White Martian

**White Martians**, also known as **Pale Martians**, are one of two extraterrestrial races native to the planet Mars.

## History

As a race of shapeshifters, physical appearance has little meaning for Martians. The underlying psychological differences are what separated the peaceful Green Martians from the war-like Whites. White Martians have configured their physiology to reflect their philosophy, becoming a separate race from the Green Martians, and the Yellow Martians. In the current DC continuity, their preferred form is that of angular, hairless humanoids with chalky white skin which often forms bony ridges or plates, giving them the appearance of armor. They have sometimes been seen to have a gaping mouth on their thorax and a horn on the same level on each side.

It was eventually retconned that the White Martians and Green Martians did not originally co-inhabit Mars together as was previously believed. In reality the green and white Martians were part of the same race, known as "The Burning". This race used fire to reproduce asexually and were belligerent to all. The Guardians of the Universe, fearing the ruthlessly and violently powerful Martians, genetically split the Martian race into two distinct species, white and green, preventing the asexual reproduction. They also gave these two new races an instinctive fear of fire to prevent either group from ever accessing their full potential. Also they altered their powers so one race could never completely overcome the other. The timeframe for this genetic tampering was given as 20,000 years ago, contemporary with the early life of Vandal Savage on Earth, in *JLA* series 2 #86.

While the Green Martians were peaceful philosophers, the White Martians were savage warriors. A lengthy civil war between the two races ended when the few surviving White Martians were rounded up and exiled to the extra-dimensional "Still Zone" (apparently distinct from Superman's Phantom Zone, in which they were later imprisoned again).

## Powers and Abilities

Like the Green Martians, White Martians have numerous superhuman powers and abilities that are not possessed by humans, including great strength, flight, invisibility, telepathy, shape-changing, phase-shifting (sometimes called variable density) which allows them to be either invulnerably tough or completely immaterial, and "Martian vision", but they also share the Green Martians' vulnerability to fire. One of the White Martians disguised itself as a Senator and had superspeed, though not on the level of the Flash. This same White Martian was shown to be able to quickly recover as well as reformation after (apparently) having its head shot off. It was also shown in this appearance breaking a pair of handcuffs by waving her hand near them. The phase-shifting ability is not depicted in their first post-Crisis appearance. Also, their power of flight initially seemed limited to within an atmosphere.

* **Shape-shifting:** Able to transform into any living organism, android or creature. A higher level of training is required to shape-shift into forms that are very different from a Martian's natural form. Furthermore, with sufficient skill, a Martian can actually partially manifest aspects of their true natures, such as their inhuman physical strength, while assuming an alternate form.
* **Camouflage/Invisibility:** White Martians possess the ability to blend within the environment by changing the appearance of their form to bend the light waves around them to match with their surroundings, becoming near-invisible.
* **Immunity:** White Martians are immune to human diseases.
* **Accelerated Healing Factor:** Due to their shape-shifting powers, White Martians heal faster than humans.
* **Invulnerability:** White Martian bodies are denser than a humans but not nearly as durable as a Kryptonian. White Martians are also immune to human diseases.
* **Density shifting:** Density shifting enables Martians to move through solid objects or to increase their density to become near or completely invulnerable. This is an advanced technique not innately possessed by all Martians. It requires a considerable amount of training to master.
* **Super Strength:** White Martians are stronger than humans, though not as strong as Kryptonians. However, like the Green Martians, White Martians can augment their strength by focusing their telekinesis in their body and use it in a tactile way.
* **Splitting:** White Martians are able to split a sticky matter out of their mouths.
* **Durability:** White Martian bodies are denser than a humans but not nearly as durable as a Kryptonian.
* **Telepathy:** On Mars, all White Martians use telepathy to communicate.
* **Telekinesis:** White Martians have the ability to manipulate, move and control objects with the power of one's mind without physically touching them.
* **Flight:** By telekinetically moving themselves, White Martians can simulate flight.