A Portal Opens: The Birth of an Unlikely Duo
Long before the green swirls of interdimensional travel and the chaos of cosmic adventures, Rick and Morty began as two ordinary family members—one a jaded genius, the other an anxious teenager. But “ordinary” doesn’t last long in the Rick and Morty universe. Their story is an explosion of science, satire, and existential philosophy—a saga that begins with family dysfunction and spirals into infinity. Rick Sanchez, the galaxy’s most brilliant and reckless scientist, wasn’t always the cynical, alcohol-fueled nihilist fans know today. He was once a father, a husband, and a man obsessed with discovery. Morty Smith, his awkward and kind-hearted grandson, didn’t start as an adventurer either—he was just trying to survive high school. Yet, one fateful invention—the portal gun—would forever bind their lives across infinite universes. It began in a quiet garage in suburban America, where Rick returned after years of mysterious absence. His daughter Beth, a horse surgeon still haunted by her father’s departure, reluctantly welcomed him back. But what she didn’t realize was that Rick’s “scientific experiments” would soon pull her son into an odyssey that defied every law of physics—and morality.
Rick Sanchez: Genius, Tragedy, and the Curse of the Mind
Rick’s origin has always been wrapped in contradictions. He’s the smartest man in the universe—a title he wields like a weapon—but his brilliance is both his greatest power and his deepest curse. Some versions of Rick claim he invented the portal gun after being approached by alternate Ricks who tempted him with infinite possibilities. Others hint at tragedy—a wife named Diane, killed in an explosion orchestrated by a version of himself who had grown weary of sentiment. This “Origin of Evil Rick” storyline—seen most vividly in The Ricklantis Mixup and Rickternal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort—paints a chilling picture: Rick C-137, the version we follow, may have once been happy. But grief broke him. His pursuit of knowledge consumed everything he loved, leaving behind a man who laughs in the face of gods but cries when no one’s looking. Rick’s cynicism isn’t born from superiority alone—it’s born from loss. His endless adventures, his detachment from consequence, his mocking of morality—all are shields against the pain of knowing too much.
Morty Smith: The Reluctant Adventurer
Morty, meanwhile, is the perfect counterpoint to Rick’s chaos. Nervous, compassionate, and idealistic, he starts as a reluctant sidekick dragged through wormholes and alien empires. But with each trip, Morty grows. His wide-eyed innocence slowly erodes as he’s exposed to Rick’s morally gray universe—where love, identity, and reality are as fragile as molecules.In early seasons, Morty’s main motivation is survival (and, occasionally, impressing his crush, Jessica). But as his experiences mount—watching civilizations crumble, dying repeatedly, encountering alternate versions of himself—Morty evolves from a tagalong teen into a figure of emotional grounding. He becomes the audience’s conscience in a world that constantly undermines it. Morty asks the questions Rick refuses to. And though Rick often dismisses him, Morty’s influence is undeniable. He is the tether that keeps Rick human—proof that empathy can still exist in a universe that doesn’t care.
The Multiverse of Ricks and Mortys
One of the series’ most fascinating twists is that Rick and Morty’s story isn’t linear—it’s fractal. There are infinite versions of them scattered across the multiverse, each with slightly different histories, personalities, and fates. In Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind, we learn about the Council of Ricks, a bureaucratic order formed by Ricks from different realities. Their existence highlights Rick’s paradoxical nature—he rebels against conformity, yet he cannot escape being one of many. For every Rick who’s a hero, there’s another who’s a tyrant, a murderer, or a god. And for every Morty, there’s a tragedy. Evil Morty, the cunning and ruthless version who breaks free of Rick’s control, embodies the rebellion simmering in every universe. His rise from sidekick to multiversal mastermind marks a turning point in the mythology. Where Rick seeks knowledge, Evil Morty seeks freedom—from the endless cycle of suffering that defines every Rick and Morty’s existence.
Family, Fractured and Framed by Science
Behind the interdimensional satire lies a surprisingly human story: a broken family trying to function under cosmic pressure. Beth idolizes her father’s genius but resents his abandonment. Jerry, her insecure husband, represents everything Rick despises—mediocrity, conformity, emotional need. Summer, Morty’s sister, begins as a bystander but evolves into a daring adventurer herself, unafraid to challenge Rick’s authority. Through their dysfunction, Rick and Morty paints a portrait of modern family life filtered through the lens of absurd science fiction. The garage becomes a metaphor for emotional distance: a place where Rick builds inventions to escape connection, and where Morty follows him hoping to find meaning. Yet even amid nihilism, there’s tenderness. Every so often, between explosions and existential rants, Rick lets slip that he cares—about Morty, about Beth, about family. He just doesn’t know how to show it without blowing something up.
The Philosophy of Chaos: Meaning in Meaninglessness
At its core, the backstory of Rick and Morty is a philosophical tightrope. Rick’s worldview—rooted in absurdism and scientific nihilism—collides with Morty’s instinctive belief in morality. The show constantly challenges both: is life meaningless, or do we create meaning despite it? Rick embodies the godlike detachment of pure reason; Morty embodies the messy, emotional persistence of humanity. Every adventure—whether it’s Cronenberg mutations, sentient pickles, or alien love potions—forces them to confront the same truth: the universe doesn’t care. But they can. That tension—between apathy and empathy—defines their bond. The more Rick insists that nothing matters, the more Morty’s compassion disproves him. Their origin isn’t just the birth of a duo—it’s the birth of a cosmic argument about existence itself.
Alternate Universes and Expanding Lore
Throughout the series, we’ve glimpsed alternate realities that reimagine Rick and Morty’s beginnings. In one, Morty is the genius and Rick the fool. In another, Rick never lost his family and lives peacefully in a utopian timeline. The infamous “Cronenberg Universe,” abandoned after a failed experiment, shows the horrifying consequences of unchecked curiosity. The Citadel of Ricks and Evil Morty’s escape beyond the Central Finite Curve expand the mythology further, suggesting that every universe is manipulated to ensure Ricks remain the smartest beings alive. Evil Morty’s rebellion—to break free of that godlike hierarchy—serves as both a critique and a culmination of Rick’s legacy. It’s a reminder that even infinite intelligence has limits—and that true freedom might mean letting go of control.
Rick and Morty’s Humanity Beneath the Madness
What makes Rick and Morty so compelling isn’t the science or the satire—it’s the sorrow. Beneath the chaos, both characters are searching for something real. Rick hides his loneliness behind genius and alcohol. Morty hides his confusion behind optimism and loyalty. Together, they orbit each other like unstable atoms—always on the brink of collapse, yet always drawn back together. Their story is one of redemption written in loops. No matter how far they travel, no matter how many dimensions they destroy or abandon, they always return to the same garage, the same family, the same questions. In the end, the origin of Rick and Morty isn’t a single event—it’s a cycle. One man’s regret meets one boy’s hope, and together they stumble through infinity, arguing, learning, and proving that even in a universe without meaning, connection still matters.
