Justice League Infinity reveals perhaps the multiverse’s most tragic incarnation of the Martian Manhunter.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Justice League Infinity #5, on sale now
Justice League Infinity has seen the heroes introduced in the DC Animated Universe venture across the multiverse and work to combat the nefarious forces that seem to be threatening every reality. Along the way, the series has introduced a surprisingly noble Darkseid and a monstrous Superman. Now, it’s also introduced a massively tragic take on a major Justice League hero.
Justice League Infinity #5 (by J.M. DeMatteis, James tucker, Ethen Beavers, Nick Filardi, and AW’s DC Hopkins) introduces a heartbreaking variation of the Martian Manhunter, who has suffered a terrible fate at the hands of a major DC villain.
Justice League Infinity has spent time exploring a particularly dark world in the multiverse, where the events of “A Savage Time” weren’t prevented by the Justice League. Instead, Vandal Savage’s usurpation of the Nazi Party in World War II was a success, and (using knowledge and technology from the future) was able to lead the Axis powers to a decisive victory. In this world, only a small band of rebels remain in the fight against Overman, the demented and cruel Superman who serves at Savage’s behest. But thanks to a multiversal event, Overman was moved over to the core reality of the DCAU whereas their Superman (along with an incarnation of President Superman) found themselves fighting against Savages’ forces.
After fighting their way through Savage’s forces, the two Supermen scoured Savage’s fortress and discovered a mysterious lab. There, they discover this world’s version of the Martian Manhunter. Instead of arriving on Earth by accident and becoming a heroic defender of the world, this version of J’onn J’onzz was instead found and stolen from Mars by Savage. He was experimented on within his lab, and turned into his “Oracle.” With J’onn’s telepathic powers amplified by Savage’s technologies, the “Oracle” was able to control the populace and even gaze across space and time. This allowed Savage (even as he finally approaches death after years of practical immortality) to further spread his control.
But the experiments left this version of J’onn mentally shattered and physically unformed, leaving him only capable of creating a rudimentary and twisted body after the Supermen release him. On the verge of death but touched by their kindness, this Martian Manhunter is able to last long enough to share the visions he saw across dimensional barriers with his alternate self. The core Martian Manhunter of the Justice League Unlimited universe can only watch as his counterpart then collapsed into a smoldering pile of green goo, and felt the last of his consciousness fade away into the ether.
It’s one of the most tragic possible stories for the Martian Manhunter to have experienced, losing any of his independence and being used merely as a weapon. This version of the Manhunter didn’t appear to have a name or a place on Earth and isn’t even sure if he’s truly a Martian anymore. J’onn notes that watching himself, so broken apart and eventually crumbling into nothingness — would haunt him for some time afterward. While the fate of this Martian Manhunter is a tragedy, it’s also quietly inspiring to know that even when the world should have broken him and he could have been justified in turning on everything or just finally finding peace in death, the heroic Martian still made sure to help the heroes to try and find a way to save the day. Even in the worst of worlds, heroes can still rise up.
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