History MetaOrigin / MarvelUniverse

** In''ComicBook/MarvelKnightsSpiderMan'' #9, it was explained that, after World War II, big businessmen had feared superheroes would start interfering with politics and business, so they created most of the early supervillains, to keep them busy and make sure that ReedRichardsIsUseless. This hasn't been mentioned again since, and may have fallen into AudienceAlienatingEra status. Although it should be noted that the fourth issue of Daniel Way's Bullseye miniseries threw out the same concept at the same time (they were published the same month) [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike with no apparent contact between the two writers.]]

* In ''Marvel Knights ComicBook/SpiderMan'' #9, it was explained that, after World War II, big businessmen had feared superheroes would start interfering with politics and business, so they created most of the early supervillains, to keep them busy and make sure that ReedRichardsIsUseless. This hasn't been mentioned again since, and may have fallen into AudienceAlienatingEra status. Although it should be noted that the fourth issue of Daniel Way's Bullseye miniseries threw out the same concept at the same time (they were published the same month) [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike with no apparent contact between the two writers.]]

* ''ComicBook/SpiderManChapterOne'' retconned and fused Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus' origins.
* ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan2022'' reveals that [[spoiler:Madame Monstrosity, a brand-new villainess, is not only the mother of the creators of Scorpion and the Human Fly, but her work in human-animal hybrids was not only used in their creations, but also the creations of the Lizard, the Rhino, turning [[ComicBook/{{Morbius}} Dr. Michael Morbius]]] into a Living Vampire and (possibly) Spider-Boy. It's also revealed the reason most of those characters went bugnuts insane is because she got angry her work got used and she altered things to get revenge]].

* In ComicBook/UltimateMarvel, everyone who isn't a mutant, an alien or a god has their powers derived from the SuperSoldier project or one of its offshoots. The mini-series ''ComicBook/UltimateOrigins'' elaborates on the Meta Origin and how it connects everything else; [[spoiler: it seems that the {{mutants}}, too, owe their origin to the project]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'', ComicBook/TheFalcon's wings and costume are actually a suit of PoweredArmor he made with help from his teammate [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]].

** In ''Film/{{The Incredible Hulk|2008}}'', both Bruce Banner[=/=]the Hulk and Emil Blonsky[=/=]the Abomination gained their powers through attempts to replicate Captain America's SuperSerum. Banner thought he was researching ways to resist radiation and had no idea what his superiors were really after. Emil Blonsky's version of the serum seemed to work just fine, but when the Hulk still curb-stomped him, he got greedy and demanded that he be injected with [[spoiler:a large sample of Banner's irradiated blood, which [[GoneHorriblyRight goes horribly right]]]].

*** In ''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'', Ronan the Accuser gets his enhanced strength from having the Power Stone embedded in his hammer.
*** In ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', ComicBook/ScarletWitch, ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}}, ComicBook/TheVision and ComicBook/{{Ultron}} himself are all created in some form or another by the Mind Stone; Ultron achieved sentience after being connected to it, the twins gained their powers from experimentation with it, and the Vision achieved both his sentience and his energy-blasts from the Stone being embedded in his forehead.
*** The Eye of Agamotto from ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}'' contains the Time Stone, which gives it its powers.
*** [[spoiler:The movie ''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'' revealed that the titular hero's powers actually were the result of her being caught in an explosion of a space engine powered by the Tesseract, meaning her powers are derived from the Space Stone.]]
** In the [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary material]] for ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', it's revealed that ComicBook/TheFalcon's military exoskeleton was designed by [[Film/IronMan Stark Industries]], presumably utilizing technology similar to what is found in by Tony's Iron Man suits.
*** The weapons used by the soldiers in ''Film/{{The Incredible Hulk|2008}}'' were ''also'' designed by Stark Industries. In fact, the sonic weapon seems to be the big brother of [[spoiler:the sonic paralyzer Stane uses on Tony]] at the start of the final act of ''Iron Man''.
** ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' [[spoiler: establishes that ComicBook/{{HYDRA}} was originally an ancient cult worshiping a powerful Inhuman who had been exiled from Earth.]] HYDRA was the proximate cause of much of the preceding: their actions led to the creation of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (later SHIELD) in response, which led to the creation of the Super Soldier Project, HYDRA were the ones who uncovered the Tesseract and began using it, uncovering the Tesseract led to Loki's invasion that created the Avengers, and HYDRA was also responsible for the creation of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (which accidentally led to Tony Stark creating Ultron). All of this can therefore be directly connected [[spoiler: to the Kree having attempted to create supersoldiers out of humans (creating the first Inhumans) in the ancient past]].

** In ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'', Matt Murdock's costume and [[IconicItem billy clubs]] are designed and built by Melvin Potter ("Gladiator"), who has also built Wilson Fisk's armor-weave suits that give him the appearance of being invulnerable. [[note]] Many of Fisk's earliest appearances strongly hinted at him having super-strength and invulnerability powers, due to him being [[{{Acrofatic}} improbably muscular for someone of his girth]].[[/note]] [[Film/TheAvengers2012 The "Incident"]] also provides a handy justification for Matt and Foggy [[FriendsRentControl being able to start their own law practice in New York right out of college]]: it turns out that an alien invasion can really bring down real estate prices, even in one of the world's most expensive cities. Likewise, the Incident doing a number to Hell's Kitchen is a handy way to explain how it's gentrification has been reversed and crime increased to a level reminiscent to how it was in the 70's.

* The 1990s ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' has the science of "Neogenics", which is basically the science of applying LegoGenetics to an existing life-form (why take years to grow your super-mutant to adulthood when you can zap someone who is already an adult?) in a process that involves a kind of radiation. The spider that bit Peter hadn't been zapped by generic radiation, but with a "neogenic recombinator". Neogenics goes on to be responsible for the transformations of Lizard, Scorpion, Vulture, and Morbius, mostly preserving their comic-book origins but pulling them together in a way that makes it a bit more plausible than a bunch of MillionToOneChance accidents.
** Interestingly, Morbius is the only vampire created by the "mix human and bat DNA" method; ComicBook/{{Blade}} and his enemies appear to be the supernatural real deal. However, vampire queen Miriam ([[spoiler: ''Blade's mom'' has moved up in the world, hasn't she?]]) is more than happy to "borrow" the Neogenic Recombinator and mass-produce Morbius-like vampires.

* In ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012'', both ComicBook/{{Venom}} and Carnage are genetically-engineered from samples of Spider-Man's blood, while the Rhino, the Lizard and the Vulture are all products of ComicBook/DoctorOctopus. Additionally, the Awesome Android is a ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} project created by Curt Connors, and ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee and protege of ComicBook/NickFury. [[UnreliableNarrator Or at least, claims to be.]]

** Likewise, this show makes the Extremis formula into an another attempt at recreating the SuperSerum, even though they're entirely unrelated in the comics.
** It also establishes ComicBook/DoctorDoom's PoweredArmor as something engineered from [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum Makluan technology]], much like the Mandarin's [[RingOfPower rings]]. Likewise, the Grey Gargoyle is reimagined as one of the Makluan's guardians, rather than a human scientist who gave himself superpowers.

* In ''Marvel Knights ComicBook/SpiderMan'' #9, it was explained that, after World War II, big businessmen had feared superheroes would start interfering with politics and business, so they created most of the early supervillains, to keep them busy and make sure that ReedRichardsIsUseless. This hasn't been mentioned again since, and may have fallen into DorkAge status. Although it should be noted that the fourth issue of Daniel Way's Bullseye miniseries threw out the same concept at the same time (they were published the same month) [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike with no apparent contact between the two writers.]]

* The 1990s ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' has the science of "Neogenics", which is basically the science of applying LegoGenetics to an existing life-form (why take years to grow your super-mutant to adulthood when you can zap someone who is already an adult?) in a process that involves a kind of radiation. The spider that bit Peter hadn't been zapped by generic [[ILoveNuclearPower radiation]], but with a "neogenic recombinator". Neogenics goes on to be responsible for the transformations of Lizard, Scorpion, Vulture, and Morbius, mostly preserving their comic-book origins but pulling them together in a way that makes it a bit more plausible than a bunch of MillionToOneChance accidents.

** Also, in the "Six Forgotten Warriors" arc, attempts at recreating ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's SuperSerum were responsible for five other [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] heroes (the Destroyer, the Whizzer, Miss America, the Thunderer and the Black Marvel) as well as Black Cat, and even Omega Red from the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon.

** In ''Film/{{The Incredible Hulk|2008}}, both Bruce Banner[=/=]the Hulk and Emil Blonsky[=/=]the Abomination gained their powers through attempts to replicate Captain America's SuperSerum. Banner thought he was researching ways to resist radiation and had no idea what his superiors were really after. Emil Blonsky's version of the serum seemed to work just fine, but when the Hulk still curb-stomped him, he got greedy and demanded that he be injected with [[spoiler:a large sample of Banner's irradiated blood, which [[GoneHorriblyRight goes horribly right]]]].

* In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, both Banner[=/=][[Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008 the Hulk]] and Emil Blonsky[=/=]the Abomination gained their powers through attempts to replicate Film/{{Captain America|The First Avenger}}'s SuperSerum. Banner thought he was researching ways to resist radiation and had no idea what his superiors were really after. Emil Blonsky's version of the serum seemed to work just fine, but when the Hulk still curb-stomped him, he got greedy and demanded that he be injected with [[spoiler:a large sample of Banner's irradiated blood, which [[GoneHorriblyRight goes horribly right]]]].

The Marvel Universe has SufficientlyAdvancedAlien AncientAstronauts called the "Celestials", who did experiments millions of years ago on proto-humanity, creating the offshoot races known as Comicbook/TheEternals and Deviants, as well as putting in the "X-gene", which causes the wide variety of super-powered mutants in the MU.

* In ''Comicbook/EarthX'', '''everything''' is a direct-or-indirect result of Celestial manipulation. The superhumans, ComicBook/TheInhumans, the Kree, the Skrulls, and even the Asgardians. To make a long story short, everybody on Earth has the potential to have superpowers (usually activated by radioactivity or the Terrigen Mists) because they are the antibodies protecting what's inside the planet: an infant Celestial ready to hatch and destroy its shell.
* In ''Marvel Knights Comicbook/SpiderMan'' #9, it was explained that, after World War II, big businessmen had feared superheroes would start interfering with politics and business, so they created most of the early supervillains, to keep them busy and make sure that ReedRichardsIsUseless. This hasn't been mentioned again since, and may have fallen into DorkAge status. Although it should be noted that the fourth issue of Daniel Way's Bullseye miniseries threw out the same concept at the same time (they were published the same month) [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike with no apparent contact between the two writers.]]

** In the Golden Age flashback miniseries ''TheMarvelsProject'', it's implied that the super-soldier serum was derived from Atlantean DNA.

* Creator/NeilGaiman's ''ComicBook/{{Marvel 1602}}'' empowers Elizabethan-era [[CaptainErsatz Captains Ersatz]] of mainstream Marvel characters by sending [[spoiler:ComicBook/CaptainAmerica back in time during a failed execution attempt, which "signals" to the universe that it's time for superheroes to start showing up.]]
* Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/NewXMen'' run revealed that ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} was the product of a larger project dubbed Weapon Plus, which was also responsible for the creation of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and the Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} foe Nuke, among others.
* It's also since been implied in ''Comicbook/SecretAvengers'' that both Captain America and ComicBook/LukeCage owe their origins to John Steele, a Golden Age superhero who was captured and experimented upon by German scientists (one of whom was Professor Erskine, the man who would later create the [[SuperSerum Super Soldier Serum]]).

* ''Comicbook/{{Infinity}}'' and the followup, ''Comicbook/{{Inhumanity}}'', reveal that numerous humans across the globe possess dormant [[ComicBook/TheInhumans Inhuman]] genes, which can activate when they are exposed to the Terrigen Mists.

* Previously unconnected PowerCrystal using superhumans were connected by establishing the Lifestone Tree as a collaboration of eight [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum alien races]] to empower a group to protect them all deemed the Comicbook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy.
* ''Comicbook/TheAvengersJasonAaron'' returns to the Celestial idea, revealing that millions of years ago, a diseased Celestial infected Earth's primordial waters and was subsequently buried deep underground. This infection spread across the entire planet and eventually caused the superhuman boom many years later.

** ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' [[spoiler: establishes that Comicbook/{{HYDRA}} was originally an ancient cult worshiping a powerful Inhuman who had been exiled from Earth.]] HYDRA was the proximate cause of much of the preceding: their actions led to the creation of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (later SHIELD) in response, which led to the creation of the Super Soldier Project, HYDRA were the ones who uncovered the Tesseract and began using it, uncovering the Tesseract led to Loki's invasion that created the Avengers, and HYDRA was also responsible for the creation of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (which accidentally led to Tony Stark creating Ultron). All of this can therefore be directly connected [[spoiler: to the Kree having attempted to create supersoldiers out of humans (creating the first Inhumans) in the ancient past]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'', both Comicbook/{{Venom}} and Carnage are genetically-engineered from samples of Spider-Man's blood, while the Rhino, the Lizard and the Vulture are all products of Comicbook/DoctorOctopus. Additionally, the Awesome Android is a ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} project created by Curt Connors, and ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee and protege of ComicBook/NickFury. [[UnreliableNarrator Or at least, claims to be.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'', ComicBook/TheFalcon's wings and costume are actually a suit of PoweredArmor he made with help from his teammate [[Comicbook/IronMan Tony Stark]].

** It also establishes Comicbook/DoctorDoom's PoweredArmor as something engineered from [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum Makluan technology]], much like the Mandarin's [[RingOfPower rings]]. Likewise, the Grey Gargoyle is reimagined as one of the Makluan's guardians, rather than a human scientist who gave himself superpowers.

** In ''ComicBook/{{Newuniversal}}'' (a reboot of the Creator/NewUniverse concepts), Earth enters a region of space monitored by a vast, ancient computer system that empowers several humans to help the world adapt to the new physical laws. It's shown that this has happened before, but previous attempts only created a small number of superhumans and eventually failed.

** In the [[UltimateUniverse reimagined]] ''[[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse newuniversal]]'' [sic] series, the Earth enters a region of space controlled by a vast, ancient computer system that empowers several humans as heralds to help humanity adapt to the new physical laws. It's shown that this has happened before, but was interfered with by other humans each time.

** Nitro is a mutant rather than the product of Kree experimentation like he was in the original ''ComicBook/CaptainMarVell'' comics.

* ''Comicbook/JasonAaronsAvengers'' returns to the Celestial idea, revealing that millions of years ago, a diseased Celestial infected Earth's primordial waters and was subsequently buried deep underground. This infection spread across the entire planet and eventually caused the superhuman boom many years later.

* In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, both Banner[=/=][[Film/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk]] and Emil Blonsky[=/=]the Abomination gained their powers through attempts to replicate Film/{{Captain America|The First Avenger}}'s SuperSerum. Banner thought he was researching ways to resist radiation and had no idea what his superiors were really after. Emil Blonsky's version of the serum seemed to work just fine, but when the Hulk still curb-stomped him, he got greedy and demanded that he be injected with [[spoiler:a large sample of Banner's irradiated blood, which [[GoneHorriblyRight goes horribly right]]]].

*** In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', Ronan the Accuser gets his enhanced strength from having the Power Stone embedded in his hammer.

*** The weapons used by the soldiers in ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' were ''also'' designed by Stark Industries. In fact, the sonic weapon seems to be the big brother of [[spoiler:the sonic paralyzer Stane uses on Tony]] at the start of the final act of ''Iron Man''.

** In ''Series/Daredevil2015'', Matt Murdock's costume and [[IconicItem billy clubs]] are designed and built by Melvin Potter ("Gladiator"), who has also built Wilson Fisk's armor-weave suits that give him the appearance of being invulnerable. [[note]] Many of Fisk's earliest appearances strongly hinted at him having super-strength and invulnerability powers, due to him being [[{{Acrofatic}} improbably muscular for someone of his girth]].[[/note]] [[Film/TheAvengers2012 The "Incident"]] also provides a handy justification for Matt and Foggy [[FriendsRentControl being able to start their own law practice in New York right out of college]]: it turns out that an alien invasion can really bring down real estate prices, even in one of the world's most expensive cities. Likewise, the Incident doing a number to Hell's Kitchen is a handy way to explain how it's gentrification has been reversed and crime increased to a level reminiscent to how it was in the 70's.

!!Franchise/MarvelUniverse

* It's also since been implied in ''Comicbook/SecretAvengers'' that both Captain America and ComicBook/{{Luke Cage|HeroForHire}} owe their origins to John Steele, a Golden Age superhero who was captured and experimented upon by German scientists (one of whom was Professor Erskine, the man who would later create the [[SuperSerum Super Soldier Serum]]).

* ''ComicBook/SpiderManChapterOne'' retconned and fused Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus' origins.