MARTIAN MANHUNTER (Earth-7)

Biography 

Early Life

The birth of twin brothers among Martians is rare due to biological limitations, making it a notable event—though there were no festivities when J’onn J’onzz (“Light to the Light”) and his brother Ma’alefa’ak (“Starry Night”) were born. Their family, displaced by the Martian civil war, lived as poor refugees.

J’onn spent much of his early life in monasteries, learning from the greatest Martian philosophers. These teachings filled him with ideas for a better future, but he eventually realized that change required action.

As a Manhunter

He joined his brother in the Manhunter faction, a rebel group opposing the ruling White Supremacy. Ma’alefa’ak gained military support and led a coup d’état. However, Mars soon descended into complete chaos—a “state of calamity” that led to the creation of a mass-produced biological weapon. =

The combined effects of biological and psychic warfare incinerated the Martian republic. Amid the chaos, J’onn rebelled against the Manhunters’ guerrilla movement and led a group of survivors on an expedition to an isolated planet, safe from the psychic virus. These survivors formed New Mars, a small, prejudice-free society dedicated to preserving Martian culture and keeping their people alive, but  J’onn disappeared after rescuing the last survivors. 

On Earth

 In fact, he was accidentaly transported to many millenia in the future by the scientis Dr. Saul Erdel, who investigated the ruins of Mars Society and tried to contact its past inhabitants.

 Stuck on Earth and thousands of years after the destruction of his homeworld began to live as a human. Taking the identity of a police agent and investigator called John Jones. But was fastly discovered by his past roommate, Dane Meade, who understood his motivations and decided to keep his martian origin as a secret.

 After many years,  J’onn eventually located New Mars and decided to contact his people. After a mysterious disappearance, he revealed that he had been trapped in a distant space sector, separated from New Mars. Though it seemed to have been eons, J’onn had only been on Earth for a few years, due to being time-displaced by a human device.

Now on Earth, J’onn lives among humans, serving as a protector and hero. He keeps contact with New Mars and sends hundreds of cassette tapes containing recordings of Earth’s television programs, allowing other Martians to learn about Earth while furthering his mission to safeguard both worlds.

The Martian Origin

Twenty thousand years ago, an event known as “The Burning” engulfed one-third of the universe. Fire was the natural element of the original Martian race, whose asexual reproduction depended on extreme heat. 

 Their uncontrolled expansion disrupted cosmic balance, forcing the Guardians of the Universe to intervene. To prevent universal collapse, the Guardians exterminated the Burning Martians and rewrote what remained of their species into two new offshoots: White Martians and Green Martians. Both new races were created with: A deep biological aversion to fire, and a complete suppression of their original “Burning”, keeping it deeply forgotten—until now.

Cosmic Hero

After many years living as Detective John Jones, J’onn began distancing himself from his human alter ego. He believed fully embracing his heroic role—and understanding human culture from the outside—would make him a better protector. 

He relocated from Gotham City to the Watchtower, becoming the Southern Hemisphere’s most recognized hero. This shift also forced him to emotionally separate from his long-time police partner Dane Meade, with whom he shared a secret relationship.

Meeting Effigy

J’onn eventually began regular therapy sessions with a mysterious man held in the Sciencells of Oa—Martyn Van Wyck, formerly human but abducted and reshaped into a fiery agent of chaos by the Controllers. 

 Martyn—now known as Effigy—wanted to recover his past, while J’onn sought help for his pyrophobia. Their sessions revealed an unexpected psychic synchronization, deepening their bond until Martyn finally unlocked a mental lock buried within J’onn’s mind.

Fernus

The unlocking of this mental barrier triggered the emergence of Fernus, a primal Burning Martian fragment left inside J’onn’s psyche. Fernus broke free from Oa, beginning a destructive path and freeing other prisoners. 

 Even the Green Lantern Corps could not contain him. The Justice League intervened, but even they were nearly defeated—until Miss Martian (M’gann M’orzz) arrived.

As the only one capable of entering her uncle’s mind, Miss Martian confronted Fernus and restored J’onn’s mental stability. However, during this process, the truth of J’onn’s original nature—and the history of their species’ extermination—devastated her. M’gann vanished afterward, unable to cope with the revelation, abandoning the Young Justice in the process. J’onn, reeling from guilt, withdrew from hero work for several months.