Originators is the name given to the set of races that lived in Wakanda before humans, humans and the Gods of Wakanda (known as The Orisha) drove the Originators for the Nether-Realms.

The Originators were freed by Sefako the Adversary, who proclaimed himself as a new god of Wakanda, in the arc The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, the Queen Ramonda strikes a deal to defeat Emperor N'Jadaka.

The races are:

• Simbi: A serpent race, descendant of Set.
• Vanya: A race of ape, descendants of Ghekre, the gorilla god of the Jabari Tribe.
• Anansi, an arachnid race.

• Creeping Doom: An insectoid race.

• Ibeji: A two-headed humanoid race.

• Children of Olokun: A sea-creature race.

Creation

Originators were created by Ta-Nehisi Coates in Black Panther vol. 6 (2016-2018).

Anansi has the same name of as an African god associated with spiders.

Vanyan resembles the White Apes from the Jabari-Lands.

Ibeji and Children of Olokun were not named during Coates' run, the names were given by Karama Horne in the book Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda (2022), and both are inspired by Yoruba mythology, Ibeji is an orisha represented by a pair of twins and Olokun is an orisha of the waters. the book also establishes the parentage of Vanyan (Ghekre) and Simbi (Set).