MARTIANSMARTIANS
Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Presumably Mars
Known Members: None identified
Affiliations: Other member races in the Galactic Confederacy;
indirectly Seth Beech, Dr. Malkin
Enemies: None known
First Appearance: Adventure into Mystery#5/3 (January, 1957)
Powers/Abilities: The Martians were not
actually seen, so we know next to nothing about their physical forms
and abilities...unless, of course, the ships were actually the Martians.
We saw there monitoring/voice projection machine and their spaceships, that latter of which were capable of interplanetary (if not interstellar) travel.
Traits: The Martians were apparently peaceful and wished to co-exist with other advanced races, notably the Galactic Confederation.
They apparently wished to avoid
interfering with the development of other races, but once they had
reached the atomic age, they were happy to welcome them into the
Galactic Confederation.
Type: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Fingers: Unrevealed
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Unrevealed
Average height: Unrevealed
History:
(Adventure into Mystery#5/3 (fb) - BTS) - Apparently during
humanity's stone age (see comments), the Martians either traveled to
Earth and/or transported a machine to Earth that could transmit events
on Earth to the Martians and would deliver a pre-recorded message to
humanity when humanity reached the atomic age.
The machine was apparently placed within an artificially-created cavern -- in what would eventually become Oklahoma -- that was then covered with rock. The cave remained hidden for centuries.
(Adventure into Mystery#5/3 (fb) - BTS) <Approximately a year before the main story> - A rock slide to loosen and fall away.
(Adventure into Mystery#5/3 (fb) - BTS) -
Scientist Dr. Malkin designed a device that detected atomic waves of a
metal unknown to man in the mountains of rural Oklahoma. He designed a
smaller, portable machine to track this metal.
(Adventure into Mystery#5/3 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Malkin hired mountain guide Seth Beech to guide him through the mountain to this desired metal.
The device led them to a cave, and the smooth
floors indicated that it was a vault made by some kind of machinery.
Within they found a giant machine composed of the unknown metal Malkin had been tracing.
Malkin further assessed that the machines had been placed there when mankind was still in the Stone Age (see comments).
Beech remained skeptical, but when he pushed a lever, the machine began to hum, and a voice projected from the machine (which Beech described as sounding like a foreigner's) that said:
"If you've activated our machine, then you have found our recorders! Do not be alarmed! We are from the red planet! From the early at attempts at speech of Earthling forebears, we have charted what will eventually be the speech of this area! We hope you can understand us!"
"The large
machine has recorded throughout the ages of Earth all that has happened
and transmits this information directly to us on the red planet! We
have been awaiting the evolution of man to the atomic age! When he
reaches that age, we will come in a great space fleet to greet him and
welcome him to the galactic confederacy! Prepare your people for our
coming!"
Malkin appreciated that the "red planet" meant
Mars, and that it had been a Martian speaking to them. He then urged
Seth to hurry back to town, as this was the greatest thing that had
ever happened to mankind and that they needed to prepare the world.
However, in his haste, Dr. Malkin lost his
balance and fell off a cliff. Grabbing for him and missing, Beech
rushed down to find the dying Malkin, who told him it was up to him to
tell the world that the Martians must be welcomed with open arms, not
weapons.
After Beech returned to town and told his story, no one believed him, and a jury eventually convicted him of murder, believing he had made up the story to cover up his actions, and the judge sentenced him to death.
(Adventure into Mystery#5/3 (fb) - BTS) - As Beech was marched outside, however, a strange buzzing attracted everyone's attention to the sky, which was filled with spaceships, coming to Earth.
Feeling this indicated his exoneration, Seth Beech smiled and whispered, "Welcome, aliens...Martians...friends!"
Comments: Created by George Roussos and an unidentified writer.
The frequent use of exclamation points make me suspect Stan Lee as the writer!!
They refer to themselves as being from the red
planet, and Seth Beech and Dr. Malkin logically concluded that they
were from Mars. There is not 100% certainly that they were from Mars,
but from the point of view of Earth, "the red planet" is Mars.
Per Wikipedia, the Stone Age refers to the age
when stone was used primarily for weapons and tools, extending from 3.5
million BC to closer to 2-4000 B.C, when metalworking had its advent.
The Martians arriving on Earth may
seem to be a major event, but we don't know if they encountered anyone
beyond this small town and/or if they did anything significant to alter
the course of history, so I don't see anything in this story
that would definitively exclude it from taking place in Reality-616
around the time
of publication.
However, if Earth/humanity indeed joined the Galactic Confederacy, that would indeed diverge the reality from Earth-616's.
I suspect that how close the Martians resembled
humans may have had a significant effect on whether rural people from
the 1950s would be welcoming to them or not.
Or, perhaps the peaceful contact was a ruse, and the
Martians (or another race posing as Martians) plotted to
attack/enslave/destroy humanity?
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:
images: (without ads)
Adventure into Mystery#5/3, pg. 3, panel 1-2 (machine);
panel 4-5 (Seth pushing lever, Martian voice speaking);
pg. 4, panel 6 (ships)
Appearances:
Adventure into Mystery#5/3 "The Death Sentence" (January, 1957) - George Roussos (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 05/23/2025
Last updated: 05/23/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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