The term 'Mary Sue' originated in 1973 from a parody Star Trek fan fiction story by Paula Smith, featuring a character named Lieutenant Mary Sue. It was intended to satirize the trend of young writers creating impossibly talented, idealized versions of themselves. Over the decades, the term has evolved into a widespread cultural critique used to describe protagonists who lack meaningful flaws or face no significant challenges in their narrative journey. While often used in literary and cinematic debates, the meme version typically features characters who are inexplicably skilled at everything they do, serving as shorthand for poor character development or blatant wish-fulfillment writing.