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Proceeds from these pages go to support the work of the ERIICA Project and
the student creators, including the publication of future editions of
The Workday Comic.
For more information, contact Dr. Travis Langley (email: langlet at hsu.edu). |
Running head: Martian Manhunter
ENSLAVED BY THE
FREEDOM TO LIVE:
A LOOK AT THE MOTIVES OF MARTIAN MANHUNTER
Erica
Ash
Henderson
State University
Abstract
In the midst of a telepathic plague infecting his planet, J'onn J'onzz is accidentally teleported to Earth by Professor Mark Erdel, thus escaping the certain death that his family and fellow Martians experienced. As a result, The Manhunter can be considered a prime candidate to fall victim to "Survivor Guilt". Such a condition could explain why J'onzz continually puts himself in the position to fight crime and to save the people of Earth. Martian Manhunter's behavior can be compared to that of survivors of the Holocaust, the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, and Hurricane Katrina.
Introduction
Martian Manhunter, also known as J’onn J’onzz, first begins his life on Earth in Detective Comics #225. In this story, he is teleported by “The Robot Brain of the Century” built by world famous scientist, Dr. Mark Erdel. Although Dr. Erdel is smart enough to build the robot brain, he has no idea what his invention will do until after he tests it. As he gets ready to prove his machine worthy of world wide attention, he says, “I wonder- really wonder- what frontier the robot brain will reach when I push this button? Here goes!” As soon as the doctor pushes the button, his laboratory is filled with colorful dancing lights, and the robot brain brings forth something that Dr. Erdel would have never imagined: The Martian Manhunter. As soon as Martian Manhunter appears, he informs Dr. Erdel that he is reading his mind, indicating to the doctor, and the readers, that Martian Manhunter is no ordinary being. J’onzz then requests that he be sent back home to Mars, a request that is denied by Dr. Erdel because he has to “change the thinking plot of the brain.” He says that this process could take up to years to complete. When J’onzz realizes that he is stuck on Earth for an indefinite time period, he announces that he must adapt himself to the planet Earth and shape shifts into a human form. This action that is so common from the viewpoint of Martian Manhunter shocks Dr. Erdel so much that his weak heart gives out and he soon after dies. Martian Manhunter, who is now a prisoner of Earth, soon discovers that, unlike Mars, Earth still has its share of crime. Upon realizing this J’onzz makes a vow to help Earth overcome this crime.
In a later version (Martian Manhunter 1988) a bleaker version of the Manhunter’s origin on Earth is told. After having gone through a series of recall events, J’onn rescues a man who later identifies himself as Dr. Erdel from a fire and then says he is seeing his “true form”, his “true self”, and his “true memories”. Martian Manhunter is told by Dr. Erdel that the story recounted in Action Comics #225 is a cover-up. He goes on to say that he has successfully provoked Martian Manhunter into suppressing the facts of what really happened in his past, and instead into thinking Dr. Erdel is dead. He says that he has done this because he feels that Martian Manhunter is not ready for the truth that he has lost a wife and daughter, and everyone else on Mars to the mysterious “fires of purification”. Because of this truth, Martian Manhunter is a prime candidate to fall victim to Survivor Guilt and, more broadly, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Survivor’s Guilt/ Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
According to the DSM-IV, Posttraumatic stress disorder is a series of symptoms resulting from a traumatic event such as a rape, mugging, automobile accident, or terrorist attack. Posttraumatic stress disorder can lead to feelings of extreme fear, helplessness, and distress. Some of the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder are intrusive reoccurring thoughts, recurrent nightmares, hallucinations, inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic event, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and an increased startle response.
Martian Manhunter
Various storylines include details indicating that Martian Manhunter may suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, and several of these details point to possible symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. The most obvious depiction of J’onn J’onzz as a sufferer of posttraumatic stress disorder could arguably be the 1988 Martian Manhunter miniseries. Containing four issues, this ominous tale illustrates one of Martian Manhunter’s darker times when a “sentient spore” seemingly possesses him, forcing him to relive painful memories in his mind. During this time, readers are allowed a glimpse into the mind of the suffering Manhunter, and are introduced to some of the symptoms he is suffering from. First of all, the Martian Manhunter experiences many vivid flashbacks as a result of his traumatic event. At one point in the miniseries Martian Manhunter imagines he is having a conversation with his daughter on Mars. Next, as discussed earlier, Martian Manhunter has suppressed many memories dealing with the event that traumatized him so badly. For the longest time, J’onzz has no recollection of his deceased wife and child. Later, in Issue 4 of the 1988 Martian Manhunter miniseries, when the Manhunter appears to be recovering from his disorder, he comments on the prior suppression. He says, “My wife: oh, for so long I’ve buried the memory of her… the look, the feel, the smell of her. The intricate pleasures of our minds joining. Of our love, taking form. My wife.” Finally, Martian Manhunter has a phobia of fire. Readers also find out in issue 4 that this phobia is actually related to his trauma. J’onnz reveals his thoughts about the subject: “Dr. Erdel didn’t fill my head with fear of the flame. He didn’t create my ‘weakness’ as part of his psychological rebuilding process. No… the fear of the flame was deep inside of me. Because every time I so much as saw a spark ignite… I relived the moment when my wife was consumed in the fires of purification. And, each time I died with her… just a little.”
Conclusion
In sum, the Martian Manhunter is a superhero who survives a traumatic event and the death of his wife and daughter. Although he is a fictional character, his disorder and related feelings of distress can be related to by survivors of disasters that have happened on Earth. This is important because comic book readers are better able to connect to the heroes they admire. Also, a reader suffering from a similar affliction may be able to better overcome it if they are able to look to a “hero” type personality for inspiration. As Martian Manhunter’s daughter says in issue 4, “Father, we’re asking you to remember…cherish the memories…but don’t-oh, please don’t- cling to them. Be yourself. Accept who you truly are…And take that back with you-to your new home.”
References
DeMatteis, J.M. “Martian Manhunter” Martian Manhunter v. 1 #1-4 (May-Aug. 1988), DC Comics.
DSM-IV (4th Ed.). (1994). Washington, D.C. American Psychiatric Association.
