Line #37 ComicBook/MartianManhunter


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MartianManhunter350_904.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:There's nothing ''little'' about this [[LittleGreenMen Green Man]].]]
3
4	->''"I am Mars' sole survivor. There is a '''reason''' for that."''
5
6	Mars' Sole Survivor. The Alien Atlas. The heart and soul of the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica.
7
8	Martian Manhunter is one of Franchise/TheDCU's odd men out. On the one hand, he's vastly powerful and a member of pretty much every version of the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica ([[DependingOnTheWriter most of the time]]), yet on the other, writers just don't seem to know what to do with him. His past has been {{retcon}}ned several times, his personality [[DependingOnTheWriter varies by writer]], and since he has more powers than ComicBook/{{Superman}}, he suffers from occasional [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead mind squicks]], along with frequent bouts of ForgotAboutHisPowers and MindOverManners to keep him from resolving plots too quickly.
9
10	He first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #225 (November, 1955), created by Joe Samachson and Joe Certa. An alien teleported to Earth by a FreakLabAccident, J'onn J'onzz[[note]]pronounced fairly close to "[[AlliterativeName John Jones]]" -- in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', his first name seems to be halfway between the English "John" and the French "Jean", and in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', it is pronounced Ja-Ahn[[/note]] decided to use his abilities to help protect the innocent who could not protect themselves. All of his incarnations have that much in common (well, the ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'', ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' and ''ComicBook/New52'' versions came to Earth on their own, but that's a minor detail).
11
12	Comic-wise, J'onn's only had two short-lived ongoings over his existence: John Ostrander's 1998 series, which ran for 38 issues and two annuals, and Rob Williams's 2015 series, which ran for 12 issues. More commonly, Post-Crisis, he's had mini-series and one-shots: a 1988 mini by J.M. [=DeMatteis=], a 1992 mini by Gerard Jones, a 1996 one-shot by Paul Kupperberg, a 2006 mini by A.J. Lieberman, and a one-shot {{crossover}} with [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Marvin the Martian]] in 2017 with two stories, one by Steve Orlando and Frank J. Barbiere, and one by Jim Fanning. In 2020, Steve Orlando came back for a 12-issue maxi series set nebulously on the outskirts of canon, reimagining J'onn's origin as a formerly corrupt cop on Mars before the plague.
13
14	Factors that have [[MultipleChoicePast varied greatly over the decades]] include whether he is actually the LastOfHisKind, whether J'onn J'onzz is his real name, whether the green [[RubberForeheadAliens humanoid]] form [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm he normally assumes in public]] is his true appearance, whether his memories of Mars are real or {{fake\|Memories}}, and whether his WeaksauceWeakness to fire is psychological or physiological.
15
16	His powers vary tremendously, even within a single incarnation. In his earliest proto-[[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] appearances, he worked mainly with PsychicPowers (and writers kept coming up with [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands newer and sillier applications]] as the Age got more Silvery -- like mental ice cream creation and sonic finger-snapping). Since then he's mainly been treated as a FlyingBrick with a [[FlightStrengthHeart few extras]].
17
18	J'onn was seemingly absent during the events of ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'', only for it to be revealed that he had taken on the identity of Bloodwynd, the newest member of the JLA at the time. [[TheRealRemingtonSteele The real Bloodwynd]] had been imprisoned in his own [[AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome blood gem]] by Rott, the evil spirit dwelling in the gem, and when J'onn had tried to help free Bloodwynd, Rott had used his own power to brainwash J'onn into becoming Bloodwynd, and seek out a means to bring Rott back into the real world. When the League learned the truth, they helped to defeat Rott and free Bloodwynd, restoring J'onn to normal in the process.
19
20	In his 1998 series, Ostrander {{re\|tcon}}vealed that J'onn largely functioned as the "Superman" of the Southern hemisphere, operating as its most recognizable hero,[[note]]J'onn is Superman-class powerful, but also figuratively & literally empathic, pan-cultural and used to changing to adapt to his surroundings; it's easy to see why people might relate to him more than "American Way" Supes[[/note]] as well as maintaining numerous assumed identities the world over, including being a regular cab driver for Clark Kent.
21
22	Note that from [[ComicBook/FinalCrisis 2008]] to [[ComicBook/BlackestNight 2010]], J'onn [[DeathIsCheap was dead]], but now he's back. With pants!
23
24	As part of the Creator/DCComics ComicBook/{{New 52}} [[CosmicRetcon relaunch]], he became one of the central characters of ''ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}}'' and lost most of his friendliness, relationships to other DC characters, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking love of Oreos]]. He left after issue 12, wiping his teammates' memories of him in the process, and went on to lead the 2013 ComicBook/{{Justice League of America\|2013}}. He got the love of biscuits back in the Williams series (it's hard to know how else to interpret having an entire persona obsessed with biscuits, to the point of calling himself Mister Biscuits), and his relationships to other characters came back from ''ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal'' on.
25	----
26	Powers used by the Martian Manhunter are a [[SuperpowerLottery mixed bag]] with [[ComboPlatterPowers no cohesion]] that nonetheless makes him [[StoryBreakerPower very formidable]]; the ones common to most incarnations are: SuperStrength, SuperSpeed, NighInvulnerability, {{Flight}}, VoluntaryShapeshifting, HealingFactor, {{Invisibility}}, {{Intangibility}}, PsychicPowers (mainly {{Telepathy}}, [[MindOverMatter Telekinesis]] and [[BizarreAlienSenses Nine Senses]] (bumped to 15 later), which are poorly defined and often ignored by most writers) and EyeBeams (referred to as "Martian Vision"). See the characters page for more info.
27
28	Note that all these are subject to change without notice; in the telefilm, J'onn could just barely shapeshift and demonstrated no other powers (it was a ''very'' low budget show), but had no problem with heat. The ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' Manhunter can't heal within Earth's atmosphere, can project heat from his palms and remains almost exclusively in human form. The ''[[Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse DCAU]]'' version lacked [[SuperSpeed speed]], {{invisibility}}, EyeBeams and his extra senses and [[KryptoniteFactor weakness to fire]] was only implied.[[note]]This version of J'onn took a couple seconds worth of a jet engine going nitro right near his face and showed no ill effects.[[/note]] ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' also nixes the EyeBeams and extra senses and portrays the weakness to fire (or any extreme heat) as being a side effect of living on a colder planet.[[note]]And the producers considered his flight not a power by itself, but a simulation of the Kryptonian ability using telekinesis, but that was never fully explained in the show.[[/note]] And so forth.
29
30	Other Media he has appeared in:
31	* ''The Film/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'', a never-aired pilot movie where Creator/DavidOgdenStiers (Dr. Winchester from ''Series/{{MASH}}'') filled the role.
32	* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' and ''Justice League Unlimited'' animated series, where he was voiced by Creator/CarlLumbly. The most mainstream introduction to the character, this version helped affirm him as one of the core members of the League.
33	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' as Batman's close friend, and acts as the OnlySaneMan in a number of episodes before appearing years later in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndBatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''.
34	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'', voiced by Dorian Harewood.
35	* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', played by Creator/PhilMorris
36	* ''[[ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier Justice League: The New Frontier]]'' voiced by Creator/MiguelFerrer.
37	* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDoom'', voiced again by Creator/CarlLumbly.
38	* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' as Miss Martian's uncle, voiced by Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson
39	* ''VideoGame/LegoBatman 2: DC Super Heroes'', voiced by Creator/CamClarke.
40	* ''Series/Supergirl2015'', played by Creator/DavidHarewood while masquerading as Hank Henshaw.
41	* ''WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse'' voiced by Creator/NyambiNyambi, as a notable League member appearing in supporting roles across multiple films.
42	* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanManOfTomorrow'' voiced by Creator/IkeImadi.
43	* ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'' [[CanonCharacterAllAlong revealed him to have been]] General/Secretary of Defense Calvin Swanwick, played by Creator/HarryLennix, previously appearing in ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice''. Briefly played by Creator/DianeLane as a Martha Kent disguise.
44
45	!!Other Tropes associated with him:
46	* AdaptationalModesty: One that is for more aesthetic reasons than strictly being scandalous, but his classic look involves briefs, a cape and what could be interpreted as suspenders in the red X crossing his chest. In an effort to modernize that look several adaptations give him a black or dark blue bodysuit with either the red X design on top of that or a red circular ChestInsignia.
47	* TheAgeless: He can certainly be killed, but if Martians age at all, it must be incredibly slowly. New 52 "Conehead" J'onn is over ''200,000'' years old; in the Williams series, he's somewhere over ''a million''.
48	* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: His usual "blank-eyed green-skinned humanoid" appearance is sometimes explained as being a compromise on his part between this and his true ShapeshifterDefaultForm, which is even less human and more praying mantis.
49	* AlienAmongUs: How much he has to hide his heritage varies [[DependingOnTheWriter from writer to writer]]. While part of the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueInternational this was dropped altogether. In fact, ComicBook/{{Batman}} nominated J'onn his successor as leader because he felt that J'onn had a better public image.
50	* AliensLoveHumanFood: J'onn develops an addiction to [[TrademarkFavoriteFood Chocos]][[note]]DC's BlandNameProduct for Oreos[[/note]] some time after he visits Earth. At one point it got so bad that after being deprived of them he goes into withdrawal and throws a tantrum as a rampaging monster. Unlike most examples, this one is actually justified as Batman discovers Chocos produce a chemical reaction in Martians similar to addictive narcotics.
51	* AlliterativeName: Both his real name and his codename.
52	* TheAloner: In some continuities, J'onn not only is the last Martian left, but he's conscious and active by himself for an indeterminately long time before coming to Earth.
53	* AnAlienNamedBob: A common aspect of Martian names—or at least of those Martians connected to J'onn—is them having strangely spelled variants of common Earth names. Martian Manhunter's name is J'onn J'onzz, which just happens to be pronounced like "John Jones"[[note]]Though different adaptations make use of slightly altered pronunciations, such as pronouncing it like "Jah-on Jah-ohns" or adding a slight French-esque enunciation to the "J"s[[/note]]. His wife on Mars was M'yri'ah (Mariah), his daughter was K'hym (Kim), and his cousin Ms. Martian's name is M'gann M'orzz (Megan Morse).
54	* ApocalypseHow: Pre-Crisis, Mars was fine... right up until 1969's "And So My World Ends", when Commander Blanx engineered a Class 6 Apocalypse by setting Mars on fire and leaving it a lifeless, barren husk. In Post-Crisis continuity, the planet suffered a Class 3, with Malefic's plague, H'ronmeer's Curse, wiping out every Green Martian but leaving the rest of the planet intact. In New 52 continuity, it suffered a Class 6 due to environmental collapse, a consequence of the Martians' insatiable greed at their planet's expense.
55	* {{Archenemy}}: Malefic -- and sometimes Despero -- is typically seen as J'onn's by the fanbase. Pre-Crisis, Blanx held the title for similar reasons.
56	* ArtifactTitle: "Manhunter" is an older term for a detective, which was a key part of his persona as John Jones, Police Detective. His civilian identity gradually became diminished in importance and he became more of an inscrutable alien compared to the more humanistic League members, and to others would be referred to as either J'onn or The Martian more than his official name. In several adaptations he actually takes on completely different identity altogether, while the Manhunter term still sticks around.
57	* AxCrazy: Malefic again. He's basically the Martian version of ComicBook/TheJoker, only with less humor and more MindRape and torture. He is usually credited as the one who wiped out the rest of the Martians.
58	%%* BaldOfEvil: B'rett, B'enn B'urnz, and Malefic. Also Blanx and the majority of White Martians.
59	* BashBrothers: With Superman and {{ComicBook/Aquaman}}.
60	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Generally TheQuietOne of the Justice League, and way, way down low on the "will use extreme violence" list. But actually piss him off, and you'll quickly remember that he's on equal footing with ComicBook/{{Superman}} for all-around power, plus he can transform into ANYTHING he can think of, and one of his basic abilities is MindRape.
61	* CainAndAbel: J'onn's archenemy is his fraternal twin brother Malefic in ComicBook/PostCrisis continuity.
62	* TheCape: Amongst the greatest of Capes, but not as well known as Superman or Batman.
63	* ChestInsignia: During ''ComicBook/BrightestDay'', J'onn had a red circle depicting Mars. Post-''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'', he's had a red circle divided into eight parts. You could make a case for the red 'X' of his original costume as well.
64	* ChromeDomePsi: Just like Xavier.
65	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Jupiter, J'onn's dog who was introduced in one early story and then completely forgotten.
66	* CivilWar: Mars has been engaged in a few. Pre-Crisis, J'onn was actually a leader in the Martian Civil War, leading the Desert Dwellers against Commander Blanx's Pole Dwellers for control of the Blue Flame of Mars.
67	* CombatPragmatist: Commander Blanx. He's always got a gun hidden on him somewhere, cheerfully attacks from hiding, and brings in an ally to club J'onn from behind in their duel.
68	* TheComicallySerious: Except during the Detroit era, when he became something of a DeadpanSnarker. Lampshaded by ComicBook/{{Firestorm\|DCComics}} during ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' of all things:
69	-->'''Firestorm:''' Don't you ever feel cold with those clothes, J'onn J'onzz?\
70	'''Martian Manhunter:''' Martians feel no cold. Why do you ask?\
71	'''Firestorm:''' Geez, Mars doesn't need women. It needs a sense of humor.
72	** An alternative interpretation is that he's ''always'' a DeadpanSnarker, but most of the time (including in the example above) nobody notices.
73	* CommandingCoolness: Averted by Commander Blanx, a genocidal sociopath.
74	* ContinuityDrift: In his first story, "The Strange Experiment of Doctor Erdel!", J'onn, masquerading as a human named John Jones, goes sightseeing around the world, comparing his observations to life on Mars. At one point, he mentions in passing a "Great Evolution", which eradicated crime on Mars for centuries. Later stories featured Martian criminals, though they were still treated as significant aberrations.
75	* CoolMask: Mr. V.
76	* CowardlyLion: Commander Blanx. He's a DirtyCoward who prefers to let his men do the fighting, and has no problem bringing in an ally to sucker punch J'onn InTheBack in what was supposed to be a man-to-man duel. He'd rather run than fight, and has a healthy respect for his own skin. All that being said though, when he's cornered he proves himself a perfectly capable combatant, nearly killing J'onn, and at one point, throwing down with Superman while on Earth.
77	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Considering what J'onn endured, ComicBook/PostCrisis -- witnessing the horrible deaths of his entire race, including his wife and child, and then wandering completely alone through a wasteland, possibly for ''[[TimeAbyss eons]]'' -- it's a testament to J'onn's [[HeroicWillpower willpower]] that he's even still ''sane.'' Though he may feel like a FishOutOfWater here and sometimes gets frustrated with us, he loves Earth and is enormously grateful to be among living people again. (In the Williams series, his sanity is rather more fragile, as he coped with the trauma of his origin by forgetting himself repeatedly during the million-odd years he's been on Earth.)
78	* DeadPersonImpersonation: His iconic "John Jones" identity belonged to a dead cop. It became his preferred method of adopting secret identities in the Ostrander series, stepping into the life of someone who'd died before their time.
79	* DeathByOriginStory: He has what is arguably the most extreme example of this ever in Post-Crisis continuity. Most of his ''species'', including his ''wife and daughter'', spontaneously combusted after contracting a psychic plague engineered by his ''own brother''. J'onn only survived by severing his own psychic connection to the rest of his people, meaning he had to watch his family die in front of him while he was mentally cut off from them. The worst thing is that he could have stopped all of this. He knew his brother was up to no good, but J'onn still had misplaced trust in him and underestimated the depths of his evil. The loss of his people and his family in particular are a huge part of his character, which might be why attempts to revive his race always turn out to be fakeouts. While there is another (evil) Green Martian out there, his family is still dead.
80	* DemotedToExtra: Thanks to Mariner and Viking proving Mars to be barren in real life, J'onn wasn't around much in the early 80's, [[CommutingOnABus spending most of his time]] with the refugees who fled the disaster that destroyed his civilization. [[TheBusCameBack He came back]] during the ComicBook/{{Justice League\|OfAmerica}}'s "Detroit" era, and he's been a prominent character ever since.
81	* DependingOnTheArtist: NOBODY can agree on what his true Martian form looks like. Luckily, Martians are shapeshifters, so it doesn't really matter.
82	** A minor point is whether his eyes are normally solid red or solid black.
83	* DiabolicalMastermind: Mr. V, alias "Faceless", leader of the crime syndicate Vulture, who J'onn tangled with frequently in the fifties and sixties.
84	* DirtyCoward: Commander Blanx. Overlaps with CombatPragmatist and CowardlyLion.
85	* DistaffCounterpart: J'onn's young counterpart on the ComicBook/TeenTitans, M'gann M'orzz, aka Miss Martian. She's actually a White Martian who's [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch turned her back on her people's evil ways]].
86	* TheDreaded:
87	** There's a reason why Despero scares everyone shitless: because he's an endlessly hateful, world-demolishingly-powerful juggernaut who usually requires multiple teams just to slow him down. Pitting a single team against him is likely to result in the death of everyone in it unless it contains some ''serious'' heavy hitters.
88	** J'onn himself could be seen as this for some people as well. At one point, Superman once stated that he can count on one hand the number of people he'd be scared to fight in open combat and that J'onn J'onzz was at the very top of that list.
89	* DuelToTheDeath: "And So My World Ends" concludes with a climatic trident duel between J'onn J'onnz and OmnicidalManiac Commander Blanx.
90	* EmeraldPower: He's as strong as ''Superman.''
91	* EvilCounterpart: Commander Blanx, pre-ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths. Other evil Martians showed up, but none contrasted with J'onn quite the way that the utterly cold-blooded Blanx did. One could make a case for the non-Martian Despero being another Evil Counterpart, with his {{Telepathy}}, history of persecution, and truly alien status.
92	* EvilCounterpartRace: Green Martians like J'onn J'onnz are wise, peaceful, and obscenely powerful (with one exception: OmnicidalManiac and EvilCripple Malefic). White Martians have all the powers of their green cousins, but are monstrously evil (also with, to date, a single exception). No, the respective exceptions are not in any meaningful way counterparts. However, this depends on the incarnation; [[WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010 in some versions]], the White Martians are simply subject to a prejudice.
93	* EvilTwin: Ma'alefa'ak (alias Malefic) is [[CainAndAbel literally]] J'onn's EvilTwin post-Crisis.
94	* ExpositionOfImmortality: The Manhunter has reminisced about his time on Mars prior to the accident that led to him being teleported to Earth in the 50s, which has shown that he was alive on Mars during the 18th century. His unchanging appearance is credited to Martians being very slow-aging.
95	* {{Expy}}: Malefic to Commander Blanx. Both are Martian leaders with a link to J'onn who chose to wipe out 99% of their own species. They are very different in personality and motivations though, with Malefic being an AxCrazy SerialKiller and {{Mind Rap\|e}}ist, while Blanx is an utterly apathetic sociopath who [[OnlyInItForTheMoney did it for the money]]. One could argue that the current White Martians are, as a species, Expies of Blanx's Pole Dwellers.
96	* FantasticRacism: Green vs. White Martians. And Red vs. White Saturnians, the Martians' bio-engineered sister species. Note that originally, this wasn't so much racism as nationalism, since Martians of both kinds can alter their color at will. Only in recent years have they been defined as separate species (and then again as one species split in two -- ItMakesSenseInContext, sort of.)
97	%%* FatBastard: Mr. V.
98	* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: It's been established since the [=DeMatteis=] mini in the '80s that J'onn's familiar green skinned muscleman form is a compromise between a human form and his true natural form (which is gaunt, occasionally finned, and significantly less human looking.) The reason he doesn't go all the way with this trope is because he can more comfortably maintain this form for longer periods of time.
99	* FunnyAnimal: The "Martian Anteater," J'onn's [[Franchise/TheDCU Earth-C-Minus]] (well, "Mars-C-Minus," I suppose) counterpart and a member of his world's "JLA" (the "[[ComicBook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew Just'a Lotta Animals]])."
100	* GalacticConqueror: Despero, a ComicBook/{{Justice League\|OfAmerica}} villain, who nevertheless has a major hate-on for J'onn. Whenever he targets the team, J'onn is usually the first one Despero wants to kill.
101	* GenocideFromTheInside: J'onn's brother created a psychic plague that killed off the Martians.
102	* GRatedDrug: J'onn was very fond of Oreos (later named Chocos, obviously due to copyright issues) during Giffen and [=DeMatteis=]' humorous run on ''Justice League International'' in TheEighties. When [[ThePrankster Blue Beetle and Booster Gold]] hid these cookies (in a flashback written by John Ostrander), [[HulkingOut much rampage ensued]]. This becomes sad when a Choco cookie is [[spoiler:placed by ''Batman'' on his coffin at the end of ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis: Requiem''.]]
103	%%* TheHeart: Of the Justice League.
104	* HeroicWillpower: ComicBook/PostCrisis, the Martians were wiped out by a psychic plague that caused the victim to shapeshift into a form that would spontaneously combust. The only way to save oneself was to avoid telepathic contact with anyone, an almost impossible feat for a race that maintained low-level esper contact constantly. J'onn survived because he was able to hold out the longest without telepathic contact, tragically leaving him as the last man standing. J'onn survived because he was literally the strongest-willed person on his planet.
105	* IAlwaysWantedToSayThat: In ''Martian Manhunter Annual'' #2 (Oct. 1999): "You're probably '''wondering''' why I've '''called''' you all here today..." Thinking to himself: "Call me whimsical if you '''must''', but I've waited '''years''' for the appropriate time and place to say that."
106	* InformedAttribute: A self-described example. J'onn has said it himself that he's as powerful as Superman but when the rubber hits the road and he actually faces off against some of Superman's villains like Mongul, Zod, Doomsday, Brainiac, etc., he'll typically get his ass handed to him pretty bad.
107	* InsufferableGenius: Prof. Hugo, a pre-Crisis MadScientist who demanded recognition from the world.
108	* IronicEcho: The ''Martian Manhunter: American Secrets'' mini-series, set in the 1950s, begins with J'onn describing himself and the dying man he has just met by saying "I was a Martian, he was a beatnik", and ends with J'onn thwarting the plans of the only other survivor of Mars (who wants to turn Earth into a new Mars) and proudly stating "He was a Martian, I was a beatnik". ItMakesSenseInContext.
109	* ItsPersonal: With Blanx pre-Crisis, with Despero and Malefic in the later years.
110	* TheJuggernaut: Despero following his most recent power-ups.
111	* KarmicDeath: Commander Blanx, who engineered the Martian apocalypse pre-Crisis, gets crushed to death beneath a globe of Mars.
112	* KillAllHumans: Blanx and Malefic both display this attitude towards their fellow Martians.
113	* KillItWithFire: Martians are weak against fire. Pre-Crisis, Blanx used the Martian Blue Flame to execute this strategy against the planet as a whole. That's right -- he set ''Mars'' on fire.
114	* KnightOfCerebus: Blanx may only have appeared for one issue, but he's still this, as his crime forever changed the tone of Martian Manhunter stories from traditional lighthearted sixties fare to introspective angst, and helped usher in MediaNotes/{{the Bronze Age\|OfComicBooks}} of comics in the process.
115	* LastOfHisKind: More or less. In RealLife, after Mariner and Viking proved Mars to be a wasteland, DC had to explain how this had happened and what became of J'onn's people. The exact nature of the catastrophe and how many survived it has varied over the years. (That said, although the Green Martians are functionally extinct, the White Martians continue to survive.) Their bio-engineered progeny, the Saturnians living on Saturn's moons, are still around, although they don't take much interest in Earthling affairs. Jemm, Son of Saturn, is the most well-known.
116	** The sole exception to this since the Silver Age has been ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', where Mars is still inhabited and J'onn has numerous nieces and nephews.
117	* LiteralSplitPersonality: In the Williams series, J'onn split himself into multiple independent personae with their own bodies, only some of which were aware of their origin.
118	%%* MadScientist: Professor Arnold Hugo, a pre-Crisis enemy.
119	%%* {{Martians}}: It's in his name.
120	* MasterOfAll: Has many of the powers of ComicBook/{{Superman}}, plus {{Telepathy}}, {{Intangibility}}, and VoluntaryShapeshifting. [[KillItWithFire He does have a]] WeaksauceWeakness, but he [[DependingOnTheWriter has been known to overcome it.]]
121	* MindRape: A major crime on Mars; [[AxCrazy Malefic]] is naturally guilty of it. Despero is also ''very'' fond of this, and has inflicted it on J'onn on numerous occasions. J'onn once ''forced'' this on himself. To be fair, the process forcing it was an attempt to ''force sanity into ComicBook/TheJoker's skull''. And it worked, if you can believe it. Only for a few seconds, but ''still''.
122	* MissionControl: One of his most essential roles in the Justice League. Thanks to his keen intellect, strategic mind and psychic powers, J'onn can serve as kind of switchboard operator, keeping the other members of the League in mental communication through him to coordinate strategies and maneuvers during battle. If any villain gets scared shitless because the League fights like a well-oiled machine, J'onn is the reason. He also often serves as dispatcher, choosing members of the League and transporting them to where they're needed as the situation demands (this was his main role in ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]'').
123	* MonsterModesty: If he wanted to, he could easily shape-shift a nice suit to wear. Instead, he runs around in underwear and a cape. This was his policeman's (or "manhunter's") uniform on Mars. Since the Lieberman mini's redesign, he's at least started wearing pants. ''ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier'', conversely, claims he based his look on that of Superman, as he wanted to appear friendly: hence, his outfit is basically the bare minimum of a superhero outfit (cape, boots, chest symbol, UnderwearOfPower) and nothing else.
124	* MultipleChoicePast: In the comics, J'onn changes pasts with [[DependingOnTheWriter practically every writer]], and every adaptation has felt free to come up with their own version.
125	* MySuitIsAlsoSuper: In John Ostrander's run, it's established that the telepathic, shapeshifting Martians wear clothes that are actually bioengineered organisms that shapeshift in accordance with the wearer's telepathic commands.
126	* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Especially during MediaNotes/{{the Silver Age\|OfComicBooks}}. To the point of using "all the powers of space" to create ''an ice cream cone'' with his mind.
127	* NotSoAboveItAll: In JLI. He may be serious and straight, but he's not beyond enjoying oreos.
128	* OlderThanTheyLook: In John Ostrander's run, it's never established just how long ago the Martian Apocalypse happened (J'onn apparently isn't sure himself), but the implication is that he was left wandering around a lifeless world, barely maintaining his sanity, for a [[TimeAbyss very long time]] until Dr. Erdel's teleporter accidentally saved him. In Rob Williams's run, after being blasted to Earth following the Apocalypse, he spent over a million years wandering the planet.
129	%%* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Why Blanx wiped out Mars in the Silver Age.
130	%%* OnlySaneMan: In JLI, especially after Batman left.
131	* PersonOfMassDestruction: Despero, after being reborn in the Flame of Pytaar, added PlayingWithFire, MindOverMatter, RealityWarper, and SuperStrength, SuperSpeed, and NighInvulnerability to his already considerable {{Telepathy}}. These days he's a walking engine of destruction, who requires the entire League to put down.
132	* PlayingWithFire: The Human Flame, and post-rebirth, Despero.
133	%%* ThePowerOfHate: Despero runs on it.
134	* PrimaryColorChampion: Downplayed - his classic outfit consists ''only'' of a few primary-colored strips over his green skin. Blue cape, red straps across his chest, yellow buckles and belt. His more modern outfit adds a lot more black.
135	* PsychicRadar: The Manhunter can use his telepathy to pinpoint the location of a desired individual, at some pretty fantastic ranges. Just as well, since he generally has to fly up into orbit in order to not get confused by all the ambient thinking.
136	* RaceLift: J'onn's most notable SecretIdentity in the comics, John Jones, was a white man. However, after the casting of Creator/CarlLumbly in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' and portrayed in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' by Creator/PhilMorris, it became tradition to have him be played by a black actor with his secret identity a black man too, whether it's John Jones or someone else.
137	* RealMenWearPink:
138	** J'onn is a stoic but sensitive Warrior Poet who loves eating Choco cookies.
139	** As noted below, he had an identity named after Franchise/{{Sailor M\|oon}}ars.
140	* SecretIdentity: In the Silver Age, J'onn J'onzz masqueraded as mild-mannered John Jones, a name no one could have possibly guessed.
141	* ShoutOut:
142	** Just [[http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr157/antpogo/HinoRei.jpg one throwaway line]], but it's to ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' of all things… Paving the way for [[{{Expy}} Miss Martian]] later on.
143	** And what appears to be one to the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] in [[http://eyzmaster.blogspot.ca/2011/01/comicpagesoftheweekend-marsneedschocos.html this]]. J'onn is addicted to Chocos, and Booster Gold and Blue Beetle hid them as a prank. [[spoiler: This was a imaginary story, sadly.]]
144	** Martians call their planet Ma'aleca'andra, a reference to Malacandra, the Martians' name for their planet in Creator/CSLewis' ''Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy'' (though J'onn's name for Earth is Perelandra, which was ''Venus'' in ''The Space Trilogy''; Earth was Thulcandra.)
145	** In 1952, ''Literature/DavidStarrSpaceRanger'' created John Jones, the colonial Martian farmhand who becomes a heroic {{sidekick}}, and TelepathicSpacemen ancient (native) Martians who moved [[BeneathTheEarth beneath the surface of Mars]] once it became uninhabitable. ''Martian Manhunter'' was created in 1955, and the titular character is named J'onn J'onzz, (he would anglicize it to John Jones as an alias) in an allusion to the work by Creator/PaulFrench.
146	%%* TheSociopath: Blanx and Malefic.
147	* SolarSystemNeighbors: Besides J'onn's race there's their distant relatives the Saturnians. Despite the name they live on Saturn's moons instead of the planet.
148	* SpacePolice: Back on Mars, J'onn was a "Manhunter," which is basically a very high-profile policeman. His mother was one, too.
149	* TheSpock: Calm, Composed and Patient. If he Batman had a competition on who could keep their face the blankest under fire neither would win.
150	* StraightMan: To Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and the JLI in general.
151	* {{Stripperiffic}}: J'onn's own original costume is a little skimpy even by comic standards; not a lot of male heroes in DC had their legs and chests exposed to the extent J'onn did. Post-New 52 redesign, however, the quickly forgotten villainess Cay'an soundly won the title for "most skin exposed". Her costume was literally just two strips of thin fabric that joined over her crotch and some necklaces. Even by comic book standards, [[https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/File:Cay%27an.JPG it was overdone.]]
152	* SugarAndIcePersonality: He's not consciously ''trying'' to seem aloof; Martian mannerisms are just different. J'onn's really a softy at heart, but people have to get to know him before they realize it. He's also surprisingly funny and whimsical, according to Martian standards, anyway.
153	* SuperheroSpeciation: Adaptations tend to focus on the abilities he ''doesn't'' share with [[FlyingBrick Superman or Wonder Woman.]] While he's still tough, expect to see his shapeshifting, telepathy and intangibility get favored over brute strength.
154	* SupermanSubstitute: Despite being on first-name terms with the man himself. The twists are that he personally lived through the loss of his world, his weakness is a lot more common, and he's clearly alien in appearance (although he can get around this by shapeshifting).
155	* SuperpowerLottery: Although the extent of his powers varies depending on the writer, J'onn is usually portrayed as one of the half dozen or so heroes considered more powerful than Post-Crisis Superman (Pre-Crisis Superman was even too much for him). The FlyingBrick portion of his powers are roughly equal to Superman, plus there's [[ComboPlatterPowers all those other abilities he's got]]... [[PsychicPowers many o]][[VoluntaryShapeshifting f which]] are of such a caliber they would put him in Superman's weight class even if ''one'' of them were his only power.
156	* SuperPoweredEvilSide: Know ''why'' J'onn and all Green Martians have a fear of fire? Well... it's a psychic block implanted by the Guardians of the Universe to keep their extremely powerful, extremely evil Burning Martian selves held in check.
157	* TheSyndicate: Vulture, a criminal conspiracy from the sixties, led by the enigmatic [[DiabolicalMastermind Mr. V]]. It had agents scattered throughout Europe, and regularly stole weapons technology, missile codes, and top-secret documents in addition to the standard gold, jewels, etc. The organization was broken up into cells, with each cell being led by one of Mr. V's {{Body Double}}s.
158	* {{Telepathy}}: J'onn's most frequently used power these days. It's shared by all other Green & White Martians (save [[EvilTwin Malefic]]), and by Despero, who also features MindOverMatter, PlayingWithFire, and RealityWarper abilities.
159	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Oreos - or rather, [[BrandX Chocos]]. In one story, when he was unable to find any, he [[HulkingOut Hulked Out]] and went on a rampage until he was fed some and calmed down.
160	* UnfinishedBusiness: J'onn with Malefic, Despero with J'onn.
161	* WeaksauceWeakness: Fear of fire. Martians are actually '''less''' vulnerable to fire than humans, and because of their shapeshifting abilities, can recover very quickly from any injury that they survive. The problem with fire is that they are terrified of it, and just being near a lighter can render them helpless. J'onn J'onzz himself has been on earth for decades, and no longer has such an extreme reaction to it. The fear of fire is actually a psychic barrier the Guardians of the Universe put into the Green Martians to stop their [[SuperPoweredEvilSide psychotically powerful Burning Martian selves]] from taking over the universe. J'onn's is called Fernus, and he was capable of nearly killing the entire Justice League all on his own, with J'onn mystically chained inside his head. Alternatively, J'onn's fear of fire is caused by him having witnessed his entire family being burnt to death, and is therefore not a WeaksauceWeakness but a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is pointed out that this weakness is not physical at all when his version of ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' - which is ostensibly the same as his mainstream one, except without the whole heroic path his life took - mentions that he used to be doused with fire by the Russian soldiers who kept him in captivity. This was so frequent that he eventually found out the fire didn't really cause him any harm, and when he did... Well, let's just say it didn't end well for the Ruskies. It seems to be both physical and mental with his ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' incarnation. In the course of one episode, J'onn phases through a fire arrow from Red Arrow, but he was still affected by it, and Miss Martian shut him down completely by showing him a vision of him surrounded by flames.
162	** It was seeing Bloodwynd caught in a fire during the fight with Doomsday that caused ComicBook/BlueBeetle Ted Kord to realize "Bloodwynd"'s true identity. His realization was [[KilledMidSentence cut off]] by Doomsday beating Ted into a coma.
163	* WhamEpisode: "And So My World Ends…", MediaNotes/{{the Silver Age\|of Comic Books}} story which saw Blanx kill off all life on Mars, saw J'onn leave the Justice League to lead his few surviving people, and forever changed the tone of all Martian Manhunter stories.
164	* TheWorfEffect: On paper, J'onn should be every bit as formidable as Superman or possibly even more dangerous, since he possesses roughly comparable super strength, has most of Superman's powers, and even [[SuperpowerLottery several more unique superpowers of his own]]. And at one point, Superman himself stated he was afraid of facing J'onn and considered Martian Manhunter the most powerful being on Earth. However, in many stories where Superman is the main character, J'onn will almost, always lose badly to the Man of Steel's villains, including people like Doomsday, Preus, an Imperiex probe, or General Zod to emphasize how dangerous Superman's foes are.

Context ComicBook / MartianManhunter