Manhunters?

[benitone9_11]

In Red Lantern they mention a lot about Manhunters (who incidentally destroy). Now I know the "Martian Manhunter" The shapeshifting Martian John Jones (please excuse the lack of use of sound modifying punctuation).

Are these Manhunters all martians? Or is John just one Martian who happened to be a Manhunter?
Why are they Manhunters anyway?
Is this why Atrocitus hates John so bad?
Why would Manhunters destroy sector 666,a humanless sector?

[Desaad]

No relation (beyond some vague connections hinted at in Ostrander's Martian Manhunter series).

Manhunters are a cybernetic peacekeeping force created by the Guardians, precursors to the GL Corps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhunters

They ARE related to Paul Kirk Manhunter, an old Golden Age hero.

[Robotman4]

no relation other than the Manhunter name. like Desaad said the Manhunter robots were created by the Guardians before they created the Green Lantern Corps. they went crazy and deemed that all evil stems from emotion and so all beings capable of emotion must be destroyed.

i think J'onn is called Manhunter because he is a detective and DC has a history of detective characters called Manhunter. the first "Manhunter" was private eye Paul Kirk. later a new Manhunter (also named Paul Kirk) was introduced but this guy wore a costume. a big game hunter turned superhero. it had a great tagline "Manhunter, he hunts the most dangerous game of all... criminals." i think the original concept for J'onn was trying to combine different genres, detective/noir and sci fi. i love the name Martian Manhunter. it's unique and makes him him sound kinda badass.

[Harbinger of Apocalypse]

As mentioned, the Manhunters are robotic androids created by the Guardians to serve an their first army of peacekeepers. However, they changed in time and were abandoned. The Green Lantern Corps became their replacements. Their old origins were introduced during the Millennium event and retconned Paul Kirk and other heroes who took the name Manhunter as being unwitting agents of the android Manhunters.

John Ostranders Martian Manhunter run also claimed that the Guardians named their Manhunters after Martian Manhunters. Think it was said that Martian Manhunters was a Green Martian term for their peacekeepers/detectives before the fall of their civilisation.

[Desaad]

As mentioned, the Manhunters are robotic androids created by the Guardians to serve an their first army of peacekeepers. However, they changed in time and were abandoned. The Green Lantern Corps became their replacements. Their old origins were introduced during the Millennium event and retconned Paul Kirk and other heroes who took the name Manhunter as being unwitting agents of the android Manhunters.

John Ostranders Martian Manhunter run also claimed that the Guardians named their Manhunters after Martian Manhunters. Think it was said that Martian Manhunters was a Green Martian term for their peacekeepers/detectives before the fall of their civilisation.

If I had one problem with Ostrander's Manhunter series it was he tried a bit too hard - was a bit too incessant - in his need to tie in and originate EVERYTHING from Martian and Martian society.

"Oh, look, the billenia old Guardians named their peacekeeping force after the Martians"

"Oh, look, J'onn's father actually discovered the Anti Life Equation and gave Darkseid the whole idea for his quest."

"Oh, look, turns out J'onn basically ran the golden age of heroes."

"Oh, look, J'onn was a formative influence on Superman as a child."


It's just a little bit TOO much. A little too cloying.

[MajorHoy]

If you want to know about the old-school, traditional Manhunters, you should look back to the 1970's.


I believe was the earliest mention that this was an old group that Paul Kirk was a part of.


started a storyline where we learned more about the Manhunters and their connection to the Green Lantern Corps

and it was during the Millenium event post-CoIE where more was revealed about their origins.

[Jadenewt]

I always liked the Paul Kirk Manhunter's costume. The character was kind of Ehh.. but I always thought the costume was very different and memorable.

[theXfactor]

That costume is definitely memorable, but not in a very good way, LOL.

[Harbinger of Apocalypse]

If I had one problem with Ostrander's Manhunter series it was he tried a bit too hard - was a bit too incessant - in his need to tie in and originate EVERYTHING from Martian and Martian society.

"Oh, look, the billenia old Guardians named their peacekeeping force after the Martians"

"Oh, look, J'onn's father actually discovered the Anti Life Equation and gave Darkseid the whole idea for his quest."

"Oh, look, turns out J'onn basically ran the golden age of heroes."

"Oh, look, J'onn was a formative influence on Superman as a child."


It's just a little bit TOO much. A little too cloying.

Hmmm, been a while since I read it but I had forgotten about that. Does seem that there quite a few ties to the overall DC universe. Really, the Apokolips war with Mars seemed like a pointless addition. The Martian Manhunters = inspired Manhunters seemed a bit odd but seemingly an attempt to link the name Manhunter to one another... I don't know how old the Green Martian race is in fluff but I always would have thought that if anything, the Oan Manhunters would have influenced the Martians. I don't actually mind J'onn watching Clark in his early years if he's been wandering for a long time but not being an influence on Superman as a child.

EDIT: On Manhunter costumes, I think my favourite is Mark Shaw's latter variant ninja-like costume. Shaw was the Manhunter I read first so he tends to be my favourite.

[MajorHoy]

I always liked the Paul Kirk Manhunter's costume. The character was kind of Ehh.. but I always thought the costume was very different and memorable.

That was an early 1970's update . . . he originally had the red-and-blue outfit.

[FanboyStranger]

This is one of the best series that DC ever published, one of those books that everyone should read.

[Toreador]

DC Comics has a long history with the name Manhunter starting with the first Manhunter (Dan Richards) that DC bought when its publisher Quality Comics went out of business in 1956 on up to the most recent Manhunter (Kate Spencer) which debuted in 2004. Along the way there was Paul Kirk, the clone of Paul Kirk (in the 70s), Mark Shaw, Chase Lawler and Kirk DePaul (another clone of Paul Kirk).

The Millennium storyline tied all the earth Manhunters (with the exception of the Chase Lawler Manhunter) as being manipulated/controlled by the robotic Manhunters created by the Guardians of the Universe.

[Robotman4]

the Golden Age Manhunter was drawn by the one and only JACK KIRBY! this is one of my favorite covers.