Martian Manhunter #1 (of 8)

Writer: A.J. Lieberman
DC Comics, $2.99
The Others Among Us, Part 1

Martian Manhunter has, for the last month, been searching for another Green Martian on Earth.

In a flashback, the other Martian escapes from where he is being kept. Government agents search for him, but he disappears. A woman, Ms. Ferdinand, is briefing three scientists on what happened. She is angry with the scientist in charge, Dr. Rodney, because the Martian escaped. He claims that there was no evidence that the Martian had regained any of its abilities. Rodney says they had no way of knowing that this would happen. Ms. Ferdinand asks Dr. Figo if he agrees with Dr. Rodney’s supposition, and, when he doesn’t, Ms. Ferdinand shoots and kills Dr, Rodney and puts Dr. Figo in charge of the lab.

Another agent, Giggs, arrives. He says that they have to capture the alien before it gets telepathic again and contacts Martian Manhunter. They have thirty minutes to either get it back to the lab or kill it. Giggs calls someone from the Liberty List. When Ms. Ferdinand whispers the “protocol sequence” (Twice around, then slip and fall down. Twice around, then wake and be found) into the agent’s ear, his eyes flash bright.

In the present, Martian Manhunter, in his new costume and shape, searches for the other Martian telepathically. He finds him, but there is a robot trying to capture the other Martian. Martian Manhunter destroys the robot. He goes into an abandoned building, where a voice begins to talk to him from a phone. Martian Manhunter does not recognize the voice, which tells him that it wants him to join it, that they can do great things together. Martian Manhunter declines, and realizes that the voice has something to do with the other Martian. He finds the other Martian in the same building, but a psionic pulse, an artificial version of what Green Martians produce, hits them. Civilians are afraid of Martian Manhunter, and do not recognize him in his natural state. He finally finds the other Martian, whose name is Roh Kar, who is promptly shot with a psionic pulse and bursts into flames. As he dies, Roh Kar tells Martian Manhunter that there are others like them. Martian Manhunter goes after the agent sent by Ms. Ferdinand, seemingly killing him. Martian Manhunter says that he is now filled with an emotion he never thought himself capable of: hate.