MARTIANSMARTIANS
Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Apparently Mars;
active circa 1952 A.D., and presumably long before, at least
Known Members: Murrhr;
Murrhr noted that there were "not many of us left"
Affiliations: Carl Sandstrom unwittingly facilitated Murrhr's arrival on Earth
Enemies: Feed on warm-blooded creatures, such as humanity;
Murrhr likely fed upon or, at least, assaulted Alice Sandstrom and Don Cameron
First Appearance: Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 (October, 1952)
Powers/Abilities: These Martians are "cold-blooded," presumably meaning poikilothermic, indicating
that their body temperature and metabolism varied directly with the
ambient temperature. Despite this, they were apparently able to survive
in some portion of Mars, which was a "dying planet of sand and
dryness."
The Martians possessed four arms, with three fingers and a thumb on each hand.
They have paired antennae
projecting from their foreheads, which likely performed some sensory
function, perhaps either sensing tactile stimulation, such as air
temperature, humidity, velocity, etc., or perhaps facilitating
communication (telepathic or otherwise) between their people. They may
or may not have been able to read and/or project thoughts to other
races, such as humans.
They are carnivorous, feeding on "warm-blooded" (presumably meaning homeothermic, able to maintain their own body temperature via altering their metabolism for some time despite ambient temperature) creatures, which included humanity.
They had sufficient scientific
knowledge to design a system that could have components on two worlds
to transport a being from one world to the other.
Traits: Hungry for prey as the warm-blooded
creatures on their world had perished, at least Murrhr was willing to
deceive others to help create the means to travel to Earth so he could
feed on humanity.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric semi-humanoid, our-armed bipeds
Eyes: Two
(on head; they appeared to have a pupil amidst white, blood-shot
tissue, without any visible distinction between iris and sclera, or
perhaps a dark iris around a pupil)
Fingers: Three (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Green
Average height: Approximately 7'
History:
(Adventure
into Weird Worlds#11/5 (fb) - BTS) - At least according to Murrhr, by
1952 A.D. (Earth-time) Mars was a dying world of sand and dryness.
(Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 (fb) - BTS) - The cold-blooded Martians fed on warm-blooded creatures, but the warm-blooded creatures eventually became extinct.
(Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5) - Intercepting an atomic audio beam sent from Earth by Professor Carl Sandstrom, who had spent his life developing it to contact Mars, Murrhr recognized this as being from Earth and replied to Sandstrom, identifying himself.
Although the signal faded a few times, at Sandstrom's query, Murrhr detailed that Mars was a dying world of sand and dryness and that there were not many of his people left.
He further explained that they had four arms and
green skin. Sandstrom and his assistant, Don Cameron, both mentally
pictured Murrhr's form with surprising accuracy.
Murrhr then told Sandstrom that they could each
build a machine and connect it with Sandstrom's beam, which would allow
Murrhr to teleport the atoms of his being to Earth.
Murrhr then advised Sandstrom that he planned to make the trip in one week, and he gave Sandstrom the details on how to build the necessary machine.
(Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 - BTS) - Sandstrom worked feverishly with Cameron to build the machine Murrhr had described.
However, Cameron was having an affair with
Sandstrom's wife, Alice, and he plotted to get rid of Sandstrom, so
that he and Alice could be together.
(Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 (fb) - BTS) - Despite having witnessed the audio transmission, Cameron apparently believed it all to be hoax and Sandstrom to be delusional. Cameron designed a costume in the image of how Murrhr had described his appearance.
(Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 - BTS) - As Sandstrom activated his machine on the 7th
day, the costumed Cameron seemingly appeared through Sandstrom's
machine, claiming to be Murrhr. Also claiming that the machine on Mars
needed to be adjusted, "Murrhr" then seemingly faded back through the
machine again, telling Sandstrom he would return at 2 o'clock.
(Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 (fb) - BTS)
- Having told Sandstrom he would gather scientists to witness his
success, Cameron instead convinced two men from the local insane asylum
to attend.
(Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 - BTS) -
After Sandstrom detailed his planned summoning of Murrhr of Mars, the
men from the asylum were convinced of Sandstrom's insanity, and they
took him away.
Revealing his deception to Alice, Cameron burned the suit, and the two of them left the room arm-in-arm.
(Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5) -
Sandstrom's machine hummed progressively more loudly, until the door
opened, and Murrhr emerged on Earth.
Hungry for warm-blooded flesh, Murrhr confronted
Cameron and Alice as they were embracing on the street outside and
laughing about Cameron's deception.
Comments: Created by Matt Elkin and unknown writer.
This profile is written based on the ASSumption
that Murrhr, the only Martian seen in this story, was representative of
the rest of his race.
As Mars is frigidly cold and
lacking in a breathable atmosphere, presumably the Martians could
either tolerate these conditions, or perhaps they had built contained
regions with more hospitable environments.
It's interesting how both Sandstrom and Cameron pictured with surprising accuracy, and Cameron was able to put together a suit to mimic that form in short order.
The image to the near right is how they imagined
Murrhr, and the image to the far right is Cameron in his Murrhr suit.
A lot occurred in four pages of story!
Carl Sandstrom, Alice Sandstrom & Don Cameron
can each have their own profiles someday, but they're not Martians and
don't belong as sub-profiles in this one!
While there is not any in-story reason to doubt that Murrhr
was from Mars, he was not not actually shown to be on that planet. He
could have somehow intercepted the signals sent by Carl Sandstrom from
some other location, on a more distant planet or from an alien
dimension.
Regardless, it remains to be explained how so many different races/beings allegedly originated from Mars.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
These Martians should be distinguished from:
|
Although the signal faded a few times, at Sandstrom's query, Murrhr detailed that Mars was a dying
world of sand and dryness and that there were not many of his people
left. He further explained that they had four arms and green skin.
Sandstrom and his assistant, Don Cameron, both mentally pictured
Murrhr's form with surprising accuracy. Murrhr then told Sandstrom that they could each build a machine
and connect it with Sandstrom's beam, which would allow Murrhr to
teleport the atoms of his being to Earth. Murrhr told Sandstrom that he planned to make the trip in one week, and he gave Sandstrom the details on how to build the necessary machine. (Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5) -
Sandstrom's machine hummed progressively more loudly, until the door
opened, and Murrhr emerged on Earth. Hungry for warm-blooded flesh, Murrhr confronted Sandstrom's assistant and wife, Cameron and Alice, as they were embracing on the street outside and laughing about having had Sandstrom committed to an insane asylum. --Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 |
images: (without ads)
Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5, pg. 2, panel 3 (Sandstrom and Cameron picturing Murrhr's form);
pg. 3, panel 3 (Cameron posing as Murrhr and emerging from Sandstrom's machine);
pg. 4, panel 5 (Murrhr's hands opening Sandstrom's machine);
panel 6 (Murrhr from behind approaching Cameron and Alice);
panel 7 (Murrhr's face, confronting Cameron and Alice)
Appearances:
Adventure into Weird Worlds#11/5 "The Aliens" (October, 1952) - Matt Elkin (penciler), others unknown at this point
First posted: 07/11/2025
Last updated: 07/11/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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