TEX's BACK-ISSUE QUEST 2.0 EPISODE 10

Hey, hey, hey!!

    What'cha gots ta say?

    TEX is back on the mic, on the ones and twos, with the comics to make you GROOVE!

    Check it:

David Harewood as Hank Henshaw and J'onn J'onzz

Comics fans everywhere are all abuzz because FINALLY, J'onn J'onzz, AKA The Martian Manhunter, has made his return to live-action TV in CBS' Supergirl. Although, his story differs from the one the comics fans are familiar with, J'onzz has been a great addition to an already fun, family friendly superhero show. 

Rock on.

Henry "Hank" Henshaw first appeared in the Adventures of Superman #465 in 1990, and he turned out to be one of Superman's, and later, the GL Corps', greatest enemies, the Cyborg Superman. However, J'onn J'onzz has been around since the late Golden Age, 1st appearing in Detective Comics #225 in 1955. He has a myriad of powers, but his most highlighted powers are super strength, telepathy, flight, phasing/intangibility, shape-shifting and invisibility. His kryptonite is plain old fire - something that has been exploited time and again though the years. As a shape-shifter, J'onn J'onzz has numerous of identities that he uses in several different countries; his most well-known identity (by fans) is that of John Jones, a detective. 

While I do not have a copy of Detective Comics #225 to share with you :( ...I do have a beautiful copy of this:

Later, I had it graded:

It is House of Mystery #143, published in 1964! This book features the first solo cover appearance of the Martian Manhunter, his very first full-length story ever, and the beginning of  his run in H.o.M.. 

The idol-Head of Diabolu creates a strange being that turns living things to giants with just one touch - a farmer, Zook (The Martian Manhunter's funny little ally), and finally, the wizard, Malador, who had been shrunken to microscopic size as punishment. And once they all get big...They all seem to want to attack The Martian Manhunter!

FUN FACT 1: The animated series, Justice League, got it right. The Martian Manhunter was one of the founding members of of the JLA. Here's my copy of The Brave and the Bold #28, featuring the 1st app of the JLA. J'onn J'onzz is featured on the cover:

Hey...there are two very important superheroes missing...hmm...

FUN FACT 2: While J'onn J'onzz is not what some consider an a-lister of the DCU (I think he is), he has already appeared in a live-action film. In the unaired Justice League of America TV pilot of 1997(which I happen to own on DVD), J'onzz was portrayed by David Ogden Stiers:

Next, in some episodes of Smallville, Phil Morris took on the role of the Martian Manhunter:

FUN FACT #3: Superman called the Martian Manhunter the most powerful being on Earth (JLA #86, 2003). I think his susceptibility to common fire negates that a bit. I actually think that pre-New 52 Captain Comet (one of my faves who gets no love) would be the most powerful of the three - but Comet's more of a spacefarer than a Terran now. Captain Comet is AWESOME.

Will The Martian Manhunter make his appearance in the DCU films? I sure hope so. Unlike Marvel, it looks as if DC will use it's characters in both TV and film, although they will be portrayed by different actors. 

I dig it!!

Thanks for reading.

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