Classification: Extraterrestrial (race unidentified, see comments; 1950s era)
Location/Base of Operations: The suburbs of an unidentified American city; planet of origin unrevealed
Known Members: At least six (none identified)
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Earthlings (including Felix Hunter)
First Appearance: Strange Tales I##45/2 (April, 1956)
Powers/Abilities: These extraterrestrials could render themselves invisible, and were able to levitate an automobile--it was unrevealed if these actions were accomplished by innate abilities or technological means.
Traveling to Earth in a spacecraft, the members of this invasion force were equipped with some types of handguns and rifles; they also had rocket-packs upon their backs that allowed them to fly.
Traits: Highly aggressive and militaristic, they were a nocturnal race--they shunned sunlight, so they slept during during the day-time hours, and preferred to attack at night.
Type: Semi-humanoid
Average height: Unrevealed (6'; by approximation)
Eyes: Two (on head)
Fingers: Four or five (including opposable thumb; see comments)
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Blue
History:
(Strange Tales I#45/2 (fb) - BTS) -
The invasion force of an extraterrestrial race traveled to Earth, for
the purpose of conquering the planet.
(Strange Tales I#45/2) - One night, the invaders levitated a car and coerced cowardly teenager Felix Hunter into cooperating with them. As they were nocturnal creatures, and knew nothing of Earth's weather, they wanted Felix to tell them when the meteorological conditions would be the best to launch their night invasion; too scared to resist, Felix reluctantly agreed to help, but told them he would have to consult weather reports first.
Felix eventually returned and told them that the night of a certain date would give them the best weather.
But when they began their invasion on that night's date, the aliens were met with a barrage of bright flashes and thunderous explosions, as the sky was filled with rockets. Believing that they were being counterattacked, the aliens decided that their invasion attempt was a mistake, because Earthlings were too fierce, and they vowed to never return to the planet.
The aliens didn't realize that the explosions were actually just a celebratory fireworks display, nor did they know the significance of the date: The Fourth of July!
Comments: Created by Carl Wessler and Bob Forgione.
Since Felix Hunter was the protagonist of this 4-page story, very little was revealed about the "Night People"--although they had a slight physical resemblance to these Martians, they never identified their race or planet of origin, so I just identified them by the story's title. I think they kind of resemble humanoid geckos, so maybe they were reptilian.
In the first story-panel (see main image), they seem to have four fingers and a thumb, but in some other panels (see third image), they seem to have three fingers and a thumb.
Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
These unidentified extraterrestrials ("The Night People") have no known connection to:
Felix Hunter has no known connection to:
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He was an imaginative teenager who made up tall-tales of his heroism and bravery, but he was actually a coward. One night, while he was at the malt shop, Felix told his friends a story of how he encountered a shark while swimming in a mountain stream, but no one believed him. When he heard the mere backfire of a passing car, the frightened Felix took off running, which elicited gales of laughter from the others. But as he was driving home in his jalopy, Felix and his car were levitated one hundred feet into the air by alien invaders. The nocturnal creatures interrogated the terrified and profusely sweating young man; knowing nothing about Earth's weather, they asked him when would be the best time at night to launch their invasion. Felix told them that he would have to consult weather reports, and the aliens told him to return when he had the information--they promised that if he cooperated, he would not be harmed when their invasion took place. |
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When Felix got to his home in the suburbs, he decided he ought to tell people about what happened... but then figured he had made up so many stories, nobody would believe him anyway. Then Felix felt ashamed of himself--he had been too scared to lie to the aliens, and because of his cowardice, he had endangered the lives of his family and friends. As the next few days of summer passed, Felix grew more deeply troubled--he figured that if he didn't report to the space creatures soon, they may come after him. But as Felix read a newspaper's report about the next night's weather, the significance of that night's date--July 4th--suddenly occurred to him. Felix drove back to the spot where he first met the aliens and told them to schedule their invasion at 9 P.M. on July 4th. But as the aliens launched their attack, the celebratory fireworks for the U.S.A.'s Independence Day holiday frightened them away, and they vowed never to return to Earth. Although no one else would ever know about it, Felix Hunter had saved the world, and for the first time in his life, he really felt like a hero. --Strange Tales I##45/2 |
images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I##45/2, p1, pan1 (main image - "Night People" and their spaceship)
Strange Tales I##45/2, p3, pan1 (headshot - one of the "Night People")
Strange Tales I##45/2, p4, pan4 ("Night People" aboard their spaceship)
Strange Tales I##45/2, p4, pan5 ("Night People" frightened away by fireworks)
Strange Tales I##45/2, p1, pan1 (Felix Hunter)
Strange Tales I##45/2, p1, pan2 (Felix Hunter and his car get levitated)
Strange Tales I##45/2, p2, pan7 (Felix Hunter, confronted by "Night People")
Strange Tales I##45/2, p4, pan7 (Felix Hunter)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I##45/2 (April, 1956) - Carl Wessler (writer), Bob Forgione (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Ray Holloway (letters), Stan Lee (editor)
First Posted: 07/04/2025
Last updated: 07/04/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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