Genre Overview: The Superhero Origin Story

• Hero gains powers and decides to fight crime. This can happen in a variety of ways:

1) Accident gives hero super powers (The Hulk, Spiderman)

2) Person is born with super powers and hones them to use for good or evil (Superman, the X-Men)

3) Person has no super powers, but goes through a traumatic experience and decides to become a vigilante. These guys are often very wealthy and have the means to create costumes, weapons, machines, and gadgets to help them on their quest (Batman, Iron Man).

*These types are outlined further (and with snappy names) here.

• Hero tests newfound powers in fun, extreme ways. In a film version of the origin story, this plays out as a thrilling, but comedic, montage of discovery.

• Hero uses powers to seek revenge on a person who did them wrong before they were super-powered.

• A mentor emerges to show these heroes that they should not use their powers for petty personal scuffles, but for a wider purpose. This enlightened hero begins to see their new place in the world.

• Hero begins training, with or without powers, to take on their foes.

• Hero establishes a lair for their superhero operations.

• Hero begins fighting crime, usually taking on small-time criminals that are dealt with quickly and without much challenge or fuss. Elsewhere, a greater threat builds.

• The true villain of the piece emerges, often someone who was close to the hero before they gained their powers (or before they decided to become a vigilante). Variations exist as to where in the story this revelation occurs for the hero.

• Hero suffers some great lost at the hands of their new villain, establishing that villain as their arch-enemy. This can be the death of a parent, the loss of a love interest (death or kidnapping) or the passing of the aforementioned mentor. The the final case, the hero takes up the mantle of their mentor and becomes a true superhero.

• A big final battle takes place between the hero and their villain, often with high stakes hanging in the balance for others (i.e. the hero's home city may be in jeopardy, etc.) This race-against-time battle ends with the vanquishing of the villain and the triumph of the hero.

• Story ends with hero looking toward a future of crime fighting.

a) Does the genre have an identifiable format or organizational layout? Describe it:

See the above story arc. This story arc can appear in comic books, novels, films, or any other form of narrative entertainment.

b) What is the function or purpose of the genre?

This genre is a purely entertainment-based one, though more talented comic book writers will often try to meld larger social questions and implications into the thrust of their work.  

c) Who is the most probable intended audience for this genre? What details make you think so?



The superhero origin story finds its basis, most of the time, in comic books, though it can often translate to film, television, or other brands of literature. The comic book audience is a very specific, dedicated fanbase, classified in some circles as "nerds." Films bring the superhero origin story to a wider audience on mainstream music fans, with action elements and dramatic tension that attract large numbers of moviegoers. It is for this reason that comic book films are often the central blockbusters of the big summer movie blockbuster season: the accessibility and familiarity of the origin story makes it a surefire crowd-pleaser.

d)  Describe the tone and style of your genre…is it very formal? Informal? What type of vocabulary is used? 


In the comic book setting, the superhero origin story is presented as much through visuals (illustrations) as through words. In books, the story is presented entirely through the written narrative of the form. In films, the story is played out largely in real-time, action-based shots.

 e) Describe the content of your genre? 


Stock characters, key narrative events, and a certain visual style (often either very dark or very vibrant and colorful, with little in between) define the superhero origin story to accentuate the transition of the central character from everyday man or woman to larger-than-life vigilante.

f)  What other qualities do you notice about this genre?


It's a sure bet that, once a superhero origin story has been created, a sequel or follow-up of some sorts is on the way.