9 Bizarre Superhero Origins You Won't Believe Exist

With great power, comes great responsibility... and some really weird backstories.

She Hulk
Marvel Comics

No superhero has an entirely normal origin - after all, taking to the streets in spandex to fight crime has to be provoked by some pretty unusual events. But given the sheer number of superheroes that have been created over the years, it makes sense that a lot of backstories are very alike, if not basically identical in nature.

While most hero origins cover familiar ground, many brave writers choose to take the road less travelled to create something completely unique and also totally bizarre. The fact that backstories can be incredibly similar makes this all the more interesting, as an unconventional past immediately makes a character stand out - though admittedly not always for the right reasons.

That said, even the dumbest of backstories are at least somewhat redeemed by being totally one of a kind, so at the absolute worst you know you're unlikely to find that specific brand of weird anywhere else.

Be it through weird powers or the strange way they are bestowed, here are the heroes whose origin stories are not only impossible to believe, but also impossible to forget.

9. Green Arrow

She Hulk
DC Comics

Green Arrow's backstory is definitely unique - mainly in that it feels somewhat like a writer read a Batman comic, Treasure Island, and Robin Hood in quick succession and decided to combine them into one wild backstory.

Oliver Queen's pre-crisis rise into heroism begins with the almost expected death of his parents - who are killed in the very unexpected method of lion mauling, possibly as an early indication that the Green Arrow backstory is about to get wild.

Quite literally too, as the other event that marks the beginning of Green Arrow is Queen getting stranded on a deserted island. Although this makes for an individual backstory, the fact that it involves him creating a Robin Hood outfit made entirely out of leaves makes you wonder exactly how sane Oliver Queen stayed in his time shipwrecked. The fact that this is the definitive event that led to him becoming the Green Arrow is the most strange part of all, as after a long time surviving in brutal conditions you'd think his first priority would be to just relax.

Contributor
Contributor

I like my comics like I like my coffee - in huge, unquestionably unhealthy doses.