INSPECTOR CLARK

Real Name: Clark (first name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human user of extraterrestrial technology (1950s era)

Occupation: Postal inspector

Group Membership: United States Postal Service

Affiliations: Unidentified postmaster, unidentified postal clerk

Enemies: Martians

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unidentified city, somewhere in the USA

First Appearance: Uncanny Tales I#39/4 (January, 1956)

Powers/Abilities: A normal human being, Clark was a law-enforcement agent who was authorized to investigate crimes conducted through the U.S. Postal Service, including mail theft, mail fraud, and prohibited mailings.

While investigating one such case, he unintentionally teleported himself to the planet Mars with a Martian space-travel blaster.

Height: Unrevealed (6'2"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown

History:
(Uncanny Tales I#39/4 (fb) - BTS) - Clark's past is unrevealed, but he was employed by the United States Postal Service, where he eventually became a head postal inspector.

(Uncanny Tales I#39/4 (fb) - BTS) - A Martian used his space-travel blaster to teleport himself to Earth; but while he was touring an American city, he lost the blaster somewhere in a park.

   Wanting to have the device returned to him, the Martian mailed two letters -- the first, with payment enclosed, went to a post office in the city to rent Box 431 (the Martian apparently somehow set up the box to teleport any mail placed within it directly to Mars); the second letter went to the city's newspaper, also with cash enclosed, to run an ad in the newspaper's lost-and-found section: LOST WHILE TOURING THIS CITY...ONE PORTABLE SPACE-TRAVEL BLASTER. MAIL TO BOX 431. LARGE REWARD.

   Despite having lost his means of transportation, the Martian somehow returned to Mars (see comments).

(Uncanny Tales I#39/4) - The postmaster summoned Inspector Clark to his office and showed him the unusual lost-and-found ad. When he saw the words "space-travel blaster," Clark thought it was just some kind of gag; but believing that the ad was a code by hostile foreign powers using American postal facilities as a mail-drop, Clark's boss assigned him to check into it.

   Clark's first stop was at the newspaper office, hoping he might find a clue to the ad there; but he learned that the ad was placed anonymously, and that the letter itself had later disintegrated into dust.

   With growing interest, Clark went to the local post office where the box named in the ad was located -- the postal clerk mentioned that Box 431 was rented anonymously. Clark wrote a note requesting for the renter to contact him and left it in Box 431, then kept watch on the box until closing time, but saw no one approach it.

   The next morning, when the post office opened, Clark used the clerk's master key to open the locked box -- he found Box 431 to be empty, because his note was gone. Clark left another note in the box, then applied a wax sealant around the door of the box, so he would be able to tell if someone had opened it. But the following day, Clark found the wax seal untouched, yet when he used the master key and broke the seal, he found his note was gone. Clark placed another note into Box 431 and locked it again, then stationed himself in the post office and kept an eye on the box until closing time.

   For two days, Inspector Clark watched in vain, as each day his notes mysteriously vanished from the locked box. But then the clerk showed Clark an incoming package addressed to Box 431; using his official authority, Clark confiscated the package and opened it for inspection. The package contained what appeared to be a stereotypical "ray-gun" (which Clark figured to be either a kid's toy, or a prop for a television show), and an accompanying note from the person who found it requesting the promised reward.

   But while he was looking over the ray-gun, Clark absentmindedly pointed it at himself and accidentally touched the sensitive trigger -- a strange aura glowed around him, and Clark vanished before the shocked eyes of the clerk.

   The next morning, the postmaster was bewildered by his head inspector's startling disappearance; then he saw a new ad in the newspaper's lost-and-found section: FOUND ONE POSTAL INSPECTOR. IF ANYONE WISHES HIM TO BE RETURNED, CONTACT BOX 431.

   Meanwhile, on Mars, Clark begged to be sent home; the Martian admonished him for firing the space-travel blaster at himself, but told him to be patient, since if anyone on Earth wanted Clark back, the Martian would get the request from Box 431 (see comments).

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Syd Shores.

This 5-page story--Lost and Found--was done with an unresolved conclusion, so we never learned if Clark actually ever got back to Earth -- he was too big to fit into Box 431.

It was unrevealed how the Martian returned to Mars after he lost his space-travel blaster -- maybe he radioed Mars and had one of his fellow Martians teleport to Earth with a spare blaster so he could transport himself back home.

Since Inspector Clark was the protagonist, the final story-panel (see unidentified Martian sub-profile) was all we ever saw of this Martian and his civilization, so there were few details available.

It remains to be explained how so many different races/beings allegedly originated from Mars.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Inspector Clark should not be confused with:

Box 431  should not be confused with:

The unidentified Martian has no known connections to:

Unidentified postmaster

He was Inspector Clark's supervisor. After he saw a strange lost-and-found newspaper ad concerning a lost "space-travel blaster," he sent Clark to investigate -- the postmaster was suspicious that the ad was actually the secret code of unfriendly foreign agents who were using an American post box for a mail-drop.

But some days later, the postmaster was bewildered by the sudden disappearance of Clark -- he was further stunned when he saw a new lost-and-found ad regarding a found postal inspector.

The postmaster was unaware that Clark had inadvertently teleported himself to Mars while he was handling the space-travel blaster.

--Uncanny Tales I#39/4

Unidentified postal clerk

An employee of the U.S. postal system, he was stationed in the post office of an unidentified city.

He assisted Inspector Clark when Clark was investigating a strange lost-and-found ad concerning a lost "space-travel blaster," which involved Box 431 at the clerk's post office.

He informed Clark when a package addressed to Box 431 arrived -- the package contained the misplaced blaster. But the clerk was shocked when Clark opened the package and accidentally activated the blaster, causing himself to vanish.

The clerk was unaware that Inspector Clark had inadvertently sent himself to the planet Mars.

--Uncanny Tales I#39/4

Box 431

An ordinary post box located in an American post office, it had apparently been modified by a Martian to teleport any mail put into it directly to the planet Mars.

The Martian originally rented the box in an effort to retrieve his misplaced space-travel blaster, which he had lost while he was on Earth.

--Uncanny Tales I#39/4

Martian space-travel blaster

Appearing to be a stereotypical "ray-gun," it was actually a portable Martian teleportation device which could transport an individual from Mars to Earth, and back again. The blaster was operated by the user simply pointing it at himself, then pulling the sensitive trigger -- the teleportation process transported both the user and the blaster.

A Martian used the device to transport himself to Earth; but while he was touring an American city, he lost it in a city park.

In an effort to retrieve his blaster, the Martian rented a post office box, and placed an ad for the lost blaster in a newspaper's lost-and-found section, then he somehow returned to Mars (see comments).

During his investigation, Postal Inspector Clark got his hands on the space-travel blaster, but he inadvertently activated it and sent both himself and the blaster to Mars -- the device's owner was glad to get his misplaced item back, however Clark was more than displeased about his situation.

--Uncanny Tales I#39/4

Martians

The planet Mars was the home of a civilization of green-skinned humanoids (see comments). These advanced beings had developed teleportation technology, as exemplified by the space-travel blaster, a portable teleportation device.

One Martian used his space-travel blaster to transport himself to Earth, where he toured an American city; but the Martian lost his blaster in a city park. In an effort to retrieve his device, the Martian rented a post box (Box 431, which he apparently modified with teleportation technology) and placed an ad in a newspaper's lost-and-found section for his lost blaster (in the hopes that an Earthling might find it); he then somehow returned to Mars (see comments).

Sometime later, the Martian was pleased when Postal Inspector Clark appeared on Mars with his space-travel blaster -- Clark had accidentally activated the device while he was investigating the Martian's newspaper ad.

(Note: While he was touring Earth, the Martian probably somehow disguised himself as human, or else rendered himself invisible, so his alien appearance wouldn't be noticed by Earthlings. And although I have them listed as his Enemies, the Martians never threatened the stranded Inspector Clark, and even placed a classified ad for his return to Earth.)

--Uncanny Tales I#39/4

images: (without ads)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p1, pan1 (main image - Inspector Clark)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p3, pan4 (headshot - Inspector Clark, looking into Box 431)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p1, pan3 (Inspector Clark, reading newspaper ad)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p5, pan2 (Inspector Clark points Martian space-travel blaster at himself and accidentally activates it)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p5, pan6 (on Mars, Inspector Clark begs to be sent back to Earth)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p1, pan1 (unidentified postmaster)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p1, pan2 (unidentified postmaster's hands holding newspaper with lost space-travel blaster ad)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p5, pan5 (unidentified postmaster reads newspaper ad concerning found postal inspector [Inspector Clark])
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p4, pan7 (unidentified postal clerk looks at Clark holding Martian space-travel blaster)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p5, pan3 (unidentified postal clerk reacts as Clark disappears)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p3, pan1 (Clark and postal clerk standing by post office boxes and opened Box 431)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p3, pan2 (Clark applies wax sealant to Box 431)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p4, pan5 (Martian space-travel blaster, held by Clark)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p5, pan1 (Clark points Martian space-travel blaster at himself)
Uncanny Tales I#39/4, p5, pan7 (on Mars, Martian, sitting in chair; Clark [foreground]; Martian civilization [background])

Appearances:
Uncanny Tales I#39/4 (January, 1956) - unidentified writer, Syd Shores (pencils/inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 06/16/2026
Last updated: 06/16/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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