2016 N'or Cott Houston Comicpalooza Commission by Tommy Duy Nguyen

I was trying to deduce why I sat on this peachy piece for a bit shy of a decade, besides my usual being a certified idiot. At first I figured that it was too good a piece to throw out cold, so maybe I was waiting on a spotlight month, or it got pushed out by a series of jam piece sections? The best conclusion I could come to is that, like Rick Hoberg's Armek, I was squirreling it away for a second volume of Who's Who in Martian Manhunter that I'll certainly never get around to. That's a shame, because he was a promising comic artist who would have probably appreciated what little exposure this sad little blog of mine could have offered. He even gave me a free Stranger Things print as a thank you for getting two pieces from him that year. Oh yeah, at least I did something right and posted his Michael Biehn as Corporal Dwayne Hicks Space City Comic Con Commission in a timely fashion for the 30th Anniversary of Aliens, which also turned out freakin' sweet! Anyway, I really dig this take on N'or Cott, who maybe cleared the low bar of being J'Onn's greatest any of the 1970s, with the only competition being his partner in war crime R'es Eda or I guess The Thythen. Of the three, I certainly wish N'or Cott had more life in him, especially as rendered by Tommy Nguyen (and of course, Michael Netzer!)

Tommy Duy Nguyen

• Comic Art Fans
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Deviant Art

1978 Lost DC Explosion Manhunter from Mars Strip

One of the things you continue to live for as a comics fan whose experience can be measured in words ending in "century" is something new under the sun... or at least something old that managed to escape your notice. This is especially after you've devoted better than a quarter-century (see!) to drilling down into a single character, particularly one as under-served as J'onn J'onzz.

It's no secret that the Manhunter from Mars was meant to receive a feature as part of the "DC Explosion" of titles in 1978, following on his four-part serial the previous year in Adventure Comics & World's Finest Comics by Denny O’Neil, Mike Nasser, and company. Somewhat less known was that the parallel association with the Sea King (same book, unrelated stories) was to continue into Aquaman. The original volume had been cancelled with #56 in 1971, but Aquaman was spun out of Adventure with its creative team of David Michelinie & Jim Aparo. The "Explosion" plan was to expand the page count of the solo title and bolster it with two additional features, The Vigilante and The Manhunter from Mars.

Cary Burkett, John Fuller, and Bruce Patterson were announced to scribe The Sleuth from Outer Space, but the finishes were ultimately by Bob Layton instead. Burkett co-created the Tom Tresser Nemesis, wrote a lot of Batman & Superman (solo, and in tandem, with each other and not,) and scripted a chunk of the '80s Mighty Crusaders revival. To my knowledge, Fuller was a little known late '70s inker with only a handful of assignments, most as part of the Continuity Studios "Crusty Bunkers" collective that worked with Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. It's clear that Layton had a heavy hand over the art, as it looks entirely his, buoyed by some always welcome pasted tone work.

Mike Gold has described Aquaman as a "marginal title" which was cancelled with #63, rather than being expanded. The strip was supposed to move back to Adventure Comics #461-463, which is probably why it missed inclusion in "Cancelled Comic Cavalcade," but it never materialized. The talent was paid a kill fee, and the material never saw print. Pages went up on Heritage Auctions in 2021 though, which is where my buddy Illegal Machine stumbled upon them and forwarded to me. The pages are numbered 5 & 6, but the story is non-consecutive, so I have to assume that there are at least twelve pages of this story floating around out there somewhere. I mourn what could have been, as this looked pretty neat. I didn't know any of this when I had Layton draw the lost Bronze Age Martian Hunter Commander J'en, which gives that commission an extra zing!

Aborted Manhunter from Mars "Aquaman back-up"

• Page 5
• Page 6

35 Years Ago

I don't believe I owned or read "The Origin of the Justice League-- Minus One!" until after I started this blog, but it swiftly became one of my favorite Martian Manhunter related stories. That statement is thick with disclaimers, among them being that the Manhunter is at best a supporting player in the overall narrative, and I'm not all that enamored with the actual script. It's down to the conceit. Retroactive continuity grounded firmly in established lore, supplying an untold story of how most of the original Justice Leaguers first met, researched to the month of proposed publication, referencing exactly where the players in DC hero comics would have been at that exact moment in time. Obscure characters and continuity minutia are my kink, so a story working in the little seen original Robotman (All-Star Squadron wasn't even a twinkle in Roy's eye yet) and contextualizing where vanguard teams like the Challengers and Blackhawks would have been relative to one another? *Ecstatic shudder* It was obviously a primary influence on Darwyn Cook's The New Frontier, made rare direct nods to actual Manhunter from Mars strip elements, and grounded John Jones so firmly in one of the most fascinating periods in United States history that he was still acknowledged as a 1950s hero as canon during Zero Hour? The event series designed to euthanize surviving 1940s heroes? It's positively miraculous that this thing still has a toe-hold of relevancy, much less an actual artistic legacy.

That mid-century, postwar, paranoiac, conformist, xenophobic period is such a perfect milieu for the Sleuth from Outer Space. It's also the overlooked middle child between the roaring 20s/Depression/WWII and the revolutionary 60s/Me Decade/80s excess that it speaks to a Gen-Xer like me. Eternally, horrifically tainted creative ped(-o-)gree aside, Martian Manhunter: American Secrets remains a top contender for my actual favorite story that not only unquestionably stars the Alien Atlas, but is also about exploring the same themes as the character himself. In 1994, J'onn J'onzz was explicitly stated as arriving "35 years ago," which supported that 1977 Steve Englehart's setting for only the year Zero Hour #0 was published. I'm sure the intent was Marvel method, where Reed & Ben went from serving in World War II to Korea to... jeez, didn't they end up in the Persian Gulf at some point? And yes, J'onn J'onzz did have a bunch of '60s & '70s set stories published in the '90s & '00s, but he never felt unmoored from the 1950s. The Justice Society exited, and the Manhunter from Mars quietly, covertly entered. I big part of his appeal, certainly to myself and in my experience others, was that he was a rare super-hero "holding the line" before the likes of Clark Kent was (functionally) born, much less "The New Heroic Age" begins. Even when my fandom exploded in the late '90s, it was hard to swallow 40+ years of no one else appearing in the JSA's stead. It was even harder when I finally read "Minus One" another decade (and century) removed. Today, it's too great a logistical hurdle.


It should surprise no one that after decades of writing about the Martian Marvel, I have oodles of stories conceived for the hero swimming around my head. Every comic fan carries some fan fiction within them, whether they express it or not. A lot of mine involve continuity patches. When DC Comics bought Wildstorm, they had a fair amount of continuity set in the '40s and '60s that could have been absorbed by DC to fill those "lost decades" before Batman had his Year One. My feeling was that a lot of DC's properties really only worked for the time period in which they were conceived, so why not just leave the Sea Devils or the Metal Men in the 1960s? DC so radically altered the Charlton heroes when reintroducing them post-Crisis that there could have just as easily been a real "Watchmen" made up of their inspirations who had come and gone in times past. If I wanted to keep some vestige of "Minus One" in continuity, why not recast the Barry Allen Flash as Johnny Quick, or really lean into a want of mine, Superman replaced by Captain Comet for even more fifties team-ups?

The "why not" is pretty obvious. DC's love-hate relationship with the JSA for sure, and those historical ties to the Golden Age are often considered an albatross. All that continuity that I wanted to patch was cast aside in 2011 by Flashpoint and "The New 52." Even after Rebirth and Dark Nights debuted an all-inclusive Hypertime omniverse, there's little editorial appetite for deep dive continuity implants. With 89% of DC's current output being Batman Family titles, where would you even put one? Frankly, dear as the generational legacy aspect is to my heart, World War II was nearly a century ago. Do we really want to be conjuring up Nazis and straight patriarchal Caucasian heroic hegemony into infinity? That's rhetorical. No rando partisan gater comment bombs are being solicited here. You guys are a little too into Kylo Ren, right? "Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to."

Speaking of solicitations, for two years next month, I've devoted entirely too much time to obsessively crafting fake ad copy for a line of books in an alternate DC Universe as part of Siskoid's Who's Editing. "Why" is an excellent question. I have a number of answers of varying degrees of quality and desperate raving madness that I vaguely allude to in a companion podcast, The DK Encyclopedia Diaries: The Drunken Guide To The Characters Of The DC Universe. Hopefully I can slur out a semblance of a satisfying response before my liver gives out. But one of them is to serve as my personal island of misfit ideas, aborted concepts lost to space and time and lack of ambition... tears in the rain streaking down little seen comments. This entire post was a ploy to fill a week of blogging with a visual aid I roughly threw together of a final alternate draft for the DC You Moi "Minus One." I had Captain Marvel still active in the 1950s in my "DC Comments Challenge," while Captain Comet is otherwise engaged, so he got the Superman spot. Knight & Squire, the Fury, Max Mercury, and Neptune Perkins stand in for the rest of the proto-JLA. Rex the Wonder Dog from the original story is rendered Thor the Thunderdog here, and a non-pictured Tommy Tomorrow takes pre-GL Hal Jordan's place. Variations of this substitute League have swirled in my subconscious for at least three presidencies. It's never to be, and acknowledging it here as a pure fan fiction is cathartic for me. Thanks for indulging my eleven-hundred word blogging therapy session.

The Vile Menagerie: KARMANG THE EVIL

Alter Ego: Karmang
Occupation: Sorcerer
Base of Operations: Castle Karmang, Mount Olympus, Mars
First Appearance: All New Collectors' Edition, Vol. 7, No. C-58 (1978)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: None
History:
More than a thousand millennia ago, an exceptional White Martian sought immortality at any cost. "Like Ancient Greece on Earth, [Mars] was a civilization of thought and wonder... and of all thinkers, of all its men of science, one was there who dared more... who probed the farthest realms of the imagination... One there was... named Karmang the Good..."

Despite protestations from his friends and fellows, and supposedly in the name of science, Karmang engaged in forbidden experiments that tampered with the forces of sub-nuclear energy to disastrous result. Whether through cruel fate or merely his close proximity to the source of the energy storm that he had ignited, the "would-be wizard" survived while one billion surrounding Martians perished. The "sorcerer" gained the immortality that he had sought, but as a consequence, would be haunted by the spirits of the multitudes that had paid the price for his arrogance.


For what seemed like a million years, far beyond sanity, Karmang sought a means to reverse the tragedy that he had caused. Driven mad by his endless existence, Karmang devised a plan wherein he would cause the multiversal worlds of Earth-One and Earth-S to collide, supposedly releasing a specific, incredible amount of energy which would allow him to resurrect the wraith-like Martians that haunted him. To this end, he summond Black Adam and the Sand Superman, forcing them to do his bidding upon pain of torture. Each planted destructive devices on a given Earth, then used violence and devices to provoke combat between Superman and Captain Marvel, the only beings who could stop Karmang.

As the powerful but bedeviled heroes fought for hours across Earth-One, Supergirl, Mary Marvel, and the wizard Shazam joined forces to end the contest, restore sanity, and ambush Karmang at his castle on Mars. Karmang was so engrossed by the clash of titans that for the first time, he felt ecstactic relief from his haunting. When the heroines attacked, he cast spells powerful enough to thwart even the Maid of Might and World's Mightiest Girl. However, Supergirl used her knowledge of advanced Kryptonian science to analyze Karmang's equipment. She uncovered a button that would send Castle Karmang into a state of limbo, and with her superhuman speed, managed to escape beforehand with Mary in her arms. When last seen, Karmang was screaming endlessly, unable to escape the spirits that tormented him.


Powers & Weapons:
Karmang commands significant magics, which he casts via rhyme. He can project fireballs that immolate foes, while summoning a shield to protect himself. Karmang once cast an "illusion spell" to make Black Adam appear to be Captain Marvel that was capable of deceiving Superman. Through unknown means, Karmang culd monitor actions from worlds away. Karmang provided his unwilling agents with the Judgment Ray, a green palm-sized device, which among other things emitted red sun radiation. The ray could temporarily blind and distort the reality of mortals as mighty as Superman and Captain Marvel, allowing them to be provoked into hours-long irrational rages. In his bid to bridge the dimensional gulf to cause a cosmic catastrophe, Karmang crafted a space-time engine that would cause parallel-reality Earths to collide. An engine would need to be correctly placed on each affected world, and once the control-nodule had been activated, a magnetic aura would surround the device that was capable of repelling all but the most awesome physical forces. Within two hours, the space-time engines would theoretically become acclimated to their host world, adjusting their magnetic fields until the worlds would be attracted to one another across all known boundaries. Disrupting the engines once activated would still cause untold destruction through the altered magnetic field's impact on climate and geothermic structure.

Weaknesses:
It is unclear whether Karmang is able to leave his sacred citadel, or if he is trapped along with the billion Martian ghosts inside Castle Karmang. He has been driven insane, causing him difficulties in concentration and linear thought. He does not appear to suffer from the vulnerability to flame that plagues most Martians, and in fact displays none of their typical superhuman abilities.
Distinguishing Features:

Karmang's eyes are asymmetrical

Quote: "The Undying Ones! By all our ageless gods-- let me be! Why won't you ever let me be?"

Created by Gerry Conway & Rich Buckler

Podcast- JLA: Day Minus-One (1977)

Episode #24

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

The Manhunter from Mars offers a supplement to JLMay-- The JLA: Year One Podcast Crossover Event! In the second edition of JLA: Day One Diabolu Frank discusses his (and apparently Comics Should Be Good's Brian Cronin's) favorite origin story for the team from Justice League of America #144 (July, 1977)! Another very important tale of the Sleuth from Outer Space, "The Origin of the Justice League - Minus One!" offers a prequel to the better known Silver Age story that firmly grounds the team (but especially J'onn J'onzz) in the paranoid 1950s McCarthy era America! This setting and the influence of the Steve Englehart/Dick Dillon story have permeated the Alien Atlas' modern interpretation, arguably having more impact on how the character is perceived by fans today than any comic that preceded it!

From here follow JLMay to these fantastic podcasts! Each will cover different issues of JLA: YEAR ONE and each will come out in May! And don’t forget to use the hashtag #JLMay when discussing on social media!

1. Justice League of America #9 (February, 1962)
   -1. Justice League of America #144 (July, 1977)
   0. Justice League America #92 (September, 1994)
2. Secret Origins Podcast #32 (1988)
3. JLA: Year One #1 & #2 on Aquaman and Firestorm: The Fire and Water Podcast ep. 163
4. JLA: Year One #3 & #4 on The Power of Fishnets 6
5. JLA: Year One #5 & #6 on Waiting for Doom Episode 57
6. JLA: Year One #7 & #8 on The LanternCast
7. JLA: Year One #9 on Super Mates 54
8. JLA: Year One #10 on The Idol-Head of Diabolu 25
9. JLA: Year One #11 on Comic Reflections
   b)onus JLMay background episode!
10. JLA: Year One #12 on Views from the Longbox Episode 238

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.

Podcast: Martian Manhunter's 60th Anniversary Special Part One (1955-1993)

Episode #15

Martian Manhunter's 60th Anniversary Special:
A Celebration of the Alien Atlas

Click To Enlarge

To permanently save this episode's MP3 file to your computer or other listening devices, right-click the link below to bring up sub-menu and select “Save Target/Link As...” Pick where you want it to save to, and you're set.

Look for us on iTunes, or just Download MP3

New York Times Program Synopsis:
A special which pays tribute to The Manhunter from Mars, the least popular co-founder of the Justice League of America and one of the greatest hanger-on associates to pop culture heroes of all time. The special interweaves memorable moments from J'onn J'onzz's television series, cartoons and comics highlighting his super powers, secret identity, acts of heroism, and personal life. Also included are comically inept text-to-audio vignettes featuring unrecorded guest stars discussing the best super-hero ever of Middletown, U.S.A.

Audio Source Credits

• Theme music "Blacksheep - alien" by Cyril.G Pereira from the album The Revenge of Glory (2007) with additional music from the album Diabolic (2012)
• "Entre Montañas" from the album Aigua by Deimos
• Mark Waid courtesy of Comic Zone Radio (2007)
• Paul Kupperberg courtesy of The Aquaman Shrine (2007)
• Oliver Queen courtesy of Green Arrow #88 (1994) & The Brave & The Bold #50 (1963)
• Steve Englehart courtesy of Dollar Bin Comics.net (2014)
• Jenette Kahn courtesy of Chicago Humanities Festival (2013)
• Jim Starlin courtesy of SiDEBAR (2008), Victor Rodgers (2014) and The Gorgeous Geeks (2010)
• Alan Moore courtesy of Comic Book Artist #9 (2000)
• Dave Gibbons courtesy of Word Balloon (2008) and Millarworld (2015)
• Arthur Curry courtesy of Justice League of America #239 & Martian Manhunter #6
• Gerry Conway courtesy of We Talk Comics (2014) and The Fire & Water Podcast (2009)
• Bruce Wayne courtesy of Justice #3 (2006), Detective Comics #715 (1997), Justice League #6 (1987), JLA #2 (1997) and Justice League America #42 (1990)
• Ted Kord courtesy of Justice League Quarterly #1 (1990)
• Orion courtesy of Justice League America #50 (1991)
• Nathaniel Adam & Scott Free courtesy of Justice League International #8 (1987)
• Stuart Immonen courtesy of Sequential Tart.com
• Dan Jurgens courtesy of We Talk Comics and The Fire & Water Podcast Episode 85 (2014)
• Howard Porter courtesy of Wizard's JLA Special 1998
• John Ostrander courtesy of Comics Continum.com
• Matt Kindt courtesy of Nerdlocker
• Darwyn Cooke courtesy of Absolute DC: The New Frontier
• J. M. DeMatteis courtesy of Justice League America #60 (1992)
• Phil Morris courtesy of KryptonSite (2007)
• Valerie D'Orazio courtesy of Occasional Superheroine.blogspot.com
• David S. Goyer courtesy of Scriptnotes Episode: 144 The Summer Superhero Spectacular (2014)
• Howard Chaykin, J. M. DeMatteis, Mike McKone & Peter David courtesy of Rolled Spine Podcasts
• Additional audio clips from the television and home video programs The ABC Sunday Night Movie (1962-1998), Justice League of America (1997), Justice League Unlimited (2001–2006), Smallville (2001–2011), The Batman (2004–2008), Justice League: The New Frontier (2008), Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010), and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008–2011)

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.

Microwave Pistol

A Microwave Pistol was employed by Commander Blanx during his 1959 assassination attempt against J'onn J'onzz on Earth. The weapon appeared capable of weakening and perhaps killing a Martian on their native world, but after spending several years on a planet that enhanced his abilities, its effect on J'onzz appeared considerably muted. However, it caused pain on initial impact, and multiple strikes progressively weakened the Manhunter from Mars, diminishing his overall prowess until he fell unconscious. Still, Blanx could not rely on the weapon to kill J'onzz on his adopted world, and was forced to make other arrangements.

First Appearance: Justice League of America #144 (July, 1977)

Justice League of America #144 (July, 1977)

Green Arrow, having spent some time reading through old League journals on their satellite, allowed his detective mind to activate his knee-jerk reactionism. It seemed that the date the League was said to have formed was seven months prior to Hal Jordan's having become Green Lantern, much less his starting to work with other heroes. Ollie felt like he'd been lied to, and let Hal have it, but the also present Superman stepped up. "Okay, Arrow! You've caught us red-handed-- and I, for one, am just as glad the secret's out." Superman led the pair to a viewing room on the League Satellite, where Ollie watched a video recorded by J'Onn J'Onzz before he left the team. "As you listen, please understand why we had to hide the truth! It wasn't you we feared-- it was the times!"



J'Onzz related the story of his arrival on Earth in 1955, with much of the dialogue and layouts taken directly from Detective Comics #225. "Soon, I found employment as a police detective-- but even sooner, I learned how correct I had been to hide my true identity!" Vice-President Nixon was pushing bomb shelters. The Red Scare was in full effect. Campaigns against juvenile delinquency focused on scapegoats like comic books. People had begun seeing, and fearing, UFOs. "Everywhere I went, I heard words of fear and bravado-- as if this country I had appeared in were under attack! And yet no attack ever came! I saw only prosperity-- and paranoia! It was quite curious! Naturally, therefore, I used what knowledge I possessed to attempt repairs on the Robot-Brain! Dr. Erdel had been a genius, however, and my efforts wrought no effect for several years!"

"But on the night of February 11, 1959--" a news report announced Superman's defeat of Lex Luthor (as related in Action Comics #249.) "Yes, and I saved Middletown from the Martian weapons that somehow fell to Earth, and nearly died in the process! But no one knows it, because of my vow to hide from the humans! I've accomplished much good here-- all of it invisibly! I am not a slave to my ego, but I have a normal Martian pride! Perhaps, with my record, it is time to announce myself!"



Just then, J'onzz's arch-enemy Commander Blanx appeared with a squad of Pale Martians in Jones' home! "You should not be surprised, J'onn! Did you not find our trial offerings-- the Martian weapons!" Blanx had been responsible for J'onzz being sent into exile on his native Mars before Dr. Erdel's Robot-Brain dragged him to Earth. As a result of J'onzz's work on the device, its probe-ray had begun appearing near his place of exile, and had been detected by Blanx. The Commander sent the capsule of weapons as a trial teleportation before he and his men allowed themselves to pay J'onzz a visit. "I cursed my blunder, but held the Commander's eyes! He had wanted to kill me in our previous encounter! Only my popularity with my people saved me-- but my people were far away now!"

Jones backed away from the Pales toward his lab. "You are a cool one, J'onn! I'll sleep better when you're gone!" Jones reached for a sink with valves marked as air, water, and fire, and set off a blaze. "The flames weaken me, though not quite so much in my Earth form! And I was prepared for them! Blanx and his men will be helpless, while I escape!" Jones waited a half hour for the Pales to exit his lab as he had, but none came. Jones cut the main gas supply, to find the Robot-Brain melted to slag and his fellow Martians presumably having returned home before it was rendered useless. "...after this reminder of what I left behind, my homesickness is completely cured! It is just as well!"



The next morning, an unusually svelte Captain Harding announced pale-skinned aliens were running riot on the south side of town-- they had just teleported to safety elsewhere in Middletown! "Blanx and his men will stop at nothing-- they've proved that on Mars! They want me to come to them-- and I must oblige!" Jones reverted to Martian form and turned invisible, but one of Blanx's men detected his heartbeat. J'onzz began throwing fists, while Blanx drew a pistol. "You've had your way with the backward humans, J'onn-- but you're as vulnerable as any Martian to this Microwave Pistol!" The beam pained J'onzz, but he retained his strength and beat the stuffing out of Blanx. Just then, a voice demanded J'onzz should freeze in place!

"Standing amidst the rubble was a human in scarlet-and-gold! I'd seen some newspaper photos from Central City, but I knew little about the Flash... My initial reaction was instinctive!" J'onzz turned invisible, but Flash moved across the room with speed enough to cover every square inch until he reached the Martian's jaw! It was a trick he'd learned in Flash #106 a week prior, when faced with the Mirror Master. Set on his butt, J'onzz tried a different approach. "Yes, here I am, friend-- and I am your friend! It is the pale-skinned Martians who have done the damage here! I sought to stop them! If you fight for justice, I am on your s--"



A woman's scream pierced the air from an overlooking apartment window, as tenants were horrified to spy these invading aliens. One went so far as to take aim with a rifle, which Flash raced up the side of the building to slap from his hand. As J'onn J'onzz vanished after the fleeing Pale Martians, Flash chastised, "You fool! You frightened him... and now he's gone-- along with the ones he said were his enemies! With their powers, how can I track them? Why didn't you let him finish what he was saying?" The crowd just dismissed all Martians as alien invaders, and even started to question whether Flash was one, too! "I had to get away from there! Those people are scared-- in an ugly mood-- and since I'll never reveal my true identity as a police scientist, they might well have turned on me!"

John Jones and the disguised Pale Martians separately observed Flash spend hours tracking aliens he could not perceive in his midst, as an hysterical crowd began to form around Middletown City Hall. Captain Harding tried to quiet their fears and accusations, but having failed, turned to the Flash. Barry Allen likened the mess to Orson Welles' infamous broadcast of "War of the Worlds," then invoked the unimpeachable name of Superman to mollify the crowd. Shame he didn't actually know the Man of Steel...



Barry Allen, the Flash, raced from a crowd frightened by Martians in Middletown to search for help. "I've never met Superman-- or any of the other super-heroes around America! My assumption of super-powers has been strictly a local thing! I hope he doesn't give me the brush-off! I know how those big stars can be!" To gain attention, the Flash climbed a spiral on top of the Metro Building and waited for someone to come calling. That turned out to be Superman, Batman and Robin, to whom he explained the situation. "Of course I'll lend a hand, Flash," said Superman. "We'll help, too-- right Batman? Oh, boy... Martians!" Batman scolded, "Calm down, youngster! We'll come, Flash-- but if this is a full-scale invasion, the three of us may not be able to give you enough help! Maybe we should alert some of our other friends-- Aquaman-- Green Arrow--!" Flash passed, wanting to keep a lid on the situation, but a tipster overheard and made a call to television station WGBS.

Back in Middletown, John Jones spotted a group of men crippled by the sight of a welder's blowtorch. "These are Martians who haven't learned to take on Earthmen's attributes together with their outward forms!" Two Pales bolted to stir a crowd, while the third surprised Jones by assuming his face. This was likely Blanx, who explained to "J'onn" his trap. Only Jones would have noticed the "weakened" Martians, and he would have to flee if he didn't want the town to spot two Det. Jones! "If Detective Jones were revealed as a Martian, all of Middletown would turn on me!" The false Jones shot John in the back, then observed him revert to Martian form. The Pales turned invisible, and the remaining "Det. Jones" took the Green Martian into his custody.



Flash and the World's Finest trio were greeted in Middletown by Captain Harding, who was praying they had a clue where his ace detective and the captured Martian had gotten to. Also, Roy Raymond, TV Detective, had followed up on that lead concerning Martians in Middletown. Harding admonished, "Now see here, Raymond! We don't want publicity!" Karen, Raymond's assistant on "Impossible... But True!" defended the rights of the press. Raymond, star of another former Detective Comics back-up strip, broadcast a report that drew a small army of exceptional persons to Middletown. It seemed like the only DC All-Stars not to show were Green Arrow and Speedy, who were on vacation to Starfish Island in Adventure Comics #256 at the time.

Batman had this most super of groups divide into teams and spread out to monitor the globe. Jimmy Olsen, Plastic Man and the Blackhawks chased a red herring that led them to nearly discover Rip Hunter: Time Master and his partner Jeff's secret operation. Lois Lane, Robotman, Congo Bill, Vigilante, and the Challengers of the Unknown nearly foiled Adam Strange's catching a Zeta-Beam back to Rann and his ladylove Alanna. Only the World's Finest trio, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Roy Raymond and Rex the Wonder Dog headed in the right direction. It seemed Ferris Aircraft was involved with a satellite launch at Cape Canaveral, and a test pilot on site, Hal Jordan, had been shot from ambush by a ray-gun. Everyone was impressed that he was still on his feet and able to show the lot where the dirty business had gone down.



At the launch pad, Rex scented trouble, so Superman used heat vision to flush out the invisible Pales. "Hera help us! It's raining Martians!" Blanx thought to himself, "By Jupiter's Fire!" He then attacked the Man of Steel without mercy. "Great Scott! His power rivals mine!" Commander Blanx taunted, "You seem strong, Blue One-- but I come from another planet, and on Earth I am invincible!" Not so, as the Kryptonian decked him! "That's what they all say! But I'm 'out of this world,' too!" Wonder Woman enjoyed pitting her Amazon strength against aliens, while the Flash helped Aquaman with a hydration issue, giving the Sea King power enough to flatten a Martian.

Robin noticed water-droplets on the rocket took the form of a once "invisible man," so the caped crusaders climbed up to gently release him. "Thank you, my friends! Had you not intervened, I would have been shot into space with this satellite tomorrow-- to my death!" Robin asked, "Gosh! But aren't you a Martian, too!" J'onzz J'onzz confirmed, "I am, lad-- yet not a Martian such as they! And to prove it, I'll tell you the most closely-guarded secret to any Martian-- our one fatal weakness!" With that reveal, Superman's revisiting heat vision did the rest.



Roy Raymond confirmed of J'onn, "And you say you're a good Martian-- living right here among us?" Superman interjected, "But not for much longer! I admit you helped us-- but I'm flying all of you back to Mars!" J'Onzz argued, "Oh, no, Superman! Take them, if you will, but I wish to remain! Once I would have sold my soul to return home! Now, I see the truth-- the truth I should have seen years ago! The Mars I loved is gone! It is a world of lost causes and dead dreams! Evil triumphed over good there! But here, on Earth, the eternal struggle continues! Here one such as I-- and ones such as yourselves-- can still tip the balance the right way! I love my adopted world! It needs-- a Manhunter from Mars!"

Superman acknowledged, "I can understand that!" Flash explained, "But the world won't, J'onn-- the news stories and hysteria generated in finding you-- have made it impossible for any Martian-- good or evil-- to appear now!" Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Superman all agreed that given six months for things to calm down, and with their full support as a club, the Martian Manhunter could be accepted by the public. Batman wished to remain a loner, which didn't work for Flash. "But, Batman-- a league against evil! Our purpose would be to uphold justice against whatever danger threatens it!" Superman also asked that he take this time to think it over, while Raymond did his part by vowing to a press blackout on the affair.



"And so it was decided! All of us swore silence!" The world chalked the Martian invasion up to mass hysteria. "It was several months after-- when I lost my ability to use my powers while invisible-- that we had our first official case-- the case we maintained first brought us together! Of course, Robin, Roy, and Hal weren't members-- but a new hero, Green Lantern, was! Still, we've always celebrated the original day! I hope, now, you understand-- because it opened this world for me!"

Green Lantern leaned into Oliver Queen; "Naturally, J'onn didn't know I was Hal Jordan! He left Earth before we revealed our true identities to each other! J'onn only told us his John Jones identity after he abandoned it in 1964!" Green Arrow felt he should be "teed off," but knew "It was a nice thing you did for Ol' J'onn! I'm kinda sorry I missed him when he was on Earth recently! Now lemme outa here! I got somethin' in my eye!"



Ollie may have shed a tear for J'onn, but he knew not of what he spoke. That recent visit he mentioned was when the Manhunter was running loose like a madmartian, accusing every hero he saw of murdering Re's Eda. J'onn has always been loving toward Aquaman and gotten nothing but grief in return. Meanwhile, Green Arrow has treated Matian Manhunter like a saint since their first team-up, and he'd have doubtless been battered by the Jade Jackass of the 70's regardless.

Steve Englehart, Dick Dillin, and Frank McLaughlin created one of the most influential DC Comics ever with this tale. While retroactive continuity was nothing new even then, writing such a massive crossover of isolated features into a pre-origin tale filled with cross-referenced minutia, "first meetings," and other rampant revisionism? This was truly the Marvel Age of DC Comics! Speaking of isolation, the lonely, needy orientation of J'onn J'onzz that lead to his Post-Crisis role as widowed "last living Martian" likely started here. So too his defining ties to McCarthyism, and really treating him as a period character in general, a wellspring of quality Martian Manhunter stories from the late 80's on. "American Secrets?" "New Frontier?" They all came from here. Heck, the story even preceded Paul Levitz's using HUAC as an excuse for DC's heroes' vanishing in the 50's by a couple years, with his more famous "The Defeat of the Justice Society!" (Adventure Comics #466, November/December, 1979) A truly great work, and as such endlessly copied, but never duplicated.

2013 Thythen Space City Con Commission by Josh C Lyman

I had some hesitation about hitting Space City Con this year, as I was burnt out of money and enthusiasm by Comicpalooza, and their shift toward catering to sci-fi geeks meant no one comparable to Art Adams or Whilce Portacio attended. On the other hand, some pieces initiated at Comicpalooza came to fruition and were made available for pick-up, so why not? They're easily among the best I've ever gotten by the way, so that alone made it worthwhile. It's also great to stumble upon exciting new talent along the way.

Josh C Lyman has a westernized quasi-chibi style that recalls Chris Giarrusso (who recalls Bill Watterson, who recalls Charles Schulz, who reca...) He also draws in a more realistic "comic book" style, so I ended up getting one of each at the low, low introductory rate I missed so much at Comicpalooza. Again, con fatigue meant I only attended SCC for one day, and only for a few hours at that, but if I had stayed I could have given Lyman as many commissions as he was willing to take. Fantastic work!

That said, I may have made a terrible mistake in having the Thythen done in chibi style. I like the cognitive dissonance that comes from taking repugnant characters like Dr. Light or Ma'alefa'ak and adapting them to a saccharine style, like Skottie Young's Thanos Baby or the Superhero Squad version of the Punisher. The Thythen already have legitimacy problems, since they're jaundiced well-muscled Humpty Dumpties with antennae. The Thythen were the alien slavers who used the survivors of Mars as living batteries to power their Robo-Chargers. Like much of the Vile Menagerie, they only ever appeared once, in only a handful of heavily shadowed panels, so there's no single reference available that captures them clearly. A realistic take might have been best.

On the other hand, I've joined the rest of the world in blowing off the Thythen, whose plan was unraveled with relative ease by a sleep-deprived whackjob Manhunter and a particularly dickish Superman, neither operating at full power. They also had the misfortune of competing with the debut of Bel Juz, an unenviable position. Frankly, I don't think there's much redemption to be found in the Thythen as sinister villains, so perhaps they're better off as playing the role of buffoonish rogues along the lines of the Mooninites or Marvin the Martian. Hey, maybe they went off and enslaved Zook's people, giving the imp a goofy nemesis?

Actually, now that I look closer, Lyman's use of deep shadows around the eyes are pretty intense, and the orbs within are rather cruel. I based my cruddy coloring job as closely on the comics as possible, and their corpse complexions are unnerving. It's easy to see those thick orange gloves crushing the life out of some poor little cuddly critter in the manner of Elmyra Duff or Hugo the Abominable Snowman. Maybe the Thythen could be like Him or Eustace's Trumpet where you're like "oh, this is no big deaOMFG get that freakin' thing away from me!" That totally works. Never mind that other stuff I said.

For more from Joshua C. Lyman, check out his tumblr and deviantART galleries, or just way until I get back to him again, because I'm gonna.

The Vile Menagerie: KORGE

Alter Ego KORGE!
God of RAGE!
Marital Status SINGLE!
Known Relatives NONE!
Group Affiliation NONE!
Base planet VONN!
Justice League DEBUT! Original Series 115! January/February 1975!
Fifty Feet TALL!
Bright Red IRISES! Pale Orange SCLERA!
Long White HAIR!

History
After the planet Mars was rendered uninhabitable, survivors fled to a far distant world that was little more hospitable called Vonn. While exploring the planet, science leader J'onn J'onzz and his party came upon a pair of bolted metal doors set into a mountainside. Curiosity led the Martian Detective to deduce a means of unlocking the doors, from which sprang a giant pale hand. A towering figure emerged, claiming to be a god of rage imprisoned for eons, who began brutalizing the Martians. When the Martians began to fight back, this Korge somehow knew that they had an inherent vulnerability to open flames, which he produced to herd them back to their settlement. Once there, Korge read J'onzz's mind, and demanded he bring his former associates in the Justice League of America to Vonn under penalty of one Martian death per day until their arrival.

Two days later, the Martian Manhunter reached the JLA satellite in orbit around Earth via a vessel supplied by Korge, and the group agreed to teleport back to Vonn. In turn, Korge defeated the Flash, Green Lantern, Superman in single combat. Recognizing their inability to face Korge individually with powers the Angry God had already countered, the Atom rewired Korge's "Space Warp" device to transfer the present Leaguers' minds and powers into one another's bodies and face him en masse. The element of surprise and the confusion of multiple attackers overwhelmed Korge, Martian Manhunter delivered the final blow, and Korge was undone.

Powers & Weapons:
Beyond his great size and its accompanying strength, Korge was virtually invulnerable to direct assault. Any being that came into contact with Korge's skin transferred unto him the secret of their greatest vulnerability, which he could then spontaneously manifest. The means of this revelation appear to be telepathic, although evidence suggests Korge's range was limited, and may have required a tactile component. Korge's defensive power appears to be based in transmutation, allowing him to create fire from thin air, turn himself and all objects in contact with his skin yellow, turn surfaces slippery, and irradiate a rock into green kryptonite. Korge appears to be dependent on external stimuli to produce these defenses, and it is not known if his alterations are permanent or whether they can be manifested by will alone.

Inside Korge's tomb was kept a "space-warper," a teleportation device for multiple humanoids of standard height. The device could transmit up to five beings' essence across untold distances of space, and then "follow" them to their destination for additional usage. Physicist Ray Palmer proclaimed its circuits centuries ahead of Earth science.

Weaknesses:
Korge's defenses lock on an individual body's abilities after direct contact. Should the "essence" and abilities of one individual be transferred to another, or an attack launched from an unfamiliar source from a distance outside of the reach of Korge's powers, the last angry god would be left vulnerable.

Distinguishing Features:
Korge stands multiple stories tall, and has white skin with jaundiced patches. His hands have four digits, including three fingers and an opposing thumb. These digits appear to be wrinkled and very coarse, and each has a brown clawed fingernail measurable by feet. He has twin fanged teeth like a vampire, and unique two-toned eyes. Korge also spoke solely in three word broken sentences, with greatest emphasis always placed on the last word.

Quote: "With each VICTORY! Korge's power INCREASES!"

Created by Denny O'Neil and Dick Dillin

2012 Martian Manhunter Super Spectacular #2 Mock-Up

MARTIAN MANHUNTER SUPER SPECTACULAR #2
Art by MICHAEL NETZER, DICK DILLIN, CURT SWAN and STUART IMMONEN
Cover by MICHAEL NETZER
Get set for DC’s second magazine-sized selection of MARTIAN MANHUNTER epics, featuring the storytelling talents of legendary writers Dennis O'Neil, Bob Haney and Len Wein with classic artists Michael Netzer, Dick Dillin and more! These stories, originally seen in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #71, WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #212 & 245, and ADVENTURE COMICS #449-451 take you from the destruction of Mars to the grim wasteland of Mars II as J'onn J'onzz seeks the murderer of his planet and best friend! Featuring the debuts of archenemies Commander Blanx and Bel Juz! Also included: “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” the first professional work of Stuart Immonen, originally printed in SHOWCASE '93 #10.
Retailers please note: These issues will ship with two covers each. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale AUGUST 3 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US • RATED T

1. Justice League of America #71
   
2. World's Finest Comics #212
   
3. Adventure Comics #449
   
4. Adventure Comics #450
   
5. Adventure Comics #451
   
6. World's Finest Comics #245
   
7. Showcase '93 #10
   

Superboy #200 (January-February, 1974)

Here's one I've been meaning to get around to for years, but a more current spark was lit by Jim Shooter in September, although it took a December Dork Review to finally get me to blow it out. I'm not going to go deep into details, as the book has already been thoroughly mocked by Steve Does Comics and Comics Bronze Age.

The gist is that in the 30th Century, lame Legionnaires Duo Damsel and Bouncing Boy got married, becoming the Reed and Sue of their era (complete with super-villainous gatecrasher.) Since the wedding took place on Mars, the artist thought it would be funny to have J'onn J'onzz in attendance. What sets this apart from most amusing non-canonical cameos is that a character legend identifying all the attendees explicitly names "J'ONN J'ONZZ, MANHUNTER FROM MARS." Of course, the Edgar Rice Burroughs character Tars Tarkas also showed up, "who has apparently hidden two of his four arms." A couple of decades later, Tom and Mary Bierbaum were inspired by this throwaway moment to insert the Martian Manhunter into legitimate continuity as part of a Mordru arc, and other creators have drawn connections between the properties since. Given J'Onn's tendency to be an extant Superman Family member by virtue of his similarities to the Man of Steel, it feels appropriate.

"The Legionnaire Bride of Starfinger" was by Cary Bates & Dave Cockrum. As I understand it, DC's refusal to return the art for this two page spread led to Cockrum's quitting the title and co-creating the All-New, All-Different X-Men. Hope it was worth it to whoever at DC made off with it.

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Volume XIV- Martian Manhunter (April, 1986)

PERSONAL DATA
Alter Ego: John Jones
Occupation: Adventurer, Private Investigator
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Justice League of America
Base of Operations: Brooklyn, New York
First Appearance: DETECTIVE COMICS #225
Height: 6'7" Weight: 250lbs.
Eyes: Blue Hair: None

HISTORY
J'Onn J'Onzz. a leading citizen on his na­tive world of Mars, was known for both his expertise in science and as a military strat­egist. When a violent worldwide racial war broke out between J'Onn's green-skinned race and the white-skinned Desert Dwellers, J'Onn was placed in charge of the army.

While J'Onn wanted to harness the Blue Flame of Mars—the planet's only source of fire—for space exploration, the Desert Dweller leader, Commander Blanx, de­sired it for conquest. The battle was climaxed by a personal fight between J'Onn and Blanx, at the Blue Flame. The battle was sabotaged by Blanx, and so J'Onn was captured and the war ground to a haft. Rather than kill the popular leader, Blanx had J'Onn exiled to the desert for thirteen years.

During that first year, J'Onn was mysteri­ously teleported to Earth. It turned out that one Professor Erdel was trying to establish communications between the two worlds, and his experimental machine became a teleporter. Erdel died of shock from the sudden arrival of the imposing Martian fig­ure.

Trapped on Earth, J'Onn used one of his natural talents to shape-shift his features so he could pass for a human. Altering his name to John Jones, he became a police detective in a small American city. J'Onn became a charter member of the Justice League of America (see JLA) when aliens attempted an invasion.

Finally, J'Onn managed to reverse the teleporter and returned home to find the once-gleaming cities in ruins. It turned out that Blanx had managed to spread the Blue Flame throughout the planet, and it destroyed everything in its path. The few remaining Martians constructed a giant space ark to transport them to another world.

After defeating the threat of Blanx once and for all, the Martians, with J'Onn in the lead, traveled safety to another world now dubbed New Mars or Mars II.

Recently, J'Onn returned once again, but this time to warn Earth that Mars was preparing to invade the world.

With J'Onn and the JLA together again, Earth barely avoided an interplanetary conflict with J'Onn once more isolated from his people. In fact, during this time, the JLA re­grouped and J'Onn chose to remain with the team—forever exiling himself from his people.

Currently, J'Onn is with the JLA and is sharing an apartment in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, with fellow teammate Steel (see Steel). As John Jones, J'Onn is also a private investigator for Biloxi Investigations in Manhattan.

POWERS & WEAPONS

All Martians possess several powers, in­cluding superior strength and reflexes. They can also alter their shapes and impersonate others (which explains J'Onn's subtle change over the years from Martian to green-skinned humanoid) and turn invisible for short periods of time. J'Onn has re­stricted telepathic abilities, usually limited to mind-reading, although telekinesis al­lows him to fly.

There remain a number of other Martian senses that have not been fully explored, such as his martian vision.

J'Onn is a superior tactician and leader as well as an excellent hand-to-hand com­batant.

His one known weakness is fire, which will sap his strength and eventually kill him.

Art by Luke McDonnell & Larry Mahlstedt

Manhunter in Detective Comics #439 (February-March, 1974)

HE STALKS THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS GAME
MANHUNTER
Interpol agent Christine St. Clair found the end of the trail to Manhunter in "Marakech." Bodies garbed in white and blue costumes littered a courtyard, all bearing the same face. There was another like them, except garbed in red and gravely wounded, who greeted St. Clair. Christine felt he needed a doctor, but Manhunter explained that he only needed time to rest. While they waited, Manhunter revealed that he was indeed big game hunter Paul Kirk, whose interests in the late 1930s turned from animals to criminals. Kirk assumed the costumed identity of Manhunter to act as a vigilante, until World War II called him into a different kind of action. "Secret behind-the-lines jobs, violent and deadly... dirty and ugly..." These deeds soured Kirk's taste for the hunt.

After the war, Kirk tried to return to safari, but couldn't bring himself to kill. Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from trying, with an intentionally miss leading to a bull-elephant charging and killing Kirk. However, his body was soon recovered by a secret brain trust called the Agency, who placed Kirk in suspended animation until his body could be restored. Educational tapes informed his subconscious mind of the decades passing by, until genetic surgery allowed not only Kirk's revival, but improvement.

Paul Kirk awakened to the aged scientist Dr. Mykros, whom he had rescued from the Nazis in 1945. Mykros had gone on to form the Agency with nine other geniuses set on preventing the world from destroying itself in the atomic age. Recognizing Paul Kirk as a fine basis for building the perfect field agent, the hero was cloned countless times. Those clones were trained in combat by the legendary martial artist Asano Nitobe, who had been acting as the bodyguard of Dr. Oka, a geneticist recruited by the Council. They now needed only a leader to venture out into the world, the original Paul Kirk, who would himself train under Nitobe. Kirk also benefited from enhanced healing abilities bestowed unto him by the genetic surgery of the late Dr. Oka.



At first, Kirk felt indebted to the Council, and was fine with the prospect of serving their ends. However, when his first assignment was to assassinate a "certain Interpol officer," he began to question their motives. Asano Nitobe agreed to take Kirk to speak with the Council about the matter, but warned "in the tiger's lair, the only justice belongs to the tiger."

As Paul Kirk explained his origins, additional clones continued their assault, with Christine St. Clair aiding Manhunter until they both ran out of ammunition. Thankfully, they were also out of clones. However, St. Clair's Interpol superior Damon Nostrand showed up to attempt an assassination of his own. Manhunter tossed a knife into Nostrand's shoulder, and St. Clair realized he must have been the agent Kirk was assigned to eliminate and replace. "There's more to my story, Christine... Hear me out... while we go after Mr. Nostrand!"

"The Manhunter File Chapter 3: The Resurrection of Paul Kirk" was by Archie Goodwin & Walter Simonson. Ninjas before Daredevil. Healing factors before Wolverine. Cynical character revivals injecting mature themes into former kiddie fare. It may seem passé now, but this stuff was bleeding edge cool in 1974. Even by today's standards, the economy and panache of the storytelling is impressive, woefully needed when you consider the state of the industry then and especially now. In other words, this is the o.g. of grim n' gritty, with more class and care than the plethora of imitators that followed. Every time I whine that DC sabotages J'Onn J'Onzz by always having another couple or three Manhunters running around at any given time, I have to remind myself that Paul Kirk remains the most entitled to that name.

The Bronze Age

• Wonder Woman #290 (April, 1982) @ Diana Prince
• The Huntress in "Gotham Town Is Burning Down!" (August/September, 1978) @ DC Bloodlines
• The Vixen in Justice League of America Annual #2 (1984) @ JLDetroit
• The Atom in Brave and the Bold #152 (July, 1979) @ Power of the Atom

The Brave and the Bold #152 letter column poll (July, 1979)

In case you couldn't read the scan above, readers were asked to write in their favorite characters to appear with Batman in his official team-up comic. The top candidate was The Usurper, beating out the Elongated Man by just three votes. Clearly, a young Doug Zawisza "helped" folks from the local graveyard offer their preference. Anyway, the Red Tomato appeared in the very next issue, while the Martian Manhunter, with no stated count, would not appear for the rest of the series run. To add salt to the wound, the only other characters mentioned as top choices to not receive spotlight appearances were the new Doom Patrol, Batgirl, The Human Target, and Captain Comet. Given the company, I'm guessing J'onn was at the Ralph Nader/Ron Paul end of the chad. Meanwhile, at least a quarter of the other selections appeared twice! The closest we ever got to a TB&TB Dark Knight/Alien Atlas pairing was a Jim Aparo cover to a DC digest.

Anyway, here's a transcript for the scan-impaired. "PL" is editor Paul Levitz, by the way...

Our big BRAVE & BOLD Readers' Poll is finally over, and the response was frightening! Some readers sent in lists of forty suggestions, bringing back heroes we had to look up in our worn guides to the forgotten Golden Age of comics. But surprisingly, a clear concensus also came out of the correspondence. Three characters got the largest pile of votes: Black Lightning, our much-promised and yet to be delivered Bat-partner, with 30 votes; The Elongated Man, who has never appeared in THE BRAVE & THE BOLD but did team up with Batman years ago in DETECTIVE COMICS, with 35 votes; and our winner, The Red Tornado, with 38 votes!

The Red Tornado will appear in these pages very shortly— probably in #153—in a special tale that we've already commissioned from Cary Burkett, who will be pinch-hitting once more to give Bob a chance to get ahead of schedule.

Other strong characters in the poll were (in no particular order): Metamorpho (who returns soon in a tale that takes Batman traveling), the Legion of Super-Heroes, the new Doom Patrol, The Atom, Firestorm, the Huntress, The Spectre, Man-Bat, Batgirl (who got her team-up shot in BATMAN magazine a few months back), Supergirl, Zatanna, Green Lantern, The Teen Titans, The Human Target, Captain Comet, the Manhunter From Mars, and The Flash.

Some of these super-stars have appeared since we started the poll, so it's our working assumption that your desire to see them has at least been temporarily taken care of. But the others are now all under serious consideration for future issues of THE BRAVE & THE BOLD, and we wouldn't be surprised if the next year or so saw most of them making appearances... with the probable exception of the Legion of Super-Heroes, which would probably drive both Bob and Jim bananas!

In closing the contest, we'd like to thank all our readers who participated in the poll for making it the most successful in our memory. You've spoken out about who you want to see in B&B, and we're going to make every effort to give you everything you want—and everything you deserve —PL.

*****

Manhunter in Detective Comics #438 (December, 1973/January, 1974)

HE STALKS THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS GAME
MANHUNTER

In Zurich, Christine St. Clair reported to her superior at Interpol's Information Center, Damon Nostrand. Justification had to be found for keeping St. Clair on a single case, so she supplied it. Her Manhunter file offered news of a battle with a tiger on a boat out of Calcutta, ended by a bundi dagger. Before that, at the beginning of the file, was the reappearance of one Paul Kirk after thirty years presumed dead. Kirk had tried to withdraw money right there in Zurich out of a personal account left moribund since 1946. His identity confirmed, Kirk had to fight off thugs in the bank to collect his cash.

The Manhunter's first reappearance was in the Middle East, where he deflected a grenade fired at Sheik Rashid Ben Turhan with a simple throwing star. A second Japanese shuriken killed the assassin. Curiously, the body found later appeared to be that of Paul Kirk, although it was stolen before positive identification could be made with the medical examiner.

A week later in Brasilia, genetic scientist Dr. Raoul Salazano was abducted by masked men in a blue and white costume. Manhunter caught up with them, and displayed ninjutsu mastery unseen since the death of Asano Nitobe at Nagasaki in 1945. He then shot down their helicopter with a customized 1916 model Mauser employing plainly enhanced ammunition. Manhunter vanished thereafter, but once again, one of his opponents appeared to have been Paul Kirk before the body was snatched.

The mystery only grew thicker, and Christine St. Clair had a lead in Marrakech. Damon Nostrand ordered her to pursue it, but from then on, she would only report to him. After St. Clair left, Nostrand burned her files...

"The Manhunter File Chapter Two (2)" was by Archie Goodwin & Walter Simonson.

The Bronze Age

• The Vixen in Action Comics #521 (July, 1981) @ Justice League Detroit
• The Atom in Action Comics #521 (July, 1981) @ Power of the Atom
• The Huntress in Batman Family #18 (June/July, 1978) @ DC Bloodlines
• Wonder Woman #289 (March, 1982) @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman

Manhunter in Detective Comics #437 (October-November, 1973)

HE STALKS THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS GAME
MANHUNTER

Katmandu, Nepal. Haj the Ancient collected the sights and sounds of the city, and was the best available source for all of its goings on. Interpol agent Christine St. Clair had use of his services in her investigation of Manhunter. Haj had heard this unusual name increasingly over the previous two weeks. "Law agencies all over the world have a growing interest in this man, Haj... Whatever you can tell us will not go unappreciated."

Manhunter had appeared in the Alley of Shadows, the sanctuary of the Cult of Thieves, searching for a man under their protection. Once given, said protection was honored to the death, and so it was. With sai and a Mauser, Manhunter cut these specialists in killing down with swift precision. Only one was left alive for information.

Christine St. Clair offered a photograph of a middle aged man with brown hair. "Haj, this man is called Paul Kirk. Could he have been the stranger in the Alley of Shadows?" Haj did not know, but a similar man was said to have shouted his intentions to find a certain individual to sherpas in the Himalayan foothills. Warned of such pursuit, the sherpas rushed out to kill the man, but he was gone without a trace. A rider was sent to the Pendrang Monastery to offer warning, while Manhunter followed in secret to the hidden valley, deep in the Himalayas.

The rider appeared at the monastery slung over his horse, unconscious, with slight bruises near a nerve cluster at the base of the neck. The monastery was protected by the legendary Blind Zen Archers of Pendragon, capable of detecting the slightest sound. That night, firecrackers proved a distraction. Miraculously, Manhunter managed to take down two of the skilled archers, but a third was an impossibility. Two arrows penetrated Manhunter's breast.



Dharmata had been raised in the monastery, and touched many in his wanderings abroad before returning home for sanctuary. Manhunter had finally caught up with him, pulling arrows from his breastpiece after disabling three good men for days to come. "I die a little less easily than most..." Dharmata was seen as a dangerous individual after rousing a revolution that could eventually make waves to pound China or India. To avoid this potentiality, some believed a calmer voice need be heard by Dharmata's followers, and the man himself silenced forever.

Monks arrived in the courtyard for their morning meditation, and Dharmata asked that he might observe them one last time. Manhunter refused, as he began killing the monks by numbers. As an unfortunate side note pointed out, "Monks are Caucasian (white-skin) not Oriental." As Dharmata pulled back the hood of a dead monk, he saw that they were not only imposters, but impossibly all had the same face-- Manhunter's! Dharmata was at a loss, and when he tried to question Manhunter, found that he was gone.

Christine St. Clair needed to know more, but "I cannot tell, Memsahib. Such a man is like the breeze in hottest summer..." The Interpol agent accepted this, but as she walked away, Haj disrobed. The disguised Manhunter was pleased with himself.

"The Manhunter File Chapter 1: The Himalayan Incident" was by Archie Goodwin & Walter Simonson. Goodwin had been asked to take over editing the poorly selling Detective Comics, which came with it a license to tinker. Batman was in two other titles every month, so there wasn't much room for experimentation on the lead feature, so any innovation fell to the back-up strip. Goodwin always favored the less traveled character, and after exposure to Golden Age Simon & Kirby Manhunter reprints in New Gods, decided he wanted to revive Paul Kirk, a famed hunter who turned his skill set from animals to men. While the book's sales didn't improve, the new Manhunter proved a well remembered artistic success that helped launch the career of collaborator Walt Simonson.

The Bronze Age

• The Vixen #1 in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #2 (Fall, 1978)
  @ Justice League Detroit
  
  
• The Sensational New Wonder Woman #288 (February, 1982)
  @ Diana Prince
  
  
• Superman starring in Action Comics #530 (April, 1982)
  @ DC Bloodlines
  
  
• The Atom in Action Comics #530 (April, 1982)
  @ Power of the Atom