History MetaOrigin / TheDCU

* In ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', Solomon Grundy, [[spoiler: Roy Harper, and [[ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} Slade Wilson]]]] all got their powers from a Japanese SuperSerum dubbed "[[ComicBook/HourMan Mirakuru]]".
* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', the hero and most of his villains got their powers from [[MagicalParticleAccelerator a particle accelerator explosion that occurred at S.T.A.R. Labs]]. The lightning that struck Barry came from a cloud that had been altered by the explosion, with the Speed Force still serving as an unifying factor for speedsters' powers.

The DC Universe copied the Marvel concept when they introduced the "metagene" in the 1988 CrisisCrossover ''[[Comicbook/InvasionDCComics Invasion!]]''. When someone with this gene underwent a moment of extraordinary physical stress, the gene would activate, giving them some ability that would allow them to handle it. Any character who doesn't have powers from some other, explicit source is assumed to be a "metahuman". (A similar explanation is at least {{Fanon}} with Marvel; when you get superpowers from a FreakLabAccident or magic [[RadiationInducedSuperpowers radiation]] or [[LightningCanDoAnything electricity]] instead of the more likely horrible death, maybe it's because you were a mutant that just needed a kick-start for your powers to activate?)

* The titular hero of ''ComicBook/{{Hitman}}'' once recapped his origin from the 1992 CrisisCrossover "Bloodlines", and said "Even ''I'' think it's embarrassing." Said origin involved said metahumans having a specialized reaction that allowed them to survive when aliens with a taste for spinal fluid fed on them.

** It links most [[SuperSpeed super-speed]] heroes (like Franchise/TheFlash) by positing that they draw the energy needed to break physics like they do (including the RequiredSecondaryPowers to survive the process) from an extradimensional power source; it's implied that the Speed Force has a will of its own and needs to "notice" you to give you its powers, and it's also implied to be a sort of Heaven/Valhalla for dead speedsters.

* Creator/AlanMoore's run on ''ComicBook/SwampThing'' established that all characters with plant powers ([[Franchise/{{Batman}} Poison Ivy]], [[ComicBook/TheAtom Floronic Man]], etc.) were connected to "the Green". Creator/NeilGaiman later added ComicBook/BlackOrchid, and revealed most of them were at university together. ''ComicBook/AnimalMan'' parallels it by establishing that Animal Man and all animal-based characters ([[Comicbook/TeenTitans Beast Boy]], [[Comicbook/DemonKnights Horsewoman]], ComicBook/{{Vixen}} etc.) are connected to "the Red". The Comicbook/{{New 52}} keeps this.

* The ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'' uses a Kryptonian scout ship that crashed on Earth thousands of years ago as a point of reference to minimize the typical ContrivedCoincidence in comic book stories. It explains how Krypton knew of Earth in the first place, and when [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark]] finds the ship it sends out a beacon that fellow Kryptonian General Zod was able to track back to Earth. In the comics, Doomsday appeared in ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' initially without an origin, but was later given a complex backstory as a genetically engineered LivingWeapon originating from Krypton in the distant past, bounced around from one planet to another before crashing on Earth and remaining dormant until the modern age. In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' the "Kryptonian LivingWeapon" premise is more or less intact, but ComicBook/LexLuthor creates him using the database and technology within the scout ship to reanimate General Zod's corpse, also creating a CompositeCharacter.

* In ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', Solomon Grundy, [[spoiler: Roy Harper, and [[Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}} Slade Wilson]]]] all got their powers from a Japanese SuperSerum dubbed "[[ComicBook/HourMan Mirakuru]]".

** Season 2 introduced the concept of the metagene into animation, with the explanation that a small percentage of the human race possessed the genetic potential to develop superpowers in times of duress. Comicbook/{{Static}}, Neutron, and [[CaptainErsatz Captain Ersatzes]] of the four CanonForeigner {{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}} all got their powers from metagene experiments by the Reach, as opposed to the comics, where they all had separate and wildly different origins.

** Matt Hagen was transformed into Clayface after being trapped in Comicbook/RasAlGhul's Lazarus Pit for too long, the Lazarus Pit filling in for the mystical pool that gave Matt his powers in the comics.

* In Comicbook/TheNew52 ''Fury of Comicbook/{{Firestorm}}'' book, the Firestorm Protocols have empowered not just the two Firestorms, but Pozhar, Firehawk and Hurricane.

** Season 2 introduced the concept of the metagene into animation, with the explanation that a small percentage of the human race possessed the genetic potential to develop superpowers in times of duress. Comicbook/{{Static}}, Neutron, and [[CaptainErsatz Captain Ersatzes]] of the four CanonForeigner {{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}} all got their powers from metagenes, as opposed to the comics, where they all had separate and wildly different origins.

* Creator/ScottSnyder's Batman run reveals that millions of years ago, a meteor struck the Earth and brought to it strange new chemicals and metals. The same meteor that would immortalize Vandal Savage. It's from these chemicals and metals that the Lazarus Pit was also created. It's also what [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane probably possibly maybe]] gave the Joker [[JokerImmunity immortality]] and he's been around far before Gotham was even an idea.

** Matt Hagen was transformed into Clayface after being trapped in Comicbook/RasAlGhul's Lazarus Pit for too long.
** The show's [[AllThereInTheManual tie-in comic]] provides a coherent Meta Origin for the various KillerGorilla characters DC has (Monsieur Mallah, Gorilla Grodd, Ultra-Humanite, and Congorilla) by establishing that they were all part of a troop of gorillas that had been captured and experimented upon.

* Interestingly, the reason for the extreme variance and unusual circumstances of activation is because millions of years back during humanity's infancy, the White Martian race studied humanity and performed experiments on them, changing their genetics, specially the nature of what would be the metagene. The group of renegades who did this (the Hyperclan) was imprisoned in the Still Zone as punishment. Had the White Martians not interfered with primitive humans, humanity would've evolved into a more uniformly powered race, much like Kryptonians and Daxamites did.

** It links most [[SuperSpeed super-speed]] heroes (like Franchise/TheFlash) by positing that they draw the energy needed to break physics like they do from an extradimensional power source; it's implied that the Speed Force has a will of its own and needs to "notice" you to give you its powers, and it's also implied to be a sort of Heaven/Valhalla for dead speedsters.

The DC Universe copied the Marvel concept when they introduced the "metagene" in the 1988 CrisisCrossover ''[[Comicbook/InvasionDCComics Invasion!]]''. When someone with this gene underwent a moment of extraordinary physical stress, the gene would activate, giving them some ability that would allow them to handle it. Any character who doesn't have powers from some other, explicit source is assumed to be a "metahuman". (A similar explanation is at least {{Fanon}} with Marvel; when you get superpowers from a FreakLabAccident or magic [[ILoveNuclearPower radiation]] or [[LightningCanDoAnything electricity]] instead of the more likely horrible death, maybe it's because you were a mutant that just needed a kick-start for your powers to activate?)

The DC Universe copied the Marvel concept when they introduced the "metagene" in the 1988 CrisisCrossover ''[[Comicbook/InvasionDCComics Invasion!]]!''. When someone with this gene underwent a moment of extraordinary physical stress, the gene would activate, giving them some ability that would allow them to handle it. Any character who doesn't have powers from some other, explicit source is assumed to be a "metahuman". (A similar explanation is at least {{Fanon}} with Marvel; when you get superpowers from a FreakLabAccident or magic [[ILoveNuclearPower radiation]] or [[LightningCanDoAnything electricity]] instead of the more likely horrible death, maybe it's because you were a mutant that just needed a kick-start for your powers to activate?)

** The titular hero of ''ComicBook/{{Hitman}}'' once recapped his origin from the 1992 CrisisCrossover "Bloodlines", and said "Even ''I'' think it's embarrassing." Said origin involved said metahumans having a specialized reaction that allowed them to survive when aliens with a taste for spinal fluid fed on them.
* It also has the "Speed Force", which links most [[SuperSpeed super-speed]] heroes (like Franchise/TheFlash) by positing that they draw the energy needed to break physics like they do from an extradimensional power source; it's implied that the Speed Force has a will of its own and needs to "notice" you to give you its powers, and it's also implied to be a sort of Heaven/Valhalla for dead speedsters.
* Post-Flashpoint the Speed Force is what uplifted the gorillas that created Gorilla City. It's also the source of a number of other metahuman powers vaguely related to vibration, acceleration or age regression. One metahuman has invulnerability and force fields from the mutual ability of freezing atoms in place.
* As well, there's the "Godwave" from the CrisisCrossover "Genesis", which was explained as creating both [[PhysicalGod Physical Gods]] and super-powered humans, but that seems to have been [[DorkAge quietly ignored]] since.
** In Creator/MilestoneComics (now part of the DCU), many supers are "Big Bang Babies" who got their powers when a massive gang fight was broken up by cops deploying tear gas that had (without the cops' knowledge) been laced with "quantum juice".

* In the ''Creator/{{Wildstorm}}'' universe (now also part of the DCU), the main sources of powers were either [[HalfHumanHybrid alien ancestry]] (like the ComicBook/WildCATsWildStorm, who were all part or full Kherubim) or the [[ComicBook/{{Gen 13}} Gen-Factor]], a SuperSerum whose results were [[SuperPowerfulGenetics inheritable]]. The Century Babies also often had mysterious abilities, but their origin is unclear.

* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', the hero and most of his villains got their powers from [[MagicalParticleAccelerator a particle accelerator explosion that occurred at S.T.A.R. Labs]]. The lightning that struck Barry came from a cloud that had been altered by the explosion.
** With the Speed Force still serving as an unifying factor for speedsters' powers.

** ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' did the same thing with a few characters, such as having ComicBook/TheCreeper gain his powers after being dumped into a vat of chemicals by ComicBook/TheJoker.
** ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' explicitly ties the origins of ComicBook/WonderWoman and the ComicBook/MartianManhunter to the same alien invasion that leads to the formation of the Justice League, since both characters made their debut in that show without prior introduction. Diana chooses to leave Themyscira to aid the people of "Man's World" against the invaders, refusing to remain safe in the Amazons' island refuge while innocent people die; J'onn J'onzz is a veteran of the invaders' earlier war with the peaceful Martian race, who escapes to Earth to warn humanity about their return, and he's the LastOfHisKind because the invaders slaughtered his people. Note that ComicBook/GreenLantern and [[ComicBook/{{Hawkman}} Hawkgirl]] don't get this treatment, instead being examples of RememberTheNewGuy. [[note]] ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' introduces Kyle Rayner and the Green Lantern Corps, but it's never explained how John Stewart became the Green Lantern, or how Superman and Batman met him before the invasion. No DCAU shows ever tell us how the other superheroes first met the Thanagarian warrior Hawkgirl, though the series finale of ''Justice League'' did finally explain that [[spoiler: she first came to Earth as an advance agent for a Thanagarian invasion.]][[/note]]

* Season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' introduced the concept of the metagene into animation, with the explanation that a small percentage of the human race possessed the genetic potential to develop superpowers in times of duress. Comicbook/{{Static}}, Neutron, and [[CaptainErsatz Captain Ersatzes]] of the four CanonForeigner {{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}} all got their powers from metagenes, as opposed to the comics, where they all had separate and wildly different origins.
** Another, minor example was Bumblebee. In the show, she was the sidekick of ComicBook/TheAtom and got her {{Sizeshifter}} powers from the same white dwarf star matter that her mentor used.

The DC Universe copied the Marvel concept when they introduced the "metagene" in the 1988 CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/{{Invasion}}!''. When someone with this gene underwent a moment of extraordinary physical stress, the gene would activate, giving them some ability that would allow them to handle it. Any character who doesn't have powers from some other, explicit source is assumed to be a "metahuman". (A similar explanation is at least {{Fanon}} with Marvel; when you get superpowers from a FreakLabAccident or magic [[ILoveNuclearPower radiation]] or [[LightningCanDoAnything electricity]] instead of the more likely horrible death, maybe it's because you were a mutant that just needed a kick-start for your powers to activate?)

** In season 3, the same meteor that gave Vandal Savage his powers also mutated his genes to create the first metagene. Therefore, as he passed it down to so many children throughout time, he became the ancestor to every metahuman in the present day. Season 4 continues the trend with the reveal that [[spoiler:he founded Atlantis and was also the ancestor of the magical humans known as ''Homo magi''. When he made Klarion sink Atlantis, the surviving Homo magi in the ocean evolved into the aquatic Atlanteans.]]

** In season 3, the same meteor that gave Vandal Savage his powers also mutated his genes to create the first metagene. Therefore, as he passed it down to so many children throughout time, he became the ancestor to every metahuman in the present day. Season 4 continues the trend with the reveal that [[spoiler:he founded Atlantis and was also the ancestor of the magical humans known as ''Homo magi''.]]

* In the ComicBook/{{New 52}} version of ''[[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsActionComics Action Comics]]'', John Henry Irons (ComicBook/{{Steel}}) and John Corben (Metallo) both got their PoweredArmor from the US Military's "Steel Soldier" project, which was designed by ComicBook/LexLuthor and headed by ComicBook/LoisLane's father, General Sam Lane. Further on, it's also revealed that their suits were reverse-engineered from ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}'s technology, and that Brainiac's psychic influence was the initial cause of Metallo's insanity.

* Season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' introduced the concept of the metagene into animation, with the explanation that a small percentage of the human race possessed the genetic potential to develop superpowers in times of duress. Comicbook/{{Static}}, Neutron, and [[CaptainErsatz Captain Ersatzes]] of the four CanonForeigner {{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}} all got their powers from metagenes, as opposed to the comics, where they all had separate and wildly different origins.

** In season 3, the same meteor that gave Vandal Savage his powers also mutated his genes to create the first metagene. Therefore, as he passed it down to so many children throughout time, he became the ancestor to every metahuman in the present day.

* ''ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal'' reveals that all metahumans have their powers because of trace amounts of Nth Metal in their bodies, tying everything to ComicBook/{{Hawkman}}'s origin as well as other immortal DC characters like the Immortal Man, Ra's al Ghul, Vandal Savage, and the Court of Owls. This is also the basis for the name for metahumans and the meta-gene...because the guy who coined the phrases forgot the L or something.

* In the ''Creator/{{Wildstorm}}'' universe (now also part of the DCU), the main sources of powers were either [[HalfHumanHybrid alien ancestry]] (like the ComicBook/WildCATs, who were all part or full Kherubim) or the [[ComicBook/{{Gen 13}} Gen-Factor]], a SuperSerum whose results were [[SuperPowerfulGenetics inheritable]]. The Century Babies also often had mysterious abilities, but their origin is unclear.

!!Franchise/TheDCU

** The mysterious comet that passed Earth in the 1970's, which was the cause of the powers of the Seedlings, not to mention the all-powerful yet crazed [=WarGuard=].

* It also has the "Speed Force", which links most [[SuperSpeed super-speed]] heroes (like ComicBook/TheFlash) by positing that they draw the energy needed to break physics like they do from an extradimensional power source; it's implied that the Speed Force has a will of its own and needs to "notice" you to give you its powers, and it's also implied to be a sort of Heaven/Valhalla for dead speedsters.