| Ma'alefa'ak | |
|---|---|
 Ma'alefa'ak as depicted inMartian Manhunter (vol. 4) #10 (May 2016). Art byEddy Barrows. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Martian Manhunter (vol. 2) #0 (October 1998) |
| Created by | John Ostrander andTom Mandrake |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Ma'alefa'ak J'onzz |
| Species | Green Martian |
| Place of origin | Mars |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Doom |
| Notable aliases | Malefic Malefic Jones |
| Abilities |
|
Ma'alefa'ak (also known asMalefic andMalefic Jones) is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics, usually depicted as thearchenemy of his twin brother, the superheroMartian Manhunter. Created by writerJohn Ostrander and artistTom Mandrake, the character first appeared inMartian Manhunter (vol. 2) #0 (October 1998).
The character has appeared in various media outside comics. He appeared in the animated filmJustice League: Doom, voiced byCarl Lumbly; the live-action seriesSupergirl, portrayed byPhil LaMarr; and the animated seriesYoung Justice, where he is voiced byBenjamin Diskin and depicted as aWhite Martian.
The character first appears in aflashback sequence inMartian Manhunter (vol. 2) #0 (October 1998) and in a storyline in the same title in issues #3–6 (February–May 1999) by writerJohn Ostrander and artistTom Mandrake.
Ma'alefa'ak is a native of the planetMars, and his parents were influential in Martian society: his mother, J'ahrl J'onzz, and his father,M'yrnn J'onzz. He is the younger twin brother and was already prophesied to be his brother's arch-nemesis, J'onn J'onzz, also known as the Martian Manhunter. Twins are rare on Mars, and Martian society believed that twins were meant to be one amalgam, divided between light and darkness.[1] His mother, a precognitive mystic, had a vision before their birth, in which she saw that one of her sons would betray their people, while the other would become the champion of their race. As a result, she named one of her sons J'onn J'onzz, which means 'Light to the Light', and the other Ma'alefa'ak, meaning 'darkness in the heart'. Ma'alefa'ak grew up feeling like an outcast among his people, with only his twin's love, the only one who did not reject him.[2]
While J'onn grew up to become a Manhunter, a police officer, Ma'alefa'ak turned to science, becoming a scientist and sorcerer. He turned against his people and despised his culture, even his own relatives, especially his mother, whom he blamed for what he became. Following a failed attempt to find theAnti-Life Equation, Ma'alefa'ak's memories,pyrophobia, and telepathy are removed and he is made to believe that he was born lacking the latter. Ma'alefa'ak later kills theMartians with a psychic curse, which J'onn survives by temporarily sealing his telepathy.[3]
With his race destroyed and Martian Manhunter on Earth, Ma'alefa'ak lives alone on Mars for centuries. After learning that J'onn is alive, Ma'alefa'ak follows him to Earth and attempts to kill him. However, J'onn erases Ma'alefa'ak's telepathic block, leading him to be consumed by the sun.[4]
InThe New 52 continuity reboot, Ma'alefa'ak is reintroduced in a 2015 storyline in which the Earth-born survivors of the Martian extinction build a weapon to infiltrate and enslave Earth.[5]
Ma'alefa'ak possesses abilities similar to theMartian Manhunter and all other Green Martians. The character has superhuman levels of strength, stamina speed and durability. Other base abilities include "Martian vision" (projecting energy beams from his eyes). Complete control of his molecular structure also allows Ma'alefa'ak toshapeshift, regenerate, and utilizeinvisibility and intangibility. Ma'alefa'ak also possessestelekinesis, and originally possessedtelepathy, although this ability was removed by the Council of Mars.[1]
Although Martians can be weakened by fire and suffer from pyrophobia ("H'ronmeer's Curse"), Ma'alefa'ak did not share this weakness due to the removal of his telepathic abilities. When Martian Manhunter removed the telepathic block instilled by the Council, Ma'alefa'ak regained his telepathic abilities but was also once again susceptible to fire, his vulnerability stronger than the standard Green Martian due to his lack of experience at resisting the flames.[6]
Ma'alefa'ak appears inJustice League: Doom, voiced byCarl Lumbly.[7] This version is a member ofVandal Savage'sLegion of Doom.
Ma'alefa'ak appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[9]
A White Martian variation of Ma'alefa'ak appears inBatman: The Brave and the Bold #18.[10][11]
