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Post by MWGallaher on Oct 1, 2015 14:43:09 GMT -5
So he started as a space detective and the morphed into a Superman clone but he could only use one of his powers at a time like Ultra Boy, then the one power at a time thing got dropped and he fought the Idol Head of Diabolu with Zook, and then he lost some powers and was doing almost a James Bond riff, then he went back to Mars. And at some point he came back to earth but had all his Superman powers PLUS his psychic detective powers? Was this explained? Am I basically right here? I don't think he was ever restricted to one power at a time like Ultra Boy, exactly. One of his powers was to turn invisible, and in one adventure, something happened to him while he was invisible (hit by some super-science ray or something like that), which left him without superpowers whenever he was invisible. So he could still fly and use his Martian breath at the same time ("Martian breath" was a super blowing power, and that was the power that Gardner Fox always seemed to use in the Manhunter's JLA appearances), but when he needed to turn invisible, he was vulnerable and without superpowers. He really had far more powers than Superman, though; they just stopped using anything but the most generic Superman-like powers (plus shape-changing and invisibility). His return from Mars was explained, but I don't remember them ever addressing the vulnerability while invisible issue after he returned in the 1980's. |
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Post by MDG on Oct 1, 2015 15:21:57 GMT -5
I think for close to 20 years after he first appeared, Joe Certa was the only artist to draw a Martian Manhunter solo story.
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 1, 2015 17:42:53 GMT -5
So he started as a space detective and the morphed into a Superman clone but he could only use one of his powers at a time like Ultra Boy, then the one power at a time thing got dropped and he fought the Idol Head of Diabolu with Zook, and then he lost some powers and was doing almost a James Bond riff, then he went back to Mars. And at some point he came back to earth but had all his Superman powers PLUS his psychic detective powers? Was this explained? Am I basically right here? I don't think he was ever restricted to one power at a time like Ultra Boy, exactly. One of his powers was to turn invisible, and in one adventure, something happened to him while he was invisible (hit by some super-science ray or something like that), which left him without superpowers whenever he was invisible. So he could still fly and use his Martian breath at the same time ("Martian breath" was a super blowing power, and that was the power that Gardner Fox always seemed to use in the Manhunter's JLA appearances), but when he needed to turn invisible, he was vulnerable and without superpowers. He really had far more powers than Superman, though; they just stopped using anything but the most generic Superman-like powers (plus shape-changing and invisibility). His return from Mars was explained, but I don't remember them ever addressing the vulnerability while invisible issue after he returned in the 1980's. Yeah, you're absolutely right - I was mis-remembering the Letter Page in Brave and the Bold # 50 (which said he couldn't use his other powers when invisible.) I assumed that applied to all his powers, but there was no actual confirmation of that. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2015 12:32:47 GMT -5
Comic Alliance Web Site Explain it quite well - Just read the link that I've provided all you to read. Comic Alliance Web Site |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 2, 2015 16:00:09 GMT -5
Comic Alliance Web Site Explain it quite well - Just read the link that I've provided all you to read. Comic Alliance Web SiteThat was a good link. I agree with everything there. The problem with J'onzz in the JLA is that he does Superman and Batman things, which you don't need if you have Superman and Batman. I disagree about the "solo character" bit, though. The Idol Head of Diabolu is genius. I guess my second question is how did he become such a cluster$%^& of powers. I think his power-set is confusting and hard to keep track of,o and I know it wasn't quite as bad in any of his various and sundry Silver Age versions. |
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Post by the4thpip on Oct 2, 2015 16:53:42 GMT -5
Really? Fire's a weakness for a lot of people... I recall an early JLA issue where Manhunter feinted when someone lite a match. I swear I'm not exaggerating BTW, when did this Manhunter only able to use one power at a time gimmick occur? I don't recall it in the 1960s or 70s. I don't remember it ever being a thing. What I do remember is Gardner Fox only ever letting him use "Martian Breath" which sounds stinky. Edit: Should have read page 2 of this thread. |
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Post by dupersuper on Oct 3, 2015 0:21:40 GMT -5
Comic Alliance Web Site Explain it quite well - Just read the link that I've provided all you to read. Comic Alliance Web SiteThat was a good link. I agree with everything there. The problem with J'onzz in the JLA is that he does Superman and Batman things, which you don't need if you have Superman and Batman. You could say the same thing about Wonder Woman... |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 3, 2015 1:30:17 GMT -5
No no no no no.
The reason is I like Wonder Woman.
And also she's a conduit to mythological stories - like Wolfman and Perez designed the Bronze Age New Teen Titansso that Starfire leads to science fiction adventures and Raven to horror stories and Robin for detective stuff - If you want to get a great big dragon in your JLA stories Wonder Woman is an way to do that.
Plus - while there's quite a bit of power overlap - her iconography is way different than Superman or Batman. Plus she adds some distaff representation... or eye candy for horny fanboys.
Conversely, the Martian Manhunter was conceived as a detective from outer space who was (retconned, changed? Something?) to having Superman style powers and then got his space detective powers BACK. There aren't many stories you can do with J'onzz that you can't do with Superman or Batman, and damn near none that you can do with BOTH without invoking MM's specific history.
So you need Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman. Aquaman gives you ocean based stories. Green Lantern gets you deep space. I'm not sure what the Barry Allen brings to the table - I'm a Barry guy, but Wally's Spider-man style irreverence probably worked better for the JLA - but at least his powers are visually unique, all Carmine Infantino speed lines.
I just don't think the Martian Manhunter ever had much of a reason to be there, story-possibility-wise.
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Post by dupersuper on Oct 6, 2015 1:27:45 GMT -5
Telepathy and shape-shifting seem to open up story possibilities, and character-wise his more philosophic outlook, his history as the most consistent full-time member (post Mars 2 getting rebooted out), his long life-span, his reflection of Superman as the alien who's a true outsider - not having been raised by humans...there's a lot of stuff to have fun with. He's less flashy than many Leaguers, but still waters run deep...
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Post by Paradox on Oct 6, 2015 7:20:13 GMT -5
I'm no Martian historian, but I do know I couldn't stand what they did to him in the early '70s. I remember a World's Finest where he was nothing but a bald, green Superman. Not even beetle-browed, just plain old Caucasian features and no mental powers or anything. It was like he'd been written by someone who was told "MM? Oh, he's a green Martian Superman" and nothing else.  EDIT: Looking at the covers, it must've been #212, although I'll be damned if I can remember anything about the story, aside from them doing MM no justice.  |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 6, 2015 12:55:51 GMT -5
Telepathy and shape-shifting seem to open up story possibilities, and character-wise his more philosophic outlook, his history as the most consistent full-time member (post Mars 2 getting rebooted out), his long life-span, his reflection of Superman as the alien who's a true outsider - not having been raised by humans...there's a lot of stuff to have fun with. He's less flashy than many Leaguers, but still waters run deep... Shape shifting does, but I really hate mental powers (Don't like Professor X either) just because they are so visually boring. If the artist can find a way to spruce it up I'd be all for it, but the practical visual effect of telepathy is more thought balloons. And really, I don't see much in the "outsider" thing that you can't do with Superman or Wonder Woman - the latter also wasn't raised in Western Society. Honestly, when you have between 7 and 15 other characters competing for attention, you need "flashy" to stand out. Big, earth-shaking superhero team books are a poor match for quiet, introspective introvert. |
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Post by Rob Allen on Oct 6, 2015 15:04:56 GMT -5
I'm no Martian historian, but I do know I couldn't stand what they did to him in the early '70s. I remember a World's Finest where he was nothing but a bald, green Superman. Not even beetle-browed, just plain old Caucasian features That's how he looked from the late 50s to the 80s, isn't it? |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2015 15:51:47 GMT -5
Martian Manhunter
1) He works real well with Batman, because he's was a Detective 1st and there uses his Martian's powers to fight crime as Detective John Jones.
2) He's the JLA backup for Superman because his array of Superpowers are closely resembles Superman - but the problem is that writers back then and today do not know how to write him and that's my own opinion of why he's on the JLA team and never, ever had a successful solo book in all the years that I known him.
3) He got zero respect when they re-launch the Justice League of America replacing him with Cyborg. That's anger me to the point that I decided not to support DC Comics Superteam anymore. I read Justice League Dark, United, Canada, and other JLA books and non of them ever satisfied me since the days of the Gardner Fox / Satellite Years of the JLA.
4) This character is the Heart and Soul of the Justice League and having said that - he should get respect from all readers alike and I'm frustrated in the past 5 years that he not getting any satisfaction whatsoever.
5) I used to read the current Martian Manhunter and having said that - this book doesn't do any justice and I stopped reading that book because Rob Williams the writer of this book isn't doing a good job with it. The art is okay and Eddy Barrows is doing a nice job with it but that alone will not prompt me to continue with it.
6) He has good leadership skills and compassionate working with other heroes and that's why I like him so much.
7) And, lastly they need to reveal his powers more and that's would get readers like me to get excited about the Manhunter from Mars. And, one more thing ... they need to make him a Detective again ... See #1 again.
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 6, 2015 22:59:51 GMT -5
If I was writing Martian Manhunter, I would bring back Zook, Diane Mead and Captain Harding. And I would make Gypsy his super-hero apprentice.
I would have Professor Arnold Hugo team up with the Idol-Head of Diabolu for the first story arc.
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 7, 2015 0:38:52 GMT -5
Yeah, and conversely I really like the Martian Manhunter solo.
Err... I haven't read any solo Martian Manhunter post-Silver Age, though. I know John Ostrander did a whole series, and I do like some John Ostrander.
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