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Origin apparently has the power to create super-beings. It does this by taking existing beings, causing the events which give them their powers, and places the ideas for names and costumes into their heads. It also claims to have directed other races, such as the Asgardians, and extra-terrestrial beings, such as the Silver Surfer, Galactus, and the Skrulls, to Earth.
Upon taking a mortal form, Origin assumes the inherent abilities and weaknesses of that race. Although it is extremely long-lived, its mortal forms eventually wear out. As it ages, its powers and range of influence diminish; for example, just before the death of its last mortal host, it was only able to affect a range of five hundred miles.
At the time of its mortal death, it transfers itself into another being that is just being born, anywhere in the universe. As an abstract entity, it apparently cannot be permanently killed. However, destruction of its mortal form, especially at the time of transfer, can weaken it for an undetermined period of time, even preventing it from returning to its previous base.
Its current form is an immense extra-terrestrial infant.
Origin is apparently a cosmic/abstract being, who may be as old as the universe itself, or as old as intelligent life in this universe. For as long as it has existed, it has been opposed by another cosmic/abstract being known as the Un-Being.
For the last five thousand years, Origin has dwelled on Earth. It spent its last six hundred years in the American Mid-West, in the human form of Phyllis Twombly. There she created innumerable super-beings, while at the same time, the Un-Being would uncreate them. Origin had to continually create new beings in order to prevent the Un-Being from wiping them all out of existence. Her host form was growing old, and both entities knew that it would soon die.
Recently, the superhero known as Quasar was summoned to Oshkosh by a super-hero known as Augmento. By the time he arrived, the Un-Being had already uncreated Augmento, and soon uncreated Quasar as well. The Un-Being then duped Wendell Vaughn into believing it was actually Origin, and that Origin was the Un-Being. It altered reality to recreate Quasar and attempted to trick him into slaying Origin, but Quasar saw through the ruse, and destroyed the host form of the Un-Being instead. Origin then redesigned Quasar's costume, thanked him, and prepared to pass on naturally. The retroactively redesigned costume actually served as a temporal anomaly which allowed Quasar to overcome Maelstrom, who had at that time taken over the powers of the cosmic being, the Anomaly.
Origin was reborn in the form of an enormous infant within a gestational sac. It was helpless in this form, and was attacked by the immensely powerful form of the Soul-Eater. Origin was rescued by Quasar, and its wounds were healed by Caregiver, an Elder of the Universe summoned by the Contemplator. Several other Elders (including the Explorer, the Obliterator, and the Possesser; as well as the Skrull posing as the Contemplator) were drawn to the embryo by its power, and sought to make claims to it.
Shortly thereafter, Quasar's existence was nullified by the Ultimate Nullifier. Origin summoned the Quantum Bands to itself for safekeeping. Quasar managed to survive due to his possession of the Starbrand energy, and was informed of the location of his bands by Uatu the Watcher. After Quasar reclaimed his bands, the Elder known as the Judicator judged that Caregiver should retain custody of the embryo throughout its gestation, birth, and neonatal period, however long that might be.
First Appearance: Quasar (1989) #18
View a chronological listing of this character's appearances
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (2006)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (2008)
- 'The Bearable Lightness of Unbeing'#23
- 'Prolog V: The Stillness of the Earth'#36
- 'Soul Cage'#37
- 'Infinity Manifestations'#40
- 'Null and Void'#47
- 'Quantum Quest'#48
- 'Rune with a View'#49
- 'Women on the Verge'
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