Martian Manhunter Super Powers Mini-Comic
It's one of the Rules of Comics that the United Nations is ALWAYS in session. Makes it more conveinent for the
invading aliens to "take over the world! Moowahahahaha!". Also, the obligatory African Delegate in a Kinte Cloth
and Jim Brown Hat is always shown. That's pretty much the premise of this Martian Manhunter mini-comic.
To round out the details, it's Darkseid's resident Mad Scientist Flunky DeSaad who's out to take
over the world. Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman are flying around New York in their Delta Probe-One
(your parents help you put it together) when the Manhunter's "super-martian hearing" picks up
DeSaad's little visit. If you're not familiar with DeSaad, he was kind of like
the Smurfs' Gargamel-- an evil magician in a bathrobe who could whip out all sorts of contraptions. For instance,
he uses "The Fear Machine", "Energy Cocoons", "Nerve Beams", "Doom Machines" and "Vertigo Grenades" to quickly take over the UN. Just like
Gargamel, he has a bad haircut and cackles/monologues alot. No sidekick cat, but he does have a canister vacuum strapped to his chest!
The guy's just EVIL!
Thanks to DeSaad's instruments, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman are unsuccessful in their first attempt
to save the UN. So they retreat to Metropolis and the Hall of Justice to recruit Firestorm. Metropolis is
usually considered to be within 50 miles from New York City, so it's believable. All three hop back to to
the UN for round two. Thanks to a trampoline, Firestorm saves the heroes bacon and amazes Desaad. But since this
is Martian Manhunter's comic, he gets to deliver the coup de grace and finish off DeSaad and the Fear Machine.
All while getting off a good monologue of his own. He even slips into the old "can't... stand.. must fight...PAIN
and stop.. machine" stunted speech. Always a good validator that things are TOUGH for our hero.
As you can see, it looks like DeSaad's machine resembles a purple clothes dryer. The zapper thingie kinda'
looks like a KitchenAid food processor/mixer. Obviously, DeSaad originally apsired to have a career
as a product designer in the domestic housewares appliance industry.
If you think about it, the name "DeSaad" would fit right in
with other housewares brands, like "Pfaltzgraf", "Farberware", "Rowenta" or even "T-Fal". He really
missed his calling. Instead he's wearing a pink bathrobe and trying to take over the Earth on
weekly basis.
After that, things tie up nicely
as the heroes strap DeSaad to the "Criminal Capture Cell" on their Delt Probe-One ship (your parents help you
put it together). Kinda' weird, though..they don't mention taking DeSaad to prison, STAR Labs or anything. They just want to
send him back to Apokolips and Darkseid. But sending him to prison would ruin all the fun of
the Super Powers line, right?
Only redeeming quality about this is that it features Martian Manhunter. This was released in 1984,
when the Manhunter was just returning to the comics world. At that time, it was a novelty to
see an actual action figure based on the guy. An original member of comics' Justice League,
it was kinda' odd how he was left out when "SuperFriends" appeared in the 70's. He became a trivia question for
most of the 70's and I was always curious WHY he was written out of DC Comics for that decade. I'm guessing it was
due to his appearance and Martian background. He was created in the late 50's when "little green men from Mars"
weren't considered outlandish. When the Viking probe landed in the 70's and we finally found out that there
were no Little Green Men, perhaps DC felt embarassed by the character, or felt he was irrelevant, and made him disappear.
This could also be scored as the first Martian Manhunter solo comic. Sure, he had a headlining run
in "House of Mystery" back in the day, but I believe this was the first complete comic to
have simply "Martian Manhunter" as its title. While he's not called "J'onn J'onnz" in it, it's
a neat little headlining feature for one of DC's longtime superheroes.
Summary: Martian Manhunter and pals fights DeSaad's Evil Houseware Machinations at the UN
Cover price: n/a
Rating: .65
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