Origin Retcons

[DrNewGod]

The idea that, when Barry Allen sacrificed himself in the original Crisis, he was hurled backwards in time to become the lightning bolt that gave him his powers is brilliant.

Even at the time, I thought that Bolt To The Past gimmick would have worked better had it been Wally's accident that it caused, rather than Barry's. I'm not a fan of destiny loops (IMO, they make the characters feel like pawns, rather than heroes), and it would been another example of the torch passing.

[Sandy Hausler]

Jason Todd's origin, pre-Crisis, was basically a copy/paste of Dick's. Except Jason was blonde.

And Jason's parents were killed helping Batman.

[j9ac9k]

The various retcons surrounding GL's origins have been situational or odd, but rarely stick. At one point, Abin Sur crashed because he was duped by the Five Inversions, then it was because of Legion, then it was because of Atrocitus. Guy was retconned in as being chosen as well, but wasn't as close, then John was well, but he was too young. In "ACW", Clark Kent was chosen first and *he* picked Hal. And then there was the lobotomy thing to make Hal literally "fearless", then later Kyle's father somehow got involved, etc. None of that seems to stick though - it's always Hal was chosen by a dying alien who crashed in his ship. That never changes so all the rest of it, even the horrible ones from "ACW" never matter.

[Electricmastro]

In More Fun Comics #52 (1940), the Spectre was originally a dead cop who was told his mission by the heavens. In the 1992 Spectre series, the Spectre was an angel of judgment, cast out from heaven and became the vessel of God's wrath.

[Tzigone]

The various retcons surrounding GL's origins have been situational or odd, but rarely stick. At one point, Abin Sur crashed because he was duped by the Five Inversions, then it was because of Legion, then it was because of Atrocitus. Guy was retconned in as being chosen as well, but wasn't as close, then John was well, but he was too young. In "ACW", Clark Kent was chosen first and *he* picked Hal. And then there was the lobotomy thing to make Hal literally "fearless", then later Kyle's father somehow got involved, etc. None of that seems to stick though - it's always Hal was chosen by a dying alien who crashed in his ship. That never changes so all the rest of it, even the horrible ones from "ACW" never matter.

Hal's #1 origin does seem to come back through. Even the ship never goes away (so far as I know).

[DrNewGod]

Dr. Fate was originally an orphan trained by an ancient sorcerer as the sorcerer's successor. The sorcerer later became a Lord of Order, who had deliberately murdered Kent Nelson's father, and who prepared Nelson to be his sock puppet when wearing the helmet containing the sorcerer's persona and memories.

[Tzigone]

Dr. Fate was originally an orphan trained by an ancient sorcerer as the sorcerer's successor. The sorcerer later became a Lord of Order, who had deliberately murdered Kent Nelson's father, and who prepared Nelson to be his sock puppet when wearing the helmet containing the sorcerer's persona and memories.

There does seem to have been a larger number of older or mentorish figures being retconned into evilness. Not just mentors. I mean, there's Niles Caulder, too. Really just good characters retconned into bad ones. I don't like it.

[Quasar's Bands]

There does seem to have been a larger number of older or mentorish figures being retconned into evilness. Not just mentors. I mean, there's Niles Caulder, too. Really just good characters retconned into bad ones. I don't like it.

Oh, see, that's one of the ones I LIKE. Niles Caulder always came across as mean and creepy to me, even in the original run. I liked that eventually the truth came out and he caused the "accidents" that turned the three characters into freaks, and I REALLY liked that change to Elasti-Girl, making her not just a beautiful, stretchy Mr. Fantastic, but in fact a big blog that must concentrate on keeping her face and visage. It helped make HER more of a misfit like the others in the Doom Patrol.

I thought the focus on Barry's mother's death, and father's incarceration, wasn't bad, and I liked the explanation of why Abin Sur was flying a spacecraft when he crashed instead of flying using the ring. It always seemed odd to me that a Green Lantern was flying a space craft.

I HATE the "Speed Force is Barry" thing and predict it will eventually go away, I LIKE the recent modification to Carter Hall's story to tie to both time and space (and apparently hundreds of former selves), and I've liked over the years the expansion of Reed Richards from "smart guy" to SON of a "smart guy who was part of SHIELD and adventurers around with Howard Stark!"

[Tzigone]

I dislike every single one of those. Some more than others.

edit: Except Abin Sur. I have no idea what his current story is.

[Frontier]

Dr. Fate was originally an orphan trained by an ancient sorcerer as the sorcerer's successor. The sorcerer later became a Lord of Order, who had deliberately murdered Kent Nelson's father, and who prepared Nelson to be his sock puppet when wearing the helmet containing the sorcerer's persona and memories.

Dang, I know Nabu's been a lot more morally ambiguous lately, but I didn't think he got that morally ambiguous .