Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Martian; 1950s era)
Occupation: Scientist
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Joe Axel, Judy Axel
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Unrevealed (see comments)
Base of Operations: Unidentified city, somewhere in America; originally from Mars
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#46/2 (May, 1956)
Powers/Abilities: Appearing to be quite human, this Martian traveled to Earth in a spacecraft.
While on Earth, he used a method of "molecular displacement," powered by lightning bolts, to transport himself between locations--this resulted in his sudden appearance in a lightning-like display; the maximum range of this transportation was not specified, and it was unrevealed whether this was an innate ability of his, or accomplished by technological means (see comments).
Height: Unrevealed (6'; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown
History:
(Strange Tales I#46/2 (fb) - BTS) - A
scientist from Mars traveled to Earth in a spaceship on an
unspecified--but apparently non-hostile--mission. After he landed his
spacecraft near an unidentified city, he then transported himself into
the city using lightning-powered "molecular displacement".
(Strange Tales I#46/2 (fb)) - A bolt of lightning slashed across the storm-darkened sky and struck a city sidewalk; when the harsh glare faded away, the human-like Martian seemingly appeared from nowhere and approached a man walking along the sidewalk. Although the Martian smiled warmly and extended his hand in friendship, the pedestrian fled in panic. Afterward, the Martian merely shrugged; a split second later, another lightning bolt cracked down, and the alien vanished.
Before the storm ended, the Martian appeared with another thunderbolt in a different part of the city, where he offered his outstretched hand to a young woman; but when she ran away as well, the Martian disappeared in another bolt of lightning.
Both the pedestrians reported their respective encounters at police headquarters; concerned about the unusual occurrences, the police advised them to keep quiet about what they saw in the storm, otherwise there could be a city-wide panic. The police then threw out a dragnet, and Detective Joe Axel was assigned to investigate the case; but by then the storm had ended, and "the man from nowhere" wasn't seen again that night.
(Strange Tales I#46/2 (fb) - BTS) - A week later, Judy Axel was walking in the park when a storm suddenly blew up, and a lightning bolt struck near her; when she looked up, she saw the Martian scientist, and despite the frightening method of his sudden appearance, she didn't fear him... in fact, it was love-at-first-sight for both of them!
(Strange Tales I#46/2) - The next day, when Detective Axel arrived home, he was tired after a day of fruitless legwork on the case of "the man from nowhere". But he noticed his daughter Judy was smiling and unusually happy, when he inquired about the reason for her good mood, Judy told him that she met a wonderful man, and that she was in love. Joe asked her when he would meet the "lucky guy," and Judy said her new boyfriend would be coming to dinner tomorrow night.
The next evening, while Joe and Judy were waiting for her young man to come calling, Joe looked out the window and noticed that a storm was blowing up, although the sky had been clear a split-second earlier. A jagged bolt of lightning split the storm-darkened sky, and shortly afterward, the Axels' doorbell rang as Judy's boyfriend arrived--Joe liked him right away, and although the young man didn't talk much about himself, Joe could tell that he and Judy loved each other.
After the young man left, Joe asked Judy how she had met him; but when she told her father about the incident with the lightning bolt in the park, it immediately raised Joe's concerns that Judy's boyfriend could be "the man from nowhere".
After a sleepless night, Joe went to police headquarters the next day, where he investigated Judy's boyfriend, but could find no record of his existence anywhere (see comments). After discovering that the young man was a phony, Joe reluctantly realized that he would have to be brought in for questioning, even though he knew it would break Judy's heart.
Later, Joe drove back to his house, leading a squad car behind him--the young man had said the previous night that he'd come calling for Judy this afternoon, so the police would have enough time to set up a trap for him. But when Joe entered his home, he found a note from Judy which announced that she had eloped with her boyfriend... to Mars!
At that moment, the Martian scientist and his human fiancee left Earth in his spaceship. Judy was concerned that her father would be worried about her; but the Martian assured his beloved that her father would be happy again--they would return to Earth after he had perfected a less frightening technique of "molecular displacement".
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Joe Orlando.
In this 4-page story, the Martian was never identified, but since Joe Axel did a records search on him, it would seem to imply that the Martian at least used a false human identity when they met--and besides, what kind of police detective would let his only daughter date a man with no name?
And since it was such a short story, with Joe and Judy Axel as the protagonists, there really weren't many clear views of this Martian's face available.
In regards to the Martian's "molecular displacement": It would seem like he used some sort of technology to accomplish it, since he stated at the end that he would perfect a new technique of doing it, which would seem to imply that he would be modifying the technology.
Maybe "The Man from Nowhere" had some connection to Sram, who coincidentally appeared in another story published in the same year and month, and also seemed to vanish in a lightning bolt at the end of his story.
It remains to be explained how so many different races/beings allegedly originated from Mars.
Profile by Ron Fredricks
CLARIFICATIONS:
This Martian / "The Man from Nowhere" has no known connections with:
Joe Axel and Judy Axel have no known connections to:
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A rocket-type space vessel, it transported a Martian scientist from his home planet to Earth; he landed it near an unidentified city. While on Earth, he used lightning-powered "molecular displacement" to transport himself around the city. He eventually used it to take Judy Axel, his human fiancee, back to Mars with him so they could be married. --Strange Tales I#46/2 |
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A plain-clothes police detective, he was a widower, and his adult daughter Judy lived with him. Joe was assigned to investigate the case of a mysterious "man from nowhere," who seemed to appear around the city in lightning-like displays. Joe later learned that Judy had a new boyfriend, and he liked the young man when he first met him; but after Judy told Joe about how she met him, Joe became suspicious that Judy's boyfriend was "the man from nowhere". The next day, Joe went to police headquarters to investigate the young man, but could find no record of his existence (see comments). Joe then led a squad car to his home to set a trap for the young man when he came calling for Judy; but when he entered his home, Joe only found a note from Judy announcing that she had eloped with her boyfriend... to Mars! --Strange Tales I#46/2 |
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A young single woman, she lived with her father, police detective Joe Axel. While she was strolling through the park one day, a storm suddenly blew up, and Judy met a man who seemed to appear from a bolt of lightning; but despite his sudden cataclysmic arrival, Judy didn't fear him, for it was love-at-first-sight for the two of them. After Judy eventually learned that her boyfriend was a visiting Martian scientist, she left a note for her father announcing that she had eloped to Mars. While she was aboard her Martian fiance's spacecraft, Judy was concerned that her father would be worried about her; but her fiance assured her that they would return to Earth after he perfected a less fearsome technique of "molecular displacement" that wasn't powered by lightning bolts. --Strange Tales I#46/2 |
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images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p1, pan1 (main image - "Man from Nowhere" appears before first pedestrian on sidewalk)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p1, pan3 ("Man from Nowhere" vanishes in lightning bolt)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p2, pan1 ("Man from Nowhere" appears before second pedestrian on sidewalk)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p4, pan2 (Joe Axel searches for records on Judy's boyfriend)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p4, pan6 (Martian's spacecraft launches from Earth)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p4, pan7 (interior of Martian's spacecraft; Judy Axel with her Martian fiance)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p3, pan3 (Joe Axel)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p4, pan5 (Joe Axel)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p3, pan4 (Judy Axel)
Strange Tales I#46/2, p3, pan5 (in flashback, Judy Axel first meets "Man from Nowhere")
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#46/2 (May, 1956) - unidentified writer, Joe Orlando (pencils/inks), Ray Holloway (letters), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 10/15/2025
Last updated: 10/15/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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