One of the most hilarious moments in “Justice League” focuses on what a hero’s weakness actually means. Martian Manhunter’s flirtations with his teammates suggest that the hero’s weaknesses may actually be very attractive to him.
If superheroes didn’t have weaknesses in some form or fashion, they wouldn’t be the superheroes they are. Superman has radioactive debris from his home planet in the form of kryptonite. With Absolute Zero causing a complete cessation of movement, The Flash is rendered helpless. Even the mighty Green Lantern has shown vulnerability to yellow in the past. Weaknesses round out characters and increase their risk taking. Villains are in the best position to take down heroes if they know how to exploit their Achilles’ heels. Some heroes may have more obvious flaws than others, but almost every superhero has something that can hurt them.
Namely, a hero who seemingly escapes his weaknesses by pairing himself with the most unlikely partner imaginable by fans.exist Human Target #5 Created by Tom King and Greg Smallwood, the eponymous characters are continuing the Justice League International’s investigation to see who was responsible for poisoning Christopher Chance. Chance and his new love interest, JLI member Ice, have dinner with Martian Manhunter. However, Jon is prepared for the encounter and begins a psychic interrogation of Christopher. What Martian Manhunter didn’t expect was that Chance had trained himself to defend against telepathic attacks. The two begin to get to know each other deeply. Just as Jon saw opportunity in his backstory, Human Target saw Martian Manhunter’s personal life, including several hookups between him and his Justice League International teammate Fire.
A Justice League member reveals that even heroes have quirks
It’s obviously a bit weird that Martian Manhunter would date someone who specializes in fire, since fire is his greatest weakness. But interestingly, this is actually the second Heat-based hero he’s seen romantically, as Jon had a brief romance with Flame Generator Joachim. This seems to indicate that Jon is inexplicably attracted to people who specialize in the things he hates most. Jon’s weakness has been reworked many times over the years, but this takes it to a whole new level.
The Martian Manhunter’s vulnerability to fire can sometimes actually damage him physically, or it can only affect his mind. But the Martian Manhunter’s many hook-ups with fire lovers show that the Manhunter’s true weakness is physical, and that fire is practically irresistible to Jon. At least, when it’s presented in a form he personally finds attractive. Jon doesn’t have many long-term love interests, probably because he knows he’s fallen into the hands of someone who can turn him to ashes. It’s a little spicier than one might expect for members of the Justice League, but history seems to paint a very stark picture for Martian Manhunter.