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There’s always Miss Martian.

I could easily see J’onn getting killed — he’s basically “classic” enough that people have an attachment to him, but expendable enough that they could do without him (until they bring him back). Probably about the same reasons Ted Kord/Blue Beetle died.

…

Man, the “Didio hates the JLI!” crowd is going to be even more insufferable if/when this happens, huh?

The fact that a bunch of young’uns already know J’onn from the Justice League cartoons might prevent them from killing him off.

I mean, there’s a whole lot of them who think Green Lantern is John Stewart and will answer “Hal who?” about that other guy.

Probably about the same reasons Ted Kord/Blue Beetle died.

I basically agree, except for the whole “new Blue Beetle” thing.

They could kill Ted because they could have a new Blue Beetle. There isn’t going to be a new Martian Manhunter, right?

J’emm Son of Saturn could be a replacement. Can’t think of a cool alliterative nickname you could make with Saturn though. Saturnyne Stomper. Saturnite Supersleuth. I dunno…

Isn’t “Son of Saturn” alliterative enough?

What about Miss Martian?

I am totally serious and not kidding and not at all being ironic. I swear.

Miss Martian.

Yeah, but it doesn’t sound asskicky enough to replace “Martian Manhunter.” And that “of” in the middle just makes it sound clunkier.

I like J’onn, but he really hasn’t been used well in recent years. He spent most of the JLA years being the team’s telepathic lineman, and the post-Infinite Crisis revamp hasn’t been terribly well received. I think the character could use a few years underground (because we all know he’d be back) to rest up until someone comes along with a really good Martian Manhunter idea.

And if they want to make him a Legacy character, M’gann has all the requisite powers and appropriate background to step into the role.

Here’s my thinking why they won’t kill him off:

1. They’d kill him off during Final Crisis.
2. Morrison is writing Final Crisis.
3. Morrison wrote DC 1 Million, where Martian Manhunter is alive in the far future.
4. (weakest step) Morrison seems to want to keep internal logic with his own stuff.

J’onn is also considered the first Silver Age character, if I’m not mistaken: it would seem like the end of an era.

There was also the rumor that Nightwing would die in Infinite Crisis: the whole Nightwing/Superboy team up during that period seems to point to a double-death.

As for Miss Martian, I can’t recall too many characters in the past few years that have had so much potential, only to have it totally wasted. We know about as much about her as we did when she was teased: mostly nothing.

“Saturn’s Son” – that works

Get rid of the Skrull chin. And since J’onn’s costume doesn’t really accomplish anything, how’s about making it less ’90s armor costume? God, remember the Iron Daredevil, and the Spider Armor?

They would *so* kill him, but I really really really really wish they don’t.

Vincent,
I believe that Barry Allen is regarded as the first silver age character since he was the first character Julie schwartz remodeled.

Doron…

Vincent is correct. J’onn is the first Silver Age super-hero. Barry Allen only gets credit because he was the first to cash in on the return of fan attention to super-heroes.
J’onn is widely recognized by comic book professionals, industry “insiders”, and fans alike as being the father of the Silver Age.
Just as the original Crimson Avenger is the father of the Golden Age and Superman got the publicity (that’s why Morrison had CA’s cloak enshrined in the Watchtower).

A “son” is just not as cool as a “manhunter.” Every man is a son. I’m putting in my vote for Saturn Shitstomper.

Actually, there is some debate as to whether J’onn should be considered the start of the Silver Age or not. I’ve heard convincing arguments by fans, insiders and procs both for and against considering him the start. One of the arguments against using him as the start of the Silver Age for example is that he wasn’t really turned into a more traditional superhero until after Barry Allen appeared and the superhero genre started booming again.

Killing Jonn would be incredibly dumb, and here’s why:
After years as a third tier character, kids actually know who he is now (thanks to JL Unlimited). Moreover, they LIKE him. Jonn is likely a better liked character now than ever before!
Perhaps DC should capitalize on this by… well, capitalizing on this! Pitch the costume and Skrull-chin, and give him a book anyone can read and enjoy (not just Ostrander fans).

But… this is DC. Never happen.

Noooo! You can’t kill J’Onn Jonnz! If you kill him then how will DC One Million work?

Wait, is DC One Million still in continuity?

Ugh, frickin’ DC Comics…

Okay, here’s a good reason: my four-year-old niece LOOOOVES J’Onn. She also recognizes John Stewart as THE Green Lantern.

Which is just awesome to me.

If DC decides to kill the Martian Manhunter, it would only be right if the writer was DC’s own……..

J’ann J’ones

I love the character but I would really like to see him weakened a bit. He has too many super-powers. I think he spent so much time in the monitor rooms is because no one else would have anything to do. He was at the end of Salvation Run’s latest issue just so everyone knows.

The Mad Monkey said:

“J’onn is widely recognized by comic book professionals, industry “insiders”, and fans alike as being the father of the Silver Age.”

Except, of course, for the ones that don’t, like Craig Shutt, author of ‘Baby Boomer Comics’ and contributor to CBG, who lays out a wonderfully compelling case as to why MM is not the father of the Silver Age.

For my money, having read the issues involved, he’s clearly not; he’s just another “weird detective” character, one of many that were popular at the time. In general, his early stories were about him trying to use his powers unobtrusively while he fought crime as a policeman. It’s very clear, when you look at the timing of his appearances, that he became a “super-hero”, complete with the trappings (super-hero name, costume, secret identity, nosy girl who suspects John Jones is the Martian Manhunter, et cetera) as a reaction to the arrival of the Flash, Atom, et al, rather than as a prompt to their existence.

He wasn’t the first Silver Age character, he was a pre-Silver Age character who was adapted to the Silver Age. Detective Chimp predated the Flash and is still showing up in super-hero comics, but nobody calls him “the father of the Silver Age”, do they?

They’re gonna take a cue from the death of Dixie on “All My Children” last year, and have him eat poisoned Oreos.

Frank wins.

Another reason Joe Kelly’s JLA is run is superior: Great use of Martian Manhunter. J’oon’s attempts to rid himself of his little fire problem lead him to seek help from the supervillainess scorch, and the two of them fall in love and actually have a home together, complete with barbecue in the backyard. Unfortunately, losing the fire weakness unleashes what it was holding back, a bestial Martian lurking in J’onn’s DNA.

It was pretty awesome. Trust me on this: I’m a doctor of awesome.

Oh, and you’re all wrong: The father of the Silver Age is Slapstick.

That, along with deadbeat dad Plas and the horrible Justice League Elite story, actually seems like another reason Kelly’s run blew chunks.

Chris, that truly is an awesome Kelly story. Gotta admire a writer’s courage to turn over every dark corner of a character’s soul and reveal something new underneath that seems to have always been a part of him. Nice doctoring.

“Now, if only he could go back to his original appearance…”

I suspect that’s why they’re killing him (if, indeed, they are) – not for the appearance per se, but because their latest take on the character went over like a lead balloon, and they want to bring him back later in a more “classic” mode.

I doubt that J’Onn will die in Infinite Crisis, and even if he does, he’ll be back soon. Probably shortly after Dan Didio finds something else to do (That’s when the dead will really rise at DC).

No matter, the better point is this- that’s an impressive effort by Michael Netzer- give that man a regular series!