I have to ask. Why is Martian Manhunter so underrated? J'onn J'onzz is one of DC's most interesting and powerful characters. That fact that he receives so little attention honestly infuriates me. The purpose of this story is for me to try and rectify that.
And since a lot of stories have put Superman in MHA, I wanted to see what would happen if another overpowered hero entered this universe.
Enjoy!
Acclamation
Ma'aleca'andra- 500 Years Ago
"Ma'alefa'ak J'onnz. The jury of this court finds you guilty of the crime you stand accused of. You have been sentenced to excommunication. You will never again commune or share your mind with the people. Do you have any closing statements to make?"
The accused party lifted his head, his scarred face now visible for all to see. But his eyes focused on only one individual in the witness stand. The one who had reported his crime. The who had betrayed him. His own brother.
"This is all your fault J'onn." Ma'alefa'ak moved closer to the stand. The guards had to restrain him.
"Do you think robbing me of this power, or my memories will make you safe?" He asked his stoic brother. "No. I will have my revenge. I will make sure that you pay for crossing me. You will pay J''onn. You will pay."
The guards moved Ma'alefa'ak to the center of the room. There, five Martian priests prepared to perform the ceremony that would rid him of his telepathy. The would forever remove him from the rest of the Martian people.
But Ma'alefa'ak cared nothing for them. His hatred existed only for one individual.
"You Will Pay J'onn! This I Swear!"
The five priest attacked Ma'alefa'ak's mind, locking away his telepathy.
"AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"
Centuries Later- Earth
"It seems like only yesterday that quirks started..."
"All because of a glowing baby..."
"It's nice to have heroes..."
"Did I turn off the...?"
"Why a sex shop? Seriously..."
"The world could use more people like All Might..."
"Fourteen dead..."
"Only twenty percent of the world does not..."
"Hopefully she lets me see her. A divorce is..."
As the flight landed on the Japanese station, he did his best to push the less useful thoughts out of his head. There were still things he needed to learn, but he could do without the clutter. Right now, he needed to focus on keeping up his act long enough to reach his new home.
Home...
Calvin Swanwick shook his head. This was not a time for sentiment. He needed to stay focused for now.
The pilot announced that passengers could now get off the plane. Swanwick picked up his bag, and walked through the terminal. One he was within the station, he searched. There was supposed to be a man to take him to his temporary residence. So where...?
"Detective Swanwick?" An accented voice asked behind him. He turned to see a dark haired man wearing a trenchcoat.
"Yes. That is I" Swanwick told him.
"Good. I have been sent to welcome you to our country. I am Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi."
"A pleasure to meet you" Swanwick said as he shook his hand.
"Likewise" Tsukauchi said. "If you would just follow me, my car is outside. I can drive you to your temporary residence."
"Of course. Thank you" Swanwick said. He followed Tsukauchi outside, where they then entered his car. Tsukauchi turned on the car, and the two began driving away.
"You don't mind if ask some questions, do you?" Swanwick asked. "Just something to pass the time.
"Not at all. I assume anyone coming to a new country would have some questions."
"Yes. And that actually ties in to my first one. Has anyone told you why I was ordered here? Compared to other countries, Japan is one of the more peaceful."
"That is true. And honestly, I don't know what to tell you" Tsukauchi said. "I'd ask the higher ups when you go tot he office. They might be able to tell you."
"Alright. And I'm not set to go until tomorrow, correct?"
"Right. They want you to use today to try and get acclimated. This international cop exchange is still new, so they want you to try and get used to the country first" Tsukauchi told him.
"That makes sense" Swanwick said. "By the way, do you know who was sent to America in my place?"
"Yes. I actually worked with her a few times" Tsukauchi told him. "Her name is Kimiyo Hoshi."
"I see. One last thing." Tsukauchi leaned in for the question. "Who taught you to speak English so well?"
Tsukauchi chuckled. "I actually have a friend who spent some years in America. He helped me to brush up my language skills. I take it it worked?"
"It did. Though I was hoping to gain a greater cultural experience" Swanwick told him.
"There will be time for that. You still need to learn the language after all" Tsukauchi told him.
"Is that so?" Swanwick said in perfect Japanese.
Tsukauchi turned in surprise. "When did you learn to speak the language?" He asked in Japanese.
"The moment I met you" Swanwick thought to himself.
"When I first heard of my assignment. I figured learning to speak to my new coworkers would be beneficial."
"I see. Well, I have to say I'm impressed."
"Thank you" Swanwick responded.
The two drove on for a few more minutes. Tsukauchi finally stopped at an apartment building.
"We're here" he said as they both climbed out of the car. "Come on" he said as he led him inside.
They walked past the front door, and made their way to the stairs. They walked up to fourth floor. The stopped at room 4-225.
"This is it. Do you think you'll need anything?" Tsukauchi asked.
"No, I think I'll be fine. I'll see you at the station tomorrow" Swanwick told him as he was handed the key to the room.
"Alright. I'll see you then" Tsukauchi said as he waved goodbye. Swamwick waved back.
Swanwick entered his new apartment. He saw that it was... average. He was currently in an entrance that led to a living room. Said living room had a table, a sofa, and something that pleased him greatly. A television.
The living room was also connected to kitchen. One he could simply walk into. There were two other doors as well. One that led to a bedroom. The other led to a bathroom.
Swamwick made sure than no one would look in. He looked the door to the apartment. He closed the curtains in his living room. He scanned the building to ensure that no one had any intention to bother him.
He went to the bathroom, and locked himself inside. He took a good look at how he was now. Dark skin, and brown eyes. Short-cut black hair. He was wearing a suit, as he often did even when not on duty. His face was serious, a stoic mask meant to hide most emotions even among the populace.
In short, he looked exactly like Calvin Swanwick.
He grabbed both edges of the sink. He took in a deep breath, and released it. He let his body relax.
A body that was now changing. All of his clothing disappeared. Brown skin became green. Brown eyes became red. His skull was now extended, similar to a square pyramid. His body was now larger, but also thinner, with longer fingers.
The disguise of Calvin Swamwick was now replaced with the true form of J'onn J'onzz.
"This I must hide. They would not understand" J'onn reminded himself as he looked at his reflection.
He left the bathroom and went to the kitchen. He opened the fridge to see what was available. There was some food already laid out, saving him from having to shop for at least two days. He took out a water bottle, and began to drink. He waved his towards the television remote. He willed it upwards, and turned on the TV.
He sat down on the sofa, and began partaking in his favorite pastime.
The first channel was the news. It showed a mugger who was still on the loose. J'onn transformed in a perfect copy of the mugger, with the oversized lips and grass for hair.
The next channel was a cartoon. One that showed a sarcastic gray rabbit munching on a carrot. J'onn was now a mirror image, minus the carrot.
The third channel was another news story. This one reporting on All Might saving two middle schoolers from a sludge villain.
J'onn stood up for this one. He turned himself into the greatest hero in Japan. He flexed his muscles, and even practiced the unwavering smile.
For several hours until nightfall, J'onn continued having his fun. He tried many different forms. Deciding it might be best to stop, J'onn blinked to turn off the TV. He assumed his natural form and went to his bedroom.
As he laid in his bed, J'onn pondered his current situation.
"I am a refugee on this planet. I am in a different country than I was a week ago. Tomorrow, I will meet new individuals I will be working with for at least a year. None of whom can know who I truly am. What I truly am."
It would not bode well if they did. From what J'onn had learned of Earth's history from the minds of its inhabitants, they were hardly very welcoming towards outsiders. And he had come here for shelter, not conflict. The best thing to do now was lay low. He was fortunate that Swanwick's quirk was similar to one of his own powers. That would reduce the amount of explanations he would have to give.
But there was another question that scratched at him. How long could he hide himself?
He did not wish to be discovered, but he could not hide forever. He was mean to be a guardian on Mars, a peacekeeper. It was why he was gad that Swamwick had been a detective. That meant he could continue his work.
But even policemen admitted that there were some problems they could not solve. It was why they relied on heroes just as much as the citizens.
Heroes.
The individuals inspired by old human stories. Stories of those were wiling to help anyone, even at a cost to themselves. Could J'onn do that?
With that thought in mind, J'onn walked over to the mirror on his dresser. He changed his appearance to benefit his idea. His body became more muscularly defined. His head a rounder shape, while still bald. He created clothing as well. He had dark purple leggings, with a purple and red strap tied around his waist. He also had an x-shaped strap around his chest, with a star-shaped symbol in the center. He finished the look with a purple cape. The uniform of the Manhunter.
As he studied his appearance, J'onn wondered. Could he be a hero here? More so than on Mars?
"I shouldn't focus on this now. I have to focus on tomorrow" J'onn told himself.
With that in mind, he shifted back to his true form, returned to his bed, and slumbered until the next day.
Let me know what you guys think of this. Like I said, the main purpose here is to bring more attention to one of my favorite DC characters. The recent news that he was supposed to be in Justice League motivated me even more to write this. That's why I gave him the name of the general that was supposed to tun out to be him in the movie.
Speaking of J'onn, I will mostly be taking inspiration from his New 52 version. I know some people (a lot) don't like the New 52, but I think his design is well done. It is the coolest looking one to me, so I imagine him with that look.
Also, I was thinking of giving J'onn a love interest. He had one in Crisis on Two Earths, and I think it goes well with his struggle to find a home on Earth. Really, I just want J'onn to find some happiness. He has a pretty depressing life when you think about it.
I was thinking of doing Rumi, or Mirko, if you prefer. She and J'onn have very different personalities, and I like the potential of their contrast. Mt. Lady could also work for the same reason, but I'm kinda leaning towards Rumi.
Anyway, please leave reviews, and I will see you all next time.