Where your superhero character gets their extraordinary powers is one of the most important pieces of background information in the genre, and when playing in the dark supers niche, it's arguably the most important.
Unlike their traditional caped counterparts, dark supers characters often inhabit a grey area of their world, caught somewhere between good and evil or man and monster, and are forced to struggle against both society's perceptions of who they are and their own internal conflicts. And that fight typically starts with the origin of their powers.
Did they stumble too close to eldritch entities in their pursuit of knowledge or were they chosen by some unimaginable force seemingly at random? Were they born a creature confined to the shadows or were they made a monster by a nefarious cabal? Are they a fallen angel or a risen demon? Any of those examples paint a very different picture of the sort of character that might develop from those catalysts.
The below table contains fifty possible origins for your dark supers character that you can use if you need additional inspiration. Roll once and leave it to chance, roll a few times and pick your favorite, or simply choose the one you like. There are no wrong ways to use it when creating your character.
d100
Dark Supers - Power Origin
01–02
Cursed bloodline (vampire, werewolf, elder thing, etc.)
03–04
Discovery of blasphemous site
05–06
Practiced ritualist
07–08
Manifested thought-form
09–10
Esoteric study
11–12
Summoned demon
13–14
Techno occultist
15–16
Child of celestial
17–18
Covert paranormal government program
19–20
Immortal guardian
21–22
Earthly embodiment of natural force (death, love, fear, etc.)
23–24
Extreme near-death experience
25–26
Ritual sacrifice survivor
27–28
Child of demon
29–30
Escaped demon
31–32
Holdover from an advanced ancient civilization
33–34
Blessed relic
35–36
Powerful patron entity (unknown)
37–38
Alchemical substance
39–40
Revenant created through foul science
41–42
Cosmic punishment
43–44
Chosen by Death
45–46
Otherworldly being (fey, spirit, jinn, etc.)
47–48
Techno occultic corporate asset
49–50
Possessed
51–52
Rejected by Death
53–54
Fallen celestial
55–56
Forgotten minor deity
57–58
Awakened construct (statue, doll, scarecrow, etc.)
59–60
Indoctrinated into an ancient sect
61–62
Conceived to fulfill a prophecy
63–64
Transfigured by an eldritch knowledge
65–66
Sole survivor of a tragic supernatural event
67–68
Latest in a long line of hunters (demon, witch, monster, etc.)
69–70
Cursed artifact
71–72
Emerged from ley line
73–74
Bound celestial
75–76
Ritual sacrifice result
77–78
Avatar
79–80
Cursed attack (vampire, werewolf, poltergeist, etc.)
81–82
Primordial champion
83–84
Powerful patron entity (known)
85–86
Discovery of sacred site
87–88
Touched by the elder things
89–90
Revived by fate for a purpose
91–92
Latest in a long line of sorcerers
93–94
Mythological species
95–96
Born during an astrological conjunction
97–98
Tainted by occult exposure
99–00
From a dark and uncanny dimension
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