"MAN FROM MARS"

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Martian) (1950s era)

Occupation: Freak show performer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Johnny Farrel, Ken Farrel, Karl

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "The Strange Man" (in story title only); "Mars" (as called by Ken Farrel); impersonated unidentified insane asylum doctor (see comments)

Base of Operations: Unidentified insane asylum; the Farrel brothers' freak show, Atlantic City, New Jersey; somewhere in New Mexico; originally from Mars

First Appearance: Suspense#13/1 (January 1952)

Powers/Abilities: The green-skinned "Man from Mars" was able to telepathically read the thoughts of others. He was somehow able to alter his appearance to impersonate humans (unrevealed whether this was accomplished by a telepathic illusion, or by physically shape-shifting his body); however, having five fingers, plus opposing thumbs, on each of his hands, he always appeared with six digits no matter what human form he took.

    He had large ears, spoke with a strange metallic voice, and exuded a pungent, unearthly body-odor while in his natural form.

    Having fanged teeth, he occasionally consumed human blood to feed himself.

Height: Unrevealed (7'; by approximation; see comments)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: None

History:
(Suspense#13/1 (fb) - BTS) - Under unrevealed circumstances, this Martian somehow arrived on Earth, somewhere in the state of New Mexico.

(Suspense#13/1) - On the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, the freak show owned by brothers Ken and Johnny Farrel was experiencing business troubles because ticket sales were down; worst of all, employee Fred -- who portrayed their main attraction, "The Man from Mars" -- had just quit. While Johnny took a trip to find a new main attraction, Ken spoke with the other performers and convinced them to stay with the show.

(Suspense#13/1 - BTS) - In New Mexico, Johnny was killed by the extraterrestrial, who left his body badly mangled and drained of blood. On July 10th, the Martian sent a letter to Ken, wherein he claimed to be Johnny (see comments), announcing the discovery of a new "Man from Mars" attraction.

(Suspense#13/1) - Immediately after Ken received and read the letter from "Johnny," the Martian appeared behind him; assuming the Martian was just a man wearing an elaborate costume, Ken complimented him about his "disguise" and hired him.

   Ken's business picked up immediately from the first time the new "Man from Mars" went on exhibition to a packed house -- he began running three performances a day, and even had to turn customers away in droves, and he couldn't wait for Johnny to get back so they could celebrate. But the "Man from Mars" didn't associate with the other performers...which was fine with them, because he gave them "the creeps".

   A month later, with his business now doing so well, Ken purchased a tiger to add to the show. But one day, after hearing the big cat acting up, Ken went to investigate; he found one of his performers -- Karl the strong-man -- dead, his body mangled, with all of his blood drained from him. Believing Karl had been killed by the tiger, Ken notified the authorities. But as he walked back to his trailer, Ken passed the tent where the "Man from Mars" was staying -- the strange "man" looked like he just had a good meal and had fallen asleep...although Ken had never actually seen him ever eat anything. Then Ken noticed the claws of the six fingers on the hand of the "Man from Mars"--they were dripping red, with what looked like blood; but Ken assumed that the "red stuff" was probably just from some make-up he used.

   When he reached his trailer, Ken was met by a police detective who gave him some bad news: On July 9th, the police had discovered Johnny's mangled and blood-drained corpse in New Mexico. After the detective left, the grieving Ken sat alone at the desk in his office; but he was puzzled, for the letter he'd received from Johnny was mailed on July 10th, a day after Johnny had been found dead.

   Suddenly, Ken smelled an unearthly odor as a large shadow fell over him; he whirled around, knowing what he would see -- the "Man from Mars"! The extraterrestrial admitted he knew what Ken was thinking, because he could read his thoughts. He told Ken that he really was from Mars, and admitted the he had killed Johnny and Karl. Ken threatened to tell the police about him, and told him that he'd never be able to hide because of his unusual appearance; but the Martian retorted that everyone would only think Ken had gone crazy... and besides, Martians had the ability to change their appearances whenever they wanted.

   Ken ran screaming from his trailer, ranting and raving about the killer Martian, but no one believed him; assuming he was violently insane, a police officer struck Ken with his billy-club and knocked him out.

(Suspense#13/1 - BTS) - The Martian took the appearance of a kindly doctor in an insane asylum (see comments).

(Suspense#13/1) - When Ken revived, he was weak, exhausted, and hurt; he found himself in a hospital room with white walls and a barred window, where he was being attended to by a kindly little doctor and a nurse. He told his story of the Martian to the doctor, who reassured Ken he believed him and advised him to get some rest.

   Ken was relieved, because he had finally found someone who believed his story; but when the two exited the room, he heard the doctor whisper to the nurse that he thought Ken was hopelessly insane, and that he'd be spending the rest of his life behind the bars of the asylum.

   As the doctor pulled the door closed, Ken was horrified when he noticed the doctor had SIX FINGERS!

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Joe Maneely.

    This Martian was prominently featured on the issue's cover, where he appeared to be a bit larger than he was in the story.

    This 7-page story was done with a surprise ending (see second image in Ken Farrel sub-profile); I'm assuming that the doctor was really the transformed Martian.

    My guess is that before he killed Johnny Farrel, the Martian used his telepathy to learn about the freak show, and also to imitate Johnny's handwriting. And possibly the Martian had the ability to teleport himself, which would explain how he suddenly appeared behind Ken on the two occasions.

    Like many other "Martians" claiming to be from Mars, this extraterrestrial may not be a native of that planet, and may have just been using it for a base of operations; he may actually come from another world outside Earth's solar system.

    This profile was completed 03/14/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the March, 2025 Mars event.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
This Martian / "Man from Mars" should not be confused with:

Ken Farrel and Johnny Farrel have no known connections to:

Little Eva the fat-lady has no known connections to:

Ken Farrel

   Along with his kid brother Johnny, he operated a freak show on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

   When Fred--their original "Man from Mars" performer and main attraction--quit the show, Ken gave Johnny traveling money to find a new main attraction.

   Later, Ken was visited by a six-fingered Martian who claimed that Johnny had sent him; impressed by the performer's realistic "costume," Ken hired him on the spot.

   But Ken later learned that the "Man from Mars" really was a Martian, who could alter his body to appear human; when he tried to warn others about the killer Martian, they thought Ken had gone crazy.

   Ken was sent to an insane asylum, where he told his story of the six-fingered Martian to a kindly doctor; but he was horrified when he noticed the doctor also had SIX FINGERS.

--Suspense#13/1

Johnny Farrel

   The younger brother and business partner of Ken Ferrel, they operated a freak show on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

   After Fred--their original "Man from Mars" performer--had quit, Johnny took a trip to find a new main attraction.

   Johnny went to New Mexico, where he was killed by a real Martian.

--Suspense#13/1

Fred

   Fred (last name unrevealed) worked at the Farrel brothers' freak show, where he wore a costume to portray the "Man from Mars," the sideshow's main attraction.

   But ticket sales were so bad that Fred hadn't been paid in two weeks, so he quit the show.

--Suspense#13/1

freak show performers

   Employees of the Farrel brothers' freak show, they included Rollo the Tattooed Man, fat-lady Little Eva, strong-man Karl, an unidentified dwarf, an unidentified "living skeleton", and Hilda (her specialty unrevealed).

   When Ken Farrel added a new "Man from Mars" performer to the show, none of the other performers liked him because he gave them all "the creeps".

   Later, Karl was seemingly killed by a tiger--in actuality, he was killed by the "Man from Mars," who drained Karl of his blood.

--Suspense#13/1

images: (without ads)
Suspense#13/1, p3, pan5 (main image - Martian)
Suspense#13/1, p6, pan3 (headshot - Martian)
Suspense#13/1, p3, pan6 (Martian speaks with Ken Farrel)
Suspense#13/1, p6, pan4 (Martian tells Ken Farrel about his disguise limitation regarding his six fingers)
Suspense#13/1, cover (Martian)
Suspense#13/1, p1, pan1 (Ken Farrel; poster of Fred as original "Man from Mars" [background])
Suspense#13/1, p7, pan7 (in asylum, Ken Farrel notices doctor has six fingers)
Suspense#13/1, p1, pan2 (Johnny Farrel)
Suspense#13/1, p1, pan3 (Fred removes "Man from Mars" costume)
Suspense#13/1, p2, pan1 (Fred quits; Johnny Farrel, Ken Farrel [background])
Suspense#13/1, p2, pan5 (Karl, unidentified dwarf, unidentified "living skeleton", Hilda; Ken Farrel [left])
Suspense#13/1, p2, pan6 (Little Eva, Karl; Ken Farrel [background])

Appearances:
Suspense#13/1 (January, 1952) - unidentified writer, Joe Maneely (pencils/inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 03/31/2025
Last updated: 03/31/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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