The Martian Manhunter Pro/Con Workshop

[stephens2177]

Wow.

This thread has made me appreciate the CW Supergirl show a lot more. It looks like the last place I can see anything resembling Jonn. One of the most annoying holdovers of 52 is the crappy treatment of Jonn

The CW Jonn would be awesome if he got his own show,that way he wouldn't defer every single thing to Kara,so we would get cool powers Jonn,but we would also have a cool job and life setup Jonn as well.

[CaptCleghorn]

but I do have a question.

why is the least jobby version of martian manhunter is in lego (specifically Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League - Attack of the Legion of Doom! (2015))?

that version was a beast.

Lego > Everything Else

[Doctor Bifrost]

I'd probably avoid having him assume Female identities though

Why would you want to add that restriction?

And, can he at least still be a cat?

[Doctor Bifrost]

Since he may have originated as a Silver Age Spectre...

I don't think he was a Silver Age Spectre. He was basically an iteration of Superman: The only member of his alien race on Earth, all of Superman's powers plus a few more that were originally mainly for plot convenience (telepathy because he arrived as an adult and wouldn't be able to speak the language, shapechanging so they could make him green and still give him a secret ID), a debilitating vulnerability (fire instead of Kryptonite or Mars Bars), a cape. They added some science-fiction ideas that were particularly popular in the 1950's: Martian, and therefore green.

The big difference was that his planet, and presumably his race, still existed - he was stuck on Earth but wanted to get home. Of course, once he joined the JLA and met Superman and Green Lantern, who could give him a ride, that didn't make much sense. They ignored that for a while, but ultimately it led into the constant reworking of his backstory. (There's a war on Mars so he can't go back; all the Martians are dead; etc.)

[Doctor Bifrost]

I’ve always hated the fact that J’onn has heat vision when his weakness is fire.

I think the vulnerability to fire was always very silly, a quick take on Kryptonite, but I think they did distinguish between "fire" (which made him weak just to be around) and "heat." I don't think he was affected by simple raises in temperature; you needed something to be burning.

[stephens2177]

I don't want him having a optic blast,but I would rather him have force vision,a byproduct of his self TK(the way he could mentally control every bit of his body in every damn way),than heat vision

[shades of eternity]

https://space-facts.com/mars/

honestly, Mars should be amazing.

you can draw on john carter, loony tunes, modern science and the White Martian presidence and it gives a lot to work with.

throw in a twing of lovecraftean horror and it fuels the fire even further.

besides, itching to see a reinterpretations of the tharks.

edit. take marvin's race, make them a race of technowizards, have them aquire of the probes earth sent and have them make their own and send them to attack from relative safety.

viola, another member of jonn's rogues gallery.

[CaptCleghorn]

I don't want him having a optic blast,but I would rather him have force vision,a byproduct of his self TK(the way he could mentally control every bit of his body in every damn way),than heat vision

I'm not sure :force vision" fits with J'onn. He seems like a character who would be more subtle. Powers like invisibility and shape-changing are signs of subterfuge. J'onn, to me, seems like someone who would want to get someone to do the right thing as opposed to doing the right thing himself. We saw this teacher side of him with Justice League Detroit. He's no rookie trying to find his way anymore, he's got a clue about life on Earth. That is, he knows it, but doesn't always understand it.

J'onn, as a flying brick, is a waste. The suicide prevention scene we saw in All-Star Superman is what J'onn should be. His greatest power should be to be able to bond and sympathize with the least and weakest of us.

[shades of eternity]

agreed

he should be more doctor who and less superman.

he should be a master of the mind games.

[stephens2177]

I'm not sure :force vision" fits with J'onn. He seems like a character who would be more subtle. Powers like invisibility and shape-changing are signs of subterfuge. J'onn, to me, seems like someone who would want to get someone to do the right thing as opposed to doing the right thing himself. We saw this teacher side of him with Justice League Detroit. He's no rookie trying to find his way anymore, he's got a clue about life on Earth. That is, he knows it, but doesn't always understand it.

J'onn, as a flying brick, is a waste. The suicide prevention scene we saw in All-Star Superman is what J'onn should be. His greatest power should be to be able to bond and sympathize with the least and weakest of us.

Yeah I don't want him having a optic blast either,just playing devil's advocate.

Telepathy and self telekinesis should be his 2 powers,and all his abilities should derive from them.

[HandofPrometheus]

I think he's fine. The only thing I would take away is the heat vision and that's it.

[nx01a]

I think he's fine. The only thing I would take away is the heat vision and that's it.

Exactly.

If I had to change him, though, it would be to shy away from the raw strength and invulnerability. Superman and Wonder Woman and Power Girl and the Marvels and more have that market cornered. Just shy away from J'onn lifting buildings and make him more covert again. I'd be happy if J'onn was *just* a shapeshifting telepath who walks through walls and has advanced Martian technology. Everything else if just gravy. Oh, maybe replace the completely anathema heat vision with telekinesis he can use like a scalpel or a sledgehammer.

[ConnorHawke]

He's one of my favourite characters and always have been. If it were up to me, he'd be a rotating Detective Comics feature, mini-series length, preferable rotating with Batman, GCPD, Elongated Man, Jason Bard, and the Question.

Playing on the Manhunter aspect he should deliberately downplay his powers, apart from telepathy and disguise, to hunt criminals as John Jones. The other power sets should be for when he's pitted against a meta foe, and preferably in a JLA book or setting.

I'd love a weekly Detective comics in this format.

[Trey Strain]

He doesn't sell. If he were fine, he'd sell.

There's a difference between "I like him the way he is" and "He's fine."

[DragonsChi]

He doesn't sell. If he were fine, he'd sell.

There's a difference between "I like him the way he is" and "He's fine."

Quoted for truth!

It's the same with the term "iconic" at times in the comic community. Just because the character started off in that costume or with those powers doesn't make them "iconic", its literally just the things they started out with.