<span class="SFPTagline">
From SCIFIPEDIA
</span>
Malefic is a fictional comic book super-villain owned by DC Comics. He is the arch nemesis of Justice League member Martian Manhunter.
Malefic is actually J'onn's brother, born on Mars, an outcast from birth. Malefic was born without the telepathic abilities native to all Martians. With J'onn's help, he did develop telepathic abilities later in life, but used them to sell out his people to the villain Darkseid of the New Gods. When he is found out and arrested by his own brother, these telepathic powers are stripped from him by the Martian authorities. Resentful of his lot, Malefic plans revenge on all of Mars. He employs something called Hronmeer's Curse, a telepathic plague that accesses Martians through their telepathic power and causes them to die by virtue of the illusion it provides. Of course, not having telepathy, Malefic himself would be immune. Malefic's plan works, and almost all Martians die in, what is to them, a screaming, flaming death. J'on J'onzz manages to shield his mind from the plague, and becomes one of the very few surviving Martians. The two engage in a terrible shape-shifting battle, the result of which is that Malefic is entombed (apparently) forever under tons of rubble. Later, after mourning his people, particularly his wife and daughter, Jon is accidently transported to Earth. In the meantime, Malefic survives, and crawls out of the rubble, and wanders Mars alone and miserable. When he discovers that Jon has survived on Earth, he begins to plot his revenge.
Malefic has all the powers of a Martian (super-strength, invulnerability, flight, invisibility, shape-shifting) except for telepathy. He can also tolerate fire, the vulnerability of all other Martians.
Interesting note: John Ostrander seems to have gotten Malefic's name from the term "malefic planet", which is a planet that, when appearing in the sky, usually portends bad luck. Mars is considered a "lesser malefic".
2008, SCI FI. All rights reserved.
