C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L
Martian Manhunter
J’ONN J’ONZZ ♦ WAITRESS/STUDENT ♦ DENVER, COLORADO ♦ INDEPENDENT
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"Doctor Erdel told me I that I could be a hero... That I could make a difference in this world... I will not disappoint him~!"
Dr Saul Erdel. This man has recently made a name for himself in the scientific community through the development of his transmitter that he claims he has made with Martian technology. For the first time in his rather long career he not only had the attention of his peers but even some of the public eye as well. Many were intrigued by his experiment to contact and communicate the supposed extraterrestrial life on Mars, and took time out of their day to tune into the live testing of the transmitter... Which was a bust...
It would seem that Dr Erdel had squandered his one possible claim to fame in the world. At least to the rest of the world that is. For the transmitter's beam did not make contact with anything from the present. But rather it streaked across time and space itself. Striking a martian by the name of J'onn J'onzz, thousands of years into the past and dragging them from their planet to the Earth of Dr Erdels time. This information of course is known only to Dr Erdel, as of course as soon as the beam "failed" to hit a target the footage of the experiment ended. J'onn was brought to earth completely broken, both physically and mentally. Dr Erdel felt that it was his duty to take the young Martian in and to nurse her back to health. To the best of his ability.
Whether it was intentional or not, a mental link was formed between the two. This allowed not only for Dr Erdel to see the history of J'onn but also vice versa. She had been driven completely insane by the events that took place on Mars. However with the help of Dr Erdel she was able to be rehabilitated. Only for now the dark memories of her past were locked away, and a new backstory was formed for the earthling Joan Jones... Although she believed to be from Earth there was no hiding that she was an extraordinary existence, of course now a days the world was full of those. So it was not hard to convince her that her unique physiology was somehow due to a mutation or merely a byproduct of her powers.
Joan was now an orhpan, who knew very little of the world. Of course she thought that this was her home, although it did not feel that way. A stranger in a foreign land. A foolish girl who struggled to keep up with the people around her. It may be a struggle from here on now but. She is a girl with a heart of a hero. This shall only mark the beginning of her uphill battle. For a new life. For a new family. For a new home.
It would seem that Dr Erdel had squandered his one possible claim to fame in the world. At least to the rest of the world that is. For the transmitter's beam did not make contact with anything from the present. But rather it streaked across time and space itself. Striking a martian by the name of J'onn J'onzz, thousands of years into the past and dragging them from their planet to the Earth of Dr Erdels time. This information of course is known only to Dr Erdel, as of course as soon as the beam "failed" to hit a target the footage of the experiment ended. J'onn was brought to earth completely broken, both physically and mentally. Dr Erdel felt that it was his duty to take the young Martian in and to nurse her back to health. To the best of his ability.
Whether it was intentional or not, a mental link was formed between the two. This allowed not only for Dr Erdel to see the history of J'onn but also vice versa. She had been driven completely insane by the events that took place on Mars. However with the help of Dr Erdel she was able to be rehabilitated. Only for now the dark memories of her past were locked away, and a new backstory was formed for the earthling Joan Jones... Although she believed to be from Earth there was no hiding that she was an extraordinary existence, of course now a days the world was full of those. So it was not hard to convince her that her unique physiology was somehow due to a mutation or merely a byproduct of her powers.
Joan was now an orhpan, who knew very little of the world. Of course she thought that this was her home, although it did not feel that way. A stranger in a foreign land. A foolish girl who struggled to keep up with the people around her. It may be a struggle from here on now but. She is a girl with a heart of a hero. This shall only mark the beginning of her uphill battle. For a new life. For a new family. For a new home.
C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
I would really like to play this character because Martian Manhunter has always had a soft place in my heart ever since I watched the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons. I think I was drawn to him in particular for his rather aloof and serious attitude, his stoic demeanor. However underneath that he was a character that deeply cared for others, he was a gentle person who really cared for others. Now I mean that isn't exactly rare for a superhero but for some reason his character was the one that stuck with me the most. I guess it was also his tragic backstory that also really made me feel for him.
As for making the character female... I don't know if I could say my reasons are particularly "good" so to speak but personally I thought it would be rather interesting and I feel like I could relate to and portray my version of the character this way. Not that their gender is the most important thing but I guess this is just my personal preference. This version of the character is a younger and much less experienced Martian Manhunter than in the Justice League Cartoons. In fact I doubt they are even known to the world yet and due to that aren't even referred to as 'Martian Manhunter.' As they aren't really a superhero yet. More of a dreamer who wishes to be like that one day.
My vision for the character is a young, idealistic girl who wishes to instill as much hope and joy as she can into the world. To use her abilities to care for anyone that she can, whether they be of morally good of evil characters themselves. Very much anti-violence, a particularly compassionate and empathetic person. She is also certainly a character who is tormented by her tragic past that has been buried as deep within her mind as it could have been. Of course I intend for this to play a large part in her story and definitely a large hurdle for the character to overcome. I imagine this version of Maritan Manhunter to be rather outwardly fragile and emotional compared to other versions of the character. I believe that her being a Martian is very important for the character. Yes at the start she believes she is an Earthling but that is due to the influence of Dr Erdel and she is not comfortable identifying herself as an Earthling. I imagine that the general populace will have less love for an alien superhero than they would a more humanoid superhero and that Joan probably will develop a bit of a complex over her differences more and more as they and their origin become more apparent to her over the course of her story.
Dr Saul Erdel I intend to keep around for a while, I imagine him to be a foster parent type figure to Joan and for him to be her guiding figure/mentor towards the path of heroism. I do intend for him to bite the bullet eventually however I would rather have this become a very important moment for the character in their story rather than something that has already happened. I would like to try and build up the relationship of trust and respect between the Doctor and Joan rather than just saying that they did have that.
As for making the character female... I don't know if I could say my reasons are particularly "good" so to speak but personally I thought it would be rather interesting and I feel like I could relate to and portray my version of the character this way. Not that their gender is the most important thing but I guess this is just my personal preference. This version of the character is a younger and much less experienced Martian Manhunter than in the Justice League Cartoons. In fact I doubt they are even known to the world yet and due to that aren't even referred to as 'Martian Manhunter.' As they aren't really a superhero yet. More of a dreamer who wishes to be like that one day.
My vision for the character is a young, idealistic girl who wishes to instill as much hope and joy as she can into the world. To use her abilities to care for anyone that she can, whether they be of morally good of evil characters themselves. Very much anti-violence, a particularly compassionate and empathetic person. She is also certainly a character who is tormented by her tragic past that has been buried as deep within her mind as it could have been. Of course I intend for this to play a large part in her story and definitely a large hurdle for the character to overcome. I imagine this version of Maritan Manhunter to be rather outwardly fragile and emotional compared to other versions of the character. I believe that her being a Martian is very important for the character. Yes at the start she believes she is an Earthling but that is due to the influence of Dr Erdel and she is not comfortable identifying herself as an Earthling. I imagine that the general populace will have less love for an alien superhero than they would a more humanoid superhero and that Joan probably will develop a bit of a complex over her differences more and more as they and their origin become more apparent to her over the course of her story.
Dr Saul Erdel I intend to keep around for a while, I imagine him to be a foster parent type figure to Joan and for him to be her guiding figure/mentor towards the path of heroism. I do intend for him to bite the bullet eventually however I would rather have this become a very important moment for the character in their story rather than something that has already happened. I would like to try and build up the relationship of trust and respect between the Doctor and Joan rather than just saying that they did have that.
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
Supporting Cast:
Friends:
- Dr Saul Erdel: The man who brought the Martian Manhunter to the present. Now acting as her foster parent and closest ally, it could be said the doctor is the only person she can confide in.
- Rio Ferdinand: A US secret agent and close friend of Dr Saul Erdel. She was also his assistant during the creation of the transmitter.
- Jennifer Black and Katie Schaub: Joan's friends from school, and perhaps her only friends in the world.
- Bryan Rockefeller: Not related to the famous Rockefellers. Rather a normal guy from Colorado who is Joan's employer at the restaurant she works at.
Enemies:
- The Human Flame: Real name Michael Miller, a human who gains power over fire through the use of his suit. He isn't a super powered individual yet... He could mean some real trouble for Joan.
- Doctor Trap: Real name Lawrence Trap. This one is on a quest for revenge after losing his girlfriend in a cross-fire incident. He won't rest until he has brutally tortured and murdered all parties that were involved.
- Mr V: This guy is rather mysterious. A faceless man who is rumoured to be a big time crime boss for an organisation called Vulture. Well for one reason or another he has plans for Denver, maybe he thinks it's less likely he will be bothered by any hero types there.
- Malefic: Joan's twin brother and the architect of the plague that destroyed their people. He may be her arch-nemesis but he is also the only surviving member of her family. As things currently stand his existence is unknown to both Joan and the world.
- D'kay D'razz: One of the other surviving Maritans. She now acts as an ally to Malefic.
- Cay'an: Another surviving Martian. They seem to be all drawn towards Malefic... They are sure to cause trouble for Joan in the future.
Friends:
- Dr Saul Erdel: The man who brought the Martian Manhunter to the present. Now acting as her foster parent and closest ally, it could be said the doctor is the only person she can confide in.
- Rio Ferdinand: A US secret agent and close friend of Dr Saul Erdel. She was also his assistant during the creation of the transmitter.
- Jennifer Black and Katie Schaub: Joan's friends from school, and perhaps her only friends in the world.
- Bryan Rockefeller: Not related to the famous Rockefellers. Rather a normal guy from Colorado who is Joan's employer at the restaurant she works at.
Enemies:
- The Human Flame: Real name Michael Miller, a human who gains power over fire through the use of his suit. He isn't a super powered individual yet... He could mean some real trouble for Joan.
- Doctor Trap: Real name Lawrence Trap. This one is on a quest for revenge after losing his girlfriend in a cross-fire incident. He won't rest until he has brutally tortured and murdered all parties that were involved.
- Mr V: This guy is rather mysterious. A faceless man who is rumoured to be a big time crime boss for an organisation called Vulture. Well for one reason or another he has plans for Denver, maybe he thinks it's less likely he will be bothered by any hero types there.
- Malefic: Joan's twin brother and the architect of the plague that destroyed their people. He may be her arch-nemesis but he is also the only surviving member of her family. As things currently stand his existence is unknown to both Joan and the world.
- D'kay D'razz: One of the other surviving Maritans. She now acts as an ally to Malefic.
- Cay'an: Another surviving Martian. They seem to be all drawn towards Malefic... They are sure to cause trouble for Joan in the future.
S A M P L E P O S T:
The Death of a Planet
Did it have to be like this? Was this always how things would turn out? That couldn't be. All of her effort...
The young martian had tried everything she could. Her brother... She had tried to show him love, to show him that no matter what the others thought of him that she was still her beloved family. That no matter how much the others despised him, merely for being born different.
I will always stand by your side. No matter what. That is what this naive youth had told him.
The time is near where that will be put to the test... Dear sister. I want to believe in your words. If those are truly your feelings then I am glad to have at least one ally. She had believed this brought hope to her brother who suffered dearly. That she could finally help him after trying for so many years. Truly she wished for him to be happy. For him to achieve his dreams!
She would now learn to despise her ridiculous wish. An absurd innocence. She caused this just as much as her brother. This blight. This curse. This Armageddon.
She was running, running faster than she had ever done before. Her body screamed at her. Stop! You can't go on! Rest!
She couldn't... If she had then she would not be able to start running once again. It would be her death. No not just her death. She would be dooming her parents along with her.
NO! I WON'T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN! She was breathing heavily. Heavier than she ever had before. It felt like she was being torn apart. Her eyes were set in stone, ahead. Forward.
She couldn't look to her sides. She could not look back. Only forward.
For if she did. She would be met with a wall of flames. Martian houses burning to the ground. Martian families screaming in pain, the men, the women, the children. All of them crying out as they burned alive. The red planet... A fitting name for a planet on fire.
They were in her head. Screaming, tearing apart her mind as the great effort of her journey tore apart her body.
I am sorry... I am so, so sorry. She could not respond to them. For she could not waste any effort on speech. And if she were to use her telepathy... She would become just like them. Engulfed by flames, screaming and cursing. Her planet. her people. Her friends. Her colleagues. Her classmates. Her home. It was the destruction of everything and everyone she knew. And it was all thanks to the brother she tried to save. Her brother who she promised to always support. Her brother who she had believed in.
So you came sister? Well honestly I am surprised. And eternally grateful. Join me sister. Join me in ending this vile race. This cursed planet! Why wouldn't he stop? Nothing she had said to him changed his mind.
She could not help but feel responsible... But now there was only one thing to do.
Buildings continued to crumble. Her vision began to be blinded by smoke. The flames burned higher and higher. As soon as the screams of one was snuffed out the screams of 10 others joined the cries of the rest. The last cries of the Martians.
She had finally arrived. The end of her journey... Perhaps also, the end of her life.
Home... She had to tell them, her parents. Before it was too late.
Desperate she practically flung herself into the building which she had spent growing up in. Now, on one knee, she could not lift herself back up. And yet. She had to tell them.
MOTHER! FATHER! ARE YOU THERE?! ARE YOU SAFE?!!" She cried out, pleading with the universe for her family to still be alive. For them to be safe.
It was a dreadful mistake...
"Yes... J'oann do not worry my love, we are-" Her mothers voice played out in her head. She could barely distinguish it from all of the screams... It had been calm, how had she been so calm?!
A soothing voice to care for their beloved daughter. A voice to tell her 'do not worry, everything will be ok! keep fighting!'
A voice that soon joined the screams of the rest. Along with her fathers.
All had been lost...
Should she just join them? But what would she even say? Goodbye?
Her body finally gave out. She collapsed to the floor. Her parents had been coming down the stairs to meet her it seemed. The flaming figures tumbled down, the house itself began to be engulfed by the blazing inferno.
The end of the world... Death... This was it...
How long had she been laying there? Just a moment? An eternity? Her mind was scrambled. The grief, the despair, the screams... Her world crumbled before her. And her mind crumbled with it.
This was to be her end. She had not wanted to give in but... There was nothing left for her now.
"Forgive... Me... Everyone..." Her last words, spoken aloud. Nothing more than a whisper.
She closed her eyes before the flames could take her.
There was no more screams. No more fire. No more death.
There was nothing anymore.
P O S T C A T L O G:
0.0 - The Death of a Planet