2. The Green Martian

2. The Green Martian Spoilers for Absolute Martian Manhunter #1–12. Starting with the Green Martian, the first thing to keep straight is that John Jones and the Martian are two separate characters. John is the human being trying to work, keep his family together, and understand what is happening to him. The Martian is the consciousness connected to him. That relationship is where this version's abilities start. [Camp on the two characters](https://www.dc.com/blog/2025/03/25/absolute-interview-martian-manhunter-is-twice-the-hero-he-usually-is) Martian Vision gives John access to thoughts, emotions, and memories he wouldn't normally perceive. But the Martian can also enter that mental territory directly. In the Trigger Taylor confrontation, John is trying to reach the person standing in front of him while the Martian deals with the destructive influence inside his mind. They are working on the same problem from different sides. [Their approach in issue #2](https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/04/absolute-martianmanhunter-flash-wonderwoman/) That connection can reach beyond one person. At the end of the first arc, John and the Martian help open Middleton's people to one another's experiences. That disrupts the fear and hostility the White Martian is using. The benefit is a shared perspective that changes how people respond to each other, with real consequences for the fight. [The breakthrough in issue #6](https://www.comicsbeat.com/dc-round-up-is-absolute-martian-manhunter-the-best-absolute-book/) There are physical effects too, and #10 gives us a particularly clear example. After a firefly from the Martian reaches John, the firing squad's bullets pass through him. He then runs through Rainbow and a wall. John follows his connection to the Martian into the realm containing Nihilo Bay and reaches his imprisoned partner. So describing everything they do as merely reading minds would leave out a demonstrated part of their capabilities. [John's phasing and rescue in issue #10](https://comicbook.com/comics/feature/dc-just-confirmed-that-an-absolute-hero-has-superpowers-so-how-strong-is-he/) That still doesn't mean John can ignore every attack whenever he wants. These are feats shown under particular circumstances, not a guarantee of permanent invulnerability. The Martian has vulnerabilities of his own. He can travel through other minds without John, but the Agency follows the psychic trail he leaves. It captures him using weapons that work on the same conceptual level he inhabits, including the idea of a gun. An incorporeal being can still be trapped when the attacker knows how to reach it. [The Agency's capture in issue #8](https://comicbook.com/comics/review/absolute-martian-manhunter-8-has-a-powerful-message-for-the-world-review/) So the Green Martian's demonstrated abilities include mental access, movement through consciousness, shared perception, and a connection through which John can cross barriers he physically couldn't before. The empathy matters because of what they use those abilities to accomplish. It isn't a reason to assume every green figure in this universe has an identical power set.