Martian Manhunter

Characteristics

Origin

J'onn J'onzz, fom the mid 18th century up to the mid 20th century, had been a Manhunter on the planet Mars in our own solar system. A Manhunter is akin to our own policemen and detectives, and J'onn was a commendable crimefighter on his planet. He had a wife and a daughter, M'yri'ah and K'hym, whom he loved deeply. The Martians had been a thriving and spacefaring race for centuries, even venturing to Earth on occasion, inadvertantly inspiring the Egyptians to build their colossal

pyramids. However, their doom was approaching swiftly.

J'onn J'onzz -- The Manhunter from Mars!

J'onn's own bother, Ma’alefa’ak, had been had been stripped of his fellow Martians' innate telepathic gifts for the crime of mind "raping" another, and had grown very bitter over time. In his anger and insanity, he created something that would come to be called Hronmeer's Curse after the Martian God of Death. It was a plague that preyed on a Martian's natural fear and weakness to fire. J'onn learned of his plan to destroy their race from the inside out, but was unable to stop him. J'onzz was then abruptly the last of his own race, and nearly lost his mind.

It is currently unknown how long J'onn wandered the red dusts of Mars, but we do know that in 1955, a scientist named Dr. Erdel discovered lost Martian teleportation technology here on Earth, and was beginning to uncover its secrets.

The good Doctor would soon find out, rather abruptly, that the machine in fact lead to the distant planet Mars, and in a bright flash, brought with it a green skinned creature known as J'onn J'onzz. This sudden revelation caused Dr. Erdel to have a violent heart attack and die, leaving J'onn stranded on a foreign planet with malfunctioning teleportation technology.

Wandering the Earth, J'onn's First Years

The Martian Manhunter disguised as the crimefighting detective John Jones.

The Manhunter from Mars, last of his kind, now found himself in a strange and different world. Knowing that he currently had no way to return to his dead planet, J'onn wandered into human civilization, attempting to find a new life among them. J'onzz had almost completely lost his mind on Mars, but being able to now live life however he pleased provided him with a sense of comfort. Using his vast shape-shifting abilities, he took many forms across the globe, seeing life from every possible standpoint. He took the shapes of men and women of all types, and even animals. He spent much of his time in the role of a man named John Jones, a deceased detective. J'onn took a liking to this particular guise, as he still possessed a strong passion for crime-fighting.

J'onn first revealed himself as an official superhero when he joined the Justice Experience as the Bronze Wraith. He only used his strength and psychic abilities as the Wraith, careful not to reveal his extensive Martian shapeshifting abilities. However, his time with the team was short, as they would quickly be altogther defeated by the villainious Doctor Trapps. J'onn was the only survivor, but was able to exact justice on the Doctor with the help of the Justice Society.

Shortly before his tenure as the Bronze Wraith, J'onn sensed the arrival of a small alien spacecraft heading towards Kansas. He investigated the vessel, although it resisted his attempts to scan it too deeply. When the Kents arrived, he became invisible to avoid detection. He left knowing the Kryptonian child would be safe with them, but was concerned about the power he would one day possess. He returned eight years later as Josh Johnstone and worked as a hired hand on the Kent Farm. He wanted to see how the alien child was integrating into human society. He could tell that Clark Kent thought of himself as a human being. He was further assured of the boy's heroic nature when he defended him from racist thugs in Smallville.

The Justice League of America

J'onn was one of the original founding members of the JLA.

For years after his tenure with the JE, J'onn continued wandering Earth, taking many different forms and identities. Although he believed that if he again revealed himself as a superhero that he would draw more trouble to himself, something quickly changed his mind. The super-powered protector of Metropolis, Superman, revealed himself to the world, and soon costumed vigilantes were saving lives everywhere. Eventually, in an freak alien invasion, the Hal Jordan, Flash, Aquaman, and Black Canary rushed into battle. J'onn quickly put aside his fears of revealing himself, and changed to his typical Martian garb, but kept his overall appearance more humanoid. He battled alongside alongside the other heroes, and they left triumphant. From that point on, these five heroes, along with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman fought together as the Justice League Of America. This team would become a mainstay in the DC Universe, consistently protecting the Earth from otherwordly threats and even home-grown emergencies.

Through many years with the Justice League, J'onn J'onzz managed to find some measure of solace among his newfound friends. The people of Earth accepted him, along with his fellow superheroes. He still kept many secret identities across the globe, maintaining a carefully built system that he used to learn all about his fellow Earthlings.

The Justice League Detroit

Justice League Detroit

Eventually the Justice League would relocate to Detroit and have a dramatic change in it's membership. Four rookie heroes would join the league and J'onn would become a large contributer in their development as heroes. He became closest to young Cindy Reynolds. Cindy was a teenage runaway with a invisibility power of her own. She was homeless in the streets of Detroit and she used her her powers to protect herself. When she joins the league she adopts the name Gypsy.

The League would eventually be sent into a disarray after the most powerful and well known heroes leave the League. Leavening only J'onn, Gypsy, Steel, Vibe, Vixen and Elongated Man. What became even worse is when Gypsy has a premonition that two members of her league Steel and Vibe are going to be killed. After widespread panic blanketed the Earth. In an effort to turn humanity against their superheroic benefactors, Darkseid sent several of his minions, including Glorious Godfrey and Brimstone, to Earth. Godfrey, using his ability to control anyone just by telling them what to do, told the people of Earth not to trust the superheroes. Soon, he had with him an army of followers ready to storm the White House and take over the free world.

The League would try to turn back popular opinion even going into a pitched battle Brimstone. After they fail to stop him and Brimstone causes great damage. Superheros themselves become outlawed by executive order of Ronald Reagan. After this even Elongated Man quits. This left J'onn alone with his four rookie members and left J'onn with no other choice but to disband the league. This left the League weakend and open to attack and Professor Ivo took that opportuity to kill all the young Justice League members. Just like Gypsy's premonition the first to be killed was Vibe. He was killed by one of Professor Ivo's androids on the same day J'onn disband the League.

Professor Ivo sends an android to kill Gypsy next but she manages to find a conscience in the android that is sent to kill her. She convinces the android to not only spare her life but to safely returned to her parents as well. Steel was not so lucky. He to would be killed by one of Ivo's androids. After this J'onn an d Vixen stop Ivo but the damage had already been done.

J'onn would meet with one last line of defense at the final onset of the invasion. Doctor Fate had organized Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Guy Gardner, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Teen Titans members Changeling and the Kid Flash, and the Blue Beetle in one last ditch effort to stop Godfrey. But much to the surprise of all those engaged in battle, a small legion of children unaffected by Godfrey's mind control make a buffer between the heroes and his army. Suddenly, Godfrey's mind-controlled minions are snapped out of their trance when he slaps one of the children. He was quickly defeated, and the people of Earth trusted their masked protectors once more.

Following the chaos of Glorious Godfrey's invasion, a new Justice League rose from the ashes. Based in several Earth-bound United Nations Embassies, the new League found itself led by the Martian Manhunter and a man named Maxwell Lord. Lord acted as the face of the Justice League in the UN, and recruited all-new members. The new roster included the likes of Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Captain Marvel, Blue Beetle, Ice, Fire, Mister Miracle and more.

The Martian Manhunter visits the home of a prospective new recruit.

J'onn, alongside other members of the JLI.

The Justice League International

The new Justice League would become the Justice League International as it works within the United Nations. Originally J'onn would often act, alongside Batman. He p