Yeah, it’s official I’m pulling a less successful series of piggybacking off of old theories. Screw you, fight me; this is one I’ve been wanting to do for a while. The DC Martians don’t even get a lot of screen time.
Anyway, this is Fracadactyl speaking about a Comic Theory. Today we’ll be discussing a topic that isn’t brought up in comics as much given their clashing lore. Most people today know about Martian Manhunter, DC’s more tragic Superman analog mainly because of the Justice League cartoon. He’s supposed to be the last of the martians due to various circumstances. But how did the green and white martians form? Did they come from a burning sensation that humanity has in some part? Or did some cosmic entities have something to do with it? The comics brought in a couple of insights into this question that often clash with each other. And that’s what we’re going to find out.
Historical Premise of the DC Martians
In the comics, the martians of more modern times are divided into two subspecies; the peaceful green martians that J’onn J’onzz is a part of and the more war-like white martians. There are other martians from other eras and universes; yellow martians, the kriglo, solazi martians, and the red martian clones that colonized Saturn. Yet for the martians of the main DC comics we’ll be focusing on the main martians including their preceding species, the Burning Martians.
The Burned Out Concept
The Burning Martians were a sadistic pyrokinetic species who reproduced asexually by burning people around them alive. They were so dangerous they waged war non-stop whether with each other or with outsiders. Things were getting so bad, that by the time interstellar travel was viable for them, the just as overbearing Smurfs in the Guardians of the Universe implant a genetic weakness to fire. It keeps the martians from making more of themselves and reduce their violent tendencies. The Green Martians having been able to embrace this weakness built civilizations and became more spiritual. The White Martians meanwhile retain their barbaric genetic nature. However the genetic potential of the burning martians still existed in all Martians and J’onn briefly assumed his fiery ancestry. Man, if only martians had 23 and Me and CRISPR during those times.
Let’s Go Again
At least until recent developments bring a problem to this side of martian heritage. In one of my other theories, I spoke how Kryptonians haven’t really changed despite 10 billion years of evolution. Well a martian named Z’kran Z’rann is also shown during this time; he’s as white as a ghost, has no violent tendencies, and isn’t on fire either. In fact, he’s one of the predecessors of the Manhunter police force of Mars. Note that the Burning Martians were given their genetic flame phobia around 20,000 years before the current day; now this brings up a mystery.
The easiest explanation is that this is simply a retcon to get rid of the burning martian history. Probably for the best, J’onn’s burning phase isn’t all that good to begin with. So with this new species origin what really goes on between everybody?
Time For Some Insights
If Z’kran is any indication, he seems to lack the martian telepathy that allows mind reading. He does have a mental empathy that allows him to sense emotions. He also retains the superhuman physique and shapeshifting to allow elasticity. Since Z’kran is the only martian seen however, this makes observations severely limited. My best guess is that he seems to be an early form of Martians; before they fully develop their modern abilities.
The Perpetual DC Martian
In Scott Snyder’s Justice League series, Martians role in the multiverse expands. Five billion years after Z’kran’s time, the Super Celestial Perpetua merges humans with Martians. These Apex Predators are functionally immortal soldiers that are able to fight against Super Celestials. After Perpetua is sealed however, these Predators went dormant and their components separate. I wonder if this how the meta-gene evolved in humans and why White Martians experimented with them. Or maybe that was just dumb luck on Snyder’s part.
DC Martians Genetics
Now from an evolutionary standpoint (especially by comic standards) there needs to be catalysts that cause martians to evolve into what they are. Following the Z’kran example, there are no major distinctions in martians in the ancient times of Mars. Since the martians forms and distinctions are based on their mindsets, the distinction might come from how they shapeshift.
What could cause something like shapeshifting; forget it, natural shapeshifting on multi-million cell organisms is impossible because that only leads to getting cancer. But being a universe with solar powered humanoids (possibly being something more) and genetic manipulation on several species to allow proteins to fix the damage, suspend your disbelief. Besides I’m more interested in their psychic powers.
The Mind
Empathy and telepathy? They might’ve developed brains that can sense different waves like emotions; and later accessing thoughts like a search engine without the EEG headwear. The cells in their bodies could even possess organelles that help develop this process. Mitochondria for example was originally a foreign bacteria until cells implemented them into their biology. However it’s more likely that specialized cells would instead be developed. Nerve cells for example are composed partly of somatic cells so having additional specialized cells would help. All the while, the rest of the body would implement other specialized cells that would assist this process; because maybe that’s the crux.
Over Matter
The behaviors that cause martians to separate into new groups more or less deal with these brain cells.
The white martians look like their ancestors but their brains appear to have developed more into the id part of consciousness not unlike the Apex Predators. As such they rely more on tribalistic instinct over reason. Because of this, their forms change into more physically threatening appearances. With exceptions like M’gann M’orrz exist who share more in common with the green martians in the willingness to learn. In terms of society, White Martians act more akin to ants, they have a tunneling system and a council serving as the closest thing to queens. With their telepathy, contact and influence others over long distances is not a problem.
The green martians meanwhile rely more on reason and thought over force; their minds develop for intelligence and self-improvement with a focus on the superego. Because of this, the green martians built cities above ground with bodies more suited to using tools. Their biotechnology is so great they are capable of interplanetary space travel.
How Did They Become DC Martians?
Such a divide in how societies run is usually because of a lack of resources or difference in faith. I can only think of one circumstance where this divide comes from, the martians’ aversion to fire. Now being shapeshifters, being averse to fire could easily have been avoided. Martians could develop a blood that does not require oxygen like some microorganisms do. Heck they might not even need lungs, just organelles that rely on other elements for energy. Not developing a means to resist fire or even change their anatomy for it is perplexing.
The only reason besides a genetic marker left by little blue men would have to be something. If Justice League lore is any indication, it’s the “fire of passion”. So passion is what DC Martians are afraid of and fire reminds them of it? Comics are weird. But then again the White Martians survived the virus outbreak H’ronmeer’s Curse. It was a virus that tricks the green guys into thinking they’re burning, making them combust. For some reason, White Martians only appear to feel vulnerable to fire physically. If Scott Snyder’s Justice League means anything, it’s a matter of fate against choice.
Conclusion
Imagine, having all the power to change oneself but having an emptiness that can never be filled. All of which come from a desire to better themselves or tearing others down. It’s a rather tragic way of looking at this loss even more-so. Everyone wants to improve but there are many distractions.
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But the ink’s not dry yet. Thanks for coming and as always remember to look between the panels.