Marvel vs DC · Cosmic
Martian Manhunter vs Jean Grey
The greatest telepath in the DC universe meets the greatest in Marvel. One of them carries a cosmic fire. He fears fire.
Tale of the tape
| DC | Universe | Marvel |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmic | Tier | Cosmic |
| Shapeshifting, intangibility, telepathy and Superman-level strength | Strength | Telepathy, telekinesis and the Phoenix Force |
| Fire, the ancient terror of his people | Weakness | The Phoenix is fire, and fire can consume |
| 0–2 | Record on Versus | 3–0 |
The Arena
J’onn J’onzz felt a mind reaching across the multiverse, enormous and bright, and reached back. Jean Grey felt the same thing from the other side. Their minds touched, and for a moment, both of them were stunned: neither had ever met a telepath as strong as themselves.
They met in a place that was not a place: a mindscape, a landscape built from both of their memories at once. Mars, red and empty. Westchester, green and full of children. “You are very powerful,” J’onn said, his voice calm. “And very frightened of something inside you.” Jean smiled sadly. “And you are very lonely.”
J’onn tilted his head. “Shall we see which of us is stronger?” Jean nodded slowly. “Carefully.”
Round One
They fought with thoughts. J’onn pressed into Jean’s mind with a force like a tide, trying to calm her, to hold her still. Jean pushed back with telekinesis made of memory, building walls out of the faces of her friends. The mindscape shifted around them, Mars and Westchester blending into each other.
J’onn was older and more disciplined, a telepath who had shaped his mind over centuries. He found gaps in Jean’s defences and slipped through them, gently. Jean was rawer and more powerful, and when he slipped through, she closed the gaps behind him, trapping him inside her memories.
He found himself standing in a hospital room, watching a young Jean scream as her friend died in front of her. He felt her grief. It was very much like his own.
The Turn
J’onn went deeper, searching for the source of her fear, and found it: a vast, ancient fire coiled in the centre of her mind, sleeping. The Phoenix. He reached toward it, curious, and it opened its eyes.
Fire. The one thing every Martian fears above everything else. The Phoenix rose in the mindscape, wings of flame stretching across both their memories, and J’onn recoiled, his form flickering, the ancient terror of his people flooding through him.
Jean felt his fear and, for the first time, felt the Phoenix respond not to her anger but to her protectiveness. She did not want to hurt him. She wanted to protect him from the thing inside her.
The Finish
She stepped between J’onn and the Phoenix, and the fire bent around them both, not burning, just holding. She pushed J’onn gently out of her mind, back into his own, and the mindscape dissolved. The two of them opened their eyes in the real world, facing each other in an empty field.
J’onn was on his knees, shaking. Jean knelt beside him. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have warned you.” J’onn looked at her with wide red eyes. “You carry that every day?” Jean nodded. “Every day.” J’onn was silent for a long time. “Then you are much stronger than I am,” he said.
She helped him up. They spent the afternoon talking without words, sharing memories of the people they had lost, and when they parted, both of them felt less alone than they had in years. Neither of them called it a fight. But both knew who had won.
The verdict
Jean Grey wins
J’onn is the more disciplined telepath and slips past Jean’s defences, but at the core of her mind is the Phoenix, a cosmic fire, and fire is the oldest terror of the Martian people.
- The Phoenix ForceA cosmic power far beyond J’onn’s.
- FireJ’onn’s greatest weakness.
- Raw psychic powerJean’s telepathy is stronger, if less disciplined.
How the rematch could go differently: A J’onn who never went deep enough to wake the Phoenix could outlast Jean with his discipline.
Who do you think wins?
Who would win in a fight between Martian Manhunter and Jean Grey?
Jean Grey wins. J’onn is the more disciplined telepath and slips past Jean’s defences, but at the core of her mind is the Phoenix, a cosmic fire, and fire is the oldest terror of the Martian people.