Secret Origins Explained
Schedule: | Monthly |
Ongoing: | y |
Superhero: | y |
Publisher: | DC Comics |
Date: | One-shot: Summer 1961 Vol. 1 February–March 1973; October–November 1974 Vol. 2: April 1986 – August 1990 Vol. 3: June 2014 – May 2015 |
Issues: | One-shot: 1 Vol. 1: 7 Vol. 2: 50, plus 3 Annuals and 1 Special Vol. 3: 11 |
Editors: | Roy Thomas Mark Waid |
Tpb: | Secret Origins |
Isbn: | 0-930289-50-1 |
Subcat: | DC Comics |
Sort: | 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.[1] The title was used on various compilations of origin stories, including Limited Collectors' Edition #C-39: Secret Origins Super-Villains (October–November 1975) and #C-45: More Secret Origins Super-Villains (June–July 1976) as well as DC Special Series #10 (1978) and 19 (Fall 1979). 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,[2] 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.[3] 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 cover date. The first issue featured the origins of Superman, Supergirl and the Dick Grayson version of Robin.[4] This series was cancelled as of issue #11 (May 2015) on sale in March 2015.[5]
Characters featured in the 1986–1990 series
- #1 (April 1986): The Golden Age Superman; this was intended as a tribute to the original version of the character, as the latter-day version of Superman was being concurrently introduced by John Byrne in the Man Of Steel miniseries; art by Golden Age Superman artist Wayne Boring and Jerry Ordway.
- #2 (May 1986): The Blue Beetle, both the Dan Garrett and Ted Kord versions; art by Gil Kane.
- #3 (June 1986): Captain Marvel credited by the Shazam! title; a retelling of the story from WHIZ Comics #2, albeit updated to the modern day. Much of this was changed in the Legends crossover. Thomas himself would retcon this some months later in SHAZAM! The New Beginning, all of which was changed again by Jerry Ordway in his graphic novel The Power of Shazam!.
- #4 (July 1986): Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond).
- #5 (August 1986): the original Crimson Avenger; art by Gene Colan.
- #6 (September 1986): Halo of the Outsiders; the Golden Age Batman. This was the first double-sized issue.
- #7 (October 1986): Guy Gardner; the Golden Age Sandman
- #8 (November 1986): Shadow Lass; Doll Man.
- #9 (December 1986): The original Star-Spangled Kid (Skyman) and Stripesy; the Golden Age Flash.
- #10 (January 1987): The Phantom Stranger. This was a Legends tie-in that related four possible origins for the character; one by Mike Barr and Jim Aparo was a variation on the Wandering Jew myth, while another by Alan Moore and Joe Orlando postulated that the Stranger was a fallen angel.
- #11 (February 1987): the Golden Age Hawkman; Power Girl. Both stories presented have since been retconned, with Power Girl's backstory having been redefined by Geoff Johns in the pages of JSA Classified, which served as part of the buildup to Infinite Crisis.
- #12 (March 1987): The Challengers of the Unknown; Fury.
- #13 (April 1987): Nightwing (art by Erik Larsen); Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt; the Whip.
- #14 (May 1987): Suicide Squad. Another Legends tie-in, it served as a prequel to the later series and was written by that series' writer, John Ostrander.
- #15 (June 1987): The Spectre; Deadman.
- #16 (July 1987): Hourman; the Warlord; 'Mazing Man.
- #17 (August 1987): Adam Strange; Doctor Occult.
- #18 (September 1987): The Golden Age Green Lantern (Alan Scott); the Creeper.
- #19 (October 1987): Uncle Sam; the Guardian.
- #20 (November 1987): Batgirl; Doctor Mid-Nite.
- #21 (December 1987): Jonah Hex; the Black Condor.
- #22 (January 1988): the Manhunters. This was a tie-in with Millennium as was the subsequent issue, and aligned the various histories of the characters with the Manhunter name together.
- #23 (February 1988): the Guardians of the Universe written by Todd Klein; the Floronic Man written by Rick Veitch.
- #24 (March 1988): Doctor Fate; Blue Devil. Mark Waid became editor beginning with this issue.
- #25 (April 1988): The Legion of Super-Heroes (now apocryphal); the Golden Age Atom.
- #26 (May 1988): Black Lightning; Miss America.
- #27 (June 1988): Zatanna, her father Zatara, and Doctor Mist.
- #28 (July 1988): Midnight art by Gil Kane; Nightshade art by Rob Liefeld. Nightshade's origin doubled as an introduction/backdrop to a three-issue Suicide Squad story arc where she returned to her place of origin to save her brother.
- #29 (August 1988): The Atom; the Red Tornado (Ma Hunkel; this was Sheldon Mayer's last comic book story); Mr. America (a.k.a. the Americommando).
- #30 (September 1988): Plastic Man; the Elongated Man.
- #31 (October 1988): The Justice Society of America. A full-length story, and Roy Thomas' last contribution to the series, excluding the Grim Ghost story in #42.
- #32 (November 1988): The Justice League of America. In a full-length story by Keith Giffen and Peter David, the Justice League is formed by Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), the Flash (Barry Allen), Aquaman, the Martian Manhunter and the Black Canary. Superman and Batman were not founding members, and Wonder Woman's revised continuity precluded her from the same. The events depicted were later expanded upon in JLA: Year One and JLA: Incarnations.
- #33 (December 1988): Fire, Ice and Mister Miracle. This and the subsequent two issues dealt with the members of Justice League International.
- #34 (Winter 1988): Captain Atom, G'nort and Rocket Red.
- #35 (Holiday 1988): Booster Gold, Maxwell Lord, and the Martian Manhunter rendered apocryphal by events and revelations in J'onn J'onnz' later solo series.
- #36 (January 1989): Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) story by Jim Owsley; Poison Ivy story by Neil Gaiman.
- #37 (February 1989): The Legion of Substitute Heroes; the original Doctor Light.
- #38 (March 1989): The Green Arrow and Speedy.
- #39 (April 1989): Animal Man story by Grant Morrison; the Man-Bat.
- #40 (May 1989): The all-gorilla issue, spotlighting Congorilla, Detective Chimp, and Gorilla Grodd.
- #41 (June 1989): The Flash's Rogues Gallery - the Weather Wizard, Heat Wave, the Trickster, the Pied Piper, Captain Boomerang and Captain Cold.
- #42 (July 1989): Phantom Girl; the Gay Ghost/Grim Ghost.
- #43 (August 1989): The original Hawk and Dove; Cave Carson; Chris KL-99.
- #44 (September 1989): Clayface I, II, III and IV. This issue gave background information for a story arc that appeared in Detective Comics #604-607 entitled The Mud Pack.
- #45 (October 1989): Blackhawk; El Diablo.
- #46 (December 1989): The headquarters of the Silver Age Justice League of America (story by Grant Morrison), the New Titans' Titans Tower, and the 'rocketship clubhouse' of the Legion of Super Heroes. Arm Fall Off Boy makes his first appearance.
- #47 (February 1990): Deceased Legionnaires Ferro Lad, Karate Kid and Chemical King.
- #48 (April 1990): Ambush Bug, Stanley and His Monster, Rex the Wonder Dog, and the Trigger Twins.
- #49 (June 1990): Bouncing Boy, the Newsboy Legion, and the Silent Knight.
- #50 (August 1990): a 96-page last issue. This consisted of a prose retelling of Dick Grayson's first encounter with Batman by Dennis O'Neil and George Pérez; the first meeting of the Golden and Silver Age Flashes story by Grant Morrison; how Johnny Thunder (the western hero) came to be; the definitive history of the Black Canary; and the stories behind the Dolphin and the Space Museum.
Annuals and Specials
- Annual #1 (1987): the Doom Patrol art by John Byrne; Captain Comet.
- Annual #2 (1988): The second and third Flashes (Barry Allen and Wally West).
- Annual #3 (1989): the Teen Titans. This was an anniversary tribute with contributions from George Pérez, Tom Grummett, Irv Novick, Dave Cockrum, Kevin Maguire and Colleen Doran. It also included five pages of Who's Who entries on Flamebird, the Golden Eagle, the Bumblebee, the Herald, the Antithesis and the Gargoyle.
- Special #1 (1989): the Penguin by Alan Grant and Sam Kieth, the Riddler by Neil Gaiman, Matt Wagner and Bernie Mireault, and Two-Face by Mark Verheiden and Pat Broderick.
Additionally, there was a belated Secret Origins 80-Page Giant issued in 1998, that focused on the members of Young Justice.
Secret Origins 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: the origins of the Justice League of America (from #32), the Flash (Barry Allen, from Secret Origins Annual #2); Green Lantern (Hal Jordan, from #36); J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter (from #35); and Superman (from The Man of Steel #6). 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.[6]
- Showcase Presents: Blue Beetle includes Secret Origins #2 (Blue Beetle: Echoes Of Future Past!). 590 pages. January 2015.
- Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Vol. 2 includes Secret Origins #6 (The Secret Origin Of Batman). 208 pages. February 2007.
- Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight - Marshall Rogers includes Secret Origins #6 (The Secret Origin Of Batman). 484 pages. November 2011.
- Last Days Of The Justice Society Of America includes Secret Origins #7 (The Secret Origin Of The Golden Age Sandman), #9 (The Secret Origin Of The Star-Spangled Kid And Stripesy & The Secret Origin Of The Golden Age Flash), #11 (The Secret Origin Of The Golden Age Hawkman), #13 (The Secret Origin Of Johnny Thunder), #15 (The Secret Origin Of The Spectre), #16 (The Secret Origin Of The Golden Age Hourman), #18 (The Secret Origin Of The Golden Age Green Lantern), #20 (The Secret Origin Of Dr. Mid-Nite), #24 (The Secret Origin Of Dr. Fate), #25 (The Secret Origin Of The Golden Age Atom) and #31 (The Secret Origin Of The Justice Society Of America). 336 pages. May 2017.
- The Phantom Stranger Omnibus includes Secret Origins #10 (The Secret Origin Of The Phantom Stranger). 1248 pages. August 2023.
- DC Universe by Alan Moore includes Secret Origins #10 (Footsteps). 464 pages. April 2013.
- Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies includes Secret Origins #13 (The Secret Origin Of Nightwing). 156 pages. August 2013.
- Suicide Squad: Trial By Fire includes Secret Origins #14 (The Secret Origin Of The Suicide Squad). 229 pages. February 2011.
- Deadman Omnibus includes Secret Origins #15 (Death Like A Crown). 944 pages. December 2020.
- Doom Patrol: The Bronze Age Omnibus includes Secret Origins Annual #1 (The Secret Origin Of The Doom Patrol). 1056 pages. November 2019.
- The Flash: A Celebration Of 75 Years includes Secret Origins Annual #2 (The Unforgiving Minute). 480 pages. April 2015.
- Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 3 includes Secret Origins #33, 34 and 35. 1448 pages. May 2024.
- DC Universe by Neil Gaiman includes Secret Origins #36 (Pavane) and Secret Origins Special. 224 pages. October 2016.
- Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters Saga Omnibus Vol. 1 includes Secret Origins #38 (Sometimes A Fool Notion). 1527 pages. September 2020.
- Animal Man: Origin Of The Species includes Secret Origins #39 (The Myth Of The Creation). 224 pages. July 2002.
- JLA by Grant Morrison Omnibus includes Secret Origins #46 (Ghosts Of Stone). 1486 pages. November 2020.
- Showcase Presents: Ambush Bug includes Secret Origins #48 (The Secret Origin Of Ambush Bug). 488 pages. March 2009.
- Tales Of The Batman: Alam Brennert includes Secret Origins #50 (Unfinished Business). 187 pages. July 2016.
Characters featured in the 2014–15 series
- #1 (June 2014): Superman, Robin (Dick Grayson), Supergirl
- #2 (July 2014): Batman, Aquaman, Starfire
- #3 (August 2014): Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Batwoman (Kate Kane), Red Robin (Tim Drake)
- #4 (September 2014): Harley Quinn, the Green Arrow, Damian Wayne
- #5 (October 2014): Cyborg, the Red Hood (Jason Todd), Mera
- #6 (December 2014): Wonder Woman, Deadman, Sinestro
- #7 (January 2015): The Flash, the Huntress, Superboy
- #8 (February 2015): Grayson, Animal Man, Katana
- #9 (March 2015): The Swamp Thing, Power Girl, Green Lantern (John Stewart)
- #10 (April 2015): Batgirl, Firestorm, Poison Ivy
- #11 (May 2015): The Black Canary, Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), John Constantine
Collected editions 2014–15 series
- Secret Origins Volume 1 - collects Secret Origins (vol. 3) #1-4 (Feb. 2015)
- Secret Origins Volume 2 - collects Secret Origins (vol. 3) #5-11 (Aug. 2015)
Secret Origins of Super-Heroes
During 52, Weeks 12 through 51 featured two-page origins of various superheroes, written by Mark Waid. The origins featured were:
Secret Origins of Super-Villains
Beginning with #37, each issue of Countdown featured the origins of a supervillain, written by Scott Beatty. The origins are:
Other media
Super Friends
In the Challenge of the Super Friends episode "Secret Origins of the Super Friends", the Legion of Doom learn of the Secret Origins of Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. This was the second of three times during the course of the Super Friends animated series in which Superman's secret origin was shown.
In this episode, the Legion of Doom attempt to undo their Secret Origins by travelling backward through time to change the outcome of events. Cheetah competed in the tournament on Paradise Island, and she defeated Princess Diana, and therefore she became Wonder Woman instead. Lex Luthor prevented Hal Jordan from getting the Green Lantern Ring from Abin Sur by stealing it himself, thereby becoming the "Green Luthor". As for Superman, the Hall of Doom knocked the Kryptonian Rocket off course, so that it didn't land on Earth, but rather another planet that was under a red sun, thereby preventing him from getting super powers and growing up to become Superman. However, the other Justice League members learn of the Legion's scheme, and they go back in time to set history straight.
The episode "History of Doom" showcased the Secret Origin of Lex Luthor, which depicts Luthor as a farm boy in Smallville and a friend of Superboy, just as it was in the Pre-Crisis comic books at that time that were set on Earth-One. The same episode also shows the Secret Origins of Apache Chief and Giganta, whose origins apparently tied together.
Batman's Secret Origin wasn't revealed until episode The Fear, which tells the tale of how Joe Chill killed his parents and how as a result, he became Batman, but he had yet to overcome his fear of Crime Alley, a fear that his enemy the Scarecrow would exploit.
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Sacks . Jason . Dallas . Keith . American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s . 2014 . TwoMorrows Publishing . 978-1605490564 . 114.
- Book: Manning, Matthew K.. Dolan. Hannah, ed.. 1980s. DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. 2010. London, United Kingdom. 978-0-7566-6742-9. 218. The heroes of the DC Universe got a little more exposed thanks to the new ongoing effort Secret Origins, a title offering new interpretations to the backgrounds of some of comics' biggest icons..
- and
- Web site: Exclusive: DC's Secret Origins & Tomasi's Batman Vs. Bane To Debut in April. Steve. Sunu. January 13, 2014. Comic Book Resources. https://web.archive.org/web/20140712085611/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=50240. July 12, 2014. live. Archive requires scrolldown
- DC Comics cancels half its line from March 2015. Matt. Kamen. December 16, 2014. Wired UK. https://web.archive.org/web/20150908083204/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-12/16/dc-cancellations. September 8, 2015. live.
- DiDio, Dan (Vice President of DC Comics), Goyer, David S. (Co-writer), Levitz, Paul (President - DC Comics), Nolan, Christopher (Director), Schreck, Bob (Batman Editor - DC Comics) . 2006 . Genesis of the Bat . DVD featurette.
- Waid, Mark. Hughes, Adam. Hughes, Adam. The Origin of Wonder Woman. 52.
- 12
. September 2006 [July 26, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Nowlan, Kevin. Nowlan, Kevin. The Origin of Elongated Man. 52.
- 13
. October 2006 [August 2, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Powell, Eric. Powell, Eric. The Origin of Metamorpho, the Element Man. 52.
- 14
. October 2006 [August 9, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Bogdanove, Jon. Bogdanove, Jon. The Origin of Steel. 52.
- 15
. October 2006 [August 16, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Jones, J. G.. Jones, J. G.. The Origin of Black Adam. 52.
- 16
. October 2006 [August 23, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Giffen, Keith. Jadson, Jack. The Origin of Lobo. 52.
- 17
. October 2006 [August 30, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Bennett, Joe. Bennett, Joe. The Origin of the Question. 52.
- 18
. November 2006 [September 6, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Bolland, Brian. Mardon, Mark. The Origin of Animal Man. 52.
- 19
. November 2006 [September 13, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Nowlan, Kevin. Nowlan, Kevin. The Origin of Adam Strange. 52.
- 20
. November 2006 [September 20, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Reis, Ivan. Albert, Oclair. The Origin of Green Lantern. 52.
- 22
. December 2006 [October 4, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Ordway, Jerry. Ordway, Jerry. The Origin of Wildcat. 52.
- 23
. December 2006 [October 11, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Jurgens, Dan. Lanning, Andy. The Origin of Booster Gold. 52.
- 24
. December 2006 [October 18, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Pérez, George. Pérez, George. The Origin of Nightwing. 52.
- 25
. December 2006 [October 25, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Bennett, Joe. Jose, Ruy. The Origin of Hawkman and Hawkgirl. 52.
- 26
. January 2007 [November 1, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Chaykin, Howard. Chaykin, Howard. The Origin of Black Canary. 52.
- 27
. January 2007 [November 8, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Eaglesham, Dale. Thibert, Art. The Origin of Catman. 52.
- 28
. January 2007 [November 15, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Rouleau, Duncan. Rouleau, Duncan. The Origin of the Metal Men. 52.
- 30
. January 2007 [November 29, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Williams II, Freddie. Williams II, Freddie. The Origin of Robin. 52.
- 31
. February 2007 [December 6, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Hamner, Cully. Hamner, Cully. The Origin of Blue Beetle. 52.
- 32
. February 2007 [December 13, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Mandrake, Tom. Mandrake, Tom. The Origin of Martian Manunter. 52.
- 33
. February 2007 [December 20, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Bolland, Brian. Bolland, Brian. The Origin of Zatanna. 52.
- 34
. February 2007 [December 27, 2006].
- Waid, Mark. Hughes, Adam. Hughes, Adam. The Origin of Power Girl. 52.
- 36
. March 2007 [January 10, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Igle, Jamal. Champagne, Keith. The Origin of Firestorm the Nuclear Man. 52.
- 37
. March 2007 [January 17, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Jimenez, Phil. Lanning, Andy. The Origin of Red Tornado. 52.
- 38
. March 2007 [January 24, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Van Sciver, Ethan. Van Sciver, Ethan. The Origin of Mr. Terrific. 52.
- 39
. March 2007 [January 31, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Benitez, Joe. Benitez, Joe. The Origin of Starfire. 52.
- 41
. April 2007 [February 14, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. McDaniel, Scott. Owens, Andy. The Origin of Green Arrow. 52.
- 42
. April 2007 [February 21, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Van Sciver, Ethan. Van Sciver, Ethan. The Origin of Plastic Man. 52.
- 43
. April 2007 [February 28, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Kubert, Andy. Kubert, Andy. The Origin of Batman. 52.
- 46
. May 2007 [March 21, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Kerschl, Karl. Kerschl, Karl. The Origin of the Teen Titans. 52.
- 47
. May 2007 [March 28, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Scott, Nicola. Hazlewood, Doug. The Origin of the Birds of Prey. 52.
- 48
. June 2007 [April 7, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Kramer, Don. Bair, Michael. The Origin of the Justice Society of America. 52.
- 49
. June 2007 [April 11, 2007].
- Waid, Mark. Reis, Ivan. Albert, Oclair. The Origin of the Justice League of America. 52.
- 51
. June 2007 [April 25, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Roux, Stéphane. Roux, Stéphane. The Origin of Poison Ivy. Countdown.
- 37
. October 2007 [August 15, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Daniel, Tony. Glapion, Jon. The Origin of Deathstroke the Terminator. Countdown.
- 36
. October 2007 [August 22, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Reis, Ivan. Albert, Oclair. The Origin of Parallax. Countdown.
- 35
. October 2007 [August 29, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Clarke, Andy. Clarke, Andy. The Origin of Lex Luthor. Countdown.
- 34
. November 2007 [September 5, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Kramer, Don. Kramer, Don. The Origin of the Riddler. Countdown.
- 33
. November 2007 [September 12, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Winslade, Phil. Winslade, Phil. The Origin of Eclipso. Countdown.
- 32
. November 2007 [September 19, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Bolland, Brian. Bolland, Brian. The Origin of the Joker. Countdown.
- 31
. November 2007 [September 26, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Frank, Gary. Sibal, Jonathan. The Origin of General Zod. Countdown.
- 30
. December 2007 [October 3, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. McDaniel. Scott. Owens, Andy. The Origin of the Penguin. Countdown.
- 29
. December 2007 [October 10, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Van Sciver, Ethan. Van Sciver, Ethan. The Origin of the Trickster. Countdown.
- 28
. December 2007 [October 17, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Van Sciver, Ethan. Van Sciver, Ethan. The Origin of the Pied Piper. Countdown.
- 28
. December 2007 [October 17, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Chiarello, Mark. Chiarello, Mark. The Origin of Two-Face. Countdown.
- 27
. December 2007 [October 24, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Igle, Jamal. Champagne, Keith. The Origin of Killer Frost. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 25
. January 2008 [November 7, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Simonson, Walt. Simonson, Walt. The Origin of Desaad. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 24
. January 2008 [November 14, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Baker, Kyle. Baker, Kyle. The Origin of Mr. Mxyzptlk. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 23
. January 2008 [November 21, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Williams II, Freddie. Williams II, Freddie. The Origin of Deadshot. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 22
. January 2008 [November 28, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Bogdanove, Jon. Bogdanove, Jon. The Origin of Granny Goodness. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 21
. February 2008 [December 5, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Bennett, Joe. Jadson, Jack. The Origin of Mr. Mind. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 20
. February 2008 [December 12, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Jones, Kelley. Jones, Kelley. The Origin of the Scarecrow. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 19
. February 2008 [December 19, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Porter, Howard. Porter, Howard. The Origin of Dr. Light. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 18
. February 2008 [December 26, 2007].
- Beatty, Scott. Kolins, Scott. Kolins, Scott. The Origin of Monarch. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 17
. March 2008 [January 2, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Pasarin, Fernando. Pasarin, Fernando. The Origin of Sinestro. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 16
. March 2008 [January 9, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Bogdanove, Jon. Bogdanove, Jon. The Origin of Doomsday. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 15
. March 2008 [January 16, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Adams, Arthur. Adams, Arthur. The Origin of Gorilla Grodd. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 14
. March 2008 [January 23, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Reis, Ivan . Albert, Oclair. The Origin of Cyborg. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 13
. March 2008 [January 30, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Lopresti, Aaron. Lopresti, Aaron. The Origin of Circe. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 12
. April 2008 [February 6, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Mandrake, Tom. Mandrake, Tom. The Origin of Solomon Grundy. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 11
. April 2008 [February 13, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Timm, Bruce. Timm, Bruce. The Origin of Harley Quinn. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 10
. April 2008 [February 20, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Norton, Mike. Ramos, Rodney. The Origin of Black Manta. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 9
. April 2008 [February 27, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Mahnke, Doug. Mahnke, Doug. This Am Unsecret Origin of Bizarro!. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 8
. May 2008 [March 5, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Nolan, Graham. Nolan, Graham. The Origin of Bane. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 7
. May 2008 [March 12, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Saiz, Jesus. Saiz, Jesus. The Origin of Felix Faust. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 6
. May 2008 [March 19, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Derenick, Tom. Faucher, Wayne. The Origin of Mr. Freeze. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 5
. May 2008 [March 26, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Chiang, Cliff. Chiang, Cliff. The Origin of Ra's al Ghul. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 4
. June 2008 [April 2, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Mahnke, Doug. Mahnke, Doug. The Origin of Amazo. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 3
. June 2008 [April 9, 2008].
- Beatty, Scott. Sook, Ryan. Sook, Ryan. The Origin of Darkseid. Countdown to Final Crisis.
- 2
. June 2008 [April 16, 2008].