J'onn J'onzz (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lastsonofmars) wrote2010-12-13 03:58 pm
lastsonofmars) wrote2010-12-13 03:58 pm
(no subject)
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: GW
AGE:37
JOURNAL:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thatgorramwolf
IM: Gorram Wolf
E-MAIL: gorramwolf@gmail.com
RETURNING: N/a
[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: J’onn J’onzz | The Martian Manhunter
FANDOM: DC Comics
CHRONOLOGY: Post- Blackest Night, but pre-Brightest Day
CLASS: Hero
SUPERHERO NAME: The Martian Manhunter
ALTER EGO: John Jones, Private Detective
BACKGROUND:
J'onn J'onzz is a green-skinned extraterrestrial humanoid from the planet Mars, who was pulled to earth by an experimental communication device constructed by Dr. Erdel. The shock of the encounter killed Dr. Erdel and left J'onn with no method of returning home. Influenced by a police detective who would not stop even when threatened and hounded by corrupt allies, he decided to fight crime on Earth as he had on Mars while waiting for Martian technology to advance to a stage that would enable his rescue. To that end, he adopted the identity of John Jones, the detective who had inspired him and been killed by his corrupt allies. He served in the Apex City and later in Chicago.
Again and again, he attempted to go back home, utilizing rebuilt Martian technology, and encountered other Martians, including talking to his parents across space. For a short time, he operated undercover as a human superhero with a small group of other such, until they were all killed but him. he gained justice with the aid of the Justice Society, but this led to him deciding to stay undercover for many more years.
J'onn eventually revealed his existence to the world, after which he operated openly as a superhero and became a charter member of the Justice League. During the character's initial few years as a member of the Justice League, he served near-constantly there. During this time and later times serving, he came to trust and believe in his allies and friends on the Justice League, in particular Zatanna, Aquaman, and The Elongated Man. There would be other friends he trusted, but these three would form his earliest trusts.
When his alter ego, the detective John Jones was publicly killed in action by the Idol Head of Diabolu, an artifact which generated supernatural monsters. J'onn abandoned any attempt to preserve that civilian identity, and decided fighting this new menace would take a great deal of his time. Through this and several other missions, J’onn found reason to remain undercover and out of sight for some time, bringing justice from the shadows.
At long last, his people finally came to Earth for him, and he left with them to found and become leader of a New Mars. He would return, both for aid for his people, and to aid his old friends. Eventually, he retired as ruler and became a member of the JLA again. He decided to revive his John Jones identity, this time as a private detective, but had to explain "his" twenty-year disappearance. He managed to use modern science to explain how he had survived and where he had been.
He discovered eventually that Dr. Erdel did not die immediately, but was revivable by Paramedics. He revealed also to his friends that the reason it had taken so long for the Martians to come and get him was that he and they were from the past, more than 20000 years ago, and that Mars had been a dead planet for a long time. In his time, his entire race was killed by a disease of the body and mind created by his brother. When he had returned to Earth, he had given up his ability to ever go back home to his home time and people again.
J'onn has a disturbed brother, Ma'alefa'ak, who used his shapeshifting abilities to pose as J'onn, capturing and torturing Jemm, Son of Saturn, and terraforming part of Earth to resemble Mars. This was all part of a grand plan designed to convince the rest of the Justice League that J'onn had turned into a sociopath. However, J'onn was able to clear his name and defeat Ma'alefa'ak despite having most of his body destroyed in an exploding spaceship. he recovered handily.
J’onn was part of the reorganization of the League multiple times, taking leadership roles on several occasions, and even training the next generation of heroes during his time as head of the Justice League Task Force. He found new friendships in Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, three people who between them shared his vision, his love of justice, and his fears of being alone. They made the JLA feel more like a family to this stranger in a strange land. During Darkseid’s bid to control the universe, J'onn faced final defeat when the villain called Libra killed him, but he was eventually reborn by the Entity of Life. This had led him to start to reevaluate who he is, and what he will do next.
PERSONALITY:
J’onn is a man who is devoted to justice and duty. He believes that this makes a person more than just one of the common masses, and more than just a normal person. It makes them worthy to walk alongside heroes. He is given to introspection, and brooding on occasion. The loss of his people, and the feeling of being alone both hang over him, as well as the newly acquired sensations of having died and been reborn. He fears he did not die a hero, but a coward, and what that shows of him.
He also fears being alone, yet seeks solitude. He believes most are squicked by his appearance and nature, and he feels often as if he is one man alone, never to truly have brothers or sisters. The League is the closest thing he has to family, which is a major reason he has returned again and again, and why he will always defend it, even those members who have brought shame to it, as with Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. They may have been fuck-ups, but they were and are his fuck-ups. And woe unto anyone who attacks the League, in any incarnation.
He is always aware, though it is not a large focus after all these years, that he is the last of his race, and that he will never find a mate, a woman he truly can share himself with as he did with his wife long ago. He is also aware he will never have children. This is one reason he both prizes children, and will do his best to not be around them.
He has a sense of humor, one he has cultivated, and he tries his best to be welcoming of Human humor, though he often doesn’t get it. He does find human food quite tasty however, especially Chocos, a cookie he likes.
Coming into the game from just after his resurrection, with no idea why he was reborn, and the taste of his death still in his mouth, he feels somewhat disconnected. He will do his best to act as he always has, but sometimes... the mask may slip, especially around those he calls family, the League. He seeks a purpose, with hope and drive pouring into him. And nevermore has he been more aware of being the last of the Green Martians. Nevermore has he felt so alone. One dream tucked into his the bottom of his mind, never to be revealed, is to find a person he can share his life with, truly, a partner who can and will live with the passion he lives with, the search for justice he strives for, and the hope he endures.
POWER:
Working to make his powers fit under the umbrella of three titles didn’t take as much work as I thought it would. I also eliminate the upper level, such as being able to fly in space without oxygen seemingly indefinitely, and Invulnerability, as well as separate Super Speed. If they need to be reduced any more, please let me know.
1 Total control over his molecular structure (provides superhuman strength, stamina, endurance, and toughness, enhanced reaction and thought processing time, shapeshifting, regeneration, intangibility, super-humanly enhanced senses, enhanced longevity, enhanced lung capacity, and invisibility)
2 Telekinesis(provides flight, super speed while flying, enhanced toughness, and telekinetic manipulation of other objects, as well as a ‘sonic scream’ created by vibrating the air with telekinesis to enhance his voice)
3 Telepathy(providing mind-reading, mind-sharing, psionic blasts, and telepathic group communication.)
Abilities
J'onn was trained as a Manhunter on Mars, making a capable crime fighter and combatant. His was also trained in psycho combat techniques as well. Since his arrival on earth, he has demonstrated a high degree of intelligence and great skill in detective work while working under the guise of Detective John Jones.
Martian Manhunter has exceptionally high reasoning and logical skills, which added to his detective expertise, and also grants him highly competent diplomatic abilities. He has shown to be remarkably empathetic and understanding of human emotions and human nature. He has often given extremely wise advice to his fellows during times of crisis and in personal adversity. Despite his civil understanding, J'onn is able to assess situations and recognize which circumstances require intellectual solutions and which merit combat. When he has decided to use force, he has never been hesitant to fight against his opponents ruthlessly.
He has worked hundreds of jobs, and demonstrated skill at them, from financial planning and investment to construction worker, from cop to butcher.
Weaknesses
Although vastly powerful, the Martian Manhunter has an inherent weakness to fire. The Guardians of the Universe placed within the Martian race a psychological fear of fire. This has been used against J'onn on many occasions. In the aftermath of the Obsidian Age, Martian Manhunter determined to eliminate his vulnerability to fire, as it has been a tactic used against him too many times. After defeating Fernus, J'onn has stated that he no longer fears ordinary flames. Psychic and magical fires have proven capable of triggering his weakness, but he no longer is under onus of regular fire.
[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (FIRST PERSON) SAMPLE:
Video
[An image clicks on, with shadows over what appears to be a man or woman. The face and body are hidden from the camera. Only a smile is visible, teeth brilliant in the darkness.]
It seems like it would be polite to say hello, since that is the custom here. Greetings and salutations. My name is J’onn J’onzz. I’ve been here a few days and have observed a few who I know making these communications. It is odd, in a way, to hear and see familiar voices and faces in this city, which is so much different from home.
[A pause, and the voice turns more intent, and a little happier, a little more with the volume.]
And it is good to see them happy here. It’s not every day that a second chance to build lives and create homes is given. Having recently been given a second, I almost feel as if this is a third life. A third start anew. Something to talk about later, I assume.
My appearance may startle some, but I assure you, I mean you no harm. They called me the Martian Manhunter because I caught criminals, not harmed civilians. Justice is served by all those who are willing to stand for it, to fight for it. I do so proudly, and will continue to do so beside all those who do the same.
In other places, we were Legion, and I am sure, in time, we will be the same here. Those who seek justice are never alone...
[He leans forward, and the light rises, revealing a figure standing tall in a normal room. He stands like a man, and resembles on vaguely, but his green skin, the odd shape of his head, and the red of his brilliantly hued eyes put the lie to any assumption that he is one. A light wind obviously is there, for the cape that hangs from his shoulders moves slightly in it, and the harness he wears it as red as the cape.
The sheer alienness of the man, and the sheer normality of the room and the smile on his face are lit by warm lighting.]
It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I will see you in the city.
LOGS POST (THIRD PERSON) SAMPLE:
The wind swept through the city as night fell and cold bit the air as temperatures fell. Darkness spread it’s cloak across the city, and, as it did, a secondary wind whipped through it. Across alleys and over buildings, through an open park and over a still moon-mirrored pond, a shadow flickered, swiftly moving, carrying that wind along with it. J’onn smiled as he shot through the sky, eyes warm as he scanned the land below. This city was an amazing one, almost seeming alive from the first moment of waking to the end of the day. But it did not go to sleep at night. Much like in the cities he was used to, there was always someone awake. He observed people on the way home, people talking, people laughing, people crying, and still he flew onward, until he reached his destination.
He soared upward, arcing out to a hover high above the city, growing still as he let his eyes close. He grew still, absorbing into himself old lessons from his training to be a manhunter, letting his very breath fade and his thoughts still. That proved harder today than normal, for being in this new city and re-meeting people he had known so well gave him a great amount to think about. And think on it he did. Turmoil filled him, for the worry that his revival was an accident, the weariness that made him wonder why he’d been brought back to the fight, the loss, always fresh, of his wife and people, their last thoughts burning inside his mind, and so much else.
He did battle with these thoughts, accepting them, pulling them into him, one by one, piece by piece. He knew that he must hold them all to himself, or lose them, as he let his mind sink into silence. There above the city, he floated, and slowly, inch by mental inch, his mind opened. The shields he held all day cycled wide, with only his innermost thoughts and sense of self still held behind walls. The thoughts of the city slowly slipped into his mind, at first just a few, and then, as his mind opened wide, more and more. People thinking and talking about a long day, people arguing with their loved ones, people making love, people falling in love and walking the dog, and whimpering in pain in a hospital, and so much more. He let it all in as his mind ran lightly across it, listening, searching. This intimacy, this allowing of himself to be vulnerable, was hard, and almost painful, and if it wasn’t necessary, well, that was for another person to say.
A mind cried out about suicide, and his touched it, suffused it with temporary hope, and nudged it towards a phone and a suddenly known help line number. A child slipped on the stairs, and his mind gripped it’s, making muscles respond as the child flipped off the wall and landed, on both feet, on the floor below, amazed as his presence slipped away. A woman lay dying, and he added his presence, so that, as it slipped away, it was not afraid or alone, but kept company and loved as only minds could love. His mind opened to the city, and he helped, wherever he could, pulling back from minds that wished privacy, pushing away from those who wanted only privacy and their own solace.
And then one mind cried out in fear, joined by another. and his hearing picked up the faintest of cries from far away. His eyes snapped open and his shields slammed shut, and a body in complete relaxation went into complete readiness immediately as he oriented and then shot away from his position, mind focusing on where he heard the cries. He flew across the city at speed, past buildings, over trees, and through alleys, until ahead, he saw the alley where the crime in question was happening.
Wind whipped across the alley as his x-ray vision reached through the walls and illuminated the scene. a young woman, with a little girl at her side, hiding in her skirts, pulled back against a wall as men closed in, three of them, one armed with a gun, another with a knife, and a third with a chain. Their clothing identified them as low level thugs, as did their own conditions. the looks on their faces betrayed the savagery they planned on inflicting, and the woman’s fear screamed from her mind and face, even as the young girl simply stared at them with fear and determination, a doll hanging loosely in one hand. All of this he saw in an instant, analyzing and weighing his moves to come and simplifying it until he knew exactly what to do.
The largest of the man, the one with the gun, raised it and menacingly stepped toward the woman. And then J’onn was there. Ghosting through the walls behind the men, he hit them
with bruising force. One punch took the man with the gun out of the fight entirely, sending him hurling away and out of the alley. The next man whirled,. chain spinning, shouting as he saw the vision of J’onn coming at him. The nerves in his hands went out and he dropped the chain as he fainted.
The third man, the one with the knife, grabbed the young girl and hid behind her, screaming. “Get gone, you bastard, or I’ll gut her!” The woman screamed in fear, but the young girl simply stamped hard on the thug’s feet, slamming her feet down as she wiggled and hit him with her doll. The man reeled away and by the time he could react, J’onn’s fist was hitting his face. With a thunk, his head hit the wall and he was out.
J’onn turned to the woman and the girl and smiled, tipping the hat he didn’t wear toward them. “Are you both okay?” The woman was too frightened to respond, edging back from him, but the little girl smiled. “I’m fine, and someday, I’m going to be just like you. Green’s my favorite color!” J’onn found himself doing as he had not in years, he blushed. “Well, then, I will wait for that day when our number grows. We could use a hero with nerves and speed like yours.” The girl glowed, waved, and skipped to the other woman, grabbing her hand and smiling.
J’onn just shook his head and took off, rising into the sky. That had been... interesting. He wondered if the girl would indeed become a hero. She definitely had the right spirit for it, and seemed without fear. Maybe he’d point Bruce in her direction, make sure she was encouraged by the Wayne Foundation, if that entity existed here. They could, indeed, use more heroes.
His smile was wide as he rose in the night, breathing in the cold air, and letting the sounds of it close around him once more. This had been a good moment, but the night was far from over. Amusement set aside, he set his eyes on the sky of the city and soared upward again, angling around buildings and toward the busier sections of town. Time to see what else was afoot!
FINAL NOTES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
J’onn is fun to play and I hope to join you at the game! Also, his canon history contradicts itself several times, so I have tried to chose a path that stays as true to the original intent as possible while still incorporating as much newer material as I can.
NAME: GW
AGE:37
JOURNAL:
thatgorramwolfIM: Gorram Wolf
E-MAIL: gorramwolf@gmail.com
RETURNING: N/a
[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: J’onn J’onzz | The Martian Manhunter
FANDOM: DC Comics
CHRONOLOGY: Post- Blackest Night, but pre-Brightest Day
CLASS: Hero
SUPERHERO NAME: The Martian Manhunter
ALTER EGO: John Jones, Private Detective
BACKGROUND:
J'onn J'onzz is a green-skinned extraterrestrial humanoid from the planet Mars, who was pulled to earth by an experimental communication device constructed by Dr. Erdel. The shock of the encounter killed Dr. Erdel and left J'onn with no method of returning home. Influenced by a police detective who would not stop even when threatened and hounded by corrupt allies, he decided to fight crime on Earth as he had on Mars while waiting for Martian technology to advance to a stage that would enable his rescue. To that end, he adopted the identity of John Jones, the detective who had inspired him and been killed by his corrupt allies. He served in the Apex City and later in Chicago.
Again and again, he attempted to go back home, utilizing rebuilt Martian technology, and encountered other Martians, including talking to his parents across space. For a short time, he operated undercover as a human superhero with a small group of other such, until they were all killed but him. he gained justice with the aid of the Justice Society, but this led to him deciding to stay undercover for many more years.
J'onn eventually revealed his existence to the world, after which he operated openly as a superhero and became a charter member of the Justice League. During the character's initial few years as a member of the Justice League, he served near-constantly there. During this time and later times serving, he came to trust and believe in his allies and friends on the Justice League, in particular Zatanna, Aquaman, and The Elongated Man. There would be other friends he trusted, but these three would form his earliest trusts.
When his alter ego, the detective John Jones was publicly killed in action by the Idol Head of Diabolu, an artifact which generated supernatural monsters. J'onn abandoned any attempt to preserve that civilian identity, and decided fighting this new menace would take a great deal of his time. Through this and several other missions, J’onn found reason to remain undercover and out of sight for some time, bringing justice from the shadows.
At long last, his people finally came to Earth for him, and he left with them to found and become leader of a New Mars. He would return, both for aid for his people, and to aid his old friends. Eventually, he retired as ruler and became a member of the JLA again. He decided to revive his John Jones identity, this time as a private detective, but had to explain "his" twenty-year disappearance. He managed to use modern science to explain how he had survived and where he had been.
He discovered eventually that Dr. Erdel did not die immediately, but was revivable by Paramedics. He revealed also to his friends that the reason it had taken so long for the Martians to come and get him was that he and they were from the past, more than 20000 years ago, and that Mars had been a dead planet for a long time. In his time, his entire race was killed by a disease of the body and mind created by his brother. When he had returned to Earth, he had given up his ability to ever go back home to his home time and people again.
J'onn has a disturbed brother, Ma'alefa'ak, who used his shapeshifting abilities to pose as J'onn, capturing and torturing Jemm, Son of Saturn, and terraforming part of Earth to resemble Mars. This was all part of a grand plan designed to convince the rest of the Justice League that J'onn had turned into a sociopath. However, J'onn was able to clear his name and defeat Ma'alefa'ak despite having most of his body destroyed in an exploding spaceship. he recovered handily.
J’onn was part of the reorganization of the League multiple times, taking leadership roles on several occasions, and even training the next generation of heroes during his time as head of the Justice League Task Force. He found new friendships in Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, three people who between them shared his vision, his love of justice, and his fears of being alone. They made the JLA feel more like a family to this stranger in a strange land. During Darkseid’s bid to control the universe, J'onn faced final defeat when the villain called Libra killed him, but he was eventually reborn by the Entity of Life. This had led him to start to reevaluate who he is, and what he will do next.
PERSONALITY:
J’onn is a man who is devoted to justice and duty. He believes that this makes a person more than just one of the common masses, and more than just a normal person. It makes them worthy to walk alongside heroes. He is given to introspection, and brooding on occasion. The loss of his people, and the feeling of being alone both hang over him, as well as the newly acquired sensations of having died and been reborn. He fears he did not die a hero, but a coward, and what that shows of him.
He also fears being alone, yet seeks solitude. He believes most are squicked by his appearance and nature, and he feels often as if he is one man alone, never to truly have brothers or sisters. The League is the closest thing he has to family, which is a major reason he has returned again and again, and why he will always defend it, even those members who have brought shame to it, as with Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. They may have been fuck-ups, but they were and are his fuck-ups. And woe unto anyone who attacks the League, in any incarnation.
He is always aware, though it is not a large focus after all these years, that he is the last of his race, and that he will never find a mate, a woman he truly can share himself with as he did with his wife long ago. He is also aware he will never have children. This is one reason he both prizes children, and will do his best to not be around them.
He has a sense of humor, one he has cultivated, and he tries his best to be welcoming of Human humor, though he often doesn’t get it. He does find human food quite tasty however, especially Chocos, a cookie he likes.
Coming into the game from just after his resurrection, with no idea why he was reborn, and the taste of his death still in his mouth, he feels somewhat disconnected. He will do his best to act as he always has, but sometimes... the mask may slip, especially around those he calls family, the League. He seeks a purpose, with hope and drive pouring into him. And nevermore has he been more aware of being the last of the Green Martians. Nevermore has he felt so alone. One dream tucked into his the bottom of his mind, never to be revealed, is to find a person he can share his life with, truly, a partner who can and will live with the passion he lives with, the search for justice he strives for, and the hope he endures.
POWER:
Working to make his powers fit under the umbrella of three titles didn’t take as much work as I thought it would. I also eliminate the upper level, such as being able to fly in space without oxygen seemingly indefinitely, and Invulnerability, as well as separate Super Speed. If they need to be reduced any more, please let me know.
1 Total control over his molecular structure (provides superhuman strength, stamina, endurance, and toughness, enhanced reaction and thought processing time, shapeshifting, regeneration, intangibility, super-humanly enhanced senses, enhanced longevity, enhanced lung capacity, and invisibility)
2 Telekinesis(provides flight, super speed while flying, enhanced toughness, and telekinetic manipulation of other objects, as well as a ‘sonic scream’ created by vibrating the air with telekinesis to enhance his voice)
3 Telepathy(providing mind-reading, mind-sharing, psionic blasts, and telepathic group communication.)
Abilities
J'onn was trained as a Manhunter on Mars, making a capable crime fighter and combatant. His was also trained in psycho combat techniques as well. Since his arrival on earth, he has demonstrated a high degree of intelligence and great skill in detective work while working under the guise of Detective John Jones.
Martian Manhunter has exceptionally high reasoning and logical skills, which added to his detective expertise, and also grants him highly competent diplomatic abilities. He has shown to be remarkably empathetic and understanding of human emotions and human nature. He has often given extremely wise advice to his fellows during times of crisis and in personal adversity. Despite his civil understanding, J'onn is able to assess situations and recognize which circumstances require intellectual solutions and which merit combat. When he has decided to use force, he has never been hesitant to fight against his opponents ruthlessly.
He has worked hundreds of jobs, and demonstrated skill at them, from financial planning and investment to construction worker, from cop to butcher.
Weaknesses
Although vastly powerful, the Martian Manhunter has an inherent weakness to fire. The Guardians of the Universe placed within the Martian race a psychological fear of fire. This has been used against J'onn on many occasions. In the aftermath of the Obsidian Age, Martian Manhunter determined to eliminate his vulnerability to fire, as it has been a tactic used against him too many times. After defeating Fernus, J'onn has stated that he no longer fears ordinary flames. Psychic and magical fires have proven capable of triggering his weakness, but he no longer is under onus of regular fire.
[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (FIRST PERSON) SAMPLE:
Video
[An image clicks on, with shadows over what appears to be a man or woman. The face and body are hidden from the camera. Only a smile is visible, teeth brilliant in the darkness.]
It seems like it would be polite to say hello, since that is the custom here. Greetings and salutations. My name is J’onn J’onzz. I’ve been here a few days and have observed a few who I know making these communications. It is odd, in a way, to hear and see familiar voices and faces in this city, which is so much different from home.
[A pause, and the voice turns more intent, and a little happier, a little more with the volume.]
And it is good to see them happy here. It’s not every day that a second chance to build lives and create homes is given. Having recently been given a second, I almost feel as if this is a third life. A third start anew. Something to talk about later, I assume.
My appearance may startle some, but I assure you, I mean you no harm. They called me the Martian Manhunter because I caught criminals, not harmed civilians. Justice is served by all those who are willing to stand for it, to fight for it. I do so proudly, and will continue to do so beside all those who do the same.
In other places, we were Legion, and I am sure, in time, we will be the same here. Those who seek justice are never alone...
[He leans forward, and the light rises, revealing a figure standing tall in a normal room. He stands like a man, and resembles on vaguely, but his green skin, the odd shape of his head, and the red of his brilliantly hued eyes put the lie to any assumption that he is one. A light wind obviously is there, for the cape that hangs from his shoulders moves slightly in it, and the harness he wears it as red as the cape.
The sheer alienness of the man, and the sheer normality of the room and the smile on his face are lit by warm lighting.]
It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I will see you in the city.
LOGS POST (THIRD PERSON) SAMPLE:
The wind swept through the city as night fell and cold bit the air as temperatures fell. Darkness spread it’s cloak across the city, and, as it did, a secondary wind whipped through it. Across alleys and over buildings, through an open park and over a still moon-mirrored pond, a shadow flickered, swiftly moving, carrying that wind along with it. J’onn smiled as he shot through the sky, eyes warm as he scanned the land below. This city was an amazing one, almost seeming alive from the first moment of waking to the end of the day. But it did not go to sleep at night. Much like in the cities he was used to, there was always someone awake. He observed people on the way home, people talking, people laughing, people crying, and still he flew onward, until he reached his destination.
He soared upward, arcing out to a hover high above the city, growing still as he let his eyes close. He grew still, absorbing into himself old lessons from his training to be a manhunter, letting his very breath fade and his thoughts still. That proved harder today than normal, for being in this new city and re-meeting people he had known so well gave him a great amount to think about. And think on it he did. Turmoil filled him, for the worry that his revival was an accident, the weariness that made him wonder why he’d been brought back to the fight, the loss, always fresh, of his wife and people, their last thoughts burning inside his mind, and so much else.
He did battle with these thoughts, accepting them, pulling them into him, one by one, piece by piece. He knew that he must hold them all to himself, or lose them, as he let his mind sink into silence. There above the city, he floated, and slowly, inch by mental inch, his mind opened. The shields he held all day cycled wide, with only his innermost thoughts and sense of self still held behind walls. The thoughts of the city slowly slipped into his mind, at first just a few, and then, as his mind opened wide, more and more. People thinking and talking about a long day, people arguing with their loved ones, people making love, people falling in love and walking the dog, and whimpering in pain in a hospital, and so much more. He let it all in as his mind ran lightly across it, listening, searching. This intimacy, this allowing of himself to be vulnerable, was hard, and almost painful, and if it wasn’t necessary, well, that was for another person to say.
A mind cried out about suicide, and his touched it, suffused it with temporary hope, and nudged it towards a phone and a suddenly known help line number. A child slipped on the stairs, and his mind gripped it’s, making muscles respond as the child flipped off the wall and landed, on both feet, on the floor below, amazed as his presence slipped away. A woman lay dying, and he added his presence, so that, as it slipped away, it was not afraid or alone, but kept company and loved as only minds could love. His mind opened to the city, and he helped, wherever he could, pulling back from minds that wished privacy, pushing away from those who wanted only privacy and their own solace.
And then one mind cried out in fear, joined by another. and his hearing picked up the faintest of cries from far away. His eyes snapped open and his shields slammed shut, and a body in complete relaxation went into complete readiness immediately as he oriented and then shot away from his position, mind focusing on where he heard the cries. He flew across the city at speed, past buildings, over trees, and through alleys, until ahead, he saw the alley where the crime in question was happening.
Wind whipped across the alley as his x-ray vision reached through the walls and illuminated the scene. a young woman, with a little girl at her side, hiding in her skirts, pulled back against a wall as men closed in, three of them, one armed with a gun, another with a knife, and a third with a chain. Their clothing identified them as low level thugs, as did their own conditions. the looks on their faces betrayed the savagery they planned on inflicting, and the woman’s fear screamed from her mind and face, even as the young girl simply stared at them with fear and determination, a doll hanging loosely in one hand. All of this he saw in an instant, analyzing and weighing his moves to come and simplifying it until he knew exactly what to do.
The largest of the man, the one with the gun, raised it and menacingly stepped toward the woman. And then J’onn was there. Ghosting through the walls behind the men, he hit them
with bruising force. One punch took the man with the gun out of the fight entirely, sending him hurling away and out of the alley. The next man whirled,. chain spinning, shouting as he saw the vision of J’onn coming at him. The nerves in his hands went out and he dropped the chain as he fainted.
The third man, the one with the knife, grabbed the young girl and hid behind her, screaming. “Get gone, you bastard, or I’ll gut her!” The woman screamed in fear, but the young girl simply stamped hard on the thug’s feet, slamming her feet down as she wiggled and hit him with her doll. The man reeled away and by the time he could react, J’onn’s fist was hitting his face. With a thunk, his head hit the wall and he was out.
J’onn turned to the woman and the girl and smiled, tipping the hat he didn’t wear toward them. “Are you both okay?” The woman was too frightened to respond, edging back from him, but the little girl smiled. “I’m fine, and someday, I’m going to be just like you. Green’s my favorite color!” J’onn found himself doing as he had not in years, he blushed. “Well, then, I will wait for that day when our number grows. We could use a hero with nerves and speed like yours.” The girl glowed, waved, and skipped to the other woman, grabbing her hand and smiling.
J’onn just shook his head and took off, rising into the sky. That had been... interesting. He wondered if the girl would indeed become a hero. She definitely had the right spirit for it, and seemed without fear. Maybe he’d point Bruce in her direction, make sure she was encouraged by the Wayne Foundation, if that entity existed here. They could, indeed, use more heroes.
His smile was wide as he rose in the night, breathing in the cold air, and letting the sounds of it close around him once more. This had been a good moment, but the night was far from over. Amusement set aside, he set his eyes on the sky of the city and soared upward again, angling around buildings and toward the busier sections of town. Time to see what else was afoot!
FINAL NOTES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
J’onn is fun to play and I hope to join you at the game! Also, his canon history contradicts itself several times, so I have tried to chose a path that stays as true to the original intent as possible while still incorporating as much newer material as I can.