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| Jemm | |
| Aliases: | Son of Saturn |
| Continuity: | DC Universe |
| Notability: | Main character |
| Type: | Superhero |
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | Saturnian |
| Location: | Saturn Harlem, New York City, New York |
| Relatives: | Jaxx [1] Jarlla [2] |
| Status: | Alive |
| First: | Jemm, Son of Saturn #1 |
| Actor: | Charles Halford |
Jemm is a fictional alien character featured in comic books published by DC Comics. He was the titular protagonist of his own twelve-issue limited series, Jemm, Son of Saturn, which was published from September, 1984 to August, 1985. At the time of publication, it was unclear whether Jemm's story was considered part of the mainstream DC Universe or not. Jemm was not seen for many years following the events of this series, but returned as a regular character in the DCU in the pages of JLA, beginning with issue #9. He also appeared in the "Rings of Saturn" storyline in issues 13-16 of Martian Manhunter, Volume 2. A live-action version of the character appeared in the "Human for a Day" episode of Supergirl in 2015, where he was played by actor Charles Halford.
Biography[]
Jemm was an adult male alien from the planet Saturn. He was the son of King Jaxx and Queen Jarlla. Jemm possessed psychokinetic abilities, which he could channel through a blue gemstone that he wore upon his brow. Like all Saturnians, Jemm was a genetic offshoot of the Martians, whose physiology is based on clone samples culled from the Green Martian species.
Many years ago, a contingent of aggressive White Martians staged a coup on Saturn, forcing Jemm and his mother to flee the royal palace. They took up sanctuary in a cave, where they met a sympathetic White Martian named Rahani, who cared for them and mentored Jemm in the use of his powers.
When Jemm learned that his lover Syraa had left Saturn and fled to a planet called Earth, Jemm committed himself to tracking her down. He arrived on the planet and took up temporary residence in the United States, and operated out of the Harlem area of New York City. He befriended a young boy named Luther Mannkin. [3]
Jemm later became the pawn of Lex Luthor, who used the Philosopher's Stone to take control of Jemm's mind. As such, he became a member of Luthor's Injustice Gang. The Green Martian superhero, the Martian Manhunter, discovered what had happened, and used his own powerful telepathic abilities to free Jemm's mind, but doing so left Jemm in a catatonic state.
Jemm eventually recovered from his catatonia and returned to Saturn, where he was forced take part in an arranged marriage of convenience in order to quell a violent dispute between warring factions of Red and White Saturnians. [4]
Supergirl[]
Jemm on Supergirl.
A version of Jemm appeared in the "Human for a Day" episode of Supergirl where he was played by actor Charles Halford. Jemm was re-imagined as a villain and was the primary antagonist of the episode.
Jemm was but one of many aliens captured by the D.E.O. and kept in containment in the organization's underground facility in National City. Because of Jemm's acute mental abilities, he was kept inside of a specially designed glass cell, which contained neural disruptors to dampen his powers. An earthquake caused a brief power outage in National City, but before the D.E.O. generators could compensate, Jemm had escaped from his cell.
He stalked the corridors of the facility, using his powers to kill and/or take control of various D.E.O. agents. Agent Alex Danvers goaded Jemm into coming after her, and succeeded in luring him back to his containment room. Situated on an upper walkway, she tried to take him down with an assault rifle, but Jemm's alien physiology enabled him to shrug off the bullets with little effort. However, she did succeed in shooting the gemstone off of his forehead.
D.E.O. administrator Hank Henshaw, who was in reality the shape-shifting Martian J'onn J'onzz risked exposing his true identity to stop Jemm. Using enhanced speed and reflexes, he tackled the villain and beat him into submission.
Abilities[]
- Alien physiology: Jemm's unique alien physiology grants him abilities that are common to members of his race, but sets him apart from humans.
- Empathy: Jemm possessed low level telepathy, which mostly took the form of being able to perceive the emotional state of others.
- Mind control: On Supergirl, Jemm had the ability to telepathically communicate with others, and could also take full mental control of anyone within his facility.
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Jemm was created by writer Greg Potter and artists Gene Colan and Klaus Janson.
- The blue gemstone that Jemm wears upon his brow is called the Mark of Jargon. It is named after a venerated Saturnian known as Jargon the Mighty.
- Actor Charles Halford, who played Jemm in the "Human for a Day" episode of Supergirl, is also known for playing the role of another DC Comics character. Halford played Chas Chandler on the short-lived NBC TV series Constantine.
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Father, also known as King Jaxx; leader of the Red Saturnians.
- ↑ Mother, also known as Queen Jarlla; political exile.
- ↑ Jemm, Son of Saturn 1
- ↑ Martian Manhunter Vol 2 13