Secret Origins


Secret Origins is the title of several comic book series published by DC Comics which featured the origin stories of the publisher's various characters.

Publication history

Secret Origins was first published as a one-shot in 1961 and contained only reprinted material. The title became an ongoing reprint series in February-March 1973 which ran for seven issues and ended in October–November 1974. The title was used on various compilations of origin stories, including Limited Collectors' Edition #C-39: Secret Origins Super-Villains and #C-45: More Secret Origins Super-Villains as well as DC Special Series #10 and #19. Its most well-known incarnation was a 50-issue series that ran from April 1986 to August 1990, plus three Annuals and one Special. Typically, an issue would clarify the Post-Crisis origins of a number of characters, usually two as most of the issues were double-sized, i.e. 48 pages. Roy Thomas was the initial writer/editorial consultant on the series; later issues were overseen by Mark Waid. Two more specials followed in 1998 and 1999. In 2004, it returned to the all-reprint format with a Weird Secret Origins special featuring Doctor Fate, the Spectre, Animal Man, the Enchantress, Metamorpho, Congorilla, El Diablo, and the Bizarro World.
A new monthly incarnation focusing on characters in The New 52, launched in April 2014 with a June 2014 cover date. The first issue featured the origins of Superman, Supergirl and the Dick Grayson version of Robin. This series was cancelled as of issue #11 on sale in March 2015.

Characters featured in the 1986–1990 series

Additionally, there was a belated Secret Origins 80-Page Giant issued in 1998, that focused on the members of Young Justice.

Collected edition

Some issues of the second series were collected in a trade paperback along with other material and some original work in 1989 called Secret Origins, but the official title, as stated in the book's indicia, is given as Secret Origins of The World's Greatest Super-Heroes. The focus was on DC's major characters: origin of the Justice League of America, the Flash ; Green Lantern ; J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter ; and Superman. There was also an all-new retelling of Batman's origins, Batman: The Man Who Falls, by Dennis O'Neil and Dick Giordano; this story later served as a cited inspiration for the 2005 film Batman Begins.

Characters featured in the 2014–15 series

During 52, Weeks 12 through 51 featured two-page origins of various superheroes, written by Mark Waid. The origins featured were:
Beginning with #37, each issue of Countdown featured the origins of a supervillain, written by Scott Beatty. The origins are: