@AtPhantom: well done

I want a Martian manhunter movie:( But dc won't make one.

It's a shame he never bacame popular, he's an incredibly deep character with an amazing concept and an interesting visual. Hopefully he'll become popular enough in the new 52 so that he can get his ongoing back and we can see him regularly solo and reintroduce some of his classic elements.

@JonSmith said:

Yeah, yeah, all these are good answers, but they're jumping around the real reason.

It's because he's green.

THERE I SAID IT.

You know, considering that neither Beast Boy or Poison Ivy are green anymore, you may be onto something. DC HATES GREEN PEOPLE!

Anyway, I think it's mainly because he isn't what most companies see as marketable on his own. He, like another one of my favorite characters , Beast of Marvel, seem to get treated the same. Everyone likes them enough to always have them around in one or two of the team books, but neither of them ever get much of a shot on their own except for the occasional mini.

Nowadays it seems like comic publishers don't want a book about the intellectual, who is hesitant to violence but willing to through down when other resorts fail. heck this is obvious when you see who they are already pushing J'onn in a more aggressive and angsty direction. Apparently DC thinks idealistic pacifists won't sell so J'onn has to conform to what will.

@zbrush: Are you one who believes no Earth heroes should be able to match Superman.

I LOVE Martian Manhunter mostly for the same reason I love Miss Martian, Superman, Supergirl, Starfire, etc., and it's partially for a shallow reason. I LOVE their powers and the ORIGIN of their powers. Their powers are based on genetics and evolution!!!!!!!!! They weren't exposed to radiation accidents, experiments, etc. that are SO clichedI also admit that I love a fun superhero action-rpg, and MMH, Supes and Supergirl are fun in the ONLY arpg that features all 3 of them (I like to feel like a god when fighting super-powered enemies, when I'm in the mood).

I loved MMH in the Justice League cartoon. His behavior might seem unrealistic, but it's cool to have someone with THAT much power and still be able to interact with ppl and be accepted by a great number of them, in the same way that Supes tries to help humans at the risk of overdoing it with his powers and hurting them more than helping them (for instance, let's say Supes or MMH is trying to help someone who got trapped under a car in a multi-car pile-up, and he'd have to find a safe, gentle way to lift the car w/o hurting the victim).

I love noble characters now and then. I do NOT have to relate to them to in order to appreciate or understand them! Relatability is overrated, imo! I learn of a new way to think when I see super-powered heroes in situations I'll never have to handle, but I enjoy comparing my reactions to theirs, under the same circumstances.

Btw: I DO relate to MMH in at least one way. I sometimes feel like an alien/outsider around other ppl. I don't understand ppl or relate to them well, and I'm not so much afraid of rejection as I'm afraid about fitting in consistently and not causing problems for ppl (being annoying and making their lives more stressful or difficult). I'm mostly talking about an ep of JLU ("To Another Shore") when MMH seemed like he didn't want to admit to Wonder Woman why he was avoiding talking to ppl on a purely social basis.

In the ep, 'Tabula Rasa', even after helping some ppl find a missing kid, he's afraid to mingle with them, despite their gratefulness and friendliness. Sometimes he doesn't even try to fit in with others.

Even if I didn't relate to him, I'd still be able to understand his feeling of not truly having a place to belong. All his powers can't save him from possible loneliness (which I don't really feel that often) or his self-consciousness.

I do think he has too many powers, though lol. He's got super strength and durability, phasing, telepathy, flight, shapeshifting, and sometimes martian heat vision, super speed, enhances senses, etc. (depending on the time period or the writer). What CAN'T he do: absorb energy and channel it back at enemies, like Bishop or Gideon from Marvel? He doesn't seem to have telekinesis like Miss Martian, either. I think his powers are fine, the way they're shown in the JLU cartoon :)

@DCforLife said:

I LOVE Martian Manhunter mostly for the same reason I love Miss Martian, Superman, Supergirl, Starfire, etc., and it's partially for a shallow reason. I LOVE their powers and the ORIGIN of their powers. Their powers are based on genetics and evolution!!!!!!!!! They weren't exposed to radiation accidents, experiments, etc. that are SO clichedI also admit that I love a fun superhero action-rpg, and MMH, Supes and Supergirl are fun in the ONLY arpg that features all 3 of them (I like to feel like a god when fighting super-powered enemies, when I'm in the mood).

I loved MMH in the Justice League cartoon. His behavior might seem unrealistic, but it's cool to have someone with THAT much power and still be able to interact with ppl and be accepted by a great number of them, in the same way that Supes tries to help humans at the risk of overdoing it with his powers and hurting them more than helping them (for instance, let's say Supes or MMH is trying to help someone who got trapped under a car in a multi-car pile-up, and he'd have to find a safe, gentle way to lift the car w/o hurting the victim).

I love noble characters now and then. I do NOT have to relate to them to in order to appreciate or understand them! Relatability is overrated, imo! I learn of a new way to think when I see super-powered heroes in situations I'll never have to handle, but I enjoy comparing my reactions to theirs, under the same circumstances.

Btw: I DO relate to MMH in at least one way. I sometimes feel like an alien/outsider around other ppl. I don't understand ppl or relate to them well, and I'm not so much afraid of rejection as I'm afraid about fitting in consistently and not causing problems for ppl (being annoying and making their lives more stressful or difficult). I'm mostly talking about an ep of JLU ("To Another Shore") when MMH seemed like he didn't want to admit to Wonder Woman why he was avoiding talking to ppl on a purely social basis.

In the ep, 'Tabula Rasa', even after helping some ppl find a missing kid, he's afraid to mingle with them, despite their gratefulness and friendliness. Sometimes he doesn't even try to fit in with others.

Even if I didn't relate to him, I'd still be able to understand his feeling of not truly having a place to belong. All his powers can't save him from possible loneliness (which I don't really feel that often) or his self-consciousness.

I do think he has too many powers, though lol. He's got super strength and durability, phasing, telepathy, flight, shapeshifting, and sometimes martian heat vision, super speed, enhances senses, etc. (depending on the time period or the writer). What CAN'T he do: absorb energy and channel it back at enemies, like Bishop or Gideon from Marvel? He doesn't seem to have telekinesis like Miss Martian, either. I think his powers are fine, the way they're shown in the JLU cartoon :)

he has telekinesis. his Martian vision is an extension of it.

@Twentyfive said:

He is straight up uninteresting.

This. Honestly, out of all of my friends I only have two friends who like him. He's really just not that interesting. Being more powerful than the entire JLA combined is kind of annoying. Why is they retconned Flash yet not the Manhunter?

@GunGunW said:

Why is they retconned Flash yet not the Manhunter?

Wait, what? What do you mean?

@SmashBrawler: Maybe I should re phrase that since it's Barry instead of Wally. But Barry isn't as powerful as Wally was pre flashpoint so he can't just blitz everyone and win all the time. My point is, if they're going to make The Flash less powerful because he's way too much, then why not tone down Manhunter a bit?

@GunGunW: Oooh, OK. Yeah, I was kinda hoping they would tone down MM a bit after the reboot too.

@GunGunW said:

@SmashBrawler: Maybe I should re phrase that since it's Barry instead of Wally. But Barry isn't as powerful as Wally was pre flashpoint so he can't just blitz everyone and win all the time. My point is, if they're going to make The Flash less powerful because he's way too much, then why not tone down Manhunter a bit?

because Barry has a book to carry (which he cant do with unstoppable powers AND a bland generic personality). J'onn has already been had his character altered to appease others, at least let him keep his powers.

@Avenging-X-Bolt said:

@GunGunW said:

@SmashBrawler: Maybe I should re phrase that since it's Barry instead of Wally. But Barry isn't as powerful as Wally was pre flashpoint so he can't just blitz everyone and win all the time. My point is, if they're going to make The Flash less powerful because he's way too much, then why not tone down Manhunter a bit?

because Barry has a book to carry (which he cant do with unstoppable powers AND a bland generic personality). J'onn has already been had his character altered to appease others, at least let him keep his powers.

Maybe J'onn could too if he wasn't so boring as well.

@GunGunW said:

@Avenging-X-Bolt said:

@GunGunW said:

@SmashBrawler: Maybe I should re phrase that since it's Barry instead of Wally. But Barry isn't as powerful as Wally was pre flashpoint so he can't just blitz everyone and win all the time. My point is, if they're going to make The Flash less powerful because he's way too much, then why not tone down Manhunter a bit?

because Barry has a book to carry (which he cant do with unstoppable powers AND a bland generic personality). J'onn has already been had his character altered to appease others, at least let him keep his powers.

Maybe J'onn could too if he wasn't so boring as well.

we'll see. as i said already, DC has altered J'onn for the New 52 and he appears to be steadily rising in popularity.

@GunGunW said:

@Avenging-X-Bolt said:

@GunGunW said:

@SmashBrawler: Maybe I should re phrase that since it's Barry instead of Wally. But Barry isn't as powerful as Wally was pre flashpoint so he can't just blitz everyone and win all the time. My point is, if they're going to make The Flash less powerful because he's way too much, then why not tone down Manhunter a bit?

because Barry has a book to carry (which he cant do with unstoppable powers AND a bland generic personality). J'onn has already been had his character altered to appease others, at least let him keep his powers.

Maybe J'onn could too if he wasn't so boring as well.

he's more interesting then Barry's ever been.

@Avenging-X-Bolt: I disagree. There's really no reason J'onn should be able to overwhelm the entire Justice league. When a character gets that powerful it's kind of pointless. I'm not saying I'm mad because he could beat Superman one on one, but that's just going too far what he did recently. I lost all faith in Manhunter after that moment.

The problem with any character like Martian Manhunter or Wonder Woman, etc. that people think should be more popular than they are is exactly that they shouldn't be and if they were instead marketed that way, they could be incredibly successful and have great stories. By which I mean, comics at DC and Marvel get cancelled if they fall below a certain sales rate but other comics are considered EXTREMELY successful without ever reaching those kind of numbers (like say The Walking Dead or The Boys or Fables or something). So the reason a character like Martian Manhunter suffers is because to reach acceptable numbers at a mainstream publisher you can't be too unique or you won't appeal to a large enough audience and MM isn't simple enough for people and when you try to make him one, he just seems like a Superman rip-off.

@GunGunW said:

@Avenging-X-Bolt: I disagree. There's really no reason J'onn should be able to overwhelm the entire Justice league. When a character gets that powerful it's kind of pointless. I'm not saying I'm mad because he could beat Superman one on one, but that's just going too far what he did recently. I lost all faith in Manhunter after that moment.

well you are entitled to your opinion

@Avenging-X-Bolt: As are you, so we can agree to disagree on this

@GunGunW said:

@Avenging-X-Bolt: As are you, so we can agree to disagree on this

yes.

I hope they make Martian Manhunter a big name character. He has always been my favorite Justice Leaguer after Batman and Barry Allen and I would totally buy a series with him if DC released one. And having Cyborg is one of the biggest insults ever to do to the character! I like Cyborg, I mean I paid 8 bucks for the issue with Cyborg's first appearance, but he doesn't belong in the League. If there is a any Teen Titan that deserves as a main member to be in the League it is Dick Grayson. And for those of you who are going to comment back telling me they needed to be more diverse with the JL I have one thing to tell you.

Martian Manhunter was a martian. I don't think you can be more diverse than that.

I am so thankful though he is in the JLA recently and I loved his back up story in it.

He lacks a passionate writer.

@sc: Thank you for commenting that. My mission in life is now to go to DC and makes really good Martian Manhunter book. I'll do both the writing, art, and inking. DC needs a good Martian Manhunter book!

bump. MMH needs more love.

I agree. MMH needs A LOT more love.

I still love him for the scene when he's eating chips in front of the t. v. ... or cookies...

@malonius:

In reply to 3. The Martian Manhunter, from what I have seen, spends most of his time in the watchtower, most likely on look out for a threat.

In my opinion is because he seemed rather dull. He has all this power with the personality of a lamp. I honestly think his New Universe 52(Nu52) version is way cooler. I'm sure someone can enlighten me about how amazing he was before the Nu52 but it just didn't show that much.

he's boring and not relatable.

Even in his best incarnations (Justice League cartoon and Smallville), you didn't necessarily care about him.

And even the much beloved JLI was more about the comedy and his love for oreos.

I think part of the reason is as was state before, he's alot like Superman. I think one of the reasons Superman and Wonder Woman are so popular is because they have more physical conflicts. I would love to see him racing Flash around the world to show off his speed feats. I would love to see him physically fighting someone like Darkseid or shattering green lantern contracts too show off his strength! I think the Smallville version of him was way too physically weak but I loved how fast he was. Flying Clark to the son was epic! But his problem is that he is known mostly as the Telepath. He defeats most of his problems with telepathy even though he is the capable of using physicality and that is the reason that many people find him boring.

I blame the Oreos.

In a movie like Crisis on Two Earths, why not have Ultraman use some plot device to defeat Superman and then have MM fight and defeat him physically. In Doom, why not have long physical fight between MM and Ma'alefa'ak. These are two examples of what DC could do to show off Manhunter's physical and speed abilities and make the character interesting and engaging! Kids want too see stuff like this not watch somebody win with telepathy all the time.

He has all the first glance disadvantages of Superman: overpowered, bland without the advantages: iconic, dc world building character. Now there is more to him than that; but people will have no interest in knowing what the is if his initial concept isn't appealing. Thus when he was rolling with the JL and doing nothing, of course he wasn't going to be popular. Now, however that DC has separated him from the JL, he has gotten his own chance in the spotlight, battling the JL and leading the JLA. That makes him more interesting, he has a better chance now than ever to get a series, that is why, while DC has yet to sell me on Cyborg being in the JL, I definitely think putting MMH outside the League was the best choice.

People don't want to look at his character and history. :( MMH is a much deeper character than he is given credit for - the loss of Mars haunts every decision he makes, and that for me makes for a really unique character.

@britsera: cuz she's a White Martian...racists

@docfatalis: this is a perfect answer my friend

@atphantom: Nailed it Sir/Madam! Perfectly put.