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| As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
Mars can live again. It will. 
- — Ma'alefa'ak src
Ma'alefa'ak was the brother and enemy of Martian Manhunter.
History
Ma'alefa'ak was a Martian scientist and mage in the twilight years of martian civilization. When the planet issued a psychic warning to the population, he was part of the majority who interpreted it as a threat from a monster and pushed his plan for the creation of the greatest weapon of war in Martian history: the Martian Manhunter. His tragic misunderstanding of the warning cost him his life and he died along with every Martian except his creation.
The Martian Manhunter, going insane due to grief and inability to process what had really happened on Mars, subconsciously created a narrative by giving birth to constructs based on Ma'alefa'ak, his group and aspects of his own mind. While they were complete fabrications of the Manhunter, they served a purpose by creating the "Epiphany", a narrative where they were supposed to be survivors planning on bringing back Mars and destroying Earth through a magical ritual. The psychic imprint of Ma'alefa'ak told him the truth of which just after the Martian Manhunter stopped them, having learned the truth about his real origins, J'onn came to terms with his past and reabsorbed all his creations within him, finally cured of his trauma and madness.
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.[1]
- 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.[2]
- Phasing: Martians can go through solid matter.
- Superhuman Strength:[2] 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.[3]
- 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.[4]
- 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.[5]
- 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.[6]
- Flight[2]
- Extrasensory Input
- Longevity[6]
- Super Hearing[6]
- Heat Vision[7]
- Martian Vision: Martian visual acuity greatly exceed human norms and allows for a wider range of information to be observed. This includes the following:[2]
- Infrared Vision[citation needed]
- X-Ray Vision[8]
- Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision[citation needed]
- Telescopic Vision[9]
- 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. [2]
- 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. [10]
- Telepathic Relay[10]
- Telepathic Assault
- Telekinesis:[11] 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.[12]
- 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.
- Conjuration of the Anti-Red: Ma'alefa'ak was adept in the usage of a forbidden super science long since outlawed by the Martian People.[13] Black magic labeled as the Anti-Red by his people, through it he can access a dark aspect of the morphogenetic field called The Red. Thus enabling him to manipulate Martian superalien physiology for the purpose of ritualistic weapon creation.[14]
- Bio-Fusion: He's also able to use Martian Blood Magic to fuse and decouple physical biology to create powerful hybrid entities loyal to his every whim.[15]
Abilities
Weaknesses
- Vulnerability to Fire: Martians are much more vulnerable to fire than the average Earth human. At times this has been portrayed as physical, psychological, or a combination of the two. The effect of this is to strip any Martian of their powers as they involuntarily lose control of their body.
Notes
- Ma'alefa'ak was created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake, first appearing in Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #0. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Ma'alefa'ak first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Martian Manhunter (Volume 4) #1 by Rob Williams and Eddy Barrows.
Trivia
- Ma'alefa'ak is younger of two twins, whose name meaning darkness in the heart. [16]
Related
- Appearances of Ma'alefa'ak (Prime Earth)
- Images featuring Ma'alefa'ak (Prime Earth)
- Quotations by or about Ma'alefa'ak (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Ma'alefa'ak (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 4) #1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Detective Comics #225
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 4) #2
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 3) #3
- ↑ JLA #3
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #8
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #3
- ↑ DC Comics Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
- ↑ Who's Who: Update '88 #2
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Martian Manhunter #4
- ↑ Detective Comics #226
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 3) #8
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 4) #4
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 4) #6
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 4) #8
- ↑ Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #33
  This character, team or organization, is or was primarily an enemy of Martian Manhunter. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Martian Manhunter Villains category." |