DC has forgotten just how powerful the Martian Manhunter truly is. Regarded, rightfully so, as one of DC’s heaviest hitters, the Martian Manhunter has powers that rival, and even exceed, Superman. In 1961’s Justice League of America #3 the Martian Manhunter demonstrated a new ability, one never seen before and never seen since–the power to transmute the elements, which he then uses to outwit an intergalactic warlord.
Introduced in Detective Comics #225, shortly before the formal dawn of comics’ Silver Age, the Martian Manhunter is one of the most enigmatic heroes in the DC Universe. Like Superman, he is the last survivor of his people, and just like the Man of Steel, he can fly, has super strength and enhanced senses. Unlike Superman however, the Martian Manhunter is also telepathic and can change his shape at will. At times, depending on the creator, there seems to be no limit to the Martian Manhunter’s powers, and this was especially true during the character’s earliest appearances. The Martian Manhunter was a charter member of the Justice League of America, and has been practically synonymous with the team since, and it was during one of his first cases with the team that he demonstrated his most curious power–the ability to transform elements.
In the story “The Slave Ship of Space,” written by Gardner Fox and illustrated by Mike Sekowsky, the Justice League is pressed into the service of the despotic Kanjar Ro. Ro is forcing the heroes to fight his greatest enemies–and if they resist, he will destroy Earth. One of Ro’s enemies, Kromm, is composed of iron, and the Martian Manhunter must find a way to capture him. He searches the planet for lodestone, which can attract iron. Unable to find any, the Martian Manhunter decides to fashion some out of another element: hematite. Using his “Martian knowledge” of transmutation, he is able to manipulate the atomic structure of the hematite, converting it to lodestone which he uses to defeat Kromm and deliver him to Kanjar Ro.
The Martian Manhunter's Powers Are Hard To Understand
The issue does not elaborate on exactly how the Martian Manhunter was able to transform the hematite into lodestone–was he able to do it thanks to one of his Martian powers? Or did he have some sort of device, used off-panel, to transform the hematite? Regardless of how it was accomplished, it was an impressive feat on two levels. First, the Martian Manhunter somehow knew the planet was composed of hematite. Second, he knew its exact atomic structure and knew what atoms needed to be rearranged to create the lodestone. This ability enabled the Justice League to defeat Kromm and in turn Kanjar Ro–but unfortunately, the Martian Manhunter’s ability to transform elements has not been seen since. It is a power that would most certainly come in handy in a number of situations, yet DC has seemingly forgotten about it.
Just How Powerful IS the Martian Manhunter?
In the same issue, the Martian Manhunter, while outracing a heat-seeking missile, nearly approaches the speed of light. While the Martian Manhunter has the ability to fly fast, he, to that point, had never gone that fast–and much like his ability to transmute elements, this was soon forgotten. The Martian Manhunter’s powers rival and exceed some of the DC’s biggest guns, but the publisher has a tendency to forget how powerful he really is.