10 Insane Alternate Superhero Origins You Won't Believe Exist

From time to time comic book readers will find themselves jaded, looking for more eccentric takes on their favourite tales. Ones that go against the more traditional storytelling formulas their favourite superheroes are typically bound to. To cater to this interest, writers and artists will venture into alternate takes and worlds of the old favourites, enjoying breaks from the more long term narratives on offer.

Many of the most famous examples of this centre on dark, often rather miserable older versions of popular characters (Old Man Logan and The Dark Knight Returns being two more popular examples of this staple).

There are, however, times when this elseworlds trope is applied to the early years of our favourite heroes. Often times popular, sometimes downright terrible, every time imaginative, the countless alternate origins out there are rather fascinating (and hilarious) to dig up.

With the best and the brightest that Marvel and DC have to offer, let’s take a look at 10 of the most unbelievable alternate superhero origins to ever grace the page.

Feel like some others deserved a mention? Tell us your favourites in the comments below.

Baby Kal-El crash lands in Gotham City instead of Smallville here, soon being discovered by the impossibly wealthy Thomas and Martha Wayne. Adopting him as their own, they name the boy Bruce and as is always the case with those named Bruce in comics, tragedy strikes. Thomas and Martha are once again callously gunned down, prompting a traumatised Bruce to cremate the mugger with his heat vision, discovering his superpowers for the first time.

What follows is an intriguing origin tale of a super powered Batman hiring Perry White and Lois Lane for the Gotham Gazette, doing battle with Metropolis magnate Lex Luthor in the business world and finally throwing down with The Joker. The Joker here however is the cackling alter ego of Lex Luthor who suffered a severe freak accident a year prior.

Ultimately moving into the lighter, more hopeful persona of Superman, this version has the best of both worlds: Superman’s powers and Bruce Wayne’s billions.

And the actual Bruce Wayne?

Chalk it down to the butterfly effect or something equally mindblowing but he never exists, same goes for his Joker. Two of the most beloved characters in comics history never happen at all, being simply overriden by another of DC’s most enduring feuds.