Origins for Supers

[Derek Hiemforth]

As a companion to the motivations thread ("Because I Must!"), here's my take on the classic origin types. Any thoughts or additions? The Mutant: This character was born with powers (or the potential for powers) not native to others of his species at large. The most common explanation is some kind of "x-gene." (Examples: Storm, Cyclops)

The Non-Human: This character has powers because it is normal for his species to have powers. "Species" in this sense may be loosely defined ("vampires," for example). The key is that he would be considered a "normal" among his own kind, and other members of his "species" would be expected to have similar powers in similar circumstances. He's only considered a super because of the comparison to normal humans. (Examples: Superman, Many Members of The Legion Of Superheroes)

The FocusMan: This character gets his powers from fantastic gadgetry or weaponry of some kind, often (but not always) of his own invention. He may also be incredibly skilled in using it (such as a marksman character). Aside from his device(s), he is usually a normal person. (Examples: Iron Man, Green Lantern)

The Intensely Trained Normal: This character is the result of intense dedication and training rather than superpowers. Theoretically, other normal people with similar drive and devotion could achieve the same kinds of things. However, since we are talking about comic books, the definition of "normal" in this case may be very cinematic. (Examples: Batman, Daredevil)

The Lucky Survivor: This character has survived some incredible freak occurance, scientific experiment, or radiation accident, and gained superpowers as a result. (Examples: Spider-Man, The Flash)

The Mythic Figure: This character is (or claims to be) a legendary god, hero, demon, etc. Whatever the truth of his claim and the history behind it, he usually closely resembles the legend and has the appropriate abilities. (Examples: Thor, Hercules)

The Mystic: This character is a practitioner of the mystic arts, and gains his powers from magic. In some ways, this is the most poorly defined of the archtypes. If learning magic is possible for everyone, then The Mystic may just be another kind of Intensely Trained Normal. If it isn't, then The Mystic may be an example of The Mutant, The Non-Human, or The Mythic Figure. However, the lines seem blurry enough that it's easiest to separate The Mystic into its own archetype. (Examples: Doctor Strange, Zatanna)

[dbsousa]

Here's one you might add:

The Inheritor: This person has been given their powers by another. Sometimes they recieve extensive training in the use of their newfound power (Green Lantern); sometimes they must figure it out on their own (Greatest American Hero) Either way, they are dependant on "the kindness of strangers"

[cjudisch]

The Chosen - This hero has been chosen by some mysterious agency or individual (for reasons that may or may not be explained to him/her) to recieve some superhuman power/equipment/whatnot and fight on the agency/individual's behalf. (Examples: Green Lantern, The Star Brand)

[Supreme]

I always saw origins grouped as follows:

Inheritor
The Inheritor is the person who is super-powered by nature of their birth. Whether their parents were super-humans, aliens, or geneticists wanting that special baby, the Inheritor is their progeny. What makes the Inheritor different from the others is that the Inheritor spent virtually all their lives with their powers. This can make it harder for them to understand "normal life".
Examples: Superman, J'onn J'onzz
Accident
The Accident is the person who grows up as a normal human, but suddenly something happens which turns them into something else. Like the Inheritor, the Accident has powers that are (now) an innate part of their being. However, unlike the Inheritor, they retain that sense of what it was like to be human.
Examples: Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four
Self-Made
The Self-Made is someone who consciously and deliberately made themselves what they are. This can mean that they trained themselves to be masters of unarmed combat, or they designed a suit of powered armor. In some cases the Self-Made can actually have found a way to give themselves powers without the need for an artificial mechanism.
Examples: Batman, Dr. Strange, Iron Man

I suppose this is more of a grouping of where the powers came from, as opposed to the events that lead them to a life of crime-fighting/-committing. Still, it's a good idea to keep it separate from the the "Because I Must" list.

As an aside, though many would want to put Marvelesque mutants like the X-Men in the Inheritor group, they are actually "Accidents". This is because they spend their childhoods and formative years as normals, then become super-humans. Thus they retain their "I remember being human" aspect which is definitive of the Accidents.