One of the more popular tropes in science fiction literature is the idea that aliens are hiding among us, either secretly studying our culture for unknown reasons or trying to assimilate into human culture and live a normal life. It’s a theme used to play upon society’s fear of the unknown, the lingering distrust many feel towards our neighbor and friends, and the struggle that many face trying to fit into a culture that sees them as different. Superhero comics have played on the idea that aliens secretly live among us many times, both on the side of good (Superman) and bad (the shape-shifting Skrull race).
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With one eye towards the stars and the other peering over our neighbor’s fence, here’s five alien superheroes trying to live secretly on our world:
Martian Manhunter
Matt Damon might play “The Martian” in theatres, but the Martian Manhunter will always be the Martian in the eyes of many superhero fans. The last survivor of a race of green-skinned aliens living on Mars, J’onn J’onnz became trapped on Earth after a scientist accidentally teleported him to our planet with an experimental device. With no way to return to his homeworld, J’onnz used his natural shapeshifting abilities to adopt the identity of John Jones and became a police detective, which tied into his former occupation on Mars. J’onnz lived in secret on Earth for years until superheroes started to appear, which inspired him to adopt the Martian Manhunter identity and joined the Justice League as one of its founding members. J’onnz would later discard his Jones identity, seeing no need to hide from humans any longer.
Icon
One of Milestone Media’s greatest superheroes, Icon was an alien who crashed to Earth during the 19th century and adopted the identity of a black man named Augustus. Augustus lived in secret for over 100 years, becoming a rich corporate lawyer. After burglars broke into his home, Augustus used his powers for the first time in years. One of the robbers, a teenage girl named Raquel, convinced Augustus to become a superhero and used his alien technology to become his sidekick, Rocket. Icon clashed with many of his fellow Milestone superheroes, due to his conservative politics and stiff personality, which softened as he spent more time with Rocket. While Icon and the rest of the Milestone characters briefly merged with the DC Universe in 2008, Icon hasn’t appeared in comics in nearly four years. However, Milestone and DC Comics recently announced plans for an “Earth-M” line featuring the Milestone characters, which means we may see more Icon in the near future.
Invincible
A superhero creation of Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Invincible is Mark Grayson, a young half-alien and the son of Omni-Man, the greatest superhero on the planet. Grayson always knew that he was half-alien; however, he didn’t know that his father was a plant sent to Earth to infiltrate its culture and destabilize it in the precursor to a full-blown invasion. When Omni-Man kills Earth’s other major superheroes and reveals his true purpose on Earth, Mark unexpectedly rises up against him. After a bloody and brutal battle between the two, Omni-Man beats Mark nearly to death and leaves the planet in tears. With Earth’s heroes decimated, Mark would take his father’s place as Earth’s first line of defense against strange alien threats. Invincible follows Grayson from his high school days and into young adulthood, defending Earth from alien invasions and other escalating threats in often blood fashion. If you’re looking to read a comic that both celebrates and subverts the superhero genre, give Invincible a try.
Hawkman and Hawkwoman
While originally introduced as reincarnated Egyptian warriors, DC rebooted Hawkman and Hawkwoman in the Silver Age to give them a more sci-fi based origin. Instead of Carter and Shiera Hall, Hawkman and Hawkwoman were now Katar and Sheyera Hol, two alien police officers from Thanagar. After pursuing an alien criminal to Earth, Hawkman and Hawkwoman decided to stay on the planet and study America’s law enforcement techniques. DC would later merge Hawkman and Hawkwoman’s Golden Age and Silver Age identities, creating a muddled continuity that took years to unravel. When DC rebooted its continuity in 2011, the company used Hawkman’s Thanagarian backstory, now establishing him as an exile hiding from people on Earth.
Hawkman and Hawkwoman are set to appear in Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow this fall, but it appears that they’ll use the character’s Golden Age origins instead of an extraterrestrial background.
Ultragirl
Teen Suzy Sherman was a struggling model living in Los Angeles who finally got her big break working on a photoshoot. However, Suzy unexpectedly grew several inches and put on significant muscle mass before the shoot, leading to modeling agency rejecting her. Suzy didn’t understand the changes going through her body until a Sentinel attacked her and outed her as an alien hybrid with mutant powers. Suzy began a superhero career as Ultragirl, hoping to use her new fame to advance her career. She’d also slowly learn about her Kree heritage and how she wound up on Earth. Ultragirl would befriend the New Warriors and Captain Marvel, another superhero with Kree origins, and briefly wore Captain Marvel’s original uniform after graduating from the 50 State Initiative.
