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"Pilgrims": One year after Prime Superman visited the 853rd Century, tourists and pilgrims returned to Mars. The Crystalknight Valkun of Deimiar and a Hssfsstss occupied a crater that Valeesha of Elohroi visited. Valeesha believed that Martian Manhunter's spirit was still there and the Crystalkn

Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) #11 is an issue of the series Martian Manhunter (Volume 2) with a cover date of October, 1999.

Synopsis for "Pilgrims"

One year after Prime Superman visited the 853rd Century, tourists and pilgrims returned to Mars. The Crystalknight Valkun of Deimiar and a Hssfsstss occupied a crater that Valeesha of Elohroi visited. Valeesha believed that Martian Manhunter's spirit was still there and the Crystalknight and the Hssfsstss knew of him.

As a storm appeared over them, the Hssfsstss told the story of how his kind came to be. In the past, Swamp Thing grew in the deserts of Mars, along with vegetation, before going to space, back to his home. After vegetation grew on Mars, McCauley Industries began tearing apart the planet, although its head Leland McCauley claimed that they owned the planet and had no sentient life. Martian Manhunter intervened and claimed that the plant life had achieved group sentience and was called the Hssfsstss, as well as that McCauley Industries was intruding and owed the natives reparations. McCauley was not convinced that Martian Manhunter was who he said he was and ordered his men to start their machines and run over anyone in their way. Martian Manhunter defeated the men before the Legion of Super-Heroes arrived and informed McCauley that the courts had ruled in favor of the Hssfsstss.

Next, Valeesha told the story of the Elohroi, who were originally from a planet they called Vashta, whose dominant species were the Blodgir. The two races lived in peace before Martian Manhunter arrived on their planet, claimed that their planet was doomed, and demanded to be taken to their authorities in order for their planet to be saved. Martian Manhunter introduced himself to the Blogdir Great Council of Beings and told them about the Swarm and advised them to evacuate. When the inhabitants built space arks in order to flee the Swarm, the two races began to notice their differences. An Elohroi expressed to the Martian that their race did not want to die, so the Martian told the Blodgir that they could not leave the Elohroi on the planet, but the Council declared that they could build their own ships, as they were not Blodgir. Martian Manhunter fought the Swarm long enough for the Blodgir to help the Elohroi escape on more ships.

Valkun did not believe the Elohroi's or the Hssfsstss' stories and recalled the Martian being "valiant and mighty and unrelenting in war" and coming to the aid of the Deimarians. One day, when the Martian told the Deimarians that they were weak and deserved to die if they could not fight for themselves, the Deimarians decided to make armor for themselves and make themselves feared throughout the whole sector. Later on, the Crystalknights of Deimar came to Mars to show the Martian's spirit that they "obeyed his command", although the Martian claimed that they misunderstood and twisted his message. Martian Manhunter told them that the technology he gave them was for defense and not spreading fear and hatred throughout their sector of the galaxy. He told the Crystalknights that they must change their ways, although Valkun was worried that the others might see the message as heresy.

Valeesha and the Hssfsstss both claimed that they came to Mars to find themselves and Valkun opened their armor and revealed themselves to be many Deimiarians. After the storm ended, Valeesha and the Hssfsstss both danced with the Deimiarians.

Appearing in "Pilgrims"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Blogdir Great Council of Beings (Flashback only)

Locations:

  • Mars
  • Vashta (Flashback only)

Items:


Vehicles:



Notes

This issue takes place in the 853rd century a month after the end of DC One Million.



See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

Superboy Vol 4 69
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