Who Is Malefic? Origin, Powers and Key Facts

Malefic is a DC Comics comic book character, the alter ego of Ma'alefa'ak J'onzz, with over 32 comic issue appearances. A scientist from Mars, and a devotee of Darkseid, Malefic created a plague that wiped out nearly all Martians. His older twin brother J'onn opposed him and they thought each other dead after a pitched battle. Years later, Ma'alefa'ak found his brother to be alive on Earth and followed to torment him once more. Ma'alefa'ak became a Red Martian after practicing the forbidden Anti-Red science, which lets him manipulate blood and tap into The Red, a dark aspect of the morphogenetic field.

Who is Malefic?

Story Arcs Crime, Punishment and Revenge The trial of Ma'alefa'ak Ma'alefa'ak was the twin brother of J'onn J'onzz (the Martian Manhunter.) He was brought in before the Assembly of Minds by J'onn to answer for the crime of "mind rape", the most serious offense a Martian can commit. Ma'alefa'ak argued that he had needs that the Assembly was not prepared to admit or cope with, pleading insane. J'onn responded that his brother did not seek their help and violated the very essence that held the Martian society together. He was found guilty and the sentence passed down to him was to scrub his memory clean and shut down his telepathic abilities so that he would never remember who he was, what he did, or that he ever had the Martian gift of telepathy. Angry and defiant, Ma'alefa'ak exclaimed that his heart would still hate even if it didn't understand why, and swore vengeance upon the entire Martian race. His memory wiped, his telepathy removed, Ma'alefa'ak was (to the Assembly of Minds) reborn to start again. Believing himself now to be born without telepathy, Ma'alefa'ak considered himself the "freak". Now immune to the Martian weakness of fire, he served as a priest/scientist at the Ce.

Key facts

Malefic is of alien origin and first appeared in "Pilgrimage". The character is published by DC Comics. With 32 recorded issue appearances, Malefic ranks among the most featured characters in comics.