Notice! Contains spoilers for Justice League Unlimited #2!
DC Comics fans know this Superman He is often considered one of the most important heroes in the publisher's history. However, just because Superman is given more importance than other characters doesn't mean they don't predate him, at least in lore. Although the character of Superman was obviously created first, Martian Manhunter is confirmed to be, essentially, a sort of proto-Superman.
Justice League Unlimited #2 – written by Mark Waid, with art by Dan Mora – continues the new title's premise of uniting unexpected DC heroes, which leads to a moment where Doctor Occult comments that he sees Martian Manhunter as “Superman before Superman.“
This is a really fun observation for a few reasons. While Superman definitely predates the creation of Martian Manhunter in the real world, the idea that Martian Manhunter first existed on Earth is an exciting part of the history of the DC comics universe, due to a simple difference between Superman and Martian Manhunter. Mars.
In the DC universe timeline, Martian Manhunter was a hero long before Superman
Justice League Unlimited #2 – Written by Mark Waid; Art by Dan Mora; Color by Tamra Bonvillain; Ariana Maher Lyrics
After the events of Absolute Power, the Justice League returned more powerful than ever. While the Justice League is usually just a group of seven or eight, the team is now made up of all of Earth's heroes. But not all heroes are at their full power, as several heroes have had their powers moved and changed. During a conversation with Doctor Hidden, Martian Manhunter reveals that his powers have been greatly diminished, and that's when Doctor Hidden offers his surprising observation.
Martian Manhunter deserves credit for his long history as a hero, which predates even Superman.
This is noteworthy because Martian Manhunter's subtle parallels to Superman deserve more attention. Both are alien, not of Earth origin, and both are extremely powerful. There is, however, one big difference between them, which is appearance. Superman appears human, which allows him to immediately fit into Earth society in a way that Martian Manhunter – who had to adopt a human disguise while also striving to keep his true appearance a secret – never could. Still, Martian Manhunter deserves credit for his long history as a hero, which predates even Superman.
Martian Manhunter had to help humanity from the shadows while Superman shined in the spotlight
Or else Earth could have rejected him
The fact that Superman looks like a human allows him to be Earth's foremost champion. Martian Manhunter didn't have that luxury. In his basic form, there's no denying the fact that Martian Manhunter is clearly an alien. He has no human features and is completely green. He could be quite frightening to humanity. This resulted in Martian Manhunter changing shape to a more humanoid appearance, and in his secret identity he took on the form of a human. This perfectly explains how Martian Manhunter could have been one of DC's biggest heroes since the beginning, but never one of the spotlight.
Martian Manhunter is a hero, but most people are unlikely to be able to see past his appearance. Instead of being in the public eye, the Martian Manhunter had to mostly solve problems in the shadows. After Superman came along and made humanity more comfortable with the idea of aliens, that's when Martian Manhunter could start to be seen in his humanoid form, with his true form still being kept out of the public eye. It's unfortunate, but it's perfectly explains how Martian Manhunter been able to be Superman before Superman.
Justice League Unlimited #2 is now available from DC Comics!