Before there was Captain Starlight, there was Mother Thibideaux.

Passing the torch. The making of a superhero.

The origin story is one of the most fascinating parts of any superhero’s journey. How did they get their powers, and what restrictions are there on their use?

I’ve published several Captain Starlight stories here on my Substack, so I thought it was about time that I gave you the lowdown. I told you in the first story how it had happened, but I didn’t tell you why.

The old woman shuffled slowly down a winding path, beside the slow-moving, dark waters of the secluded creek. The trees, festooned with Spanish Moss, cast deep shadows, yet she moved with confidence, as if it were day.

Around her, the noises of the swamp, the chirping and rustling, paused as she passed. It almost seemed as if nature was holding its breath, waiting to see what this creature would do.

Mother Thibideaux was no stranger to the swamps of Louisiana. She had grown up and lived here all of her long life. Folks knew her as a healer, full of the wisdom and lore of the old world. They would travel for miles for her counsel or to buy a bag of foul-smelling herbs that were cheaper than paying a doctor, and just as effective.

As well as knowing which plants were good for healing, she could see into people’s minds, discern their thoughts and desires and gently nudge their thinking in a certain way. Snakes behaved when they saw her, as did all the other animals of the swamp. People loved and feared her, she was valued and protected from anyone who might seek to abuse her gifts.

Nobody knew and must never find out that she was more than just an eccentric old woman, full of lore. There were some of her powers that she kept to herself, things she could do that would never have been acceptable to ordinary folk. Among other things, she could fly, see in the dark and lift impossible weights. She had only to place her hand in the waters of the creek to summon fish or alligators.

Nobody knew of the special relationship that she had with the full moon, how it recharged her and made the powers that she kept to herself stronger. That was a secret that had been passed down through the females who had preceded her, from the times when such things were accepted as part of life.

Starlight was her only companion as she moved deeper into the swamp. The moon would rise soon, she could feel it in her old bones. She yearned for the surge of energy it would give her. For as much as she was attuned to the power of the moon, she knew with utter certainty that this full moon would be her last on Earth. She had a decision to make, and here, where it had all begun for her, was the best place to do it.

The question was simple. Who should she pass the torch to? Who deserved to be the new guardian of her ancient power? She could remember all those years ago when she had been summoned to this same small clearing by the woman everyone knew as Aunt Clarah.

Clarah was the village midwife. More than that, she had knowledge of healing plants and was wise in the ways of the swamp and its animal life.

“Come with me, child,” the woman had said, “I have a gift for you.” Mother Thibideaux had been Augustina then, she was excited to be singled out for a gift. She had gone without question, ignoring the whispered words of her peers, who were all frightened of the woman and the curses she muttered. Augustina had never been afraid. Clarah had been kind to her family in her way.

Clarah had muttered strange words over Augustina in that glade and made her promise to remember but never to repeat them. She had given her the power over the animals and plants of the swamp and the gift of other abilities as well. Everything that she knew passed between them in the moonlight.

She had been told to be careful in their use, that folk hated what they couldn’t understand and that every full moon she must stand in its light and renew herself. Finally, when her time came, she should choose one woman to pass the legacy on to.

Augustina never saw Clarah again. She vanished after that night. In a changing world, Augustina became Mother Thibideaux and did her best to keep the old ways alive.

But it was a losing battle.

There was little enough for her to do anymore. Society had changed, and the world was a bigger place than this swamp. The thought of hordes of people and the strange machines that she had heard of frightened her; she wanted no part of that world.

Fewer and fewer were her visitors, unwilling to leave familiar surroundings; she knew that she was wasting her power as her time ran out.

Now, as she stood in the clearing, the moon rose. She could feel the rush of energy and knew what she must do. It was time to bring her power into the modern age. And she had the perfect candidate.

There was a local girl she had heard of. Winona was her name. She had the aura of a kind soul, someone who wouldn’t misuse the powers but would use them for great things. She could travel the world if she wanted. She understood modern life and could survive in it. She could do so much good in her time if she had the powers that Mother Thibideaux could pass on to her.

All she had to do was manoeuvre her into this place at the right time. Then it would all be hers.

The Moonlight traced a line across the creek. Mother Thibideaux looked into the water and saw her reflection. As she watched, her face became young and beautiful again.

Her decision was made.

The swamp held its breath as Mother Thibideaux threw back her head and howled at the glossy white orb that had ruled her life.