ðɪ ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəl ɡɹˈuːp fˈɜːst ɐpˈɪɹd ɪn ɐ spˈɛʃəl ɹˈɪʔn̩ baɪ stˈuːɚt ɪmˈoʊnən pˈʌblɪʃt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti nˈaɪn, ænd ɐ lˈeɪɾɚ mˈɪnɪsˈɪɹiz ɹˈɪʔn̩ baɪ fˈæbiən nˌɪsiˈɛzə, wˌɪtʃ wʌz pˈʌblɪʃt ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd.
The original group first appeared in a special written by Stuart Immonen published in 1999, and a later mini-series written by Fabian Nicieza, which was published in 2000.