Martian Manhunter Annual #2 (October, 1999)

"In the early years of my residence on Earth, I traveled to Africa, took the form of a gorilla and lived as one of them among a tribe in the wild." Though he was treated as one of the lowest status, J'Onn J'Onzz was at least tolerated, and even embraced as a friend by some. When human researchers came to study the apes, the G'Orilla studied them back. Then the poachers came while the Martian was elsewhere, slaughtering scientist and gorilla alike in pursuit of valuable... novelties. Severed heads. Ashtrays fashioned out of paws. The Sleuth from Outer Space tracked the poachers, and used his telepathy to force them to turn themselves in to authorities. He mused that the savage beast assumptions regarding gorillas was more a projection of human's own aggression and avarice than what he had seen amongst the tribe.

Even the various assaults and forced conversions during JLApe: Gorilla Warfare could all be understood as repercussions of the assassination of King Solovar-- but by whom? Who stood to gain? After purging his recent gorilla hybrid-form from his "shape-memory matrix" and restoring his super-hero default, J'Onn J'Onzz traveled to the JLA Watchtower to collaborate with The Batman on this impenetrable mystery. Following Green Lantern Annual #8, "The Morphic Resonance Array was destroyed, but not before a significant portion of the world's population had been transformed into gorillas. Chaos currently reigns. In response to your earlier comments, I'd like to point out that Green Lantern's condition was the reason for my hasty departure from the U.N." [JLA Annual #3 (September, 1999)]

Despite The Dark Knight Detective's constant condescension and dimminishment of his abilities, The Sleuth from Outer Space had also deduced the identity of the mastermind behind this incident, but felt the need to build a case in order to understand where to locate and how to defeat the culprit. To this end, private investigator John Jones, and other alien alter egos, interviewed known associates like Bobo T. Chimpanzee, Monsieur Mallah, Sam Simeon, and William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan for insights. Sam fanboyed over the Manhunter from Mars, asking him to pose for a sketch.

While John Jones was playing Simian Team-Up, the JLA were doing real stuff, like averting nuclear catastrophe and joining Grogamesh in evacuating Gorilla City as a precaution. It was here that the Sleuth solved Cluedo, explaining that it was Gorilla Grodd in the coup with the assassination. Envy was the motive, and thanks to having absorbed all the mental energy of the gathered gorillas and neo-simians globally, Grodd had the power of a god to blast Martian Manhunter, who reverted to his natural form. However, fully ascending to a deity seemingly meant Grodd being stripped of his identity, and when the Martian pointed this out while "worshiping" the Super-Gorilla for his sacrifice, Grodd recoiled and collapsed. This was done in a sequence of three double-page spreads, joining the many Image-style visuals for big annual storytelling that did thankfully help the pacing on these thickish books. A babbling, vegetative Grodd was locked away in an asylum, and Ulgo sought to normalize relations between Gorilla City and the human world.

"Fear and Loathing on the Planet of the Apes" was by Len Kaminski, Gus Vasquez, & Mark Propst. As I was suffering discontent about a year into the run of the 1998 ongoing series, I especially enjoyed this, the final ever Martian Manhunter/Magnificent 7 JLA solo annual. Which I largely lay at the feet of Ostrander/Mandrake, but that's an admittedly minority opinion. Kaminski was a writer that I always tended to enjoy, who should have had a better career, and who I thought had a really good handle on the Alien Atlas. He and fill-in writer John Arcudi were the guys I kept hoping would take over the series when Ostrander was done with it, only for the title itself to give out after three years. But it was so good, the DC Message Board lectured me. Here, I loved stuff like J'Onn inserting himself into non-human Earth populations, and I really appreciated the trend of pitting J'Onn against Grodd. He's best known as a Flash villain, but the mental powers and outsider perspective made their pairings natural. Obviously it would have been even better if these Silver Age revivalists had, y'know, revived actual Silver Age Martian Manhunter villains, but that's asking too much. Grodd's one of my favorite DC villains, going all the way back to Challenge of the Super Friends, so bring him on.

Vasquez has a rubbery quality that suits J'Onn in a way it wouldn't any other JLAer, and I felt it was more of a piece with the popular style of Howard Porter on JLA broadly and Don Hillsman III very specifically on the Martian Marvel in this time period. I especially liked his Natural Form Martian, which I digitally "cut out" in one of my first forays into Microsoft Paint, to post on my late '90s Web-TV site, so we go way back. For the artist, it was mostly just back-ups and one-offs going forward, though he was still kicking around as late at the 2010s. Kaminski did some more JLA work here and there, but was mostly out of comics after the turn of the century, and I understand is currently committed to a wheelchair in a nursing home against his will. That certainly puts things in perspective. But hey, sorry for the delay in wrapping up this coverage. It's been a lot of apes for a long time. Despite generally liking this storyline, I had misgivings about taking it on in the blogging medium, especially once I felt compelled to look at each book for my different venues. Well founded misgivings, hence the delay.

Green Lantern Annual #8 (October, 1999)

Like most of his fellow JLAers, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner briefly regressed to being controlled by Gorilla City while in his ape form, but took the problem further than most. Where the other heroes managed to shake both the influence and the form in relatively short order, the neophyte mostly gave in, becoming a proper gorilla soldier against mankind. As noted by the Sleuth from Outer Space in his own forthcoming, conclusive annual, "However, by this time, the orbital morphic resonator array is operational, defended by a force of space marines led by General Zolog-- aided by Green Lantern, who had been subverted to the gorilla cause." Building a close camaraderie with several of his fellow gorilla grunts, the Green Lantern would play an important role in General Zolog's bid to succeed as his contemporaries repeatedly failed. Essentially, as the last ape standing, all the future glory or blame fell on Zolog's fuzzy shoulders.

In a show of (increasingly limited) power, Zolog ordered the ape-ification of Honolulu, but had to deactivate cloaking to do so, allowing their detection by the Sleuth from Outer Space at the JLA Watchtower. I'm not sure who put it together, but the Alien Atlas has an unconventional team ready to go, made up of Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott, Warrior, and the Metal Men. J'Onn once worked with Scott in the 1970s, and of course had associated with him via the JLA/JSA crossovers. Guy Gardner of Justice League International was well familiar, and I was well pleased that he was played as his usual crass self, rather than the Beau Smith glow-up. The Metal Men was the curve ball, though they did go back to JLA: Year One.

Just as Gorilla Lantern engaged this force, he was teleported to the Watchtower, where he was greeted by a gorilla claiming to be part of a force that now occupied the facility. However, this ape slipped up in calling the Lantern "Kyle," rather than his ape name, and his power ring set tentacles upon the disguised Martian. However, J'Onn continued using Kyle's name, and helping him to remember who he truly was. The ring did the rest. "Thanks to my rather duplicitous efforts, Green Lantern was restored to normal, as have been the rest of the JLA." Kyle had initially been concerned for his ape comrades, and now for all of his friends, and rushed back into combat. Unfortunately, General Zolog was something of a simian Kissinger, willing and able to sacrifice many of his own men in a last bid for overall victory. Green Lantern helped mitigate the fallout, but still lost some of his former men, wounding hearts on both sides of this gorilla warfare.

"Grunts" was by Keith Giffen, Octavio J. Cariello, Jr., John Nadeau, Marcelo Campos, & Jordi Ensign. J'Onn's synopsis was written by Len Kaminski. Obviously, my coverage of "JLApril" is late and entirely prompted by the podcasting event that I linked to last week, but I wish I'd run even later, so that I could take advantage of the sharp digital scans in the newly released collection of these comics. The 1999 version were printed on lousy paper that gave everything a gray tinge and made the colors a drab mess. I don't always love the glossy sheen of modern printing, but trust that it's an improvement. Anyway, this was a nice read, my favorite of the satellite solo annuals (obviously not counting the bookends with our favorite Martian.) Giffen on his own doesn't sing like he did with his better collaborators, but his weary, cranky voice suits this material. Unfortunately, there's several instances of the editor blowing it, allowing dialogue balloons intended for one character to come out of the "mouth" of another. Thankfully, the dialogue is distinct enough for the reader to tell where the fault lies. Despite often being thought of as a funny guy, Giffen plays this one fairly straight, lending an unexpected poignancy. But also, he brings in JLI favorite Guy, who naturally plays well with our boy. Star Wars artist Nadeau leans into the grit, so that it's jarring when the style switches to more clean cut super-heroics mid-sequence. Further, Cariello demonstrated his own moody chops on Deathstroke, so maybe there was a heavy-handed inker? It all looks good, just different. Oddly enough, both pencillers moved out of comics and into painting after this. Man, it was so nice to see J'Onn working with people with whom he had a history, instead of whichever team-up tickled Ostrander's fancy on a given month.

JLA Annual #3 (September, 1999)

After finally opening diplomatic relations with the U.N, and revealing the existence of Gorilla City to the world, King Solovar was assassinated. His nephew and successor, Prince Regent Ulgo, then blamed humanity and launched a counter-offensive. But also, Ulgo was secretly a member of the Inner Circle of the Simian Scarlet Cultural Purity Movement, an extremist faction of super intelligent gorillas. Other members included the mobster Grimm, General Zolog, Admiral Trafalgo, and the sorceress Abu-Gita, but they were all dancing on the strings of Gorilla Grodd.

Martian Manhunter received a request at the Watchtower from Gorilla City to send a diplomatic envoy of JLA members to help mitigate the damage. Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Dark Flash were openly deployed, while an invisible Alien Atlas followed along in secret. Before reaching Gorilla City, the party was ambushed, and exposed to a gas that turned the lot into gorillas. Worse, some form of mind control was exerted over them, causing them to turn on the "hu-mans." However, the Martian Manhunter retained his wits, if not his form, and used his telepathy to mostly restore the JLA's more human instincts. Back at the Watchtower, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner thought that he was being hazed by the more veteran members of "JLApe." Batman and the Martian Hu-Manhunter worked together on a cure for the "Gorillabomb," but the Simian Sleuth from Outer Space had to pursue help from Animal Man, who was disoriented by troubling memories of a "Coyote Messiah" and the like. Recognizing "I'm important to the plot," Buddy Baker helps J'Onn J'Onzz understand how to use the morphogenetic field to restore the team.

In his absence, the male JLApes began posturing for dominance to court Wonder Woman as a mate, and the Manhunter had to reassert their identity matrices telepathically. Unfortunately, Ulgo then deployed gorillabombs at the United Nations, transforming the entire body while adding Green Lantern to the apes. The intended cure was used to restore the U.N., but the JLA were still trapped in gorilla form. The JLA divided their forces to address various fields in play in the conflict with Gorilla City, while Batman couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that J'Onn was hiding something.

"Gorilla Warfare" was by Len Kaminski, Jason Orfalas, and Jordi Ensign. Aside from poor work-life-podcasting balance this month, my ambivalence toward covering this event (and its scale/page count) contributed to my low productivity this month. I needn't have hesitated, because this was a fun and relatively brisk read with a bunch of puns and two-page spreads (one of which was interrupted by a fold-out ad for a video game about monkeys and bananas, appropriately enough. I'm not wild for the artist's Semeiks-influenced humans, but his apes strongly reflect the Arthur Adams covers, which is surely a welcome sight. If you're interested, the recent podcast Dial F for Flanger - Episode 24 covers the issue in greater detail.

Adventures in the DC Universe #1 (April, 1997)

The Batman & Nightwing villain Blockbuster was attempting to steal millions of dollars worth of gold from the Denver Mint, and despite having been forewarned about the Martian Manhunter, was caught off-guard that the "treacherous alien" could turn invisible. J'Onn J'Onzz tried to cart the big brained brute back down into the tunnel he had dug underneath the mint to prevent his doing any more harm. Blockbuster fought back, unintentionally trigger a gas explosion, into which the villain vanished. The alien fought off his fear of fire to douse the flames by breaking a water main, then pondered Blockbuster's fate. Elsewhere, Flash's foe Super-Gorilla Grodd pulled a similar mid-heist disappearing act, as did recent Aquaman adversary Major Disaster, Superman scoundrel Parasite, Wonder Woman wretch The Cheetah, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner devil Dr. Light, and another Batman baddie, the Scarecrow. The JLA convened at their moon base, and the Caped Crusader traced satellite transmissions related to the vanishings to a location in the desert of the southwestern United States. The JLA crashed their cavernous base and easily overwhelmed the evildoers. However, a mysterious mastermind in an armored mech known only as "Cipher" easily downed Manhunter, Superman, and Lantern with weapons exploiting their weaknesses. Batman directed the JLA to victory, but when the allied aliens ripped open the armor, "He must have teleported away! The suit's empty!" Aside from a bomb to be evaded, that is. The League was left with a mystery, and their foe a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses...

The Justice League of America in "Now You See 'Em..." was by Steve Vance, John Delaney, & Ron H. Boyd. In the editorial material by Frank Berrios, Vance is introduced as a co-founder of Bongo Comics who designed several DC logos and wrote for Paradox Press' Big Book series. Delany was an animation veteran with credits including Flash Gordon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Savage Dragon who was looking for the creative liberty of... corporate comics? Boyd was a film school grad who had one of the longest run working on Legion of Super-Heroes titles. Despite being created as an intentional complement to the Batman and Superman animated series tie-in titles, they allowed Delany to indulge his own design aesthetic rather than hewing closer to the Bruce Timm school as Ty Templeton and Mike Parobeck had done on the short-lived Superman and Batman Magazine. However, like that magazine, Adventures clearly targeted a younger demographic with shorter, simpler stories. This one basically repeated the same plot in four segments of decreasing length, then three additional single panel summaries, leading to the final battle. It's nice that J'Onn got the second, and thus second-longest segment to introduce him to new readers. I preferred Delany's design to Timm's on the Manhunter, and I guess maybe Blockbuster was perhaps some sort of nod to Arnold Hugo and the Detective Comics run? As with Kyle Rayner and the hook-hand Aquaman, Adventures was aggressively rooted in then-modern comics continuity, perhaps to its detriment.

Podcast- JLMay 2019: Countdown To Blackest Night (2007-2009)

Episode #36

Look for us on iTunes, ShoutEngine or directly download an art-tagged MP3 from the Internet Archive

JLMay 2019-- Blackest Night 10th Anniversary Podcast Crossover Event
Frank always gets extra with #JLMay, so this first of several tie-in episodes covers three years worth of often extraneous Martian Manhunter material leading to his murder and the aftermath. Series referenced include Infinite Crisis, Amazons Attack, Checkmate, Countdown, Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special, Justice League of America Wedding Special, The Sinestro Corps War, Teen Titans, Black Adam: The Dark Age, Salvation Run, Catwoman, Final Crisis: Requiem, Faces of Evil: Prometheus, Justice League: Cry for Justice, & Blackest Night! From here follow JLMay 2016 to these fantastic podcasts! Each will cover a different issue of SILVER AGE and each will come out in May! And don’t forget to use the hashtag #JLMay2019 when discussing on social media!

JLMay 2019

1. JLMAY Blackest Night Anniversary Special [The Podcast of Oa Episode 138]
2. Blackest Night #1 (2009) [Chris & Reggie’s Cosmic Treadmill ep. 139]
3. Blackest Night #2 and Green Lantern (vol.4) #44 [Idol Head of Diabolu]
4. Blackest Night #3 [The Fire & Water Podcast]
5. Blackest Night #4 [Head Speaks]
6. Blackest Night #5 [Coffee & Comics Podcast]
7. Blackest Night #6 [Longbox Crusade]
8. Blackest Night #7 and #8, and Green Lantern (vol.4) #52 [The LanternCast]
9. Doom Patrol (vol. 5) #4 and #5 [Waiting for Doom]
10. Suicide Squad #67, and Secret Six #17-#18 [Task Force X]
11. Justice League of America (vol.2) #38-#40 [Justice’s First Dawn]
12. Adventure Comics (vol.2) #4-#7, and Untold Tales of the Blackest Night #1 [Coffee & Comics Podcast]
13. Starman (vol.2) #81 [Starman/Manhunter Adventure Hour]
14. Booster Gold (vol.2) #26-#27 [Doctor DC Podcast]
15. Blackest Night: JSA miniseries, issues #1-#3 [Birds of Prey Podcast]

Martian Manhunter in...

• Silver Age #1 (July, 2000)
• Silver Age: Justice League of America #1 (July, 2000)
• Silver Age: Dial H for Hero #1 (July, 2000)

JLMay 2017

• Justice (2005)

JLMay 2016

• JLA: Day Minus-One (1977)
• JLA: Day Zero (1994)
• JLA: Day One (1961)
• Secret Origins Podcast: Justice League of America
• JLA: Year One #10

We enjoy dialogue on the red planet, so here are our non-telepathic contact options:

• Tweet host Diabolu Frank directly, or probe @rolledspine as a group.
• Email Diabolu
• If the main Idol-Head of Diabolu blog isn't your thing, try the umbrella Rolled Spine Podcasts.

Final Crisis: Requiem #1 (September, 2008)

Superman said the final words at the funeral of J'Onn J'Onzz, attended by Wonder Woman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Metamorpho, Zatanna, Wildcat, Grace Choi, Black Lightning, Mr. Terrific, Firestorm (Jason Rusch,) Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders,) Starman, Booster Gold, Plastic Man, the Bulleteer, Beast Boy, Vixen, Robin (Tim Drake,) Nightwing, Green Lanterns Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Alan Scott, & Kyle Rayner, Green Arrow, Stargirl, the Arthur Joseph Curry Aquaman inexplicably in the original's costume, Starfire, Batman, Flash (Wally West,) Red Arrow, Geo-Force, Cyclone, Hawkman, Red Tornado, Steel, Huntress, Black Canary, Damage, Hourman (Rick Tyler,) Supergirl, Power Girl, Adam Strange, Ice, Gypsy and others in the background.

J'Onn J'Onzz had been lying on the floor in a villains' lair with over 300 pyro-tranq darts designed by Dr. Sivana lodged all over his body, immolating and sedating him. Perpetrators Dr. Light and Effigy lowered the so-called firewall so that they could carry him to another room under orders from the super-villain apostle Libra. Though groggy, J'Onzz began to regain consciousness en route. Libra wasted no time impaling him through the chest with his staff. The villains present in the room; Lex Luthor, Effigy, Dr. Sivana, Vandal Savage, Gorilla Grodd, Ocean Master, Dr. Light, and Talia al Ghul; were tormented by visions of a homicidal Justice League projected by J'Onzz in the throes. The Human Flame had cowered behind an armchair over the illusory sight of the Alien Atlas himself, though he was beneath notice as the Manhunter remained focused on Libra. The Martian Marvel pulled himself up from the ground by the spear and began choking Libra, but Effigy and Dr. Light blasted him with their energy powers. Burnt and exhausted, J'Onzz felt the killing cut dealt his heart by Libra from a borrowed knife from Vandal Savage. J'Onn forced a final grin.


At the moment of his death, various heroes were struck by a telepathic wave that notified them of his passing, including Superman, Batman, Dinah (but not her bedmate Ollie,) Hal, and in Detroit, Gypsy. Of all people, it was Dick Grayson who first reached the body, dangling impaled through the chest by a post driven into a large model of planet Mars. This was in New York City, after being reported by a security guard at the Rose Center for Earth and Science. It was a "Level One Omega," in super-hero parlance. The body was taken back to the headquarters of the Justice League of America, a team he was no longer a member of in a Hall of Justice that was long denied him. Hal and Ollie kept watch over him, with the former asking "Look how they slaughtered our friend. Of all of us... I can't believe he's gone." Jordan couldn't bear to close J'Onn's still eyes, but Ollie convinced him his soul was finally with his family, so Hal consented. Both were thirsty for rough justice. Later, the heroes touched by J'Onn's mind began "sleep authoring" a sort of hardbound autobiography by proxy called "Mars: A History By J'Onn J'Onzz" that recapped his 1998-2001 solo series, plus the JLA arc "Trial By Fire" and 52: WW III. Finally, Superman picked up J'Onn's pyramid ancestral home in the Gobi Desert, the Green Lanterns carted dozens of mourners, and Mars was the site of a destination funeral. The book was left on a translucent ruby coffin as the Manhunter on Mars was left lying in state. Batman, unmasked, added a Choco cookie. "Goodbye, old friend." A spectral vision of J'Onn reunited with his wife and child closed the book.

"Caretakers of Mars" was by Peter J. Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy and Rodney Ramos. I didn't synopsize the story a decade ago because I knew I'd add extraneous details I easily cut today, and because I didn't want to express my anger at the book to mourning fans. Its excessively detailed yet frustratingly specific history of J'Onn J'Onzz was mostly limited to stories edited by Tomasi that I already had a difficult relationship with, coupled with a bunch of more recent material that I deeply disliked. From Hal & Ollie calling J'Onn their "favorite Martian" to the damned Choco, the whole affair felt maddeningly superficial, obvious, and corny. At least this time the significance of Gypsy in J'Onn's later life was acknowledged, and we got to see J'Onn put up some kind of fight against his murderers, instead of being put down like a whimpering dog in the core Final Crisis mini-series. The opening splash page of J'Onn in repose at the funeral was lovely, and while uneven, I enjoyed the art overall.

Salvation Run #6-7 (June-July, 2008)

Two more weeks on Hell Planet. Despite the narrow bloodless victory last issue, Martian Manhunter was now depicted as brutalized and dirty with missing teeth in a flame cage constructed and maintained this entire time by a Heat Wave who has gone from fear at being blamed for his death to anticipation for murdering him. Except when he joins Captain Cold in pointing out that killing Bart Allen was the worst mistake the Rogues ever made and led to their dire straits. But ask again in five minutes. The Joker & Luthor camps also reunited, because. The Titans associates Thunder & Lighting tried to rescue J'Onn, but got captured by Bane and imprisoned. Luthor and Joker fought over whether to kill the lot of them, and then they just plain fistfought, and then the Parademons show up.

Vandal Savage continued to mentally abuse and sleep deprive his would-be villainess harem, tricking each in turn to think that they were his sole partner in manipulating the other, with Phobia's literal fearmongering amongst them going a long way toward explaining why they would be so malleable. Eventually, they bothered to talk amongst themselves, figure out his scam, and throw a beating. Luthor needed a safe place for Warp to teleport the device his team had constructed to return to Earth, and Catwoman guided them to the safe zone, where they halted the savaging of Vandal. Grodd reminded everyone why he was called Super-Gorilla by surviving the attempt on his life and working with Luthor to telepathically force help with opening a portal from unwilling parties. Grodd wanted to kill Joker, of course, but then the Parademons showed up again.

Even this late in the game, previously unseen key players were being introduced without explanation. Super-villains apparently killed in the ensuing battle are included and struck out in the final census below (though some will turn up elsewhere in the future, also without explanation.) Thunder, Lightning, Warp, Neutron, Plasmus, and, um, Lady Robot Arms(? I hope it's not Silver Swan. That would be embarrassing) were revealed to be powering the portal, and were all blown to pieces by a bomb left by Luthor before he was the last man through the portal. Weak and in great pain, Martian Manhunter was ignored by the Parademons and left to die in the flame cage (maintained by what exactly?)

"Burning Down the House World" & "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place Planet" were by Matthew Sturges, Sean Chen and Walden Wong, again, but for the last time, and joined by Wayne Faucher. I can't stand the Joker and can't believe he'd win a fight against Lex Luthor, but these issues were less terrible (and less substantial) than the rest. But why again didn't anybody kill the Joker after they got back home?

Census: Abra Kadabra, Bane, Black Spider, the Body Doubles, the Brain, Brutale, Captain Cold, Catman, Catwoman, the Cheetah, Chemo, Cicada, Clayface, Deadshot, Dr. Light, Dr. Sivana, Effigy, Fatality, General Immortus, Giganta, Girder, Gorilla Grodd, Hammer, Heat Wave, Hellhound, Hindenberg, Hyena, Ibac, Iron Cross, Jewelee, Jinx, Jongleur, Kid Karnevil, Killer Croc, Killer Frost, Leather, Lex Luthor, Lockup, Mad Hatter, Magenta, Mammoth, Man-Bat, Manticore, Meanstreak, Metallo, Mirror Master, Mr. Freeze, Mr. Terrible, Monsieur Mallah, Neutron, Phobia, the Prankster, Professor Ivo, Psimon, Rag Doll, Rock, Scandal Savage, Shadow-Thief, Shimmer, Shrapnel, Sickle, Silver Monkey, Silver Swan, Splitshot, Sterling Silversmith, Skorpio, Solomon Grundy, Sonar, Hugo Strange, Tapeworm, Tar Pit, Tremor, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Two-Face, Warp and Weather Wizard. Wow, that's a lot of lame-os who survived.

Salvation Run #4 (April, 2008)

On Hell Planet, Martian Manhunter had been impersonating Blockbuster for the past thirteen days as part of an operation he was coordinating with Batman to find all those recently missing super-villains. Now, he was trapped incommunicado on a world so far from any he knew that there was no semblance of a direction home. The villains were turning on each other on a planet that appeared engineered to be as deadly as possible. And hiding in the bushes, observing J'Onn's futile effort to communicate with Batman, Catwoman found this development "Verrrry interesting."

One week later, tensions within Lex Luthor's camp continued to rise. Lady Vic confronted "Blockbuster" with his charade, not recognizing this man as the one she knew "very well." At least there were some support systems there. It was every man for himself at Joker's camp, as Gorilla Grodd shoved a bamboo rod in Bolt's hand so he could go hunt his own food if he wanted to eat. Grodd was eying Joker's chair when he was approached with a strategic alliance by Monsieur Mallah and The Brain. While Mallah tried to tout the apes' superiority to the humans, especially in a jungle setting, Grodd expressed repulsion at the comparison. "You absurd science experiment! ...You are an abomination!" It was Mallah's turn to be offended, and he lashed out, but was no match for Grodd's brute strength. In desperation, Mallah fired five slugs into Grodd's chest, only to be bludgeoned to death with The Brain's containment vessel, his one consolation being that he would die alongside his disembodied love. Weakened and wounded, the six-hundred pound Grodd was unable to prevent Joker's pallid, anorexic, dandy leg from from kicking him off an inconveniently located mountain ledge.

Vandal Savage had seen these downturns coming, and had convinced Lady Flash, Phobia, Nocturna, and the Cheetah to follow him into the wilderness. "Whether anyone develops the technology to escape or not, we'll be alive." Savage had already determined that the planet was technologically-based, and had located an isolated location wired for paradise...

"Life Is But A Dream Nightmare" was by Matthew Sturges, Sean Chen and Walden Wong. I stopped recapping this mini-series halfway through seven years ago for a number of reasons, not the least of which because these posts corresponded with lengthy simultaneous synopses of other titles across numerous blogs at a time when audiences for that format were dwindling. The New 52 had also gone into effect, rendering the continuity these stories took place in moot. But most importantly, it's because I hated what a vicious and stupid effort this mini-series was, and I was particularly disgusted at the thinly motivated ape massacre in this issue. It was DC not only disowning its innocent past of evil talking gorillas, but relishing in adulterating their very memory in as cruel and distasteful a way as possible. Its utter contempt for its own past creators and their output inspire contempt in me for them. I wanted no more to do with it then, and now, I just want to sort out my loose ends and draft copy for a podcast adaptation as part of a larger overview of this era.

Census: Abra Kadabra, Bane, Black Spider, Blockbuster (Martian Manhunter), the Body Doubles, the Brain, Brutale, Captain Cold, Catman, Catwoman, the Cheetah, Chemo, Cicada, Clayface, Deadshot, Dr. Light, Dr. Sivana, Effigy, Fatality, General Immortus, Giganta, Girder, Gorilla Grodd, Solomon Grundy, Hammer, Heat Wave, Hellhound, Hindenberg, Hyena, Ibac, Iron Cross, Jewelee, Jinx, Jongleur, Kid Karnevil, Killer Croc, Killer Frost, Leather, Lex Luthor, Lockup, Mad Hatter, Magenta, Mammoth, Man-Bat, Manticore, Meanstreak, Metallo, Mirror Master, Mr. Freeze, Mr. Terrible, Monsieur Mallah, Neutron, Phobia, the Prankster, Professor Ivo, Psimon, Rag Doll, Rock, Scandal Savage, Shadow-Thief, Shimmer, Shrapnel, Sickle, Silver Monkey, Silver Swan, Splitshot, Sterling Silversmith, Skorpio, Sonar, Hugo Strange, Tapeworm, Tar Pit, Tremor, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Two-Face, Warp and Weather Wizard.

Podcast- JLMay 2017: Justice & Liberty

Episode #30

Look for us on iTunes, ShoutEngine or directly download an art-tagged MP3 from the Internet Archive

JLMay 2017-- The Justice maxi-series (2006) Podcast Crossover Event reaches chapter three, as Diabolu Frank offers a dramatic reading, which carries over into coverage of JLA: Secret Origins (2002), JLA: Liberty and Justice (2003), a smidge of Kingdom Come and more!

From here follow JLMay 2017 to these fantastic podcasts! Each will cover a different issue of JUSTICE and each will come out in May! And don’t forget to use the hashtag #JLMay when discussing on social media!

1. Aquaman and Firestorm: The Fire and Water Podcast ep. 193
   
2. Super Mates 70: The Husband & Wife Geekcast!
   
3. The Idol Head of Diabolu: A Martian Manhunter Podcast #30
4. Views from the Longbox Episode 263: A somewhat regular podcast about comic books.
5. Pulp 2 Pixel Podcast: Secret Sagas of the Multiverse #26
6. The LanternCast Episode #279: The Foremost Green Lantern Podcast on the Internet!
7. Shazamcast: Earth's Mightiest Captain Marvel Podcast
8. Comic Reflections (Weekly Discussion of Gold, Silver, and Bronze age Comics)
9. Silver and Gold 28: The Booster Gold and Captain Atom Podcast
10. The Power of Fishnets 22: The Black Canary and Zatanna Podcast
11. Waiting for Doom (The Doom Patrol Podcast) Episode 95
12. Justice’s First Dawn: A Classic Justice League of America Podcast
13. Diana Prince Wonder Woman Podcast #14: Spirit of Truth & Justice (2001-2007)

Alex Ross & The Manhunter from Mars

• Materializing on Mars Fan Photo Collage
• Jim Maddux Sculpt
• 1998 Crisis On Infinite Earths Hardcover
• 1998 Warner Bros. Studio Store Justice League Plate by Alex Ross
• 2000 Warner Bros. Studio Store Alex Ross Batman Christmas Plate (featuring the JLA)
• 2001 DC Direct KINGDOM COME: MARTIAN MANHUNTER Poster by Alex Ross
• 2001 "World's Greatest Super-Heroes" & "Liberty & Justice" Cover Concept Sketch
• JLA: Secret Origins: Justice League of America (2002)
• 2002 Justice League of America vs. Starro
• 2003 Wizard World Texas Exclusive JLA Liberty and Justice Preview
• 2003 DC Direct JLA: LIBERTY & JUSTICE Collector's Plate by Alex Ross
• JLA: Liberty and Justice (2003)
• 2005 JLA Alex Ross Oversized Poster
• 2005 Alex Ross Martian Manhunter Statue Design Art
• 2005 DC Direct Martian Manhunter Statue (Alex Ross)
• 2005 Justice #1 Second Printing Cover Pencil Art by Doug Braithwaite
• 2006 Martian Manhunter: From Bruce Wayne's private files in the Batcomputer
• 2006 Gorilla Grodd: From Bruce Wayne's private files in the Batcomputer
• 2007 Ajax (Martian Manhunter) Tattoo by Fernando Shimizu
• 2007 "Infinitely Heroic" Giclee by Alex Ross
• Martian Manhunter Justice No. 3 Color Art Print by Alex Ross
• 2007 Alex Ross Shazam Proposal: Martian Manhunter Redesign
• 2009 “Alex Ross : Justice League : Seven” tattoo by Chris Dewitt
• 2011 Justice League of America Alex Ross Custom Set by Tony Gonzales

We enjoy dialogue on the red planet, so here are our non-telepathic contact options:

• Tweet host Diabolu Frank directly, or probe @rolledspine as a group.
• Email Diabolu
• If the main Idol-Head of Diabolu blog isn't your thing, try the umbrella Rolled Spine Podcasts.

2014 "Fan-Casting DC's MARTIAN MANHUNTER" by Ryan Daly

You may recall that Ryan "Count Drunkula" Daly of the Black Canary blog Flowers & Fishnets already cast his own "Justice League movie" heavy with Martian representation here, but he also took the time to expand that into a full solo Sleuth from Outer Space feature film. Besides Dolph Lundgren as Mongul and Sam Neill as Gorilla Grodd (which I can roll with, as seen in his Superman & Flash movie castings,) Daly has also given us some b-side album cuts from the Alien Atlas archives!

I thought Daly had picked Michael O’Neill for Captain Harding because of his similar role on Monk, only to find out that was actually Ted Levine. How good of a detective could Adrian Monk be when Buffalo Bill was right under his nose the whole time? Daly originally offered Battlestar Galactica alums Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer as Diane Meade and Cameron Chase, but then flipped them on account of my whining. I approve of Daly's inclination to cast people of color as characters of non-terrestrial color, but Freida Pinto seems kind of Mrs. for the more girlish Miss Martian, plus M'gann's affecting classic traits of earthly redheads skews her that much further away. Back before Don Cheadle blew up, I listed him for DEO Director Bones. Jeffrey Wright would certainly be a swell replacement, unless that Hunger Games bread goes to his head. Nina Dobrev's Gypsy is also in the mix somewhere.

William H. Macy is certainly an inspired Professor Arnold Hugo, and I really ought to get my own options down around here. I had Anthony Perkins for the fake 1966 movie write-up that I never completed, someone else in mind for the ersatz Smallville spin-off "Middletown" that I stalled out on, and a third possibility for a major motion picture. Blast my backburner! Tom Sizemore is a big ball of blue collar crazy, so he could certainly pull off the Human Flame. Franco Nero might just euro-up Dr. V to the correct degree. I'd have never thought of David Morse for Doctor Trap, but he's perfect, isn't he? Michael Wincott is a go-to evil dude in movies, and he offers an extremely nasty, distinctive voice that, praise be, isn't Keith David's. It occurs to me that most of these actors are TV heavy on IMDb. Wouldn't this make a snazzy show? AMC? HBO? Anybody? Check out the Comrades of Mars and Vile Menagerie casting sheets for more!

Count Drunkula Casting Department

• Superman Family
• Superman Supporting Cast
• Superman Foes 1
• Superman Foes 2
• Batman Family
• Batman Supporting Cast
• Batman Foes 1
• Batman Foes 2
• Batman Foes 3
• Wonder Woman
• Flash Friends
• Flash Rogues 1
• Flash Rogues 2
• Doom Patrol
• Firestorm Fans
• Firestorm Fiends
• Green Lantern Core
• Green Lantern Corps
• Green Lantern Cretins
• Green Lantern Corpses
• Green Arrow
• Hawkman & the Atom
• Shazam!
• Teen Titans
• Young Justice
• Titan Terrors
• Justice League
• JLA villains
• JSA 1
• JSA 2
• JSA 3

2009 “Deathstroke's Army” fan art by Phil “MacAddict17”

Click To Enlarge

The basic idea behind this one was to get the villains together that Slade Wilson would choose to try to take down the JLA. From top to bottom:

Chemo: A colossal liquid humanoid with half a brain. He's approx. 40 stories tall, and shoots acid out of his mouth.

Gorilla Grodd: A talking gorilla with a strong mind, who can give telepathic commands as well as pack a punch

Despero: Mind-Control powers, as well as super strength and Flying. Don't look into his eyes!

Bane: Some guy juiced up on venom, which is essentially steroids. Grudge against Batman.

White Martian: Same powers as the Martian Manhunter - Strength, Speed, Invisibiliy, Shapeshifting, Intangibility, Heat Vision, Flying. Also, same weakness to fire.

Amazo: Quite possibly the most dangerous, as he can use any of the powers of the heros on the JLA. For instance, can use the speed of the Flash and the strength of Superman at the size of the Atom to be a human bullet. Ouch.

Solomon Grundy: Your standard brute, who just happens to be immortal. Can't really hurt him physically at all.

Deathstroke the Terminator: The man with a plan. Essentially, if Batman was a ninja/mercenary/assassin, he'd be Deathstroke. His only power is using 90% of his brain, which allows him to take on lots of heroes at once and win.

The typical JLA, say Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash, and a couple superfluous characters aren't going to last against these guys. Amazo alone could take them down, and so could Despero.

So my question for you is this: If you had to come up with a team to defeat these villains with as few members as possible, who would you pick and how would you do it?

At some point after JLA #1 came out, I started thinking of an anti-JLA team concept surprisingly (or really, not all that surprisingly) similar to this one. I even did a crumby little color sketch. Should I dig it up to post?

Justice #12 (August, 2007)

Lex Luthor and Gorilla Grodd were in the custody of the Super Friends Justice League. Martian Manhunter instructed, "Give Grodd the [Yellow Power] ring, Atom. If he tries anything, shrink him into nothingness. Grodd understands that his world will die, those he cares for will die, if he doesn't help." Grodd agreed, "This alliance is a necessary evil." Manhunter's mind was telepathically linked to Grodd's and Luthor's (though the Super-Gorilla protested "The idea of this is repulsive. He's a human.") Nuclear missiles were in the air all over the world, with its population looking to the skies hoping for salvation, "But there is no Superman." While Batman and the Atom looked on helplessly, "Luthor's knowledge of weaponry and cybernetic systems" and Grodd's wielding of a power ring redirected the missiles intercontinentally. Luthor then managed to teleport away, but Grodd remained in custody, his final act with the ring to wipe the heroes' secret identities from the minds of the legion of doom. The Green Lantern Corps showed up to collect all those missiles and throw them into the sun, which I guess was like their own take on Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. There's a fine line between homage and an utter lack of genuine creativity. Painted prestige format grim n' gritty Challenge of the Super Friends can't even see that line from where it's standing. It's Colorforms where a story should be.



Batman marveled at a world without nukes, hoping we had finally learned our lesson, but expecting rearmament. Still, what if? "I'm sure Superman wishes his world, and his people, were still alive. Manhunter has to feel the same about Mars. But how many times have these two men saved this world? Aquaman lost both his parents, yet still forges a new family. Wonder Woman's sisters were freed from slavery. Yet look at Paradise Island... We have all been changed by our tragedies... These challenges have given each of us a desire for justice. It has changed us. It could change anybody. Everybody."

"Chapter Twelve" was plotted and painted by Alex Ross. The script was provided by Jim Krueger, and the penciled layouts by Doug Braithwaite. For me, the bloom was off the rose long ago, but Martian Manhunter is a uniquely dour and yes, pretentious character well suited to Ross' inclinations. I liked that the two non-homo sapien telepaths were pitted against one another, offering contrasting perspectives on the humans surrounding them. J'Onn J'Onzz still lacked for an arc, and the creators only know the most common surface aspects of the character's Post-Crisis interpretation. However, the fact that he was included at all in a paean to '70s cartoons and the Satellite Era League to which the Alien Atlas was never invited indications an appreciation for the character I can respect.

Continue the story through these character-specific posts:

• The Atom & Red Tornado @ Power of the Atom
• Batman, Elongated Man, Aquaman, & Zatanna @ Justice League Detroit
• Wonder Woman @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Coda @ DC Bloodlines

Justice #11 (June, 2007)

The Martian Manhunter turned one of his arms into a guillotine/The Pit and the Pendulum type thing and bloodlessly punched Giganta in the face with it. Later, an action figure was made of J'Onn J'Onzz in this state, based on the single unexceptional image. Metamorpho and Red Tornado joined in on this attack of a fifty foot woman, which can be taken as either a credit to Giganta's stamina as a Wonder Woman villain, or the same lack of imagination and research that went into the aforementioned action figure. Even adding Hawkman and Hawkgirl couldn't get the job done, but the sprawling battle abruptly halted on page thirteen because the Fighty McFightenstein was threatening to overwhelm the entire series without allowing space for poorly constructed resolutions.

The heroes' supporting casts were released from their doom-y captors and reunited with their headliners. J'Onn J'Onzz was warmly embraced by Captain Harding Diane Meade Zook J'en no one at all because Alex Ross is a child of the '70s who never read a Martian Manhunter story before Crisis. Instead, J'Onn nodded at Black Canary and Green Arrow as they supported the ailing Elongated Man, all essential to liberating the hostages. Well, not J'Onn. He just had to punch a monkey and managed to screw that up, almost blowing the rescue. Talking of whom, Grodd crawled out of some wreckage, and Flash began to race at him. "You will never hurt anyone I love again, Grodd!" In his most impressive display of the entire series, the Alien Atlas calmly halted the Scarlet Speedster in mid-blur before he could get his next manslaughter indictment rolling.



J'Onzz read the not-so-Super-Gorilla's pressing thoughts. "I see. Brainiac's nanotechnology has taken control of the weapons systems of this world's governments. Every weapon of mass destruction in the world is under his control. According to Grodd, Brainiac has just initiated the countdown sequence. What began as a nightmare vision to elicit the help of the world's super villains, well, it is becoming real. There's no reason to believe this wasn't Brainiac's plan all the time."

Thanks for all that exposition, Manhunter, but a) how did Grodd know all that, b) why didn't Grodd act on it sooner, and c) why doesn't Brainiac nuke us from orbit, just to be sure? If all Brainiac wants to do is kill Earth, there has to be an easier way, if he puts his mind to it. Meh.

"Chapter Eleven" was plotted and painted by Alex Ross. The script was provided by Jim Krueger, and the penciled layouts by Doug Braithwaite. I had to take a nap after writing this. I think my brain shut down as a protective measure. Ross is as lousy a writer as he is great as a painter.

Continue the story through these character-specific posts:

• The Atom, Hawkman, Hawkgirl & Red Tornado @ PotA
• Wonder Woman & Wonder Girl @ Diana Prince
• Aquaman, Elongated Man, Zatanna & more @ Justice League Detroit
• Green Lantern, the Doom Patrol, & more @ DC Bloodlines

Justice #10 (April, 2007)

Even though the various super-heroes were known to still be alive and active, the Legion of Doom all drank wine and put on tuxedos and unfurled "Mission Accomplished" banners. Gorilla Grodd got speciesist with Giganta, then stated, "These humans are fools to celebrate now, if that is indeed what they are doing. I am not always certain I can sense what is at their core. Brainiac is mechanical. Luthor has his own... manipulations to keep his thoughts hidden from me. The Weaponer's ring was lost as well. Neither has mentioned it. This is part of their damnable plan. Somehow it is all a component of their ambitions. They will deal with me for as long as I am essential to them. Still, they cannot control me, can they?"

At the shindig, Brainiac tried to use Aquaman's baby whose brain he'd rewired from Radio Shack electrodes to mind-control the Super-Gorilla, but it just seemed to make him irate as he cursed the sudden but inevitable betrayal discussed one story page and a spread ago. "You planned this, didn't you? Et tu, Luthor?" Oh, did I forget to mention the monkey trap was sprung as Grodd was informing the gathered super-villains that he'd detected all the super-heroes about to smash through their door, because that happened. The professional story writing continued as Captain Cold shapeshifted into the Martian Manhunter, who punched Grodd once in the face and left him unconscious on the floor for whole minutes.



Setting aside that J'Onn J'Onzz wasn't wearing his godawful purple armor from last issue (ever again,) leaving him vulnerable to Brainiac's enslaving nano-worms... and also setting aside that taking Grodd out was essential to a stealth initiative meant to rescue the captive supporting casts of the heroes, which it failed to fully accomplish because Grodd soon awoke and alerted counter agents... but also that one punch was the resolution to the massive power struggle between Martian Manhunter and Grodd from earlier in the series. The Alien Atlas relives the destruction of Mars and burns under unquenchable flames for several issues, and retaliates with a single ineffectual love tap before flying off to wrestle with Giganta in the background of other characters' scenes for the rest of the book. Given the choice between an Alex Ross cover and an Alex Ross story, you're better off with just the cover.

"Chapter Ten" was plotted and painted by Alex Ross. The script was provided by Jim Krueger, and the penciled layouts by Doug Braithwaite.

Continue the story through these character-specific posts:

• The Atom, Hawkman and Hawkgirl @ PotA
• Wonder Woman & Wonder Girl @ Diana Prince
• Aquaman, Elongated Man & more @ Justice League Detroit
• Flash, Doom Patrol, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary & more @ DC Bloodlines

Justice, Vol. 2

The Martian Manhunter finally fought off Gorilla Grodd's technologically enhanced telepathic illusion and realized that he was still under the sea. "...I... am not burning. Conspiracy... It's a conspiracy. They all struck at once... all at once." As the Alien Atlas burst up from the depths on into the heights, the Flash ran across the waters on his way to meet Superman... indefinitely.

J'Onn J'Onzz flew to Midway City, mentally calling out to Carter Hall. Hawkman and Hawkgirl had been attacked in their civilian identities by the Toyman, but had managed to survive the ensuing fire that ravaged their museum. The Manhunter explained to them both that all of their foes were on the offensive.



The Martian Manhunter, Hawkman and Hawkgirl flew over Metropolis. "This way, Carter. There. As Detective John Jones, my sources are reliable, but not always within the law. And they don't always know I'm reading their minds. Be careful. If Toyman is there, he'll be sure to have defenses... We'll reconnect later at the emergency rendezvous. It may be the only place safe from Grodd's control... Be careful. I saw images of Earth's apocalypse when I looked in Grodd's mind. There is a conspiracy here. But I sense more than that." J'Onn left the Hawks to their pursuit of the villain who nearly killed them while destroying the Midway City Museum they curated. As far as their later meeting place, "I just hope Superman's there to unlock the door."

Meanwhile, Gorilla Grodd was revealed to be part of a triumvirate within the Legion of Doom, including Brainiac and Lex Luthor, who were secretly calling the shots. It was the Super-Gorilla who had telepathically planted the nightmare which motivated the other scoundrels to action. Grodd also appeared to be orchestrating the attacks on Earth's heroes while his fellows pursued other angles...



The Martian Manhunter telepathically confided to Zatanna that he hoped Red Tornado was wrong about Aquaman's location, as he detected no heartbeat or thoughts from the abandoned plant. "I found a way in. You should be able to materialize inside once I'm there. It's unfortunate your magic requires an anchor for you to follow, as opposed to just making whatever you desire happen. I wish you could just make Aquaman appear, alive and well." Although schools of fish were still directing the heroes to this area, J'Onn teared up, suspecting they were merely following the last wish of their king. The pair found Aquaman's body under a sheet on an operating table. Gorilla Grodd was immediately aware of this fact, and ordered a second series of attacks against the League's wards and dearest civilian loved ones as a replacement distraction.

Martian Manhunter took Aquaman to Professor Niles Caulder, gifted brain surgeon and leader of the Doom Patrol. Zatanna was impatient to know the outcome of the Chief's efforts, but J'Onn insisted "We must accept our limitations..." Caulder returned from assessing Aquaman's condition to ask J'Onn more about the circumstances and surroundings Arthur was found in. The Sleuth from Outer Space assumed the primates that were present were part of the preparation for Brainiac's experiment. J'Onzz felt complimented when Caulder said, "You're thinking too much like an Earthman, J'Onn." The Professor suspected someone, like Grodd, was looking for "something not so much similar as complimentary" between the ape and telepathic human brains. He also assured that as an amphibian, J'Onn's friend would soon make a full recovery under his own power...

Justice Volume One (2006)

A variety of super-villains had a dream in which the world died by fire, and the Justice League could save no one. Martian Manhunter was the second hero from the team shown to be dying. His morphing body contorted into an horrific thing, a blood tear in one of his eyes. The unseen, critical narrator clarified "The Martian is dead, the last of his race of shape-shifters. This day is the death of races." The villains awoke, and took action.

In the true day's light, the Justice League of America lived on, defending the Earth under normal circumstances. The Alien Atlas was joined by Superman, Plastic Man, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Red Tornado, Aquaman, the Atom, Green Arrow Oliver Queen, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Black Canary, the Flash, Batman, Hawkman and Hawkgirl. For how much longer, who could say?


“Where on Earth are you, Arthur?”

At the suggestion of Batman, Red Tornado had contacted the Manhunter from Mars in hopes of locating Aquaman under the sea. The League Satellite could turn up nothing, and J’Onn’s friend had been missing for weeks. “Martians, those of us who still live, are not defined in physical geometry like the people of Earth. The natural laws that govern Martian understanding are far larger and more encompassing than anyone can imagine. Our nature is adaptation, to this or any other world.” Through the sharing of other beings’ thoughts, and through the shifting of his shape, the Manhunter would plumb the depths for the king of Atlantis.

In the form of a porpoise, the Sleuth from Outer Space followed a trail, sensing something terribly wrong as he delved into a cave. “It’s as if I were being watched and not watched at the same time… Aquaman was here. His genetic makeup is unique. Parts of it still flow in these waters… his blood.”



Electrodes attached to his dark gray brow, Gorilla Grodd was aware. “Black Manta lacks imagination. He would be defeated by the Martian as easily as he was defeated by Aquaman. I will face the telepath, Brainiac. You have nothing to be concerned with.”

In a bipedal, hybrid form, the Dolphin from Mars found a black dome of extra-terrestrial origin, and knew Arthur was within. Passing immaterially through its hull, J’Onn J’Onzz assumed his super-heroic form, but decided it would be best to proceed “all but invisible.”

The Manhunter from Mars found a metropolis within, like a human city, but an amalgamation of influences. There was artificial sunlight and atmosphere, but no people. Taking flight, the Martian Marvel searched for signs of life, until a scream in his mind sent him hammering into the street below. “MARTIAN! I SEE YOU!”

The Alien Atlas believed he had fallen into a trap, as he saw the entire metropolis engulfed in flames. J’Onn J’Onzz knew that he was in a city surrounded without by the ocean, and that this vision was a lie, but still he struggled against his inborn vulnerability to fire. Grodd muttered, “Yes, Martian. Yes. I know you. But you cannot fight me. You won’t win. I know where you come from. I know what happened on Mars. Welcome home.”



Stumbling through an inferno of the mind, J’Onn J’Onzz had returned to the final days of Mars, his people dying by numbers in their native cities. The Martian Manhunter tried to focus on water, as his home planet faded into the meeting hall of the Fortress of Doom. Still aflame, the room and its wicked occupants closed in on J’onzz. Grodd was not among them, affirming from afar “You can’t fight me. I’m stronger than you. Even if you get out of the city, you’ll never warn anyone. You’ll never be seen again.” Was the Manhunter still on fire, or was he now drowning in the ocean? Grodd simply commanded, “Burn.”

Tens of thousands of miles above the Earth, a dismantled Red Tornado lay on the floor of the secret headquarters of the JLA. Grodd grinned, “The Satellite no longer holds any secrets.” Telepathically, the super-gorilla handed the alter egos of the Justice League to his fellow villains, assigning them to snuff the heroes lives when they would least expect it…



The Legion of Doom struck out against the Justice League of America, whether in their heroic guises or private alter egos. All the while, a seemingly lifeless Martian Manhunter drifted through the ocean’s depths…

In the first Justice trade paperback, an introductory piece was written in which Superman considered his fellows in the Justice League. Superman noted Martian Manhunter's many powers, used only "as a friend to mankind." Kal-El continued:
"I have no idea how old he is. I sometimes fear that J'onn allows me to make too many mistakes for the sake of my own wisdom."

"Justice, Vol. 1," collecting the first four issues of the 2005 mini-series, was plotted and painted by Alex Ross. The script was provided by Jim Krueger, and the penciled layouts by Doug Braithwaite.

2007 Gorilla Grodd color art by Terry Huddleston

Click To Enlarge

"More sophisticated than the average gorilla!"

The Great Wall of Villains

• Black Manta @ Justice League Detroit
• Cheetah @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Deathstroke the Terminator @ DC Bloodlines

1999 Martian Manhunter Annual #2 original cover art by Arthur “Art” Adams

Click To Enlarge


As I write this, there are 13 hours left on a poll to determine whether Gorilla Grodd stays in the Vile Menagerie with 26 votes evenly divided at 13/13. Also, hopefully by the time you read this, I'll be getting an Art Adams commission at the Space City Comic Con. I seriously considered trying to get my first Miss Martian piece from him, but as you'll see at the links, Art's ladies are perhaps less... aerodynamic... than I'm comfortable with...



Art Adams Art

• 2005 Power Girl commission @ DC Bloodlines
• 2010 Wonder Woman pin-up commission @ Diana Prince
• 2006 Zatanna convention head sketch @ Justice League Detroit

SurVILEvor Island: Gorilla Grodd

Professor Arnold Hugo smirked as he strutted past all the also-rans and pretenders. For the first time ever on SurVILEvor Island, Hugo received 100% support from 19 voters. Not only was he among the great Martian Manhunter foes, but he could claim the likes of Batman, Superman, Aquaman and Robin as "lesser foes." It was a good day to be the Wizard of 1,000 Menaces...

The first and most obvious problem with Gorilla Grodd being a Martian Manhunter villain is that he's already, inarguably a Flash rogue. After Barry Allen took up the classic mantle and started the Silver Age of Comics in 1956, he headlined four issues of Showcase before graduating to his own ongoing series. The book picked up the numbering of the Golden Age series where it left off years earlier, beginning with #105. The menace of Super-Gorilla Grodd began with #106, spanning three consecutive issues, and resurfacing in more than a dozen issues thereafter. It took more than three years for Grodd to confront Allen's successor Wally West, but that encounter spanned three issues, and resulted in several dozen more. Since Barry's return, another half dozen comics have chronicled their enmity. Grodd even went after Allen's grandson Bart quite a few times.



During a fallow period in the 1970s, Grodd helped form and lead the Secret Society of Super-Villains, which initially included fellow Flash rogues Mirror Master, Captain Boomerang, and Captain Cold. Several other key DC nemeses were also part of the original group, and this line-up likely informed the 1978 creation of The Legion of Doom for the Challenge of the Super Friends cartoon show. The Legion were all devoted villains of the Super Friends Aquaman (Black Manta,) Green Lantern (Sinestro,) Wonder Woman (Cheetah & Giganta) Batman (Riddler & Scarecrow) and Superman (four foes.) Captain Cold joined Grodd in representing the Flash rogues, plus there was the random inclusion of Solomon Grundy. Typical for the Bronze Age, there were no Martian Manhunter villains to be seen, as the hero himself was not a concern.



Looking over Gorilla Grodd's half century of publishing, these two courses tie into the vast majority of his appearances. Grodd is either a Flash fiend, or part of a team like the Secret Society. His string of appearances in Titans-related comics were tied into his membership to the short-lived group Tartarus, which in turn played into Birds of Prey and Nightwing guest spots. His three turns in Green Lantern were part of a team-up with Hector Hammond against the Emerald Gladiator and Scarlet Speedster. Grodd's "Gorilla Fighters" mixed up with the Outsiders as part of a plot that also involved Dr. Sivana, the Joker, and Lex Luthor. Extreme Justice closed out their series with a four issue battle against a comic book version of the Legion of Doom that included Grodd. A new Society have been active and involved Grodd prominently since 2005's run up to Infinite Crisis.



The concept of Gorilla Grodd as a Martian Manhunter villain relies on a small handful of comics dating back to just 1999. In the "JLApe" annual event, Grodd turned the team into simians. The plot launched in the JLA Annual, continued into those of each of the "Magnificent Seven" Leaguers' and concluded with Grodd's defeat by Martian Manhunter in his second annual. The Alien Atlas retroactively overwhelmed the Super-Gorilla in 2001's JLA: Incarnations #2, meant to take place in roughly the second year of the League's existence. Both times, J'Onn J'Onzz used his extraterrestrial telepathy to overwhelm the gorilla's psychic prowess. J'Onzz was part of the team countering Grodd in JLA: Classified #1-3 from 2005, but there was no significant one-on-one action. Perhaps their most memorable encounter was in the painted mini-series Justice, in which Alex Ross played out his childhood love of the Super Friends with fanfic writ large incorporating the Legion of Doom. Since Ross had respect for the Silver Age and appreciation of the '80s, Ross made use of the Martian Manhunter, and repurposed Grodd as his specialty enemy (while Flash tangled with Captain Cold.) That book came out bimonthly for two years, concluding in 2007. Grodd was also among the crooks in the bar where J'Onzz was murdered the following year to launch the Final Crisis.



I've played devil's advocate on many of these SurVILEvors; prosecuting characters I like, hard selling characters I'm not particularly concerned about, and so forth. Of the lot, I'm most ambivalent about Gorilla Grodd. He's one of my favorite villains, and there's solid material for the characters to play off. Both characters are non-human telepaths from hidden societies far more advanced than science would ever believe. Both were born early in the Silver Age, and went on to help found and sustain large teams of exalted super-associates. They've had some strong interactions in the past thirteen years, and I look forward to reading more. On the other hand, Grodd will always be a Flash foe foremost, and he managed to go through forty years of relatively regular appearances without having anything to do with J'Onn J'Onzz. I'm glad this goes up for popular vote, because I don't particularly want to wrestle with the decision on this one.

Salvation Run #3 (March, 2008)

Vandal Savage's daughter Scandal like to have killed Bolt over a bit of sexual harassment. Way to play down the lesbian stereotype. Lex Luthor did some more speechifying, having enlisted Thaddeus Sivana, General Immortus, and Anthony Ivo's aid in constructing a device to escape the Hell Planet. The Joker thought it was hogwash, and rabble-roused to avoid contributing to any society, even one made up of super-villains. A giant monster attacked, so the Joker told Super-Gorilla Grodd to command Chemo to fry the threat in a toxic bath. The Clown Prince then took all the credit.

Mr. Terrible called a lumbering worker a blockhead, but when the towering hulk corrected "Blockbuster," he backed down quick. Sivana thought that guy was dead, while Lex knew this was a different Blockbuster than the one he'd created.

Iron Cross yelled at some of the women to help with the building process, but they and other layabouts blew the Nazi off. Kid Karnevil went so far as to threaten the Aryan Brigade member, and got backhanded like the little boy that he is. A rumble started, so the Joker put a bullet through Iron Cross' head before ordering a previously scheduled mutiny. The chaos was short lived, as Grodd recognized Luthor had already prepared for Joker's sudden but inevitable betrayal, and laid a psychic whammy on everyone to "lay down your weapons and cease fighting... You are too tired to fight any longer." The end result was a division into two camps, with Joker leading an exodus into new territory.


Sivana criticized Luthor for this turn, but Lex had kept the irritating Clown Prince around specifically for the purpose of clearing out "the worthless half" of the camp and hoard all their once shared resources. Lex had even talked Iron Cross into instigating, thus creating an enemy for his camp to unite against.

Blockbuster remained with Luthor's group, but snuck away for a while into the bush. "The villains are beginning to crack under the pressures of this world. And I believe there is worse yet to come. Together, they stood a chance. Divided, they'll be consumed. Is that such a terrible thing? Would Earth not be better off without them? Or is leaving these villains to their fate the same as murdering them? I pray that the decision does not become mine to make. For now, my job is simply to observe." Pale blue caption boxes slowly turned green with a red x in the background. "Blockbuster" saw his long hair fade away and his morphing bare skin covered in a uniform. His secret transformation complete, a communication device was brought near to mouth. "Day thirteen. Martian Manhunter-- status report" The situation here is out of control."

"All You Need Is Love Hate" was by Matthew Sturges, Sean Chen and Walden Wong. The change in writers didn't cause the slightest blip in variation this issue, probably because he's a regular collaborator with Willingham, and the whole plot was probably editorially mandated, anyway. I can't stand it when a powerless, addle-brained and generally useless character like the Joker gets treated like a king based solely on his popularity. When the clown tried to get folks to eat the monster Chemo had contaminated, I wish Grodd would have forced him to follow through on it himself, so he could choke on poison like a cockroach.

Brave New World

• Wonder Woman #14 (January, 2008) @ Diana Prince
• Justice League: Cry for Justice #3 (November, 2009) @ Power of the Atom
• Doom Patrol #9 (June, 2010) @ DC Bloodlines
• Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #55 (October, 2007) @ Justice League Detroit

Census: Abra Kadabra, Bane, Black Spider, Blockbuster (Martian Manhunter), the Body Doubles, the Brain, Brutale, Captain Cold, Catman, Catwoman, the Cheetah, Chemo, Cicada, Clayface, Deadshot, Dr. Light, Dr. Sivana, Effigy, Fatality, General Immortus, Giganta, Girder, Gorilla Grodd, Solomon Grundy, Hammer, Heat Wave, Hellhound, Hindenberg, Hyena, Ibac, Iron Cross, Jewelee, Jinx, Jongleur, Kid Karnevil, Killer Croc, Killer Frost, Leather, Lex Luthor, Lockup, Mad Hatter, Magenta, Mammoth, Man-Bat, Manticore, Meanstreak, Metallo, Mirror Master, Mr. Freeze, Mr. Terrible, Monsieur Mallah, Neutron, Phobia, the Prankster, Professor Ivo, Psimon, Rag Doll, Rock, Scandal Savage, Shadow-Thief, Shimmer, Shrapnel, Sickle, Silver Monkey, Silver Swan, Splitshot, Sterling Silversmith, Skorpio, Sonar, Hugo Strange, Tapeworm, Tar Pit, Tremor, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Two-Face, Warp and Weather Wizard.