Ma'alefa'ak

Last updated
Ma'alefa'ak
Ma'alefa'ak character.jpg
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Martian Manhunter (vol. 2) #0 (October 1998)
Created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake
In-story information
Alter egoMa'alefa'ak J'onzz
Species Green Martian
Place of origin Mars
Team affiliations Legion of Doom
Notable aliasesMalefic
Malefic Jones
Abilities

Ma'alefa'ak (also known as Malefic and Malefic Jones) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, usually depicted as the archenemy of his twin brother, the superhero Martian Manhunter. Created by writer John Ostrander and artist Tom Mandrake, the character first appeared in Martian Manhunter (vol. 2) #0 (October 1998).

Contents

The character appears in the animated film Justice League: Doom , voiced by Carl Lumbly, and the live-action TV series Supergirl , portrayed by Phil LaMarr.

Publication history

The character first appears in a flashback sequence in Martian Manhunter (vol. 2) #0 (October 1998) and in a storyline in the same title in issues #3–6 (February–May 1999) by writer John Ostrander and artist Tom Mandrake.

Fictional character biography

Ma'alefa'ak, a native of the planet Mars, is the twin brother and archenemy of J'onn J'onnz, also known as the Martian Manhunter. After becoming a servant of Darkseid, Ma'alefa'ak searched for the Anti-Life Equation by probing the minds of several Martians, including J'onn's wife and J'onn and Ma'alefa'ak's mother. This crime, referred to as "mind-rape" by the Martians, led to J'onn capturing his brother and the Martian people stripping Ma'alefa'ak of his telepathy and erasing his memory. He then came to believe that he was the only member of the Martian race born without telepathy and a weakness to fire. Feeling ostracized because of his perceived genetic differences, Ma'alefa'ak killed the Martians with a deadly trap called "H’ronmeer’s Curse", which would burn them to death if they used telepathy. [1]

With his race destroyed and the Martian Manhunter teleported to Earth against his will— having escaped infection by the virus by sealing his mind from the rest of his people—Ma'alefa'ak lived alone on Mars for centuries. Eventually learning that J'onn still lived, Ma'alefa'ak followed him to Earth. Posing as J'onn, Ma'alefa'ak battled several members of the Justice League and tortured Jemm before confronting J'onn directly, seeking to destroy J'onn's reputation before killing him. However, J'onn defeated Ma'alefa'ak by erasing the telepathic block, thereby returning Ma'alefa'ak's telepathic abilities and phobia of fire. Trapped on the vessel near the sun, and lacking experience with the telepathic barriers that other Martians developed over the years to protect them in similar cases, a terrified Ma'alefa'ak could only watch as he was consumed by fire. [2]

In The New 52 reboot of DC's continuity, Ma'alefa'ak was reintroduced in a 2015 storyline in which the Earth-born survivors of the Martian extinction build a weapon to infiltrate and help enslave the Earth. [3]

Powers and abilities

Ma'alefa'ak possesses abilities similar to the Martian Manhunter and all other Green Martians. The character has superhuman levels of strength, stamina speed and durability. Other base abilities include "Martian vision" (projecting energy beams from his eyes). Complete control of his molecular structure also allows Ma'alefa'ak to shapeshift, regenerate, and utilize invisibility and intangibility. Ma'alefa'ak also possesses telekinesis, and originally possessed telepathy, although this ability was removed by the Council of Mars.[ volume & issue needed ]

Although Martians can be weakened by fire and suffer from pyrophobia ("H’ronmeer's Curse"), Ma'alefa'ak did not share this weakness due to the removal of his telepathic abilities. When the Martian Manhunter removed the telepathic block instilled by the Council, Ma'alefa'ak regained his telepathic abilities but was also once again susceptible to fire, his vulnerability stronger than the standard Green Martian due to his lack of experience at resisting the flames.[ volume & issue needed ]

In other media

Television

Film

Ma'alefa'ak appears in Justice League: Doom , voiced by Carl Lumbly. [4] This version is a member of Vandal Savage's Legion of Doom.

Video games

Ma'alefa'ak appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure . [6]

Miscellaneous

A White Martian variation of Ma'alefa'ak appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18. [7]

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References

  1. Martian Manhunter (vol. 2) #0 (October 1998). DC Comics.
  2. Martian Manhunter (vol. 2) #3–6 (February–May 1999). DC Comics.
  3. Williams, Rob (w); Barrows, Eddy (p); Ferreira, Eber (i). "Different Worlds", Martian Manhunter (vol. 4) #3 (August 2015). DC Comics.
  4. 1 2 "Ma'alefa'ak Voices (DC Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 28, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  5. "Supergirl (S04E22) "The Quest For Peace"". web.archive.org. May 20, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  6. Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  7. "Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18 - Life On Mars; All In The Mind (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved June 28, 2024.