chunk of argo city after krypton's destruction before getting sent to earth.
as for why she arrived so much later on earth after clark had already grown into an adult, i think i like the new 52 version best where her pod kept her in suspended animation while it orbited around the sun before eventually crashing down to earth. i don't actually remember why her pod did that, but i'd just explain it as her ship got damaged somehow on the way to earth and malfunctioned causing it to keep her in suspended animation for longer than it should have.
okay, now for her adoptive family: i've thought a lot about how to justify the presence of fred and edna danvers in kara's life in modern comics and i think the easiest way to incorporate them is to make it so either fred or edna are related to the kents in someway, probably on martha's side of the family (i think i'd have it so edna is martha's younger sister, so she's clark's maternal aunt) so in this scenario clark isn't dumping kara with a couple of strangers, but rather he's placing her with his own family that he already knows and trusts.
i like your idea of having lana be related by marriage to the danvers since i also really love kara's post crisis relationship to her, but ultimately i'd still want the danvers to be kara's adoptive parents. i'd just make it so clark is more active in kara's life and takes her to smallville often to see where he was raised. and then there kara and lana can meet and develop that same kind of bond they used to have.
and finally, my favorite version of zor el and alura being alive (and what i prefer above anything else) is from the new krypton storyline. like that exact version of them and the exact events that took place are the only way i want to see them alive. i'm also fine with them dying along with everyone else on argo city, but if they're going to survive somehow it'd want it to be like how it was in the gates/igle run of supergirl vol 5 (i really did not care for the cyborg superman arcs in supergirl vol 6 and 7).
10 notes · View notes
superbataddicted · 5 years
Text
Writer's Month 2019
Day 25 Prompt: Flowers (Marriage Proposal)
Fandom: Superbat, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Superman/Batman
Writer: batzmaru65
Bruce ran his fingers across the engraved name before placing the single stalk of rose in front of his mother’s grave. He then turned to his father’s, drawing out a tumbler from his overcoat pocket and a small bottle of Macallan, his father’s favourite. Pouring out a shot, he swirled the whiskey in the glass just like what his father used to do before placing it in front of the granite gravestone.
Settling down on the grass, knees tucked under his chin, Bruce stared wistfully at his parents’ graves.
“Hi, mom, dad.”
A pause as Bruce forced back the pangs of sadness that never truly go away even after so many years.
“Remember the alien I’ve been telling you about? Yes, the one I disliked a great deal right from the start.”
A soft chuckle as Bruce recalled the disastrous encounters at their initial stages of getting to know one another.
“I know I’ve complained a lot about him. He’s such a busybody and I, a closed-off mistrustful soul. But as you two already know since I’ve told you so many times, we’ve managed to work out our differences and we’ve been good friends ever since. It’s just that lately...”
Bruce hesitated thinking how he should broach the subject. He knows his parents loved him dearly but they had died when he was so young. And he was not sure how they would feel about what he was going to say next.
“Actually there’s something I hadn’t tell you two yet. No, it’s not some secret. It’s just that I didn’t believe it’s possible so I didn’t think it’s worth mentioning. Well...technically we’re not really friends anymore. No, we didn’t quarrel. No fights either. It’s just that he’s....umm...now...ah...my boyfriend...and I thought...”
“...it’s about time that I’m introduced to the both of you.”
A familiar voice intruded into the conversation and Bruce looked up, squinting his eyes against the bright sky.
Clark smiled down at his boyfriend, knuckles brushing gently across Bruce’s cheek before turning to face the two gravestones.
“Good morning, Mrs Wayne, Mr Wayne,” Clark gave his greetings as he went through the ritual Bruce had done earlier. First, he placed another stalk of rose next to Bruce’s before topping up the tumbler with another shot of whiskey. Bruce remained quiet through it all, a mix of emotions flickering across his face – touched, pleased and a tad irritated.
“Can’t you just wait awhile more,” Bruce grumbled as he scooted to the side, making room for Clark. Inwardly, he was burning with embarrassment, hoping that Clark had not heard how he had stuttered through the last bit.
“Sorry, was getting a little impatient.”
Bruce huffed as Clark sat next to him and the two of them looked at the graves before them. A moment of silence, a sign of respect for the dead. Then Clark began to speak.
“Mr and Mrs Wayne, I’m Clark Kent also known as Kal-El in my home world, Krypton.  I know you’ve heard a lot about me from Bruce, mostly not good stuff...” He looked to Bruce who averted his eyes, suddenly very interested in the distant trees swaying in the breeze. Grinning, Clark grabbed Bruce’s hand, entwining their fingers together before he returned his gaze to the graves.
“I’ve known your son for a long time. We didn’t really get along at first ‘cause the two of us are pretty pig-headed but that’s in the past. I’ve grown to respect then like and now I’m head over heels in love with him. Yes, he may not be the easiest person to live with – grouchy, stubborn and always thinking the worst of himself...”
A kick against his ankle disrupted Clark’s speech and he looked at Bruce who was eyeing him in warning.
“Stop making me look bad in front of my parents!”
Clark laughed and stole a kiss before continuing.
“Actually, besides introducing myself today, there’s something else I’ll like to bring up to the two of you... May I ask for your blessings before I propose to your son?”
Bruce froze, stunned.
“What are you doing?”
“Asking your parents for your hand in marriage.”
“Are you crazy!”
“Yes, crazily in love and wanting you to be tied to me in all ways possible, legally, physically, mentally and preferably for the rest of our lives.”
Bruce stared wide-eyed as Clark got on one knee, his hand still grasping Bruce’s. Eyes bright with emotions, Clark asked in all seriousness.
“Will you marry me, Bruce?”
Bruce opened his mouth but no words came out, his brain had been short-circuited by the unexpected turn of events. He looked into Clark’s eyes for a long moment before suddenly remembering where he was. Turning to his parents’ tombstones, he bit his trembling lips.
“Mom, dad...is it really okay? Am I...”
Bruce faltered, unable to articulate the doubt that was buried deep within his heart. He had never brought it up to anyone, afraid of the devastation that awaited should the answer not be what he craved.
His family lineage has been one of honour and prestige, each generation adding on to the glory built by the one before. His parents had done so. His father with Wayne Enterprises, his mother with her philanthropy efforts. But then what had he done? Nothing great except becoming a vigilante and an infamous playboy whose scandals smeared the Wayne’s family name. And if he were to accept Clark, won’t he be further dishonouring...
A sudden gust of wind swirled around them and Bruce was suddenly enveloped in a comforting warmth, scented with the fragrance of roses and the woody nuttiness he remembered when his father would kiss him goodnight after a drink. As fast as it appeared, it was gone and he blinked in confusion. It seemed that Clark had felt it too for Bruce saw the same confusion in his eyes.
Unable to speak as tears welled up, Bruce nodded his head in respond to Clark’s question. His doubt was gone, finding peace at last in his heart.
49 notes · View notes
geek-and-nina · 7 years
Text
SuperCat Week 3: Day 6 Dating Agency
Kara has been helping Cat out with ‘The Thing’ for years. They never talk about except for making schedule changes or for when it is absolutely necessary. Kara has never told anyone about it, not even Alex. She’s pretty sure that she’s the only one who knows about it.
“Ms.Grant? You have that thing at six tonight. Do you need anything?” Kara offered as she packed up to leave and head home.
Cat had been surprised at how good Kara was about it. Usually she didn’t want to admit anything into their work relationship that would open the door to awkwardness. However, Kara had lasted longer than any assistant that Cat had ever had before. She was privy to all of the details of Cat’s personal life. Somehow the girl had made herself invaluable.
Cat really didn’t mind as much as she let on though, Kara had a good sense of humor and was really smart. Cat would never admit it, but her assistant was almost more of a friend than an employee. Kara was one of the closest things that she had to a friend at least. Even if she wasn’t Supergirl as Cat suspected, then she was still one of the strongest and kindest people that Cat had ever known. Cat trusted Kara completely.
“Kara, don’t you ever go home?” Cat asked, struggling with the zipper as Kara poked her head into the room.
“I was on my way out when I heard you flailing around in here.” Kara said with a short laugh. “Would you like any help out with that?”
Cat nodded and turned to give Kara better access. Her hands were exceedingly gentle as they brushed her hair out of the way; fingertips barely brushing the back of her neck. Cat could imagine that she was feeling Kara breathe behind her. The feeling was impossible to shake. Her chest shuddered as she exhaled.
“Alright, are you ready?” Kara asked, picking up the heels as Cat sat down to put them on . What surprised her though, was how Kara knelt down in front of her, and slid them onto Cat’s feet herself.
Cat was never much of a Disney princess kind of person, but right there, in that moment, she felt like Cinderella. It was so cheesy that she really couldn’t stand herself. Cat was really prepared to just bash her head against the wall until she forgot that she had ever had the thought. She had never been so disappointed in her hormones of her brain before.
“Yeah, I think that I am.” Cat fluffed her hair a few times in the mirror, admiring her reflection. “What do you think, Kara?”
“I think you look good, Ms.Grant.” Kara said, doing her best to look in only appropriate places.
“Let Carter know that I’ll be home late and that he shouldn’t wait up for me. Make sure that you double check his teeth. He isn’t very thorough about brushing. For some reason he can’t stand it.” Cat added forcefully. She was always adamant in her instruction as they related to Carter.
“I always do, Ms.Grant. You remind me every time that you leave him with me.” Kara laughs it off; it’s been a running joke between her and the CEO’s youngest son.
“You’re very good with him, probably the best I’ve ever seen besides myself.” Cat said with a small smile.
“He’s a great kid, and really easy to get along with. He knows what he’s supposed to do and he does it. The easiest baby that I’ve ever babysitted.” Kara laughed still, but she meant every word.
“Tell him that I love him… with all my heart.” Cat shouts just before the elevator doors close in front of her.
Kara doesn’t even realize that she’s been smiling ever since Cat left, until Alex pointed it out. She had been trying to shake this crush since she had first started working for Cat Grant. Every time that Cat asked her to set up a new date, it felt eerily similar to being punched in the gut. Alex knew what this had been doing to Kara and she still kind of hated Cat Grant for it. She thought that even a blind person would have to see that Kara was in love with her.
Kara was just too good at her job to refuse to set up the dates and too dedicated to their friendship to ever put it at risk by admitting her feelings.
Kara ignored Alex’s comments and grabbed her go-bag from beside of the door. She hugged her sister. No matter how annoying she could be, Alex was one of the best things that Earth had ever given her. Kara couldn’t have asked for a better sister.
“I’ll see you later, big sis. Kiss Maggie for me. We’ll watch the new episode of Game of Thrones together later. I love you.” Kara kisses her cheek and heads for Cat’s apartment.
-----/////-----
“Kara!” Carter yelled as his nanny left and Kara stepped inside. He rushed up and hugged her with all of the strength in his skinny twelve year old body.
Kara ran her fingers through his curls with the free hand that wasn’t hugging him.
“Hi, buddy. It’s been too long, hasn’t it? I think that you’ve gotten taller on me. The next thing I know, you’ll be a grown man.” Kara chuckled. She honestly really enjoyed spending time with Carter Grant. He was as good a conversationalist as most grown-ups. He had a quirky sense of humor that Kara enjoyed and a love of science that reminded her of her father. It was good to be around anyone that reminded her of home.
She had never spent much time around children before Carter. Kara had loved seeing Kal-El whenever she could before the death of Krypton, but that hadn’t lasted very long. Even on Earth she had been very  isolated as well, never straying very far from home or going anywhere with Alex. As an adult, no one she knew had kids and she never had a reason to be near them. Carter was pretty much her first.
“Are you alright, Kara? You seem distracted to day.” Carter mentioned.
“I’m okay, I’ve just been thinking a lot about things that I don’t really like to. You know, you’re the same age almost that I was when I lost my parents? I thought that the world had ended.” Cat’s son watches Kara with sympathetic and avid brown eyes. It’s so obvious whose son this is. The expression is the same one that Cat wears whenever they discuss Kara’s loss. It doesn’t come up often, but when it does, Cat makes the exact face that Carter is now. He isn’t about to miss a single word and it makes Kara feel like the most important person in the entire world.
“You don’t talk about your birth parents very often. I bet that you miss them a lot.” Carter says, his voice open and empathetic.
“I do. Everyday. They were the best parents that I ever could have asked for. My mother was a judge, and my father was a scientist. They told me all of the time that I was the best thing that had ever happened to them. Whenever he was off work and I was out of school, my dad would take me ‘exploring’, we would travel miles and miles to see the most beautiful places.” Kara’s voice is nostalgic and heavy with emotions.
“I can’t imagine what it would be like if I lost my mom. I really take her for granted… no pun intended.” Carter’s voice is thoughtful and he gets up from his place on the couch to wrap an arm around Kara’s neck. “Thank you for telling me about them. I know that it can’t be easy.”
“You’re a good man, Carter Grant. Cat is lucky to know the both of you.” she’s surprised when Carter doesn’t move away from her for the rest of the movie.
-----/////-----
When Cat gets home, Kara had fallen asleep on the couch with a book. Her glasses have fallen askew and she was about to lose her place. The sight is incredibly domestic. Cat pulls the grey afghan that Kara was using as a blanket up to cover her a bit more thoroughly. Cat can’t help but to find a sleeping Kara cute. However, the movement wakes her up.
“I’m awake…” she mumbles as though Cat would actually buy it.
“Yeah, right. Was Carter alright tonight?” Cat asked.
“We considered going to a rave, but decided to watch horror movies and drink beer instead... no, he was perfect as usual.” Kara says through a yawn.
You think you’re funny.” Cat scoffs, punching Kara lightly in the arm.
“How did the date go?” Kara asked though she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer.
“Another dud. This guy thought that I should be honored that he even showed up.” Cat sounds disgusted.
“Did he know who you are?” Kara asked since that had been an issue with a lot of Cat’s dates.
“Yes, and that’s why he expected me to pay for the food.” Cat’s voice drips to a low growl at that one and Kara doesn’t even blame her.
“I don’t think that  the dating agencies and apps are working for you, Cat. It’s starting to feel like it only opens you up and makes you vulnerable to sickos and jeans.” Kara says. “You deserve someone so much better than that. You deserve someone who doesn’t just see your fame and your money, someone who can see what an amazing woman you are, and friend and person, someone who will love Carter as much or just almost as much as you do Someone who knows you, respects you, and sees you for who you really are.” Kara becomes so involved in her speech that she doesn’t even realize that she’s describing herself… but Cat does.
“You mean...someone like you, right?” Cat asked, enjoying the way all of the blood rushed to Kara’s face.”
“Uhm, what? Wait… what do you mean?” Kara stuttered, not quite understanding what Cat was getting at.
“I meant hat out of anyone that I know or have known, you’ve treated me the best, you know me the best, and you’re exceedingly good with Carter. That’s all.” Cat leaves off her current internal monologue of wondering why she hadn’t ever seen it before.
“Well, that is a judgement on everyone else, not on you or me. I treat you with the kindness that you deserve. You’re my friend and I care about you.” Kara’s eyes are sincere and loving.
Cat slowly leans in to kiss Kara’s forehead, running her fingers through silky long blonde hair. She brushes it out of her face to gently press her lips to Kara’s brow, one hand holding her jawline. When Kara moves, Cat worries at what her reaction might be, her mind flits from a sexual harassment lawsuit to an extortion scheme. What actually ended up happening was much, much better.
Kara’s fingers were insistent but gentle on her face, pulling Cat’s mouth down so that she could better get to it. Kara’s mouth is far softer than Cat had ever felt before. It was funny, in all of the years that Kara had worked for her, Cat had never actually considered what it would be like to kiss her. Certainly, Cat had thought about other things, dirtier things. When someone had a body like Kara Danvers’ it was kind of impossible to avoid. The actuality of kissing Kara Danvers was better than anything that Cat’s mind could have come up with.
“We’re both tired. We can discuss this later if you want or… we can forget if you’d rather… whatever you want.” Kara said when she pulled away, not wanting to go too far too soon.
“You know, I don’t know that I would ever be able to forget that… even if I did want to.” Cat chuckled, her voice husky in a way that you just couldn’t fake.
Kara’s smile was bright enough to power every light in National City.
7 notes · View notes
aion-rsa · 7 years
Text
“Now Here’s the REAL Story”: Superheroes With the Most Origin Retcons
One of the most common tricks for a comic book writer when taking over a title is to reveal that “Everything that you thought you knew is a lie!” The easiest way to do that is to reveal that the superhero’s origin isn’t what it originally appeared to be.
RELATED: “Everything You Knew is a Lie”: 15 Most Altered Superhero Origins
As comic book companies age, however, there are often continuity reboots and when those reboots happen, a lot of times the basic origins of the heroes stay the same (Abin Sur is likely always going to crash land on Earth and give Hal Jordan the Green Lantern ring), but seemingly just as many times, the origins are re-invented. Some a lot more often than others. Here, then, are the superheroes who have seen their origins retconned the most times. With their two line-wide reboots so far, expect to see a lot of DC Comics characters on this list!
SPIDER-MAN (3 RETCONS)
The original Stan Lee and Steve Ditko origin for Spider-Man had Peter Parker attend an exhibition on radiation where a spider was accidentally irradiated and then bit Peter Parker, giving him super-powers. After first using the name and costume of Spider-Man to become a TV personality, Peter becomes a hero when a criminal he allowed to get away (because it wasn’t his “responsibility”) then killed Peter’s beloved Uncle Ben.
John Byrne famously retconned this origin in the miniseries “Chapter One,” where the exhibition was now given by Doctor Otto Octavius. There is an explosion and Octavius becomes Doctor Octopus while Peter gets his spider powers. The burglar this time around sees Spider-Man exiting the Parker house and actually robs the house (and kills Uncle Ben) to impress what he thinks is another criminal. This retcon was just ignored.
J. Michael Straczynski revealed that the spider that bit Peter was actually, in effect, a magic spider, and that it transfered its power to Peter before it died. Dan Slott later revealed that the spider also bit another student at the exhibition, Cindy Moon, who became the hero known as Silk.
BLACK CANARY (3 RETCONS)
Originally, the Black Canary was a florist named Dinah Drake who decided to become a vigilante. She fought alongside the Justice Society of America. When the Silver Age came about, Black Canary was now Dinah Lance, having married her detective beau, Larry Lance. After Larry’s death, she left her world of Earth-2 to go live on the Justice League’s world, Earth-1, where she became involved with Green Arrow.
Eventually, a retcon revealed that the current Black Canary was actually the daughter of the original Black Canary, who had been placed in suspended animation for years. The original Black Canary’s mind was accidentally transferred into her daughter’s body.
After “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” it was now a more simplified case where there were two Black Canaries. The original Dinah Drake Lance, and the current one, Dinah Lance, who grew up with her mother’s friends in the Justice Society of America and was trained to become a hero from a young age.
In the “New 52,” Dinah Drake was now born to a single mother who put her into foster care. Dinah got out of foster care by working at a dojo for a mysterious former Special Forces operative. Her martial arts skills got her drafted into the elite team of government operatives known as Team 7. There, Dinah met Kurt Lance, who became her husband before he was seemingly killed.
SWAMP THING (3 RETCONS)
Alex Olsen was a scientist whose partner betrayed him and tried to kill him in a lab explosion. Instead, the chemicals in the explosion turned Olsen into a monstrous swamp creature. He avenged himself and killed his former partner (managing to save his wife at the same time).
When Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson first invented the Swamp Thing in “House of Mystery” #92, they were not considering he’d be an ongoing character. However, the story went over so well that they were asked to give the Swamp Thing his own series and make him a hero. They revamped the origin, renamed the scientist Alec Holland (who was single), and when he was revived as a swamp creature, he could now talk (which he couldn’t in the original story).
Years later, Alan Moore shocked the world by revealing that Alec Holland did die that day in the explosion and that instead of a man becoming part of the swamp, the chemicals animated the swamp to believe that it was a man.
After years of having Swamp Thing cut off from the rest of the DC Universe, Swamp Thing was reintegrated and now Alec Holland once again was transformed into Swamp Thing, while still keeping all of the events that happened to Swamp Thing in the Moore series.
POWER GIRL (3 RETCONS)
When she was first introduced in “All Star Comics” #58 in 1975, Power Girl was a sort of a riff on the idea of Supergirl. She was, in effect, the Earth-2 Supergirl, as she was the Earth-2 Superman’s cousin from Krypton, although she reached Earth at a more advanced age than her Earth-1 counterpart, Kara Zor-El. Power Girl became a valued member of the revamped Justice Society of America.
When the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” happened, Power Girl became a bit of a problem. Not only was there no longer an Earth-2, but also there was no longer a Supergirl of any kind! So DC quickly came up with the idea of having Power Girl just think that she was Superman’s cousin, but actually was part of the history of Atlantis (yes, Atlantis. And yes, we know that makes no sense.). Once DC brought back the Multiverse, Power Girl was revealed to once again be from Earth-2.
In the “New 52,” Earth-2 was drastically revamped, and now Power Girl was again the Earth-2 Supergirl. When she and Robin (Helena Wayne, daughter of Batman and Catwoman) ended up on Earth-1 after an attack on Earth-2 by Darkseid, Kara took the name Power Girl and Helena took the name Huntress.
CAPTAIN MARVEL/SHAZAM (3 RETCONS)
Young orphan Billy Batson was led into a mysterious subway tunnel where he ultimately met the wizard Shazam, who blessed Billy with the ability to transform into the mighty Captain Marvel by shouting the magic word, “Shazam!” Each of the letters in Shazam connect to a god or demigod who gave Captain Marvel part of his powers).
Captain Marvel’s adventures occurred on Earth-S. Following “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” however, there were no more alternate Earths, so Roy Thomas came up with a new origin that would place him firmly within the DC continuity. Thomas’ new origin included the clever idea that Billy Batson maintained control of the Captain Marvel persona (in the past, they were two distinct people). This allowed Captain Marvel to maintain his old-school innocence.
Jerry Ordway then revamped the origin again in “Power of Shazam!” which basically brought it back to the original Fawcett origins, only with some slight twists.
In the “New 52,” Geoff Johns and Gary Frank re-did the story, with Billy Batson now being a bit of a brat who lives with a bunch of other kids in a foster home. He convinced the dying wizard to give him the power of Shazam (he’s now called Shazam instead of Captain Marvel) and he ends up sharing his power with his foster siblings, making them the Marvel Family.
IRON MAN (3 RETCONS)
Tony Stark was a rich industrialist who made weapons for the United States government. During the Vietnam War, he was caught in an explosive trap and then taken captive by a Vietnamese general. Stark was near death, as there was shrapnel in his body slowly working its way to his heart. The general, Wong-Chu, told Tony that they would operate on him and save his life if Stark built him a great weapon. Stark agreed, but secretly built a chest plate that would keep his heart beating as part of a powerful suit of armor that allowed him to escape.
John Byrne later updated the origin to make it no longer directly tied to the Vietnam War, and now Wong-Chu was just a warlord in Southeast Asia working for the Mandarian. Otherwise, the same basic origin took place.
During the “Extremis” storyline, the events now took place in Afghanistan and it was now the Taliban who took Stark and Ho Yinsen captive. Besides that, the same basic origin applied.
Most recently, Kieron Gillen put a new twist on Tony Stark’s origins by revealing that Tony was adopted (due to a strange alien plot involving the Starks’ hidden natural born son, Arno).
SUPERGIRL (4 RETCONS)
We’re only talking the Post-Crisis Kara Zor-El here, as otherwise, that’d be way too many Supergirls. In any event, Supergirl first showed up on Earth with the same basic origin of the original Pre-Crisis Supergirl. Then, at the end of the first story arc on “Supergirl,” writer Jeph Loeb threw in a shocking twist: she was actually sent to Earth specifically to kill baby Kal-El! Later writer Joe Kelly revealed that she had been sent to protect Earth from “phantoms” that could possess Kryptonians. Kelly revealed that Kara had actually killed her own mother who was possessed by a phantom.
This was then revealed to not be the case. In fact, her parents sent her specifically to take care of her younger cousin (this is basically the set-up for the current “Supergirl” TV series). Later, it was revealed that her mother had never been killed. In fact, her parents were alive still.
Then the New 52 occurred, and Supergirl returned to basically her Pre-Crisis set-up, which is that she was not sent here for any particular purpose, something that she had to take a long time getting used to (as she was, by nature, directionless).
GREEN ARROW (4 RETCONS)
The first origin for Green Arrow was bizarre, one of the worst origins ever. It involved Oliver Queen being a famous archaeologist who teamed up with an orphan to stop some bad guys from robbing one of his digs. After defeating the bad guys, they decided to become Green Arrow and Speedy.
Jack Kirby later came up with the most famous origin, having Oliver Queen be a playboy who accidentally fell off of a boat and washed up on an island, where he had to teach himself archery. When rescued, he became Green Arrow.
“Green Arrow: Year One” changed it so that Oliver was shot by his best friend, who was embezzling from Queen Industries. The island he washed up on was an island controlled by the drug lord, China White. Oliver stopped her heroin operation and decided to become the Green Arrow.
The New 52 had Oliver being a playboy who had a party on an oil rig when pirates attacked. Oliver tried to stop them, but instead blew up the oil rig, seemingly killing his best friend, Tommy Merlyn. He washed up on an island with a bow and arrow and taught himself to become an expert marksman. This was later retconned again to reveal that Oliver’s own father, Robert Queen, was behind everything as a way to prepare Oliver to become part of a secret society (built around “sacred” weapons) known as the Outsiders.
STAR-LORD (5 RETCONS)
Originally, Star-Lord’s stories were set in the future. He was also born on a very special astrological date. After his mother was killed by some rogue aliens, Quill devoted his life to becoming an astronaut. He encountered the Master of the Sun, at which point he became the Star-Lord, complete with a special gun.
Later on, Chris Claremont and John Byrne revealed that the reason Quill’s mother was killed by aliens was because his father was an alien and that Quill was actually the heir to the throne of an entire alien planet! Doug Moench then added a bizarre retcon where it was revealed that the Master of the Sun was secretly one of the aliens who had killed Quill’s mother!
Keith Giffen then retconned the whole “set in the future” aspect of Star-Lord’s origin and brought him squarely into the Marvel Universe (Giffen also seemed to implicitly retcon the whole “half-alien” part of his origin). Brian Michael Bendis then retconned the origins so that Star-Lord never met the Master of the Sun and the special gun was just a gift from his alien father. This Peter Quill became an interstellar hero on his own.
Most recently, Sam Humphries roughly combined the origins, with Quill still an astronaut, only now he stole a ship and ended up encountering space pirates (like the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie) who introduced him into the world of space adventure.
SCARLET WITCH (5 RETCONS)
When introduced as villainous members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and then later as heroic members of the Avengers, a mystery surrounded Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, namely “Who were their parents?” They eventually appeared to learn the answer when the Golden Age hero known as the Whizzer met the Avengers and let them know that he was their father and that their mother was the Golden Age hero known as Miss America (their mother died in childbirth).
Soon after, Scarlet Witch learned that she had been altered at birth by the demon Chthon to make it so that she could use magic as well as her mutant abilities. That’s why her powers had been so weird over the years. At the same time, though, they learned that Whizzer and Miss America were not their parents. They eventually learned that Magneto was their father.
Recently, they discovered that, actually, Magneto was not their father. They were just two normal children that the High Evolutionary had experimented on to give them their powers. Their alleged foster parents were their actual parents. Even more recently, in her ongoing series, the Scarlet Witch learned that her birth mother was actually Natalya Maximoff, and she was the magician known as the Scarlet Witch before her daughter!
WONDER WOMAN (5 RETCONS)
In Wonder Woman’s debut origins, the goddess Aphrodite was behind the creation of the Amazons, as Aphrodite created them in response to her brother, Ares. Ares then sent Hercules to conquer the Amazons. He succeeded, but Aphrodite freed them and they escaped to their mysterious Paradise Island. There, Aphrodite gave life to a statue that Queen Hippolyta had made which would become Princess Diana, who eventually became Wonder Woman as an ambassador to “Man’s World” after a World War II soldier, Steve Trevor, crashed on Paradise Island.
Briefly, during the Silver Age, Diana was a naturally born baby whose father was killed at war and then the gods just blessed her with powers as a tribute to her. After “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Wonder Woman’s origins were altered once more, with her being made out of clay and sent as an ambassador of peace in present day (and thus had no longer been around the DC Universe for years, but rather was new to the scene).
In the “New 52,” it was revealed that Wonder Woman was actually one of many children of the powerful god Zeus. Then, during the “Darkseid War,” Wonder Woman learned that she had a brother who she never knew about! Most recently, following “DC Rebirth,” Wonder Woman learns that she is not Zeus’ daughter, but rather that her origins more closely follow her Post-Crisis origins once again.
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES (5 RETCONS)
The Legion of Super-Heroes first showed up in the late 1950s in a “Superboy” story where they test the young hero until he is offered to join their superhero club of the future. The three members who met Superboy that day (Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy) were the founding members of the group, which was formed when they saved the life of one of the richest men in the galaxy, R. J. Brande.
Decades later, they discovered that they had never actually met the “real” Kal-El, but rather the Superboy from an alternate “pocket universe,” who died soon after. However, DC then decided that no, Superboy could not be involved with the Legion at all, so Daxamites Lar-Gand and Laurel Gand took his and Supergirl’s place in the Legion’s history. The time traveling Lar Gand (who was born in “our” present) was now the inspiration for the creation of the Legion.
Following “Zero Hour,” the Legion was completely rebooted, with a brand-new continuity that was still mostly based on the original origins of the group. After about a decade, it was rebooted one more time, with the team having new origins.
Finally, following “Infinite Crisis,” the original Legion were written back into continuity and it was revealed that the alternate Legions were actually the Legions of alternate Earths in the Multiverse.
HAWKMAN (5 RETCONS)
The Golden Age Hawkman was an archaeologist named Carter Hall who discovered an ancient metal tied to a past life of his. He used the special metal to create wings that could fly. During the Silver Age, a brand-new Hawkman showed up that was an alien cop named Katar Hol, who was sent from his planet Thanagar to fight crime on Earth.
After “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Katar Hol’s origin was retold, only now it was set in modern times, with all of Katar Hol’s past adventures having been erased (with Carter Hall now retroactively filling in for some of them). Following the end of the “Hawkworld” ongoing series, Katar learned that he was actually half-human. Then, during “Zero Hour,” Katar and Carter merged into the same person, so Katar’s origins were now as one of Carter Hall’s lives.
In the “New 52,” a new Carter Hall is introduced. He is an archaeologist who discovers an alien metal in a crashed space ship. The metal merged with Hall, giving him the ability to power wings. Later on, it was revealed that Carter Hall was actually from the planet Thanagar.
SUPERMAN (6 RETCONS)
When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster initially came up with the origin for Superman, they only briefly thought about his parents on Earth. In addition, in their original take on Superman’s powers, they were due to the fact that Kryptonians were a superior race compared to human beings. For Superman’s tenth anniversary, a new origin was given in “Superman” #53, and now it was gravity that gave Superman his powers on Earth. In 1961, Superman’s origin was told once more, with now Earth’s yellow sun responsible for his powers.
That was the standard origin for over two decades until “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Following that event, Superman was rebooted by John Byrne. Byrne kept much of the 1961 origin, only now Krypton was a sterile and cold world that actually Superman sent to Earth in a gestation chamber, so he was technically not “born” until he landed on Earth.
In 2004, Mark Waid wrote “Superman: Birthright,” which made Krypton a happier place to live. Waid merged together various takes on Superman’s origins, including the films and even the “Smallville” TV series. Following “Infinite Crisis,” Geoff Johns’ “Superman: Secret Origin” adapted Superman’s origin to more closely resemble the classic Richard Donner film.
In the “New 52,” Grant Morrison gave Superman an origin that evoked the original Golden and Silver Age versions of Superman, just updated for a modern era.
DONNA TROY (7 RETCONS)
When Wonder Girl debuted, she was literally Wonder Woman as a teenager. Eventually, Wonder Woman shared her comic with her younger self, when Wonder Girl was made a part of the Teen Titans. Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl were then seemingly sisters. Eventually, Marv Wolfman revealed that Wonder Girl was Donna Troy, an orphan taken in by the Amazons following a fire. During “New Teen Titans,” Wolfman then revealed that Donna was part of a baby trafficking ring.
After “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Donna was instead an orphan that had been raised by the mythological Titans to be a “new” Titan in the future. Later, it was revealed that Donna was actually a magical double of Wonder Woman created when Diana was a child. This allowed Donna to become part of the “Wonder Woman” mythos again, as she was, in effect, a part of the Wonder Woman family now. After “dying,” Donna was temporarily revived and led to believe that she was a moon goddess as part of a plot by the Titans of Myth.
In the “New 52,” Donna was now a double of Diana again. However, during “DC Rebirth,” Wally West told Donna that he remembered her from his past, so she is in the midst of having an origin retcon at the time of this article’s publication.
What was your favorite superhero origin retcon? Let us know in the comments section!
The post “Now Here’s the REAL Story”: Superheroes With the Most Origin Retcons appeared first on CBR.com.
http://ift.tt/2keRigL
0 notes