LIZARD MEN of MARS
of Reality-11344

Classification: Alternate Reality (Reality-11344) Reptilian extraterrestrial race 

Location/Base of Operations: Mars, fourth planet from the sun in the Sol(ar) system, Milky Way Galaxy, Reality-11344

Known Members: None identified

Affiliations: None known

Enemies: Jan Calso

Aliases: Martians

First Appearance: Astonishing Tales#29/1: "The Immortal" (January, 1954)

Powers/Abilities: Reptilian, the lizard people possessed long, sharp claws on each of the digits of their hands, able to easily rend flesh and an atmospheric spacesuit, and perhaps even bone.

    Their claws may or may not have been coated with some sort of venom; regardless, they could inflict damage severe enough to devascularize tissue, potentially forcing an amputation to avoid gangrene.

    They possess large tails, likely used for balance, but possibly also useful as a weapon.

    They may or may not have been poikilothermic, with their body temperature significantly dependent on the ambient temperature (see comments).

    Their scaled skin may have granted them some degree of enhanced durability, but blasts from some sort of energy pistol were able to at least hold them off.

    Their beak-like mouths could also likely be used as weapons.

    They did not appear to possess weaponry or use other technology.

Traits: They appeared to be savage, immediately attacking and seeking to kill those who landed on Mars.

   On the framing/intro panel, the lizard men wore so type of briefs to cover their pelvic region. In-story, only their upper bodies were seen, so it is unconfirmed whether they wear clothing.

Type: Bilaterally symmetric reptilian bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; color not clearly seen)
Fingers: Three (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Green scales
Average height: Unrevealed (perhaps 5'2"- 5'6" (they looked maybe a little smaller than the human Jan Calso)
Distinguishing Features: Green lizard people, they possess a dorsal, serrated superior-to-posterior ridge, extending from the tops of their heads and running down the length of their backs and tails.

History:

(Astonishing Tales#29/1 - BTS) - Human Jan Calso possessed rocket ships to fly to Mars, but was frustrated as current technology meant that murdered Dr. Henry and claimed his immortality serum to allow him to survive 350 year trip round trip to Mars.

    When a Dr. Henry proposed using his "immortality serum," which prevented aging, to make the trip feasible, Calso murdered Henry -- before he could state its limitation (the need for a will to live) -- and took the serum for himself.

(Astonishing Tales#29/1) -  Having survived the virtually maddening 175-year trip to Mars, Calso exited his rocket to collect rock, soil, and vegetation samples to document his trip.

    Sensing Calso, a group of at least three lizard people swiftly approached and moved to attack him.

    Hearing the "slither of sand" behind him, Calso swiftly turned are fired his blaster pistol on his attackers, avoiding a fatal assault but suffering a devastating slash to his left wrist.

    Making his way back into his ship, Calso used his blaster to hold off the lizard people until he could close the hatch and take off in his ship.

(Astonishing Tales#29/1 - BTS) - Calso was forced to amputate his left hand to avoid gangrene from the wounds inflected by the lizard person on Mars.

(Astonishing Tales#29/1 (fb) - BTS) <25 years after Calso departed Mars; 200 years after his departure from Earth> - Humanity discovered a way to use time warps to reach Mars in a month's time.

(Astonishing Tales#29/1 (fb) - BTS) - Thousands of humans traveled to and from Mars (see comments).

(Astonishing Tales#29/1 - BTS) <175 years after Calso departed Mars; 350 years after Calso departed Earth> - Calso returned to Earth, expecting to be hailed as a hero.

`Upon learning that thousands of humans had traveled to and from Mars via the more advanced technology developed since his departure, Calso lost his will to live, which prevented the "immortality serum" from maintaining his life.

    As a result, Calso swiftly disintegrated into dust.

Comments: Created by Geno Colan and an unidentified writer.

    Presumably, Mars-11344 was warm enough (and had more of an atmosphere) to support a race of lizard people, who would be even more sensitive to cold than humans, who can better thermoregulate their bodies rather than relying on ambient heat.
    Alternatively, the lizard people of Mars-11344 may have been adapted to the extreme cold and may not have needed much of an atmosphere.

    As few of three lizard people may have been seen in the story (compared to the six shown in the framing panel, which may or may not have been in-continuity). So, maybe the ones who attacked Calso were savage, but there were others who were more peaceful?

    The story has a Vance Astro (of the Guardians of the Galaxy of Reality-691), as he spent a millennium flying to Alpha Centauri, only to find that faster-than-light technology developed centuries after his departure had allowed mankind to arrive there much earlier than he had.

    These four page stories were fairly simplistic, but they often leave some unanswered questions:

When did the story take place?

• It presumably did not in a highly futuristic setting, as a round trip from Earth to Mars took 350 years. But, regardless, that end of the story took place 350 years after the start. Use of time warp technology to travel to Mars took place 150 years before the end of the story (25 years after Calso departed Mars), allowing the trip to take only a month.
  
• According to Space.com, as of 2025, a trip from Earth to Mars would take 9 months, although a round trip would take closer to 21 months, as you would have to wait until the planets were in suitable locations for the trip back home.
  

What happened when the next group of humans arrived on Mars?

• Presumably they either had to fight off or be slaughtered by the lizard people?
• Did they somehow make peace with the lizard people?
• Did they conquer or enslave the lizard people?
  

    Jan Calso, Dr. Henry and Earth-11344 could each receive their own profiles at some point.

    This profile was completed 01/11/2025 , but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the March, 2025 Mars event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The lizard people of Mars-11344 should be distinguished from:

• LIZARDMEN of Mars (Jen-In) - one of the races encountered by Gullivar Jones when he traveled to Mars circa 1 billion years ago--Creatures on the Loose I#19
  
• LIZARD MEN of Reality-????? - green scaly creatures, live on planet in outer galaxies, enemies of Mimmians--Journey into Mystery I#95
• LIZARD MEN - race of Deviant mutates in the form of reptilian humanoids, formerly mistaken for Abominable Snow Man while wearing furs and traveling in Himalayas, encountered by Victor Cartwright, used as agents of Kro, journeyed to Midnight Mountain and attempted to help capture Makkari. Armed with bloodhound missile--Tales to Astonish I#24
• LIZARD MEN of TOK (Zorak) - Sub-Atomica, enemies of Pearla--Fantastic Four I#16
• LIZARD PEOPLE of Earth-53108 (Zraa Zromm) - subterranean, destroyed humanity with volcanic eruptions when humanity refused to grant them a portion of the surface world for themselves--Menace#8
• FLAME-TONGUED LIZARD of Reality-54136 Astonishing #35 (1954) Venusian fauna; hunted as big game.
• LUNA LIZARDs - circa 1970, live on the Moon, friendly--Tales of Suspense I#6
• BETAN race of Reality-7918  - race of reptilian humanoids (from "the Beta Sector") intent on conquering the universe; the humans from Earth (in the Alpha Sector) became directly involved when they attacked Earth’s Space Station Pearl on December 7, 1941 A.D. These Betans are red-skinned and lizard-like bipeds--What If? I#14
• CHILDREN of ISHITI - aka the Snake People; spawn of Ishiti, who is descended from Set--Conan the Barbarian I#145
• DINO MEN, dinosaurs gene-spliced with Wolverine's DNA, created by Oonagh Mullarkey--Codename: Genetix#3
• DRAGON KINGS of Lost Lemuria - descendants of Set, who fought Thongor--The Wizard of Lemuria; Creatures on the Loose#26
• DRAMMOTHs - giant four-legged lizards from planet Sakaar; native to the Mawkaw and Maga mountain ranges--Incredible Hulk III#92
• HAUK'KA (Kaidan, Ma'sa'no, Raina, R'Chel, Vikram) - alternate Earth (possibly originally from Earth-616, but forced to flee a long time ago) dinosaur people, returned to and attempted to conquer Earth-616, convinced to stand down by X-Men after efforts to use Storm to cause a cataclysm nearly destroyed the planet--Uncanny X-Men I#455
• LIMBOS (    ) - race of lizard-men in the Belgian Congo; encountered Ka-Zar (David Rand)--Marvel Mystery Comics#19
• MAN-SERPENTs (not Men-Serpent), also known as the Sons of Set, who were giant snakes with a human head, and Medusa-like snakes in place of hair, which diverged from a common race along with the Serpent Men--Conan the Barbarian I#7
• PLANET X-41 of Reality-????? - plant-like lizards, grow from flowers--Journey into Mystery I#56
• REPTILE MEN - Savage Land species--Marvel Super-Heroes II#19
• reptile men - native to swamp planet--Warheads#13
• REPTOID race of Earth-691 (Teju) – 31^st century, extraterrestrial, Milky Way galaxy, planet Tay. Reptilian bipeds, superhuman strength, powerful tails--Giant-Size Defenders#3
  
• REPTOS race - Microverse, Outer Fringes, bat-winged belligerent race--Micronauts I Annual#1
• SAURIANs (Raptra, Kid Syn) - extraterrestrial, humanoid reptiles--Avengers: Celestial Quest#1 (2-8
• SAURIANs (Arach’tyr, B’ok, C’Rel, guardian, Haemon, Jimi, Khador, Madri, M’Dahr, M’Kai, Minelle, Serpentyne, S'gur, Vira) - race of lizards mutated by US atomic radiation testing into human form and intellect, rapidly formed a society, avoided human contact, kidnapped and imprisoned the humans they encountered to prevent them from spreading word of their existence, forced to free captives by Ms. Marvel; one of their captives was actually a Dire Wraith, who led his race to slaughter them so they could use their subterranean lair themselves; a few survived and relocated to the Savage Land with the aid of the X-Men. Intelligent, superhuman strength - aka LIZARD PEOPLE, PEOPLE--Ms Marvel#20
  
• SAURIANs of Kiasho of Reality-21394 - winged, used as steeds--Swords of the Swashbucklers#10
• SAURID race (Ch'od) - extraterrestrial, Shi'ar galaxy, planet Timor. 9’tall, amphibious, adapted to surviving on the ocean floors--X-Men I#104
• SAURLORDS (Bront, Styro, pter, steg, allo) - dinosaurs evolved into humanoid forms by High Technician--Captain America I#414
• SAURO-BEAST - see JUPITERIAN SAURO-BEAST--Avengers I#51
• SERPENT MEN- race of snake-headed humanoids, who were the enemies of Omm and the Spider People, were the original offspring of Set, active back in pre-cataclysmic Atlantis, most wiped out by Kull, and later Conan and his son Conan (Conn)--Kull the Conqueror I#2
• SERPENT MEN of STARKESBORO - human followers of Set, servants of Sligguth, Ebora, N'Gabthoth and others, natives of the town of Starkesboro, who took on reptilian characteristics, and some even became hosts for the spirits of the original Serpent Men--Marvel Premiere#4
• SERPENT MEN, aka Snake Men, humans mutated by a chemical from Tyrannus, that mutated them into semi-reptilian form, under the control of himself, Ghaur, Llyra, and the other major players in Atlantis Attacks. A prototype of this serum was used by Viper against Washington, DC, and temporarily mutated Ronald Reagan--Captain America I#344
• SNAKES of MANY COLOR - which are a large and powerful intelligent, and even magically skilled serpents, many of whom dwelled in the Unknown Land--Savage Sword of Conan i#193.
• ZORZ (planet) -  (Lolez) human-like faces but lizard-like bodies--Adventures into Weird Worlds i#18
  
• other lizard, reptile, saur or snake races, places, characters, groups, items or events...

Mars      The 4th planet from the sun, Mars had shifting red sands and was home to a race of lizard people and had some vegetation (indicating it had a temperature and atmosphere sufficient to support such life, although the requirements of the lizard people are unrevealed. --Astonishing Tales#29/1

images: (without ads)
Astonishing Tales#29/1, pg. 1, framing sequence (lizard men in underwear);
        pg. 4, panel 1-2 (Calso landing on Mars);
            panel 4-6 (lizard men approaching, injuring and fought off by Jan Calso)

Appearances:
Astonishing Tales#29/1: "The Immortal" (January, 1954) - unidentified writer, artist and editor

First posted: 03/01/2025
Last updated: 01/11/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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