Super-powered characters have intriguing Origins that help explain their Powers, even if those characters don’t always fully understand how or why. Some characters—like mutants—were born with their Powers. Others gained them accidentally, through some strange and often unrepeatable scientific experiment or mishap. Still others acquired their Powers through years of hard work or diligent study. And some don’t really have Powers at all but instead rely on technological wizardry.

Several Origins are listed here. Each comes with a package of Traits and tags that are defined later in this chapter. Additionally, some come with Powers, which are described in Chapter 7.

If you don’t find the origin you want for your character listed here, feel free to make up new ones on your own. Just be sure to get your Narrator’s approval before you use them in play.

The labels associated with some Origins can change over time and with the particular setting of a game. For instance, at the time the X-Men were founded, being a mutant meant being Hounded for being different. In more modern tales, mutants are still Hounded, but they are also welcome to become citizens of the mutant homeland of Krakoa, which comes with certain privileges.

Note that the Powers listed here do not come for free. When creating a character, these Powers must be picked first.

The Origins available in the Quickstart Rules are the following. More can be found in the Core Rulebook.

• High Tech
• High Tech - Pym Particles
• Inhuman
• Special Training
• Unknown
• Weird Science