MARTIANS

Classification: Extraterrestrial (Martian [supposedly, see comments], 1950s era)

Location/Base of Operations: Mars; possibly Professor Crews' office on Earth (see comments)

Known Members: At least five (names unrevealed)

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Professor Crews

First Appearance: Uncanny Tales I#19/2 (April, 1954)

Powers/Abilities: Apparently intelligent, they displayed no paranormal abilities.

They were armed with disintegrating handguns, which were holstered at their waists.

Traits: These Martians appeared to have scaly green skin and large pointed ears; additionally, they had a pair of glowing antennae protruding from their foreheads (perhaps implying they were also telepathic?).

Type: Bilaterally symmetric semi-humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; colors not clearly shown)
Fingers: Four (including opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Green
Average height: Approximately 2'

History:
(Uncanny Tales I#19/2 (fb) - BTS) - Five years prior, Professors Crews and his associate Nelson planned to build a rocketship, which Crews would pilot to the planet Mars.

(Uncanny Tales I#19/2) - Crews and Nelson were supervising the construction of the rocket when it was just days away from completion. But when Crews went into his office, he saw a terrifying sight: a quintet of tiny green men were on his desktop! He immediately called for Nelson; but when Nelson arrived, he could not see anything unusual, although the beings were still visible to Crews. Soon after Nelson left, the weird figures seemed to dissolve, and Crews was convinced that he was only hallucinating; Crews then busied himself with solving some astrophysical problems for his impending spaceflight, and he worked late into the night.

   Some time later, Nelson noticed that the lights in Crews' office were still on, so he brought him a cup of tea; after he entered, Nelson was concerned when he saw the expression on Crews' profusely-sweating face ("You look like you've seen a ghost!"). Crews merely told his associate that nothing was wrong--he didn't mention that the creatures were back on his desk!

   For two days more, the creatures continued to make their sudden appearances that only Crews could see; after drawing a sketch of one of them, Crews showed the drawing to a psychiatrist friend. Believing that Crews was just suffering from the effects of overwork, the psychiatrist advised him to simply tell himself that the hallucinations had no reality, and he would therefore be safe.

   The next day, Professor Crews climbed aboard the completed rocket, but as soon as he entered the control room, he saw two of the creatures inside. Crews calmly followed the psychiatrist's advice and closed his eyes, then repeated that the hallucinations weren't real; when he opened his eyes again, the weird creatures were gone. Crews strapped himself into the acceleration couch, then threw the control switch and launched the rocket skyward, with its destination set for Mars.

   Some time later, the rocket reached the red planet (see comments), and the first spaceship from Earth landed on the alien world. Crews radioed Nelson back on Earth (see comments) to report that he had safely reached  his destination; Nelson congratulated Crews and asked him if there was any sign of life. In his spacesuit, Crews strode out the rocket's air-lock to investigate further.

   But as he walked along the alien terrain, Professor Crews suddenly stopped in numbing shock, for advancing toward him, he saw the fantastic creatures who had been plaguing his sight! Figuring the alien beings were just more of the hallucinations he had been experiencing, Crews calmed himself, and repeated that they didn't exist.

   Using his spacesuit's portable microphone, Crews reported to Nelson that he had made a thorough search, but found absolutely no sign of life on Mars.

   Immediately afterward, the Martians unholstered their handguns and disintegrated Professor Crews.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Ed Moline.

In this 4-page story--The Empty World--Professor Crews was the protagonist, and next to nothing was revealed about these Martians.

My guess is that Professor Crews' hallucinations were actually psychic premonitions, warning him of the danger awaiting him in his future voyage.

Even at its closest range, the planet Mars is 34 million miles from Earth, yet Crews' rocketship seemed to reach it in a relatively short time; and the radio communication between Crews and Nelson was instantaneous, with no expected time-delay. I guess its possible that this story took place in Reality-616 (mainstream Marvel Universe), and maybe Professor Crews was just a Reed Richards-type scientific genius who was ahead of his time, and he invented advanced technology to accomplish these feats.

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

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
These Martian have no known connection to:

Professor Crews has no known connection to:

Nelson has no known connection to:

Professor Crews

Working with the assistance of Nelson, Professor Crews (first name unrevealed) was supervising the construction of a rocketship that he would pilot to the planet Mars.

But during the final days of the rocket's assembly phase, Crews began to have hallucinations of little green men who appeared in his office; as no one else could see the alien creatures, Crews believed that he was merely experiencing hallucinations.

Crews later consulted with a psychiatrist friend, who advised him to just close his eyes and tell himself that the creatures weren't real.

After he boarded the completed rocket and traveled to Mars, Crews began to investigate the alien planet; but he once again saw the little creatures approaching him--remaining calm, Crews figured he was just experiencing another hallucination and ignored them.

Crews then radioed Nelson on Earth and reported that he had found no sign of life on Mars--immediately afterward, the "hallucinations" disintegrated Crews with their handguns.

--Uncanny Tales I#19/2

Professor Crews' rocket

A one-man spaceship, it transported Professor Crews on an interplanetary flight from Earth to Mars; its top speed was unrevealed, but it seemed capable of making the interplanetary flight in a relatively short time (see comments).

But shortly after landing, Crews was disintegrated by a group of Martians--presumably, the rocket remained on Mars.

--Uncanny Tales I#19/2

images: (without ads)
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p2, pan1 (main image - five Martians on desk; Professor Crews [left])
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p2, pan7 (Martians on desk; Professor Crews [left])
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p4, pan5 (Martians on Mars; Professor Crews in spacesuit [left])
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p4, pan7-8 (Martians use handguns to disintegrate Professor Crews)
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p1, pan3 (Professor Crews sees Martians)
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p2, pan3 (Professor Crews with Nelson [left])
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p3, pan5 (wearing spacesuit, Professor Crews boards rocketship; Martians [left])
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p4, pan1 (Professor Crews in rocketship's control room)
Uncanny Tales I#19/2, p4, pan2 (rocketship lands on Mars)

Appearances:
Uncanny Tales I#19/2 (April, 1954) - unidentified writer, Ed Moline (pencils/inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 12/30/2025
Last updated: 12/30/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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