Twice-Told-Tales: Manhunters Manhandle Malicious Martians

The blue-caped crusaders clad in shorts and red chest straps heroically battled malicious Martians, who sought to conspire to conquer their neighbors. These men with ties to the Mars in their universes, Martian Manhunter of Earth-One and Atom of Earth-Two, were victorious despite overwhelming odds.

Martians physiology differed  radically in the various universes they occupied. Consider the Manhunters of twin Mars as a case study. J'onn Jon'zz gained powers similar to those of Superman while residing on Earth-One. Roh Kar maintained his normal abilities without gaining additional attributes while visiting Earth-Two.

However, the reverse was also true. How so? Humans from Earth-Two gained superhuman powers on their universe's Mars, while those of Earth-One are still normal on the Mars in their reality. For example, Al "Atom" Pratt gained powers comparable to his Justice Society teammate Superman while on Mars-Two*, while Ray "Atom" Palmer remained unchanged when he and his Justice League allies ventured to Mars-One to aid their former teammate Jon'zz versus the White Martians. But what caused the divergence in superhuman abilities, granting these to Mars-One Martians and Earth-Two humans?

Apparently, this phenomenon is similar to the divergent condition between Kryptonians in each universe. Those Kryptonians living on the homeworld of Earth-Two's Superman possessed superhuman physiques due to the environmental conditions on Krypton-Two. This was not true of those Kryptonians in Earth-One's reality, as they were normal humans on Krypton-One. Perhaps, the presence of a large Blue Flame on Mars-One and a Green Flame on Earth-Two imbued native peoples of each world with the capacity to gain powers on worlds other than their own, as these flames were twin batteries charging Martians and Terrans alike.

Interestingly, a Martian guide immediately welcomed Al Pratt to his world after the Atom there, following the Tiny Titan and his Justice Society allies been exiled into space by their enemies. This individual was most probably Roh Kar, who mentally linked with Al via an Educatograph, which Martians used to teach themselves such things as their native language. Now gaining the Atom's perspective, Roh Kar no doubt experienced the sensory exhilaration of mentally joining the Mighty Mite’s many adventures on Earth-Two.

Years later, Roh undoubtedly appreciated when his mind-mate the Atom gained superhuman strength through exposure to radiation. It seems that the mental bond between the Mighty Mite and the Manhunting Martian was mostly benevolent, although apparently their mental link aroused suspicions within the ranks of the Justice Battalion (which the Justice Society was called during that period of time) due to the Atom’s seemingly odd behavior (as later mentioned in an interview with writer Roy Thomas). 

* Martians in each universe lived on two different Mars, the twin Mars in the same solar systems as Earths One and Two, and a pair of Mars-II's also existed across the universe, accessed via Hyperspace. Both the Atom and Batman of Earth-Two ventured to each Mars, and seemingly gained the same vibrant vigor of these worlds. Meanwhile, J'onn Jon'zz along with his League allies remained their normal selves on each Mars within their own reality.

Policemen Portray Powerfully Prominent Protectors

Wealthy playboy Dirk Giles sought to attract the attention of the girl he loved Hazel. Although she had no feelings for Giles, she was an avid fan of the Martian Manhunter, and so Dirk hatched a scheme whereby he disguised himself as the hero. After a series of feats that replicated some of the abilities of the Manhunter of Mars, he encountered the real alien atlas who attempted to ascertain the motivation for the impersonation. 

However, both J'Onn and Dirk also attracted the attention of a gang set on defeating the resident hero(es), although the pair worked side-by-side to defeat the crooks instead. Hazel did indeed fall in love with Giles, although she made him swear to give up his caped crusader career once and for all.

These two Manhunters, J'Onn/John and Dirk, matched that of Earth-Two's Roh Kar and a Larry Trent, known for his prominent role as part of the Radio Patrol. Roh Kar was a native Martian who was himself a Manhunter, and once journeyed to Earth-Two to team up with Batman and Robin. He never adopted an alias as a human police detective, that role would be filled by Trent.

Police officer Larry Jimmy Trent worked alongside his partner Sandy Keane as the "Radio Patrol", capturing various unusual criminals in New York City during the early 1940's on Earth-Two. Possessing a peak physique and intuitive investigative skills, Officer Trent even brought a young Alexie Luthor to justice, shortly before that villain met his arch-foe Superman.

Trent was inspired towards this crimefighting career due to the influence of Superman, who saved him from a suicide attempt. Larry had previously been a professional boxer until a corrupt manager ended his career, and the Man of Steel impersonated Trent in order to restore his reputation. Once this was accomplished, Larry decided to pursue a new life, like that of another superstrong alien officer in John Jones.

Martian Mighty Mite Manhunter

On April 1, 1942, all active members of the newly formed Justice Battalion... except for the missing Doctor Fate... met in their New York City penthouse. This meeting was cut short by Nazi agents who captured the team and placed them in space-faring rockets, exiling the former Justice Society members to other worlds within Earth-Two's solar system. Was it?

In actuality, the unexpected presence of the being known as Harbinger affected the trajetory of these rockets, which originated from her master the Monitor who sold these to the Nazi scientist Gootsden. Those seven vessels ended up in hyperspace alternate versions of Venus, Neptune, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto. All seven heroes had adventures on these planets, as each interacted with their native residents, then reunited once more in space where they returned to their homeworld.

An interesting insight, as mentioned by Roy Thomas, is that one of the members was not the actual hero, but "replaced" by an alien entity. Reviewing their individuals tales, we see whom this culprit ended up being. Returning from these variant worlds of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, Pluto, Mercury and Venus... Hawkman, Sandman, Doctor Mid-Nite, Starman, Spectre, Johnny Thunder and Wonder Woman appeared unchanged if more enlightened from their experiences. A seventh hero, the Atom, arrived on this new version of Mars possessing superhuman abilities there due to its atmospheric conditions.

Immediately the Atom met a race of benevolent Martians, who brought him to their city and exposed his mind to the Educatograph. This device was said to open his mind by transmitting via radio waves information, allowing the Atom to comprehend and communicate in the Martians language. Was this all that had been transmitted into his mind?

The mysterious Martian* who found the Atom then enlisted his aid in capturing the leader of the southern nation, Butor, who was poisoning the water of the northern nation. With his new-found abilities, the Atom was able to defeat the rogue Martians, and ensue peace between the two peoples. As his rocketship was repaired and jettisoned away from this new Mars, the Atom's mind now carried far more than linguistic knowledge, it also apparently carried a link between he and the Martians!

How do we know this? In June 1947, an individual known as Thund Dar arrived on Earth-Two, recruiting Batman and Robin whom they long observed, to help them defeat criminal scientist Sax Gola. Gola had developed a crime-ray... a possible modification of the Educatograph (which would have been used on Batman and Robin in order to learn the Martian language)... to turn Martians towards criminal tendencies. Through their observations, the Martians were able to ascertain that Batman and Bruce Wayne were one-in-the-same, which is very important to note as we shall see. Known as the foremost criminologist, Batman was able to defeat Gola and his minions, and then returned to Earth-Two. Apparently, following this tale, the memories of Batman and Robin of their Martian experience were erased, given their surprise at meeting a Martian Manhunter in August of 1953 (confirmed by that Manhunter’s statement to the Dynamic Duo about keeping their Martian society a secret from Earth).

In August 1947, only two months after returning from Mars-Two, Bruce Wayne was called to the bedside of Al Pratt aka the Atom, who had recently been injured. Asking Wayne to take his place at the next meeting of the Justice Society, Wayne arrived to a surprised gathering of heroes. As Doctor Mid-Nite noted, the Atom knew that only members were allowed to attend these meetings. Leaving the room**, Wayne returned as the Batman and aided the Society on the case of the "5 Drowned Men". This adventure occurred before Superman, and later the other members, learned of Batman’s secret identity. And yet, Al knew that Bruce was the Batman, and Bruce knew that Al was the Atom. This was due to their Martian "mind-meld". 

Years later, the Martian Roh Kar of the original Mars had also viewed his heroic idol the Earth-Two Batman, and assumed the title of Manhunter from Mars. He teamed up with the Batman to battle "the Stranger", the only one of Sax Gola's gang still under the influence of the crime ray.

The anatomy of the Martians, from the Atom's first meeting  in 1942, to Thund Dar's in 1947, to Roh Kar's in 1953, had always been changing. However, as Martians have shape-changing abilities, thus highlighting their adaptability to various circumstances they may encounter. As seen in all these appearances, the Martians of Earth-Two's universe do not have the physical strength of their Mars-One counterparts. In fact, humans of Earth-Two gain superhuman attributes on their universe's Mars, as opposed to humans of Earth-One.

The alternate New Mars which Al Pratt traveled to as the Atom was where some Martians migrated, while the Mars of Earth-Two's solar system still had their own inhabitants who remained behind. A similar situation occurred on Mars-One, when the White Skinned Martians of that world devastated it, causing the Green Skinned Martians to migrate from their native planet to their own "New Mars” elsewhere in their universe. Both "New Mars" were accessible from Earths One and Two via hyperspace travel given their distance from these worlds. Roh Kar lived on both Mars-Two and New Mars-Two!*

The Martian lawman mentally connected with Al Pratt through their Educatograph was no doubt in awe of the Atom's exploits throughout the 1940s. In particular, he would’ve been amazed at the Mighty Mite’s superhuman strength and stamina, on par with the Earth-One Martian Manhunter J'onn J'onzz.

As for the untold case, mentioned at the beginning, of the Justice Battallion/Society uncovering the alien in their midst, this is a tale left to be told as these metahuman manhunters would eventually discover the truth.

* The mustached Martian whom Al "Atom" Pratt met was evidentally Roh Kar, before he became the Manhunter from Mars years later.

**Way to go, Alan "Green Lantern" Scott, revealing to this "civilian" Bruce Wayne that Al Pratt and the Atom were one and the same!!!

Avenging Aliens Adopt Amazing Abilities

There were two Manhunters from Mars, J'onn Jon'zz who moved to Earth-One and Roh Kar who once visited Earth-Two. But they were not alone, as other heroes from these respective Mars were T'omm Jon'zz... himself once known as a Martian Manhunter ... and Thund Dran, as well as rogues such as B'rett and Vulkor of Mars-One, also Sax Gola and Quork of Mars-Two. 

Each of these individuals had an impact on the third planet from the Sun, both for good and for ill. And would tie into the mythos of the Batman of twin terra-firmas. While J’onn would have a more notable presence, after years operating behind the scenes, Roh only appeared once as himself… although evidence suggests he also operated covertly behind the scenes mentally-bonded to Mighty Mite Justice Society ally of Batman (although that is a tale left to be told for another time).

As a charter member of Earth-One's Justice League, J'onn had carved a niche for himself as a protector of the Denver metropolitan area of that era in the suburb of Middleton. Adopting the alter ego of police detective John Jones, the Manhunter used his various abilities to protect his adopted world.  With superhuman strength, speed, vision, flight as well as shape-shifting and telepathy, J'onn was a formidable hero on par with Superman himself.

After years of working his heroic feats while being invisible, when he was exposed in his true form to humanity he revealed himself to mankind as an alien protector in their midst. He would remain such until eventually returning to his then decimated homeworld, assisting in helping its survivors locate a new Mars to rebuild their civilization.

After some time there, J'onn returned to Earth-One when he became a pariah to his people as a reminder to their failures as a society compared to his noble stand during the Earth-Mars war. At that point, J'onzz resumed his Justice League membership and became leader to a new generation of heroes. He also resumed his John Jones alter ego, now a private investigator. The Jones alias, a superstrong alien detective, mirrored a detective named Trent who was once a superstrong alien himself!

Police officer Larry Trent worked alongside his partner Sandy Keane as the "Radio Patrol", capturing various unusual criminals in New York City during the early 1940's on Earth-Two. Possessing a peak physique and intuitive investigative skills, Officer Trent even brought a young Alexie Luther to justice, shortly before that villain met his arch-enemy Superman.

Trent was inspired towards this crimefighting career due to the influence of Superman, who saved him from a suicide attempt. Larry had previously been a professional boxer until a corrupt manager ended his career, and the Man of Steel impersonated Trent in order to restore his reputation. Once this was accomplished, Larry decided to pursue a new life, like that of another superstrong alien officer in John Jones.

Roh Kar was in pursuit of the criminal from his world known as Quork, who on Earth-Two had adopted the alias of the Stranger. To that end, Kar enlisted the aid of Batman and Robin who were operating in Gotham City where Quork had set up his criminal enterprises. Once the trio apprehended their alien adversary, the Martian Lawman return to his native world with his captive to continue as golden age Manhunter of Mars.

What the Dynamic Duo had failed to disclose with Roh during this case was of how some time prior to this adventure, they had been brought to Mars-Two by another Martian lawman known as Thund Dran, who sought their assistance in capturing the criminal mastermind of his world known as Sax Gola. Batman and Robin were given jet packs and weaponry in their fight against Sax Gola, the same tools which Roh Kar used when he visited their world years later.

Prior to leaving Earth-One, J'Onn assumed another identity after his John Jones alias was presumed deceased, that of international playboy Marco Xavier. Secretly a subcontractor for the villainous organization known as VULTURE, when Xavier seemingly perished his alter ego was assumed by the Manhunter, in order to bring it down along with its mysterious leader Mister Vulture. Turns out, Faceless was the original Xavier.

On Earth-Two, Marco's doppelgänger was British secret agent Richard Spencer, a member of the elite Espionage organization. Presumed killed in a plane crash, Spencer adopted the alter ego of Black X, or Black Ace, and battled various threats around the world. Using his mastery of disguise along with his fighting prowess, Black X operated during the same time period as Larry Trent, only he plied his spy craft abroad until later in his career when he moved to New York City to become a private detective.

What If: The Martian Manhunters Met?

Manhunters of Mars and a Pair of Johns

J'onn J'onzz and Roh Kar were both products of the 1950's. In 1953, Roh Kar teamed up with Batman and Robin of Earth-Two (in Batman #78). J'Onn J'onzz first appeared in an adventure   on Earth-One (in Detective Comics #225). According to the Batman Encyclopedia: "Roh Kar arrived on Earth-Two and was aided by Batman in apprehending the renegade Sax Gola". 

Earth-Two's Batman had previously visited Mars but never had occasion to meet this Manhunter from Mars. On Earth-One, J'Onn was accidentally pulled from his native world by a teleportation device created by Professor Erdel. Possessing superhuman powers on Earth-One, J'Onn posed as the Martian Manhunter.

While J'onn had numerous numerous adventures on Earth-One, both in his adopted home of Middleton and alongside his teammates in the Justice League, Roh only had one chronicled adventure on Earth-Two with Batman and Robin. Although his physical descriptions matches that of the mystery Martian who would years earlier welcome the Dynamic Duo's Justice Society colleague, Al "Atom" Pratt, to Mars. On that world, the Atom gained superhuman powers comparable to those displayed by Jon'zz. One attributed in common was the ability to form mental bonds with others. J'onn manifested this naturally, as had all Martians in his universe. Roh relied on technology such as the Educatograph, which he used on Pratt to teach the young man the Martian language while visiting. That bond seemingly endured for quite sometime following the Atom's return to Earth-Two, when he began developing superstrength due to exposure to radiation.

Roh had to rely on a jet pack and technology to give him the edge in battles with the criminal element. Both of these became known as the Manhunters of Mars One and Two. Like J'Onn and his brother T'Omm, Roh fought crime on Earth. Concurrent to this, J'onzz's civilian alias on John Jones operated as a policemen with hidden powers similar to Larry Trent, a man who's alter ego was for a time adopted by the Superman of Earth-Two which inspired Trent towards crimefighting as a patrolman of Radio Patrol.