ORIGIN
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Cosmic Entity, benevolent
Occupation: Creator
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Caregiver, Contemplator, Kismet, Judicator, Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)
Enemies: Maelstrom, Soul-Eater, Un-Being
Known Relatives: None. Presumably shares an abstract relationship with other cosmic entities, such as Eon, Eternity, Infinity, Lord Chaos, and Master Order
Aliases: Phyllis Twombly (previous human identity), thousands (perhaps millions) or previous identities
Base of Operations: Multiple. Last seen in Kree Galaxy, previously in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
First Appearance: Quasar#18 (January, 1991); (current form) Quasar#36 (July, 1992); (identified) Quasar#47 (June, 1993)
Powers: 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.
Height: (Current form) 50'
Weight: (Current form) Unrevealed
Eyes: (Current form) Black
Hair: (Current form) None
History: 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. 
(Quasar I#23) - As Maelstrom began to use his immense power to halt all motion in the universe, starting with the Earth, Moonglow was amongst the beings with enhanced psychic senses to appreciate the threat.
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.
Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Greg Capullo & Keith Williams.
Origin's about as abstract a character as there is. It's hard to define what it actually could and did do. Other entities (such as Master Order) have also made claims to directing the creation of certain super-beings, such as Spider-Man. Where Origin fits into the hierarchy of Cosmic Beings is unknown.
Origin, as Phyllis Twombly, also made an "appearance" in Marvel Age#102, in Hembeck's page, where she settled a dispute between members of X-Force I and X-Force II over the right to the name. She revealed that the people at Marvel Comics had requested that she turn over the name to the former New Mutants, and she had complied.
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Other appearances:
Quasar#36-37 (July-August, 1992) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Greg
Capullo (pencils), Harry Candelario (inks), Kelly Corvese (editor)
Quasar#40 (November, 1992) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Steve Lightle
& Andy Smith (pencils), Mark McKenna & Ralph Cabrera (inks),
Kelly Corvese (editor)
Quasar#47-49 (June-August, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Andy Smith
(#47-48) & Grant Miehm (#49) (pencils), Ralph Cabrera (inks), Mike
Rockwitz (editor)
Last posted: 09/01/2021 (one of the earliest profiles uploaded to the Appendix)
Last updated: 08/03/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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