History: (Tales to Astonish I#7/2 (fb)) - These aliens were sent to Earth to see if it was ready to be invaded. They inadvertently landed in a swamp, and their ship became stuck. Young Lem Whipple was present, and he introduced himself to the aliens. They promised him their greatest treasure if he would  help them free their ship. Lem helped them, and after giving him a a treasure chest they flew off and promised to see him again when they brought their invasion force to Earth.

Comments: Created by a unnamed writer, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

As with many 1950's and 1960's Marvel monster stories, this story is not confirmed as part of Earth-616 continuity, but there's nothing to exclude it either.
    --Leave it in unless something rules it out!--Snood.

I took the name Them from the following conversation:
Lem: "I'm waiting for--Them!!"
reporter: "Them? You're waiting for Them??"

So what happened to their invasion force? Is it still on it's way to Earth, or did the aliens meet with an untimely end?

This story was reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell #5.

PROFILE BY FUTURE

CLARIFICATIONS:
Them have no known connection to:

• THEM, precursor to AIM, used Inferno-42, discovered and revived Red Skull (Shmidt) and allies, used Chemical Android and Hypno-Helmet, @ Strange Tales I#142

When Lem was a young man he helped aliens escape Black Tree Swamp in exchange for a chest they claimed contained their greatest treasure. When he realized they intended to invade Earth in the future he vowed to warn Earth, and to never open the treasure chest. Decades later a reporter came to Black Tree Swamp to learn his fantastic story. The reporter opened the treasure chest and found only air. Lem realized their greatest treasure was air because they were constantly traveling between galaxies.

--Tales to Astonish I#7/2 (7/2(fb)