CCC #91 - Create a Villain for Martian Manhunter

Since everyone's favorite Martian Shapeshifting Detective with a penchant for cookies got a bit of time in the spotlight over the weekend I thought it'd be interesting to base the next Character Contest around him.

Essentially what everyone here needs to do is give J'onn J'onzz something that he's mostly lacked:

A good villain.

Essentially create a compelling baddy for the Manhunter from Mars that challenges him in ways none of his preexisting rogues gallery ever has!

The deadline is the 20th of October at 11:59 PM London GMT.

Happy writing and god speed.

Hello @nordok, could you pin this to the FF board and unpin the last one?

@cbishop@batkevin74@oscuro@4donkeyjohnson@amazing_webhead

New contest is up fellas!

i would just bring back two-shot villain Commander Blanx

@tommythehitman: Okay, I had two questions- looked them up. Now, I'm good. Here's hoping I make it before the deadline. :)

P.S. Link to London time. :)

@cbishop: What were your questions out of pure curiosity?

I was wondering what the "spotlight" was, and what rogues gallery he's had outside of White Martians. Google answered the first, and CV answered the second.

Outside of White Martians, Green Martians, and some Saturnians, he really hasn't had many rogues. Most of the non-Martian rogues were JLA villains; not really specific to J'onn. There were a few, but from early stories, and they weren't major.

@ficopedia: He’s also had the Human Flame to be fair.

Recurring appearances, yes, but not what I'd call a major villain. ;)

Martian Manhunter hit the floor of the Watchtower with a thump, his stomach oozing onto the floor like heated plasticine. Standing behind him was a young man in a green and black costume. His right hand crackled and dripped with greenish energy.

“That jog your memory?”

J’onn tried to stand but the man kicked him in the back. “Where you going?”

“Who are you?” J’onn asked as he tried to reform himself.

“You’re funny! You really don’t know do you?” He said again. “Maybe another blast?”

Another blast flew from his hand. J’onn went intangible, and screamed as the beam hit him in the chest. The Martian warrior collapsed on the floor, flapping like a landed fish as more of his flesh melted off him.

“I had this blast specially made to deal with you, J’onn J’onzz,” the man sneered as he stalked closer. “Cost me a lot, not just money. See you’re like Superman, Plastic Man and Psimon rolled into one plus you can turn invisible! Talk about overpowered!”

-Sleep-

The man stared back into J’onn’s red eyes. “Nice try with the telepathy, J’onn. But I had some implants to reroute and block hypnotic and telepathic commands, again costly. And do you know why?”

-Justice League, this is J’onn. I am currently under attack in...-

“They can’t hear you,” the man stated. “Hypnotic block remember. It’s like a white noise generator, no idea HOW it works but judging by the look on your stupid green face, means it’s working.”

“I don’t know why you’re attacking me,” J’onn said as he slowly floated to his feet.

The man folded his arms. “Really? Here, I’ll take off this domino mask just in case it really does conceal my identity.”

J’onn looked at the Asian man’s face. It was round, no distinguishing marks or tattoos, one that could easily anyone and someone J’onn didn’t know. “I am sorry, I do not know who you are.”

The man fired another blast at the Martian’s feet, the black tiles melting. “About eight years ago you were moonlighting as a police officer in San Diego.”

J’onn nodded recalling his time under the identy of police officer Mike Sherman. “Yes...”

“You arrested a young kid. Threw him in a cell to scare him straight.”

“Harry Hong,” J’onn said quietly. “Seems it didn’t work.”

“You think I’m Harry?” The man fired another blast making J’onn duck for his life, only to have a boot hit him in the face. J’onn morphed his head around the boot and chomped down with a set of sharklike teeth he grew. But suddenly an electric charge surged through the suit jolting J’onn off.

“MY NAME IS HENRY! MY BROTHER WAS HARRY AND YOU KILLED HIM!”

“I didn’t kill your brother,” J’onn panted.

“You had him locked up, you green bastard! And then you vanished! Mike Sherman suddenly ceased to exist. So my brother got STUCK in the prison system! And for what, breaking a car window to jack a stereo?”

“I did not know...”

Henry fired another series of blasts making the hero from Mars flee for his life. “Harry was raped and murdered in prison! Because you decided you didn’t want to be a policeman any more! You dumping that identity caused SO much damage to my family! I spent a small fortune paying the Calculator to track you down! I then upgrading myself so I could stand toe to toe with you. I’m full of wires and potions and things that have twenty letter names. All so I could melt you into a pile of slag to avenge my brother! I am Dissolver! And you’re dead!”

Henry opened up his hands, eyes and mouth and shot forth a quinbeam of energy that bounced harmlessly off the chest of Superman.

“You okay, J’onn?” Superman asked as he actually winced at the barrage bouncing off his chest.

“NOOO!” Harry screamed. “You’re not supposed to be here!”

“What about me?” Laughed Plastic Man as he wrapped him up like a burrito. “Nobody EVER expects me!”

“Get! Off!” Dissolver fired out another electrical surge through his suit send Plastic Man into an epileptic seizure. “I only want the green bastard!”

“Will I do?” Kyle Rayner asked as he created a boxer with his Green Lantern ring to smack Dissolver about the head and stomach.

Dissolver screamed and shot a blast at the large window, shattering it and allowing decompression to occur. The cold claws of space began sucking the air out of the Watchtower. Green Lantern created a giant plug to fill the gap and soon order was restored. Superman picked up Manhunter gingerly and placed him on a gurney that GL created.

“I’ll find Dissolver, get J’onn to sick bay,” Superman ordered. A green tendril tugged on the Kryptonians elbow.

“Don’t...”

“J’onn...” Superman looked down on his fallen comrade.

“I have hurt that young man worse...than he has assaulted me,” J’onn wheezed. “Leave him be.”

Superman frowned in frustration but acquiesced to his friends demand. A slight ping was heard as the teleporters activated meaning J’onn’s attacker had probably escaped.

—

Henry Hong aka The Dissolver looked up at the sky. “Next time Martian, I won’t waste time talking.”

The Killer sat on a park bench awaiting his next victim.

He was awaiting her because he knew that at any moment she'd be passing by. He'd been watching her for the past week and by now knew her daily routine arguably better than even she did.

• At Five minutes past Nine she would wake up in that oak frame bed of hers. She normally took a shower but today she hadn't seemed to be in the mood. That didn't matter though, she was perfect as she was.
• After making her packed lunch of Strawberry Jam sandwiches she would kiss her cats goodbye and then head off her shift at the local 7/11. This was normally around quarter to Ten.

It was currently Five to Ten, and the Killer smelled her before he saw her.

• After completing her shift she'd buy takeout and watch old movies while wishing that somebody loved her.

Somebody did.

He looked up almost lazily from the bench and saw her walk right past him wearing a winter coat over her uniform. He sniffed quickly at her blonde hair and caught a whiff of the perfume she doused herself in. Part of him felt shocked that she hadn't noticed his presence, but in truth she didn't know him. This woman had simply no knowledge of his existence... but she would recognize him.

He stood up and took a form that she was familiar with. Nobody noticed, nobody ever did. Then he called her name.

'Daisy!' He yelled in a friendly tone. 'Hey, Daisy!'

She stopped and turned around, surprised that someone actually wanted to talk to her. Her eyes lit up as she recognized the speaker and almost hesitantly she walked over, startled by this invasion of her normal routine.

'Thomas?' She said, smiling in a confused way. The Killer approached her, he too was smiling.

'I thought that was you!' He said. They moved so close together that they were almost touching. 'How've ya been?'

'Fine, Tom.' Her shoulders dropped as she relaxed slightly. 'Yourself?'

'Fine.'

There was a silence that passed, not only between them but one that passed over the whole world. The Killer simply stared at his prey. He was trying to memorize her face.

'Well... listen, Tom. I've gotta go.'

'Can I show you something first?' She seemed reluctant but she didn't say no. He raised a hand up into the air. 'Watch this.' Her eyes followed his hand as it slowly moved forwards. He moved it towards her chest and, for some reason, whatever reason, she couldn't look away. 'Keep watching her.' He told her, and then his hand passed through her skin and crushed her heart.

A shockwave seemed to pass through the area. Passersby, even those who hadn't been looking seemed to notice that something had happened. The victim's body clumped to the ground like a heavy sack of potatoes, her packed lunch clattered on the floor sprawling its contents and the girl's face seemed a frozen portrait of shock.

The Killer left before anyone could scream. He simply smiled, nodded, and faded with the wind.

It was an hour before Detective John Jones arrived at the scene. There had been an Earthquake in the Philippines that had needed search and rescue teams coordinated and he'd been busy. He didn't arrive via car, bus or any other sort of transport however, he simply appeared at the crime scene and the local Police Department had simply grown used to this.

He stepped among his colleagues wearing a coat and fedora ripped straight from a Humphrey Bogart flick but nobody commented on it. Respect had to be earned and during his long career John had definitely done that.

'What've you got for me, boys?' The Detective asked in a tired tone not entirely dissimilar to the sound of gravel.

'I've got your order.' Isaac of the CSI team said as he handed John a box of cookies and a plastic cup of milk. John took them both gladly. 'But we've got ourselves a homicide.'

John sighed and looked at the body. He took a bite of his cookies - careful not to get crumbs on the scene - and knelt over the victim's corpse.

'Look of surprised on the girl's face.' He noted. 'Whatever killed her killed her quick.'

'Heart failure.' Isaac said from somewhere behind. He noticed the annoyed look that flashed on John's face. 'It was definitely murder though. We have a whole goggle of eyewitnesses who saw what happened.'

'What'd they say?'

'They said that Daisy Danvers, age 27, was walking to work when her ex husband Tom Matthews, also 27, flagged her down before she collapsed to the ground. Matthews then vanished into thin air.' He paused. 'Some people said they saw Thomas' hand pass into her chest right before she collapsed.'

John perked up upon hearing that last part. He turned to Isaac and for almost a second his lower lip quivered, an unprecedented event. 'Do... do you think Matthews is a Metahuman?'

'I did. But then a couple officers went round to Matthews' flat. He has an alibi for where he was an hour ago, and what's more his record is completely clean. No signs he'd ever do anything like this to anyone.'

John frowned and looked back at the body, eyes locked on where the heart was supposed to be. 'So we're dealing with a shapeshifter who can pass through walls...'

Then Isaac said what John had been thinking.

'Honestly John I think we're dealing with the Martian Manhunter.'

The Detective dipped a cookie into his milk. 'Somehow I really doubt that.' He admitted.

He left the crime scene soon after that, mind and hands shaking as he ran to the confines of a nearby alleyway. In that alley he flexed his mind and transformed into his true form. Not the heroic figure of the Martian Manhunter but the utterly alien appearance of J'onn J'onzz, the man from Mars. He slumped against the alleywall and breathed heavily, stunned by what he had learned.

'Could it be possible?' He wondered to himself. It wasn't his innocence that he questioned but instead the possibility that another Green Martian had somehow made their way to Earth. Something stirred inside him and he changed forms again, donning his cape and uniform.

He would find an answer himself, and nobody else would die.

Manhunter returned to the scene of the crime, he did so in his invisible form so as to not cause any alarm in the local residents. Using his Martian Vision he scanned the park for any sign of the killer.

Whoever had done this had been very thorough. They'd wiped their DNA from all over the scene leaving almost no trace of their presence, but the Manhunter was experienced in these matters and searched the scene at a microscopic level. He soon found a faint DNA strand that lead him back to the victim's apartment and flew there in a matter of seconds.

The place had been sealed off as a crime scene and barricaded by yellow tape, yet despite this it was seemingly empty. J'onn returned to the visible spectrum in the kitchen.

There was the sound of purring from the kitchen shelf and the Martian found a black and white cat staring up at him, wide, yellow eyes seemingly looking into his soul.

'Hello.'He said, smiling as he reached out to stroke the feline. However he stopped himself suddenly and instead gripped the creature by the throat before lifting it up into the air. A horrible gasping sound escaped the cat's mouth yet before J'onn could even begin to question his decision the creature began to growl and grow, changing shape and color until it bore the naked, skeletal looks of a Green Martian.

J'onn threw the Killer away in disgust leaving the alien in a crumpled heap in the room's corner.

'Don't even think about leaving.'J'onn warned, his eyes glowing bright red as he did so. 'I've shut down the parts of your brain that let you fade and shift so there'll be no escaping.'

The Killer coughed dark green blood onto the kitchen floor. 'How'd you know it was me?'He croaked. J'onn knelt down and tapped the side of the Martian's neck.

'No collar.'Was all he said. The Killer seemed amused by this and chuckled.

'Take it you've read my mind?'

'Yes.'

'Then y'know I've been doing this for centuries.' He smiled and coughed. 'Should've known I'd meet you one day. Do what you're gonna do.'

J'onn nodded sadly. He closed his eyes and with a thought shut down the Killer's mind, leaving his body as nothing more than an empty husk.

It was a few minutes before J'onn left the house. When he did he was carrying the Killer's body in his arms.

Silently he flew into the air and set off for parts unknown.

Sorry, all, not gonna make this one.

@cbishop: It’s alright Bish.

Martian Manhunter #1

Jonn never got involved in matters like these. Often, it was a matter for local Police Work, not him. Yet Superman had made valid points over the past few days.

Don't stay in the Tower too long. Isolation weakens the role they have as protectors. It disconnects them.

Hence, he was here. Eleven at night on a Tuesday. Bludhaven.

Disguised as an six foot tall African American Male in a brown turtleneck, tan trench and dark pants, Jonn stood behind the caution tape roping off the street. Flashing red and blue lights drench the increasingly gathering crowd that look on that the crime. Nightwing perused these areas's enough, but from time to time he was a 'Titan' and someone had to care about the places no one cared about.

Two police officers sprawled out on the ground, a child crying in the middle of the street with two SWAT Officers holding up a tactical field shield to protect themselves and her, while other Officers remain in the street, their guns aimed at the house.

Lifting up the yellow caution tape and moving forward, Jonn is immediately noticed the other officers. Prudently he holds up the brass Police Officer Shield to them, "Negotiator!" he calls out.

Immediately an Officer in short sleeves rushes over to him, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN! ITS A CIRCUS OUT HERE"

Jonn could feel his anger wasn't true anger, but rather panic. He could sense the Officer's emotional anguish. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to go home. The entire scenario was strictly against what his Psychologist said was good for him, high stress with lives on the line. He had a tendency to blame himself for things he wasn't responsible for, or so he was told. This didn't help. Not a hostage situation.

Shaking his head, Jonn pulls himself out the Officer's mind - his emotions were, engrossing.

"Took a minute to get here. Apologies." Jonn replies, mentally nudging them an to relax.

The Officer lets out a sigh of relief and points to the House, "I got two officer hit and a domestic abuse situation that went sideways. Kenny, that his name. He took his step kid hostage after 'offing' the Mother. He wants a Negotiator. He wants one now."

Jonn lets out a steady breath through his nostrils, "Understood. Tell your men to pull back. I'll go in." he says, taking a step forward.

However Jonn suddenly feels the grip of the Officer on his arm. The Officer looks at Jonn's arm, his bicept felt like concrete.

Looking up at Jonn, he releases him, "Look, I just lost two guys and I can't have a kid shot with bystand..."

"Let Me Go Frank." Jonn says, "No harm will come to anyone, I'm very good at what I do."

The Officer arches his eyebrow, "How'd you know my name?"

Jonn smirks and taps his brass name tag before moving away. Looking at the name tag, the Officer runs his hand through his hair stressfully, he could've swore he left it and now he was getting paranoid with the Negotiator.

~*~*~

Walking to the House, Jonn had to keep the projected mental image of the Officer's name tag in Frank's mind before he wiped it free from his memory. One of the few slips he made in a day. Regardless, Jonn makes his way to the house, tuning out the crowds shouting at him. Some of them angry, others proud an African American was called to solve a problem, some others angry that an African American was called to solve someone elses problem. None of it mattered. He was Martian...that was another set of problems.

Still, Jonn could sense no malice in the crowd, no threats there. He sent a wave of peaceful mental nudges to the Officers and the Crowd alike, no one needed to die of stupidity this nice. This was a simple solve, help a man emotionally hurt or derange, release an innocent child. Reaching the steps of the house, Jonn looks up at the residence. Holding out his hand, his grip is met with the cold handle to a voice amplifier, he brings it to his mouth.

"MY NAME IS OFFICER JOHN ROBINSON." Jonn announces, "YOU REQUESTED A NEGOTIATOR. I AM UNARMED. I AM COMING IN TO TALK, JUST TALK. PLEASE DO NOT HARM THE GIRL!"

Lowering the Amplifier, Jonn immediately hears a window shatter and voice.

"NO TRICKS OR I BLOW HER HEAD OFF!"

Jonn sighs, "OKAY!" he shouts, opening his trench coat, "NO TRICKS!" he shouts.

Immediately the creaky hinges of the door catch his attention, opening the door to a dark home. A hush comes over the crowd behind him. The ominous dark home would have given anyone pause. However, for Jonn, he remained especially paused. Narrowing his eyes, Jonn scanned the home and felt, unnerved.

He could see nothing in the home. He couldnt' tell what opened the door. He couldn't sense and telepathic, empathetic or a synthetic anything in the home.

Clenching his jaw, Jonn feels a resolve to be cautious, but proceeds.

Crossing the threshold of the door, Jonn remains still, "I AM HERE!" he announces.

Immediately the door slams behind him, rattling the windows.

Left in dense darkness, Jonn glances over his shoulder at the door, the red and blue lights from outside barely bleeding through the seems of the door.

Looking ahead, Jonn narrows his eyes. The home was bare. Floor boards, dusty turned over furniture and the stench of old air filled his nostrils.

"KENNY, LETS TALK!!" Jonn announces.

Then Jonn hears it. The sliding of feet approaching. Remaining still, Jonn braces himself, ready to whatever horrors are arriving to greet him. His attention focuses to a door that leads to a kitchen, perhaps. Emerging from the door, a man, dressed in shabby clothing peaks out before revealing himself.

The man starts talking, but Jonn couldn't help but tune him out and focus to the girl he holds a gun too. She couldn't be more than ten years old. Perhaps less. Her red hair in pigtails. Her face full of freckles. Yet her eyes, her green eyes seemed as disconcerted and unsurprising as a hardened criminal as the gun is pressed into her temple and then, cock it.

Cocking the gun breaks Jonn breaks his concentration. Lifting his eyes to the gunman, Jonn narrows his eyes as the man rambles on and on.

"Let her go." Jonn says, placing his two fingers to his temple.

The man angrily yells at Jonn and points the gun at him but he drops to the floor, passing out and releasing the pistol to the floor.

Simple enough.

Jonn nods before looking to the girl, "I'm Officer John Robinson, You're safe now but..."

"Am I?" the girl replies.

Jonn's taken aback, smiles at the girl, "Yes you I just..."

"Was I safe on Mars?"

Jonn face firms.

"Was I safe when you left us?!"

Jonn clears his throat, feeling a slight tingle in the back of his skull.

"What..." Jonn stammers, "...what are you..."

The little looks at the gunman at her feet with disdain, "I corrupted his synaptic responses a week ago. Feeble meatsack. I fed on his mate but he wasn't worth it. Humans on this planet do not taste very..."

"Who are you!" Jonn sternly interrupts.

The girl smirk a devlish smile, "You don't recognize your own, Dad?"

Jonn's eyes open wide, "No..." he mumbles, reaching out telepathically but feels a firm block to his abilities as if someone grabbed his hands and arrested them, "....this is impossible."

The young girl gingerly tip-toes around the fallen gunman, "Impossible is just a feeble little word for those who refuse to accept what is right in their face!" she snarls, looking up at Jonn.

"I am what you left. Yes you love M'Gaan, but I am what you loved and what you left, Jonn J'onzz."

Jonn kneels down to the girl, "No, you are not what..."

"You took me every day to watch the red sun sets once a year..." the girl replies, "...leaving your sinful secret, covering over what you've done to be with your 'real' family, then the White Martians came, and I was left and I had to survive."

Tears fill Jonn's eyes as grief wells within him, "My La'Toor..."

Grabbing his hands, La'toor pulls Jonn forward by the hands, her face inches from his, "I know...you have questions...."

Suddenly a hard knock thumps on the door behind them, and the girl smiles in Jonns face, "...but tonight is not about that." she says, letting his hands go.

Suddenly the door opens behind Jonn with red and blue police flashing lights bathing them in the glow with dozens of people pushed up against the door. Their eyes coated black, their teeth sharped with drool coming down their mouths.

"What is this!" Jonn exclaims, looking to the girl, "What are you..."

'TAKE HIM!"

Everyone reaches out for Jonns grabbing him all at once, clamoring on top of him and pulling him out the door. Grinning at the spectacle, the young girl slowly steps out the house to the stairs, watching Jonn struggle with all his might to fight them.

Tapping her temple, the young girl grins evilly, "I can tap minds and make them use years of their life for intelligence and strength, you can't fight them all."

Grinding his teeth, Jonnz feels at least five hands grab him by the leg, another four grab his throat, and more pull at him, forcing his human disguise to fade as his skin shifts green and his eyes red.

"There you go." La'Toor giggles, "SHOW YOURSELF!"

Grabbed by everyone around him, Jonnz, writhes back and forth, struggling to free himself as La'Toor holds her hand out to the side and clenches her fist, revealing the glint a red object around her finger.

Slowly her torn tattered dress changes to a red and black with a lantern at the center of her chest, "I've been angry for so long, but I don't want you to underestimate what I am..." she says, raising up her hand and fanning out her fingers.

"LA'TOOR!" Jonnz shouts as he's forced onto his knees by ten or so officers, bystanders and anyone else, "I'M SORRY..."

La'toor's red eyebrows furrow, "No you're not. You're just sorry that you're lil mistake arrived and distrupted everything ALL over again. Well fun fact - you're not sorry - not yet, not till I hurt you where it hurts most." she says, clenching her open hand to a fist.

Instantly, a harmonious crack echos throughout the street. Jonn's eyes open wide, horrified as everyone on the streets neck, cracks at once before they drop lifelessly to the ground.

Jonn looks at the street, filled with bodies around him and leading up to her, "What, what have you done!"

La'Toor shakes her head, "I've replicated my life for you." she smirks, "Everyone around you dies. Good and Bad. This is a small taste." she smirks, now hearing distant police sirens in the distance, "Ah, good timing."

Jonn's tearful eyes raise to her as she slowly lifts off the ground, her red ring shining brightly on her finger, "I've posted a manipulated photo of you doing some nefarious things." she says to Jonn, "I'm sure they'll connect this to you shortly. It'll be interesting to see."

Jonn curls over, bringing his face to the ground before slamming his fist against the pavement, "I can't let you do this..."

La'Toor smiles, "Do what?" she grins, " I'm only doing what you taught me besides, seeing you with the Justice League taught me something." she says, watching the police speed closer, "Batman has his Joker. Superman has his Luthor, well, now..." she grins, winking at him, "...after all these years, you finally have me." she says, before blazing up into the night sky and streaking across the air with red aftertrails.

Feeling his powers return, Jonn slowly stands up on his feet but raises his hands as Police Cars come to a skidding top with Officer kicking open their door and pulling out their guns, gasping at the sight of bodies around him.

end.

@silverspidey: Um. I like the story Spidey but you missed the submission deadline.

If you want you can still vote for the submitted stories over in the voting thread.

Aw dangit, but i'll still vote.

@silverspidey: Nice. Feel free to post your story on the main FF forum, and definitely take part in the next contest. :)

@tommythehitman: Sorry way too late :)