Walt Johnson

Walt Johnson Jack Johnson and Walter Johnson Name: Jack Johnson Walter Johnson Walter Johnson Jr. Alias: Jackie, Walt, Doc Johnson Born: New York City, NY Species: Human* (Green Martian) Affiliation: United States Army / ASA Area 51 / A.R.G.U.S. Gotham Globe (Jr.) Role: False identities of J'onn J'onzz Faction: United States Army / A.R.G.U.S. Played by: Captain Untouchable Actor: Vondie Curtis-Hall

Jackie Johnson and Walt Johnson - and Walter Johnson Jr. - are three prolific aliases used by the Martian John Jones, during the 20th and 21st Centuries.

History

J'onn J'onzz first adopted the name and identity of Jackie Johnson in New York City during the Great Depression. By day he worked as a medical orderly at a hospital in Harlem, but supplemented his income as a semi-professional boxer, earning his way towards enrollment in medical school. By 1942 he was a medical student, but stepped away from his studies to enlist in the United States Army. On the surface, Johnson was merely another African American volunteering to stand up for his fellow man against the Third Reich, but in reality, J'onn saw the Nazis as a new incarnation of the same evils he had witnessed first-hand from the White Martians on his homeworld, and as someone living as a black man in America for a century or two.

Private Johnson was assigned to Easy Company, where he served as a rifleman and field medic for the remainder of the war. When hostilities ended in 1945, he was transferred to a military hospital in American-occupied Germany, granted special dispensation for his service there to count towards the residences required to progress his medical qualifications. By the time Johnson returned home in early 1947, he was able to apply for a Residency at Harlem Hospital.

Later the same year, J'onn was made aware of an impending asteroid collision, one that humanity was in no way equipped to repulse. Though struggling to come to terms with the manner in which the United States had helped bring an end to World War II - acts like the attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki echoed attacks made by the White Martians during their war with the Red Martians - the prospect of a potential extinction level event, at such a crucial moment when humanity had the potential to begin becoming something better, struck J'onn as deeply and cosmically unfair. The only person equipped to act, J'onn made use of a Martian Bio-Ship to deflect the offending asteroid onto a safer trajectory, but in the process damaged the ship to such an extent that he was unable to conceal his reentry. Spotted by the USAAF, he was shot down and, too wounded to escape or disguise his Martian form, taken into military custody.

Walter Johnson

After two decades of captivity, study, and experimentation, J'onn J'onzz managed to earn the trust of his captors, and began to demonstrate his usefulness as an ally. Though Jackie Johnson had been declared dead in the forties following his disappearance, J'onn adopted the guise of Walter Johnson, his "nephew", as an officer of the Army Security Agency (ASA). He served with the Agency in various capacities, in particular as a military liaison with Project Cadmus, based out of Metropolis. When the ASA was restructured in 1977 and merged with military intelligence into INSCOM, Johnson was transferred instead to A.R.G.U.S., part of the newly created Department of Energy, as an officer at Area 51.

J'onn would later retire his Walter Johnson identity, in favour of John Jones, an identity that formally recognised J'onn as an American citizen and ex-patriate of Mars. His continuing service with A.R.G.U.S. however eventually led to a third iteration of the identity, Walter Johnson Jr., Walter's "son". As Walt Junior, he established a career as a journalist, working freelance for a number of newspapers over the years, as a means by which A.R.G.U.S. could discretely insert cover stories and alternate narratives into the media without the appearance of tampering. Walt's key function was to create reasonable doubt where needed, discrediting news stories that might prove harmful to society by offering a more reasonable - and usually sceptical - alternative explanation. Walt eventually became a primary "civilian" identity for J'onn as well, allowing him to establish a modest home life that was distinct and separate from the life of Agent John Jones. Walt Johnson currently resides in Gotham, working freelance for the Gotham Globe; J'onn regards this as his primary residence.

Personality

See: John Jones

Special Abilities

See: John Jones

Family

See: John Jones

Timeline

See: John Jones

Appendices

• In the comics, Walt Johnson is a scientist working for Project Cadmus. Walt Johnson Jr is a clone, created by Cadmus, who is part of the Newsboy Legion.

Out of Character

Jace has been around on the site since January 2007. He knows all the things, including board lore, random trivia, and really really terrible jokes and puns.