MARTIANS
Classification: Alternate Reality (Reality-61250) extraterrestrial race (Martian)
Location/Base of Operations: Formerly Mars, fourth planet from the sun in the Sol system, Milky Way Galaxy, Reality-61250
Known Members: Jonn, other unidentified
Affiliations: None known
Enemies: Unidentified Plant creature
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#91/1 "The Sacrifice!" (December, 1961)
Powers/Abilities: The Martians appear
human-like in size and anatomy.
They possessed advanced technology, including the capacity for interplanetary travel.
They had a military which used artillery and disintegrating rays.
Traits: The Martians lived in cities and wore
clothing.
They chose to abandon their planet rather than stay and be killed by the invading plant monster.
Type: Bilaterally symmetrical humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two
Fingers: Five
Toes: Five (see comments)
Skin color: Variable (see comments)
Average height: 5'9" (see comments)
History:
|
. (Strange Tales I#91 (fb) - BTS) - The original inhabitants of the fertile Mars, the Martians developed into a technologically advanced civilization spanning multiple cities. . (Strange Tales I#91 (fb) ) - An alien plant, driven
by instinct to destroy all living things, arrived on Mars after drifting through space for centuries. Jonn and his companion noticed the unusual plant and the vapor that it
emitted, which turned out to be poisonous and quickly killed Jonn. His
companion (see comments) ran to raise the alarm, and the Martians prepared themselves
for battle. The Martians fired artillery shells and disintegrating rays at the plant creature, but it countered all attacks with its various vapors. |
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.
|
The plant continued from one city to another until the surviving Martian population decided to abandon their home planet, leaving in spaceships in search of a new home. (Strange Tales I#91 - BTS) - After the last Martians had fled, the plant continued killing every living thing on Mars, making it into a dead world. (Strange Tales I#91 - BTS) - In 1971, an astronaut from Earth,
Colonel Chuck Dawson, landed on Mars and was quickly captured by the
plant creature, who ordered Dawson to take it to Earth where it could
continue its trail of destruction. They took off in Dawson's
rocket ship, and Dawson imagined the Earth suffering the same fate as
Mars (which paralleled Reality-34983). He detonated his vessel from the inside, sacrificing himself to strand the plant-creature in space once again. However, remnants of the plant creature persisted, floating aimlessly in space. |
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
When naming an alien from a race
you want to establish as not of this Earth, what better name is there
to use but "John"?
It was actually Jonn (JONN, since the lettering was in all capitals).
Reminds me of "J'onn J'onzz," DC's Martian Manhunter, who first appeared in 1955.
Or maybe, since it was from the
telepathically-projected memories of the Plant, Dawson's brain
processed/translate it into a common name familiar to him.
--Snood
The appearance and clothing of
Jonn's companion change radically between the two panels in which they
appear.
From female to male, too (see the image to the right as compared to the image at the top left); perhaps they are metamorphs, or perhaps there were two companions, and one each was off panel in each scene?
--Snood.
These Martians appear virtually identical to humans
in all things, so aspects of their anatomy not shown in-story are
assumed to be the same as well. In fact, they appear so
identical that one has to wonder whether the surviving Martians had
simply settled on the nearby Earth many thousands of years ago. This
certainly would make more sense than abandoning a perfectly habitable
planet right next to them and instead departing for another solar
system entirely.
Agreed. Even if
the Plant had destroyed all life on Mars millions of years ago, the
Earth still would have been hospitable. Perhaps the Martians had
certain requirements that were not compatible with Earth's atmosphere?
The real world
temperature of Mars is not compatible with human life, but Chuck Dawson
seemed to be OK with eyes exposed and wearing some sort of gas mask.
--Snood
Profile by HBK123.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Martians of Reality-61250 should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#91/1, g. 4, panel 1 (John and his feminine companion);
panel 3 (John and masculine companion);
panel 4 (city);
panel 5-6 (Martians firing on Plant);
pg. 5, panel 1 (Plant attacking city; main image);
panel 2-3 (Martian ships fleeing Mars)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#91/1 "The Sacrifice!" (December, 1961) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Jack Kirby (art)
First Posted: 03/29/2025
Last updated: 03/29/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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.
Entering a Martian city, the plant monster emitted a vapor which killed
all living things with a single touch, forcing the Martians to evacuate
the city.