One-shot Summer 1961Vol. 1 February–March 1973 - October–November 1974Vol. 2 April 1986–August 1990Vol. 3 June 2014–May 2015
Number of issues
One-shot: 1Vol. 1: 7Vol. 2: 50 plus 3 annuals and 1 specialVol. 3: 11
Similar
The New 52: Futures End, 52, Action Comics, Batman Eternal, Crisis on Infinite Earths
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.
Secret impulse superboy young justice secret origins vol 1
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. The title was used on various compilations of origin stories including Limited Collectors' Edition #C-39 (October–November 1975) and #C-45 (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 a special. Typically, an issue would clarify the post-Crisis origins of a number of characters, 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. Three more specials followed in 1998–1999. In 2004, it returned to the all-reprint format with a "Weird Secret Origins" special featuring Doctor Fate, the Spectre, Animal Man, Enchantress, Metamorpho, Congorilla, El Diablo, and Bizarro World.
A new monthly incarnation focusing on characters in The New 52, launched in April 2014 with a June 2014 cover date. The first issue featured the origins of Superman, Supergirl and the Dick Grayson version of Robin. This series was cancelled as of issue #11 (May 2015) on sale in March 2015.
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 modern day. Much of this was changed in the Legends crossover and Thomas himself would retcon this some months later in SHAZAM! The New Beginning, and all of which was changed by Jerry Ordway in his graphic novelThe Power of Shazam!.
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 was by Mike Barr and Jim Aparo a variation on the Wandering Jew myth, another by Alan Moore and Joe Orlando which postulated that the Stranger was a fallen angel.
11 (February 1987): the Golden Age Hawkman; Power Girl. Both stories presented have 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.
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.
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.
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 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 comics story; Mr. America (aka the Americommando).
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.
44 (September 1989): Clayface I, II & III. This issue gave background information for an arc that appeared in Detective Comics issues 604 through 607, entitled "The Mud Pack".
46 (December 1989): the headquarters of the Silver Age Justice League (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.
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 Dolphin and the Space Museum.
Additionally, there was a belated Secret Origins 80 Page Giant issued in 1998 (ISBN 1-56389-440-8), that focused on the members of Young Justice.
Collected edition
Some issues of the second series were collected in a trade paperback along with other material and some original work in 1989, 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 (ISBN 0930289501). The focus was on DC's major characters: origin of the Justice League team (#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.
Characters featured in the 2014–15 series
1 (June 2014): Superman, Robin (Dick Grayson), Supergirl
