MARTIANS
Classification: Humanoid
extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Mars;
occasionally Earth
Known Members: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Human plane pilots/passengers (loose)
(Joe, many others)
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#71/4
(October, 1959)
Powers/Abilities: The yellow-skinned humanoid
Martians are capable of interplanetary travel using extremely nimble
flying saucer-like spacecraft. They use these (or one type of them) for
leisure vacationing to Earth. The Martians have translator technology
to communicate with humans. Already human-like in stature, they have
mastered convincing facial disguises to appear human and have a
collection of contemporary fashion of the society they are visiting.
Their bald craniums are laced with thick varicose veins; it's
unrevealed if these serve any extra function. One individual (possibly
female) is seen with hair, but this may be remnant of a disguise.
Traits: At least some yellow-skinned Martians
enjoy vacationing in alien and less technologically advanced societies,
happily taking on close-fitting disguises to maintain anonymity away
from Mars. However, some are reckless in their interactions with
humans, most notably spaceship pilots, possibly as they do not have
face-to-face interaction with humans.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric humanoid
bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; color(s) unrevealed)
Fingers: Four (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed (presumably same as humans)
Skin color: Pale yellow
Average height: 5'10"
History:
(Strange Tales I#71/4
(fb) - BTS) - The
yellow-skinned humanoid Martians took vacations on Earth, and used
face-hugging masks and human clothes as disguises to integrate with
humans for several weeks at a time. Although the individuals behaved
anonymously, the Martian pilots recklessly flew their interplanetary
spacecraft in Earth's atmosphere. The Martian
spaceships were incredibly agile, and the Martian pilots harassed
large Earth airplanes when coming in to land or depart with Martian
passengers.
(Strange Tales I#71/4) -
One such disguised Martian took passage onboard a passenger flight near
to a pickup point. The time was 4:00 a.m. and only the pilot and
Martian passenger were awake; all others were asleep. At 12,000 ft, a
Martian spacecraft suddenly flew in, shining lights and shrieking its
engines, before veering wildly and speeding off, then flying directly
head-on at the cockpit. The panicked pilot banked sharply and barely
kept the plane aloft, but later landed safely in Center City.
Passengers woke only after the episode and had witnessed nothing. Some
heard the pilot Joe report the incident to an airport officer. The
disguised Martian stepped in and lied that nothing had happened. With
no corroborating evidence, nothing could be reported and so Joe
dismissed it as a possible hallucination from stress(!). The Martian
passenger took a car and drove out to an abandoned airfield where a
Martian spacecraft was boarding Martian passengers, who were removing
their disguises. The airplane passenger warned the Martian pilots not
to be so foolhardy or they may be discovered.
Comments: Created by uncredited writer &
Paul Reinman.
A curiously similar saucer design and coloring to the
warlike Martians
from Astonishing#39/3 (and other such short stories, no doubt, despite
different artists).
The plane ("a new jet airliner") harassed by the
Martians in the story kinda
looks like a Boeing 707, which had made the first transcontinental
commercial jet trip in January 1959 (a few months before the story's
production), possibly providing a visual reference for the artist via
news articles.
I was going to call them "hoons", but found out that
"hoon" is primarily an Australian/New Zealand slang term for a reckless
driver (doing burnouts, speeding) or generally antisocial hooligan, and
while known in the USA through pop culture (like Hoonigan brand), the
USA uses individual behavior-specific terms like "street racing,"
"reckless driving," etc.
It remains to be explained how so many
different races/beings allegedly originated from Mars:
- Is there some Nexus of Realities on Mars through
which numerous Martians from other realities have traveled to Earth-616?
- Is there some cosmic manipulator (like the Stranger
or Immortus)
who is transporting various races to Mars and then removing them and
traces of their existence when they have served their purpose?
- Have the various incarnations of the Man
on the Wall been eliminating Martian races/colonizers after they
threaten Earth?
- We don't have the answers to those questions, but
maybe someone will answer them someday.
Profile by Grendel
Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS:
These Martians should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#71/4, p4, pan7 (main image)
p4, pan1 (human disguise)
p3, pan2 (spacecraft)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#71/4 (October, 1959) - uncredited writer, Paul Reinman
(art), Stan Lee (editor)
First Posted: 01/11/2026
Last updated: 01/11/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let
me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
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