RUSSIAN "MARTIANS"

Membership: At least eleven (none identified)

Identity/Class: Humans (Russians; Pre-Modern era)

Purpose: To spread fear in America by faking a Martian invasion

Affiliations: Their leaders in the U.S.S.R.

Enemies: American citizens, Martians

Base of Operations: Their American headquarters

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#26/2 (February, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: Displaying no paranormal physical abilities, these Russian agents could speak English fluently and were able to pass themselves for American citizens; they infiltrated American society to spread rumors of an imminent Martian invasion.

Using costumes, fake weaponry, and an imitation spaceship, they planned to masquerade as alien invaders to spread fear among the American populace.

History:
(Tales of Suspense I#26/2 (fb)) - Months earlier, officials in the Russian government formulated a scheme to disrupt normal life in the United States--they would make the country believe it was being invaded by Martians; it was predicted that terror would be struck into the hearts of Americans, and during that time, morale would drop and production would lag, thus enabling Russia to take the lead in the Cold War.

(Tales of Suspense I#26/2 (fb) - BTS) - Advance Russian agents purchased an old house on the Atlantic seaboard of America, to be used as a base in the scheme.

(Tales of Suspense I#26/2) - A team of Russian agents was secretly transported to the house by submarine to put the fantastic plan into effect. The agents began fashioning frightening extraterrestrial costumes and mock ultra-modern weaponry. To prepare further for their hoax, the communists mingled with the American public to spread rumors regarding how scientists had discovered a warlike race on Mars, and how the U.S. government had secretly received threats of an impending Martian attack. Soon, newspapers began publishing the Russian infiltrators' claims, and the agents began the final phase of their operation by constructing an imitation spaceship.

   One night, after the "spaceship" was completed, the Russians donned their "Martian" costumes and their fake weapons, then prepared to board their "flying saucer" and emerge from it on the outskirts of New York City. But while they were getting ready, they heard the sounds of something heavy falling outside--unbeknownst to them, it was their "spaceship" being pushed off a cliff and falling into the ocean.

   The Russians attempted to exit the house to investigate the disturbance, but they found that the doors and windows were blocked. They next heard the sound of a powerful engine whirring into action, and the entire house felt as though it were moving; because of the resulting feelings of vertigo they were experiencing, all the Russians blacked out.

   When they revived sometime later, the disguised communist agents found the door of the house opening; they went outside to find that the entire house was inside a huge spaceship, and they were "greeted" by a trio of real Martians!

   The Martians told the Russian agents that because of their foolhardy attempt to impersonate aliens, they almost succeeded in ruining the Martians' master plan; the Martians revealed that they intended to invade Earth, but not for another thousand years.

   Since they could not permit the Russians to reveal to other humans that there really was an invasion planned (...otherwise Earth might attack first), the Martians told them that they would be held captive on Mars for the remainder of their lives.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.

Of course since they were captured, the scene depicted in the main image never actually occurred, but it was the best full view of the Russians in their costumes.

I would place the time-period of this 6-page story--Never Trust a Martian!--in the year it was published, because newspapers can be seen with the headline "JFK (John F. Kennedy) TO SEND TOP..."

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 Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Russian "Martians" have no known connections to:

The (real) Martians have no known connections to:

Russians' headquarters and "spaceship"

An isolated and large old house apparently located close to New York City, it was near a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It had been purchased earlier by advance Russian agents to secretly use as a staging base for a fake Martian invasion upon America.

As part of their plan, the Russian agents also constructed an imitation spaceship; but the "spaceship" was eventually pushed off the cliff and into the ocean by real Martians.

--Tales of Suspense I#26/2

(Comment: Although it was never depicted as flying, presumably the "spaceship" was really a disguised aircraft--otherwise, how did the Russians plan to get it to New York City?)

Martians

Roughly the same size as humans, they were a race of beings living on the planet Mars. Possibly insectoids, they had great strength and seemed to possess multifaceted eyes, mandibles, and pincer-claw hands.

They had a huge spaceship (not depicted) that was capable of transporting an entire large house from Earth to Mars.

Possibly having extremely long lifespans, they were planning to invade Earth in a thousand years.

They somehow learned about a team of Russian agents who were going to conduct a fake alien invasion on the United States; concerned that the Russians might interfere with their own invasion plans, the Martians captured the Russians and held them prisoners on Mars before they could enact their scheme.

--Tales of Suspense I#26/2

(Comment: These Martians only appeared in three story-panels, so there was very little information available about them.)

images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p1, pan1 (Russian agents disguised as Martians)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p3, pan2 (Russian agents assembling Martian costumes and weapons)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p4, pan4 (costumed Russian agents prepare to enact their scheme)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p3, pan3 (Russian agent [green jacket] spreads rumor to American citizen)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p3, pan1 (Russians' American headquarters)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p4, pan3 (Russians' American headquarters and completed "spaceship")
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p5, pan1 ("spaceship" pushed off cliff)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p5, pan2 ("spaceship" falls into ocean)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p6, pan4 (Martians greet captured Russian agents)
Tales of Suspense I#26/2, p6, pan5 (Martians)

Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#26/2 (February, 1962) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Don Heck (pencils/inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), Ray Holloway (letters)

First Posted: 05/15/2025
Last updated: 05/15/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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