Twenty-thousand years ago, the "Burning Martians" were the dominant life form on the planet Mars. Their name originates from the fact that each Martian was perpetually ablaze with a glowing halo of fire.
History
They were a ruthless and barbaric race whose life's goal was to wage never-ending war against one another. The Guardians of the Universe had been observing Martian culture for quite some time, but as the race's technology level grew more advanced, the Guardians knew it would not be long before they developed interstellar travel. They decided at this time to intervene. They programmed a genetic weakness towards fire into Martian physiology as a deterrent against violence. With their darker passions dampened, the Burning Martians began to evolve into the Green and White Martian races.
Centuries later, the Earth-based Martian hero J'onn J'onzz awakened the genetic memory of his ancient ancestors. The essence of the Burning Martians overwhelmed him and he briefly turned evil and fought against his allies in the JLA.[1]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Martian Physiology: The average Martian possesses the potential for the following power set:
- Shape-Shifting: Martians have psionic control of their physical for down to the molecular level. This allows them to a form of shape-shifting that allows them to mimic other forms, elongate aspects of their body, increase or decrease their physical size, and so on.
- Size Alteration: As an extension of their shape-shifting abilities, Martians can easily alter their size, shrinking or growing to gigantic size.[2]
- Invisibility: Martians can cause the biopolymers in their bodies to lose their ability to reflect light, making the Martians invisible to normal light and human sight.[3]
- Phasing: Martians can go through solid matter.
- Superhuman Strength:[3] Martians possess vast levels of superhuman strength and are among the few races that are able to match Kryptonians in terms of raw strength. Martians can easily shatter reinforced concrete and steel, lift and carry hundreds of tons with ease and deliver incredible damage with their blows.[4]
- Superhuman Stamina
- Superhuman Durability: Martians possess high levels of durability that make them nigh-invulnerable to all forms of damage. Martians can withstand high-caliber bullets, powerful energy blasts, and kinetic impacts without suffering damage.[5]
- Superhuman Speed: Martians can process thoughts, move, and react at incredible speed, being able to cover vast distances in little or no time, catch bullets in mid-flight, run on water and create afterimages as they run.[6]
- Regeneration: Martians have powerful regenerative powers that enable them to regenerate their entire body from a severed limb, they can further enhance their regenerative powers by drawing mass from nearby sources.[7]
- Flight[3]
- Extrasensory Input
- Longevity[7]
- Super Hearing[7]
- Heat Vision[8]
- Martian Vision: Martian visual acuity greatly exceed human norms and allows for a wider range of information to be observed. This includes the following:[3]
- Infrared Vision[citation needed]
- X-Ray Vision[9]
- Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision[citation needed]
- Telescopic Vision[10]
- Microscopic Vision[citation needed]
- Telepathy: Martians have the ability to read the minds of others and project their thoughts to varying degrees. They can also project their mental essences into a gestalt community known as the "Great Mind". Through this, the community can enhance the telepathic strength of other Martians. This power can also enable them to reverse the effects of amnesia or psychological brainwashing. [3]
- Illusions
- Possession
- Astral Projection
- Mind Control: As an extension of this, Martians can also use the ability to alter a psychological profile of a target, enabling them to manipulate, and in some cases, outright control that individual. This practice is greatly discouraged however, and only rarely used. [11]
- Telepathic Relay[11]
- Telepathic Assault
- Telekinesis:[12] Martians have mind-over-matter abilities and can lift and move objects with their minds. They can also employ their telekinesis in an offensive way by discharging telekinetic blasts capable of great concussive power.[13]
- Shape-Shifting: Martians have psionic control of their physical for down to the molecular level. This allows them to a form of shape-shifting that allows them to mimic other forms, elongate aspects of their body, increase or decrease their physical size, and so on.
- Pyrokinesis: Burning Martians posses the ability to generate and project fire.
- Bio-Fission: Burning Martians can feed on feelings like sorrow, desperation and suffering to reproduce asexually.
Miscellaneous
Type of Government:
None
Level of Technology:
Primitive
Cultural Traits:
The continuously seek to fight and dominate.
Notes
- Burning Martians reproduce asexually. The conditions under which their mating period occurs is dependent upon the psychic suffering of others combined with the physical conditions of a raging inferno.
See Also
- Appearances of Burning Martians
- Race Gallery: Burning Martians
- Images of Burning Martians
Links and References
- ↑ JLA #84–89
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 4) #1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Detective Comics #225
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 4) #2
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 3) #3
- ↑ JLA #3
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #8
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #3
- ↑ DC Comics Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
- ↑ Who's Who: Update '88 #2
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Martian Manhunter #4
- ↑ Detective Comics #226
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 3) #8