Whether in comics or on television or at the movies, a well-told origin story is a satisfying experience. You get the background of the character, their strengths and faults and how they came to be. And when it comes to heroes and villains, you get at least some of the motivations that drive them in whatever quest they may be on. 

In general, hero and villain origin stories tend to be fairly standard, with variations on upbringing, family life and just what traumatic event it was that put the character on their path seeking justice, vengeance or wanting to see the world burn. Geeks know this and we expect it. But the enjoyment is in the details. Sure, much like a load of other heroes since he first came on the scene, Batman was orphaned. But unlike other kids, his parents were killed in front of him, possibly by the criminal who later became his arch-nemesis (depending on which version of the story you follow). Plus, he had money and was intelligent enough to know he had to get some training and find people to build him some gadgets so he could fight crime. Those are the things that stick out in the story, that keep your interest – not simply the whys but the hows.

Take the new movie Logan, for example. Sure, most people are looking at it as the final chapter in the stories of a couple of primary X-Men characters, but it’s more than that. It’s a really good origin story – actually, two of them. The obvious origin is for X-23 (Laura) who, if you’re not familiar with comics, has taken over as Wolverine in the Marvel universe. As a scientific experiment, she was born an orphan and, in Logan, finds her father and begins to come into her own. The second origin story is a little less obvious, but it’s the rest of the mutant children, who might go on to become members of the New Mutants and X-Force (that parts up in the air, especially as Fox has movies for both teams in the works). But this movie showed you just enough back story about all of these kids that none of that’s going to be needed in films focusing on them.

One of the best on-screen origin stories for a hero and villain is Unbreakable. It’s a must-see for anyone into superheroes. And the best thing about the movie is you have no idea that it’s a superhero film until the end. There’s a familiar storyline and some hints throughout that this is the beginning of something, but until the climactic confrontation between David and Mr. Glass, you have no idea. Of course, it is a M. Night Shyamalan movie so some kind of twist is expected. But it’s a great movie even on multiple watchings when you know what it really is.

Even fans complain about the overuse of origin stories in movies, but a lot of the time it’s necessary. Every character has a different motivation, a different trigger and it’s good for the audience to understand what that is and what sets it off. Of course, that doesn’t mean there needs to be an entire movie delving into an origin – that’s just not necessary anymore, considering the popularity of superhero movies, even for mainstream fans. But a short synopsis, a few flashbacks – not even all the details – help to flesh out the characters, make them more relateable ad get the audience invested in what happens to them. Without a good beginning, people just aren’t going to care as much about the end.