origin story

[ awr-i-jin stawr-ee, or-i-jin ]

noun

1. a backstory, or established background narrative, that informs the identity and motivations of heroes and villains in a comic book or similar fictional work:

   The superhero’s origin story begins with a tragic accident that left him scarred, but also resulted in his supernatural powers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of origin story¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

"But our artifacts are older and from a different area on the map, suggesting the alphabet may have an entirely different origin story than we thought."

From Science Daily

The success marks a neat conclusion to a messy origin story.

From BBC

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “Wicked” tells the origin story of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, before Dorothy arrived in Munchkinland and followed the yellow brick road.

From Los Angeles Times

The trio, who use the stage names Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, released their second album earlier this year alongside a "mostly true" movie depicting their origin story.

From BBC

The film is an adaptation of the stage musical which tells the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz.

From BBC