| Author |
|
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134938
|
| Posted: 25 July 2025 at 1:36am | IP Logged | 1
|
post reply
|
|
This evening I found myself drawn into JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. I found it strangely… respectful. But one thing got me pondering. A completely redesigned Amazo is syphoning off the powers of the “metahumans”, the Martian Manhunter among them. And I found myself thinking J’Onn’s powers aren’t really “meta”, are they? They’re part and parcel of his Martian physiology. All his people have them. So this would be akin to syphoning off a normal human runner’s speed—or my own ability to draw! (Amazo also stole power from Cyborg—who isn’t really “meta” either!)
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Marc Foxx
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5609
|
| Posted: 25 July 2025 at 3:02pm | IP Logged | 2
|
post reply
|
|
I don't have a lot of knowledge about Amazo, but wasn't the conceit that he stole or duplicated the powers of Justice Leaguers and there was a story where he (it?) was defeated when they disbanded the League?
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
| www
e-mail
|
| |
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134938
|
| Posted: 25 July 2025 at 6:32pm | IP Logged | 3
|
post reply
|
|
Amazo was somewhat mishandled right from the get go. On his first cover (my intro to the JLA) his creator is seen draining powers from captured JLA members--including Green Lantern. One could make a strong argument there that Hal Jordan's powers were "mechanical", not "meta".
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17767
|
| Posted: 25 July 2025 at 6:32pm | IP Logged | 4
|
post reply
|
|
JB, if you had writien a J’Onn J’Onzz series, would you have him use the John Jones secret identity?
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
| www
|
| |
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134938
|
| Posted: 25 July 2025 at 7:02pm | IP Logged | 5
|
post reply
|
|
JB, if you had writien a J’Onn J’Onzz series, would you have him use the John Jones secret identity?••• Can’t see much sense in doing otherwise, W’Allace!
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Brian ONeill
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 July 2024
Posts: 87
|
| Posted: 25 July 2025 at 8:06pm | IP Logged | 6
|
post reply
|
|
I've seen a story where J'onn's younger brother, T'Omm J'Onzz, appeared. Wish Uncle S'Pike J'Onzz had dropped in.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Marc Foxx
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5609
|
| Posted: 25 July 2025 at 8:42pm | IP Logged | 7
|
post reply
|
|
Brian ONeill wrote:
| I've seen a story where J'onn's younger brother, T'Omm J'Onzz, appeared. Wish Uncle S'Pike J'Onzz had dropped in |
|
|
That's not unusual...
Edited by Marc Foxx on 25 July 2025 at 8:42pm
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
| www
e-mail
|
| |
Mikael Bergkvist
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 May 2025
Location: Sweden
Posts: 9
|
| Posted: 25 July 2025 at 9:28pm | IP Logged | 8
|
post reply
|
|
How would Amazo’s powers really work? I think maybe he is like some quantum AI, imitating patterns like normal AI does, and reformulating a base source of energy to match that which he identified as a pattern, rather that stealing powers. Rather then, he is stealing their base energy and pattern adjust to be able to use it. Like a quantum universal converter. But I’m a nerd, maybe I need to take my pills…
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Jack Caleb Day
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 June 2025
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3
|
| Posted: 29 July 2025 at 12:24pm | IP Logged | 9
|
post reply
|
|
Always had similar thoughts about power draining/syphoning stories and how they question my Suspension Of Disbelief. Glad to know a veteran of the industry like yourself share's my thoughts.
This always weirdly bothered me even as a kid; I get why The Flash or Black Lightning would have their powers drained but I always felt like Superman or Martian Manhunter would not be able to lose their powers this way. E.G draining a pigeon of superpowers shouldn't stop it from flying as it's part of their default species physiology.
Also related to MM's own powers directly; how standard they are for his species actually somewhat various. In most cases they are but the Rebirth Martian Manhunter series has him as an enhanced Martian who's abilities are beyond those of regular Martians, though the rest still shapeshift and read minds. A Silver Age story I remember reading stated that Martian's have no powers on their homeworld ala Kryptonians and gain them from Earth's atmosphere; but this was very quickly dropped.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
