MARTIANS

Classification: Extraterrestrial (Martians, 1950s era)

Location/Base of Operations: Mars

Known Members: At least eight (Octo and X-111 identified, see comments)

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Earthlings (including Henry)

First Appearance: World of Fantasy#1/3 (May, 1956)

Powers/Abilities: Although intelligent and technologically advanced (in comparison to Earth), these Martians apparently possessed no paranormal physical abilities.

Traveling to Earth in a spacecraft, the members of their invasion force seemed to be equipped with some form of handguns holstered at their waists, along with rocket-packs upon their backs.

Traits: They had beak-like noses and mouths.

Type: Semi-humanoid
Average height: Unrevealed (see comments)
Eyes: Two (on head)
Fingers: Four or five (including opposable thumb; see comments)
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Pink

History:
(World of Fantasy#1/3 (fb) - BTS) - Planning to invade and conquer Earth, a race of Martians spent years studying and researching to develop a spacecraft that was capable of reaching the neighboring planet.

(World of Fantasy#1/3) - On the day the spacecraft was completed, the Martian emperor Octo spoke with X-111, the leader of the invasion force--both were confident the invasion would be a success, because they believed nothing could go wrong.

   Martians in the mission control center used a video screen to monitor the spacecraft--piloted by X-111 and two other Martians--as it successfully launched; the Martians had even located the safest place on Earth for the spaceship to land: the United States, in a remote field located in the state of Idaho.

   When the spaceship approached Earth and entered the planet's atmosphere, the Martian crew followed a road to their intended landing site; but when they encountered a DETOUR sign blocking their flight path, they were surprised--it seemed as though the "stupid Earthlings" were saving their mission by making sure they landed safely!

   Figuring there was some sort of excavation work in the area, the Martians reset the controls of their spacecraft to take the detour... and the spaceship headed straight into a mountain, where it exploded in a fiery blast!

   Back on Mars, the other Martians could only helplessly watch the video screen as their invasion spaceship blew up; wondering what had gone wrong, they resolved that they would never again attempt to attack Earth.

   Meanwhile on Earth, the supervisor of a construction crew yelled at one of his men for putting a DETOUR sign in the wrong place.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Bob Forgione.








In this 3-page story--What Went Wrong?--it was difficult to estimate the height of these Martians because they were never seen next to a human, so I couldn't make a size comparison.

But it's strange that none of the construction crew heard the sound of the blast when the Martians' spacecraft collided with that mountain. My theory is that these Martians were only a fraction of an inch tall, and that "mountain" was actually just a pile of dirt the construction crew left behind; so rather than creating a thunderous BOOM!!, their proportionately small spaceship only made a whispering *pop* when it hit.

In the first story-panel (see main image), both Octo and X-111 seem to have three fingers and a thumb, but in subsequent panels, the Martians seem to have four fingers and a thumb.

I'm only assuming that Octo was an emperor or something, since he was wearing a cape and commanded the others.

In regards to X-111's name: Maybe that was actually his Martian military serial number... or maybe those number 1's are actually supposed to be letter I's and his name is pronounced "Zee-eye-eee".

These Martians planned to invade and conquer Earth with only one spaceship crewed by three Martians? My guess is that the spaceship was also carrying additional Martian troops and weapons.

It remains to be explained how so many different races/beings allegedly originated from Mars.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
These Martians have no known connection to:

Octo has no known connection to:

X-111 has no known connection to:

Martians' spacecraft

A large rocketship of Martian design, it took the aliens years to develop for the purpose of invading Earth.

The spaceship was piloted by X-111 and two other Martians. Its top speed was unrevealed, but it seemed to make the flight from Mars to Earth in a relatively short time (...in a matter of hours, if not minutes).

When the spaceship reached Earth, the Martian pilots followed the road to take them to their intended landing site: a remote field in the American state of Idaho.

But the pilots saw a DETOUR sign, so they followed the warning sign and accidentally flew their spacecraft into the side of a mountain--the resultant explosion apparently destroyed the spaceship and killed the alien invaders.

The Martians were unaware that a careless construction worker (Henry) had mistakenly moved the sign into the wrong location.

--World of Fantasy#1/3

Henry

In the American state of Idaho, Henry (last name unrevealed) was part of a construction crew supervised by Mr. Jones.

While working on a project, Henry had moved a DETOUR sign from the road before he took his lunch-break; afterward, Mr. Jones yelled at him because he moved the sign to the wrong location and he could have caused a traffic accident.

But Henry had unknowingly saved Earth from Martian invaders--because of his carelessness, the aliens saw the misplaced road-sign, followed the (supposed) detour, and ended up flying their spacecraft into the side of a mountain.

--World of Fantasy#1/3

images: (without ads)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p1, pan1 (Octo and X-111)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p1, pan2 (headshot - Octo)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p2, pan5 (X-111 and two unidentified Martians aboard spacecraft)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p3, pan5 (Martians in mission control center see spacecraft explode on video screen)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p2, pan6 (X-111 and two unidentified Martians see DETOUR sign)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p1, pan1 (Martians' spacecraft on Mars)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p2, pan1 (Martians' spacecraft launches from Mars)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p2, pan7 (on Earth, Martians' spacecraft heads toward mountain)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p3, pan1 (om Earth, Martians spacecraft collides with mountain and explodes)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p3, pan6 (Henry working by DETOUR sign)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p3, pan3 (Henry and Mr. Jones walking toward DETOUR sign)
World of Fantasy#1/3, p3, pan4 (Mr. Jones [right] yells at Henry)

Appearances:
World of Fantasy#1/3 (May, 1956) - unidentified writer, Bob Forgione (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 05/30/2025
Last updated: 05/30/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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