PLANET X

Official Name: "Planet X"

Nature: Alternate reality (Reality-59356) extraterrestrial planet, unidentified star system, unidentified galaxy 

Environment: Life-sustaining biosphere

Gravity: Unrevealed (but apparently possessed a gravitational field in which it was comfortable for humans to function, and which was not different enough for humans to comment upon it)

Atmosphere: An unspecified combination of gases (mostly nitrogen and oxygen) at least if it can be breathed by humans;
    given the large number of plants and relatively few humanoids (or animals), it is likely very oxygen-rich.

Natural Satellites: There appeared to be three moons

Artificial Satellites: None known

Natives: Flora (flowers, bushes, trees, and presumably other plants)

Population: Unrevealed (if the whole planet was covered with plant life like the region that was shown, there are likely many billion

Capital City: None known

Government: The plants commanded beings who came to their world, but there was no other known system of government

Languages: The plants give telepathic commands;
    Kluge and the people of Earth either spoke English or it was just translated as English;
    Kluge and his people could understand the previous humanoid race that had come to Planet X, so there was likely some sort of translator program in effect

Monetary Unit: None

Planetary Defense: The plants used the fact that they would be assumed to be harmless to lull visitors into complacency while gradually taking command of their minds over approximately three weeks

Major Resources: The plants' "neural scent"

Places of Interest: None specified; only one small village/region was seen

Prominent Residents: Various forms of plant-life

Visitors: Josef Kluge and his soldiers from Earth's People's Republic of Gdynia; Kjem and at least four other aliens from an unidentified world

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#2 (March, 1959)

History:

(Tales of Suspense I#2/4 (fb) - BTS) - The Flora of the world known only as "Planet X" exude a "neural scent" that slowly hypnotizes beings that arrive on their world (or otherwise forces them to serve the plants' needs).

(Tales of Suspense I#2/4 (fb) - BTS) - An unidentified group of humanoid beings from an unidentified world came to "Planet X" to conquer that world. However, over about three weeks, the aliens fell under control of the plants, and they were forced to water and otherwise tend to the plants' needs.

(Tales of Suspense I#2/4 (fb) - BTS) - Circa 2045 A.D., the astronomers of Earth's "People's Republic of Gdynia" learned of "Planet X," which was inhabited by a small and seemingly docile race of people. However there was cause to fear something about Planet X (see comments).

(Tales of Suspense I#2/4 - BTS) - Kirov of the People's Republic of Gdynia informed the dictator, Josef Kluge, about Planet X. However, when he tried to warn him that there was to cause to fear Planet X, Kluge interrupted him and immediately began plans to travel to and conquer Planet X.

(Tales of Suspense I#2/4) - Kluge's ship and his hand-picked soldiers arrived on Planet X, encountered the humanoids, and announced that they would serve him. The people willingly did whatever he told them without complaint, as long as they had enough time to take care of their flowers and trees.

    After about 3 weeks, the humanoids explained to Kluge how the plants' neural scent had been slowly mesmerizing him and his people, as it had done to the people who had arrived before him, and Kluge and his soldiers soon found themselves powerless to resist the commands of dandelions, pussy willows, and sycamores.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Steve Ditko.

    As you can see in the clarifications, there are three Planet X's apparently dominated by Flora, as well as the plant-like lizards from Journey into Mystery I#56. Is there some connection? Perhaps at least the three flora-dominated ones are alternate reality counterparts of the same world?

    Given that Planet X was a world spotted by astronomers on Earth, it would seem likely that it was RELATIVELY close and in the Milky Way Galaxy, but perhap some sort of wormhole existed that facilitated travel.

    Kirov of Gdynia had learned, presumably the astronomers that there was something to fear about Planet X, but Kluge dismissed him before he could tell him. As Kluge's ship left, Kirov noted, "I tried to warn him...but he wouldn't listen!" I wonder if they knew about the plants' abilities, or what exactly why there "was cause to fear that Planet X is..."

    Josef Kluge and/or the People's Republic of Gdynia could get their own profile(s). If you're interested, please do that, rather than adding them as sub-profiles to this profile.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Planet X of Reality-59356 has no known connections to:

• PLANET X (Groot, King Groot) - Home of the Flora Colossi--Tales to Astonish #13
• PLANET X (Googam, Goom, Shivoor) Home of flying people with enlarged craniums--Tales of Suspense I#15
  
• PLANET X - see XANTH (home of the Xantha)--Fantastic Four I#7
• PLANET X  of Reality-60751 - deadly and virtually indestructible spider-creatures could travel via radio waves, boarded astronaut's Ted Karson's rocket. Karson dropped a message capsule to Earth to warn them off and was destroyed when the capsule was mistaken for a bomb--Tales to Astonish I#10
• PLANET X of Reality-59433 - circa 2165 A.D, large and hairy Creature from Planet X put in zoo on Earth--Strange Worlds#3
• PLANET X  of Reality-5953 (Thing from Planet X) - plants have telepathic power, replicate rapidly, and generate toxic gases. sought to conquer and destroy other life--Tales of Suspense I#3
• PLANET X of Reality-54561 - opposite side of Sol from Earth, virtually identical to Earth and inhabited by humans, gravity of two worlds caused each world's moon to approach each world; Earth was destroyed first--Uncanny Tales I#20
  
• PLANET X-41 of Reality-60188 - plant-like lizards, grow from flowers--Journey into Mystery I#56
• PLANET X of Reality-????- only source of Illudium Phosdex, "the shaving cream atom"--Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century (1953)
• other "Planet" or "X" worlds, etc...
  

Known representative: Kjem (Tales of Suspense I#2/4 (fb)) - An unidentified group of humanoid beings from an unidentified world came to "Planet X" to conquer that world. (Tales of Suspense I#2/4 (fb) - BTS) - However, over about three weeks, the aliens fell under control of the plants, and they were forced to water and otherwise tend to the plants' needs. (Tales of Suspense I#2/4 (fb) - BTS) - Circa 2045 A.D., the astronomers of Earth's "People's Republic of Gdynia" learned of "Planet X" and that it was inhabited by a small and seemingly docile race of people. (Tales of Suspense I#2/4 - BTS) - Dictator Josef Kluge's ship with hand-picked soldiers arrived on Planet X. (Tales of Suspense I#2/4) - Their ship was spotted by the previous aliens, one of whom pointed it out to another named Kjem. Kluge introduced himself and commanded the people to obey him.      Although many of Kluge soldiers hoped for resistance as they were looking for a fight, the people willingly did whatever he told them without complaint, as long as they had enough time to take care of their flowers and trees.     Kluge considered that they must be mad, or at best, a very inferior race.     After about 3 weeks, Kluge yelled at the people, asking why they did not complain about his oppression, but the humanoids explained to Kluge how the plants' neural scent had been slowly mesmerizing him and his people, as it had done to them when they had arrived there before. (Tales of Suspense I#2/4 - BTS) - Kluge and his people joined the previous aliens in serving the flora of Planet X. --Tales of Suspense I#2/4 Note: Unfortunately, we don't know the name of the race or where they came from, only that they grossly humanoid, had a spaceship and came to Planet X with the intent to conquer it.      Assuming they came from a different star system, they almost certainly had faster-than-light travel (hyperspace, accessing space warps, etc.)      These aliens came in a single ship, and only like 5 of them were seen.      We don't know if there were more on Planet X as well as what sort of population existed on their native world.      It is not clear which guy is Kjem. The name is referenced once in the upper right image in this sub-profile. Kjem may or may not be one of the guys in the bottom right.

images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#2/4, pg. 2, panel 5 (POSSIBLY Planet X and a moon in the background as Kluge's ship approached Planet X);
          panel 6 (previously-arrived aliens spotting Kluge's ship);
       pg. 3, panel 8 (previous alien with flowers);
       pg. 4, panel 1 (previous aliens explaining their fate);
          panel 2 (previous aliens' ship);
          panel 3 (main image);
          panel 6 (Kluge watering his master)

Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#2/4 (March, 1959) "Secret of Planet X" - Stan Lee (plot, editor), Larry Lieber (script), Steve Ditko (artist)

First posted: 09/23/2023
Last updated: 09/27/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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