MARTIANS
MARTIANS
Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Mars (see comments)
Known Members: Bor-Ronggl
Affiliations: None known
Enemies: They warred against their own people
First Appearance: Adventures into Weird Worlds#17/3 (April, 1953)
Powers/Abilities: Martians possessed saucers able to fly from Earth to Mars and back, as well as to fly within Earth's atmosphere.
They possessed electronic translators that could analyze recorded speech from almost any language and translate/teach it to the Martians.
The Martians could breathe and otherwise be comfortable in Earth's atmosphere, climate, gravity, etc.
Traits: Much of the Martian population was bellicose, engaging in constant warfare.
Bor-Ronggl and an unrevealed number of other Martians sought to flee Mars and settle on Earth.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric semi-humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; green color seen)
Fingers: Three (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Two
Skin color: Orange
Average height: Approximately 6'4" (while not shown clearly, Bor-Ronggl appeared to be at least a few inches taller than Bill's dad, and Bill's dad may have been 5'6 - 6')
Unusual Features: Bor-Ronggl,
at least, had an enlarged cranial with three ridges over each eye. The
ears appeared to be large stalks sticking perhaps 4-6" out from each
side of his head. The nose had a single large opening. The mouth had a
large number of relatively small, flat teeth. The digits were all
relatively long.
History:
(Adventures into Weird
Worlds#17 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to escape their war-torn world,
Bor-Ronggl -- who was from the southern part of the "8th
Great Martian Crater" -- and an unidentified number of Martians
traveled to Earth in a saucer ship. They spent years flying over Earth,
turning in to their radio shows. Once they made a recording of a
language, their electronic translators explained the language to them.
By this means they learned English and every other language on Earth.
(Adventures into Weird Worlds#17) - Bor-Ronggl's or another Martian's saucer landed in a residential area (presumably in the USA) where it was spotted by a young boy named Bill, who told his father. His father -- who was, at least according to Bill, one of the top scientists in the country -- initially dismissed this as "poppycock," and told him that he had been reading too many science fiction tales, but when Bill showed him the saucer, his father was shocked. As his father approached the saucer, it began to smolder and shake, and the father believed that whoever was inside the ship knew that they had seen the ship, and it suddenly took off, faster than anything on Earth could go, "not even a rocket!"
(Adventures into Weird Worlds#17 (fb) - BTS) - Seeing the blast hole the ship left behind, Bill's dad was convinced the ship was from another planet, probably Mars. Feeling that Earth had become unbearable to live upon and that it would soon be destroyed by nuclear war, the father designed an ultra-sonic radio that sent a beam calling upon the flying saucers.
(Adventures into Weird Worlds#17) - Having received the message, Bor-Ronggl
flew his saucer to land nearby their house; both Bill and his father at
least believed it was the same saucer as before. Bor-Ronggl
then exited the saucer and surprised the father by speaking English,
after which he explained how his people had learned all of Earth's
languages. At the father's query, Bor-Ronggl
confirmed that he was indeed from Mars, after which the father
explained what he perceived to be Earth's current state and asked if Bor-Ronggl could fly them to Mars where they might lead a different life. Bor-Ronggl
was amused that they wanted to come to Mars, and he showed them a
picture of "a typical Martian scene," explaining that his people were
at constant war and that they had been flying over Earth to see if they
could settle here.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Fred Kida.
It's possible that this story took
place in an alternate reality, but overpopulation and nuclear war have
been real concerns for decades. The father noted that Earth had been
unbearable to live upon and that all of the nations were storing atomic
bomb, and that the next war would probably destroy the planet. Perhaps
the father was a little overly paranoid, as the land around their house
appeared to be fertile and healthy. Nonetheless, we never saw the rest
of society, just Bill and his Dad's house. I don't think there's
anything that clearly rules it out from Earth-616. Perhaps it took
place in the 1980s, rather than the date in which it was published.
Presumably the Martians warred over land, wealth, religion, power and all the other things people war over on Earth.
Regardless, it remains to be explained how so many different races/beings allegedly originated from Mars.
I would suggest the last name Keel
(Lee backwards, start withi a "K" for Kida) for Bill, and the first
name Rick (for Fred(rick) for the father.
I was going to do a sub-profile on
Bor-Ronggl, but as he's the only Martian identified, and all of his
pictures fit in the main event, I just let it go.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
These Martians should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#17/3, pg. 1, panel 2 (saucer ship);
pg. 3, panel 5 (Bor-Ronggl full, exiting ship);
pg. 4, panel 1 (Bor-Ronggl, face);
panel 4 (Bor-Ronggl laughing);
panel 6 (warring Martians
Appearances:
Adventures into Weird Worlds#17/3 "The Man from Mars" (April, 1953) - Stan Lee
(writer/editor), Fred Kida (penciler), possibly Jack Abel vs. Fred Kida
(inker)
First posted: 09/24/2025
Last updated: 09/24/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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