Martian Manhunter is undeniably one of the most powerful characters in DC Comics. He can do almost anything -- he has super strength, he can fly, he can heal fast, he can shape shift, he can become invisible, he can read minds, move physical objects, link minds, do psionic blasts, has enhanced vision and many more unique abilities. He was once said to be even more powerful than Superman. That’s why when he got his ass beat by Jeremiah’s super-punch last night on Supergirl, fans couldn’t help but be taken back. Why didn’t J’onn J’onzz do a body scan of Jeremiah and figure out he was enhanced with metal? Why couldn’t he read Jeremiah's mind? Why the hell did a super-punch knock out an alien who can phase through walls and fly? What the actual fuck, J’onn J’onzz?
“If we really deployed him at his full comic book power arsenal, no one would be able to pull anything off of anybody,” Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg explained at a press event. “He's super strong, he can fly, he can phase through matter and he can read minds. I mean good luck trying to pull one over on him.”
While I think we’d all love to see Martian Manhunter's abilities in the spotlight, this is Supergirl. It’s why we don’t see J’onn J’onzz in his true Martian form nearly as often as we wish. He often runs point from the DEO office instead of flying side by side with Kara. Supergirl lets Kara fight her own battles, without J’onn J’onnz swooping in to save the day every time. And it makes those moments where he does extra special, like last night, where he suited up next to Kara to fight CADMUS. But at the same time, for some fans, it’s a bit hard to believe Martian Manhunter could go down so easily.
“The Martian Manhunter, he's so powerful that it's almost too powerful for like a weekly series, like with all the things he could do.”
The anticipation of seeing Martian Manhunter transform from Hank Henshaw's body to his true form is always a highlight of the episode. He’s kind of like Vibe on The Flash . Vibe is extremely powerful, but we're three seasons in and the series has still barely touched on what Vibe is truly capable of. Hopefully, we’ll see J’onn J’onnz character be developed in a different way, like his relationship with Miss Martian, if he’s not going to be the most powerful hero on DCTV.
Do you wish Martian Manhunter had stronger powers on Supergirl ? Let us know in the comments below!
