THE MARTIAN WHO WALKS AMONG US
THE MARTIAN WHO WALKS AMONG US
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Extradimensional?/Alternate Earth? (see comments) extraterrestrial (Martian, Pre-Modern era)
Occupation: Spy
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Other Martians
Enemies: Humanity, the Venusian,
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Center City;
formerly Mars;
Pre-Modern era
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#78/1 (November, 1960)
Powers/Abilities: The Martian could shapeshift into a human form, but this process left him exhausted. Once disguised as a human, only an Infra-Red Machine could reveal his Martian nature. He possessed a degree of superhuman strength (Enhanced human?), but only while in his natural, Martian form. He used a flying saucer capable of outer space travel.
History: (Strange Tales I#78/1) - The Martian arrived on Earth to act as a spy, and pave the way for a Martian invasion. He came across the Venusian, an alien disguised as a human, and knocked the creature out. The Martian then assumed a human form, and headed toward Center City. Over the next few days the Martian repeatedly attacked humans and changed his appearance to avoid detection. The Venusian caught up to him in an office building, and the two fought fiercely. The battle ended when the Martian fell into an elevator shaft, plummeting to his death.
(Hulk III#30) - Xemnu the Titan summoned a gigantic Martian, a Venusian, Zzutak, a Creature from Krogarr, a Blip, a Makluan and Taboo (or a member of his race) to kill the Hulk. When the Impossible Man witnessed how outmatched the Hulk was he merged him with the Red Hulk and they defeated Xemnu's monsters.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers.
The Martian Masters entry in the Marvel Legacy 1970s Handbook confirms that this story did in fact take place in reality-616.
--David A. Zuckerman
Strange Tales I#78/1 was reprinted in Monster Masterworks, Strange Tales Annual#1 and Where Monsters Dwell#3.
PROFILE BY FUTURE. Update by Markus Raymond (Hulk).
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Martian Who Walks Among Us has known connection to:
The Venusian has no known connection to:
Infra-Red Machine
Built by the Venusian. When in the presence of a Martian, even a disguised one, it would start buzzing.
--Strange Tales I#78/1
the Venusian
The Venusian, along with other members of his race, had spent centuries protecting Earth against outer space menaces. The Venusian was disguised as a human while on Earth. He was at the scene of the Martian's arrival on Earth. He tried to alert the media, but everyone he talked to thought he was crazy. Desperate, he built an Infra-Red Machine to track down the Martian. When he located his quarry they fought until the Martian plummeted to his death down an elevator shaft.
A Venusian was summoned by Xemnu to kill the Hulk, but was defeated when Impossible Man merged the Hulk and Red Hulk.
--Strange Tales I#78/1 (Strange Tales I#78/1, Hulk III#30
images:
Strange Tales I#78/1, p7, pan1;
(Infra-Red Machine), Strange Tales I#78/1, p5, pan1;
(the Venusian) Strange Tales I#78/1, p7, pan6
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#78/1 (November, 1960) - Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Strange Tales Annual#1 (1962) - reprint
Where Monsters Dwell#3 (May, 1970) - reprint
Hulk III#30 (April, 2011) - Jeff Parker (writer), Ed McGuinness (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)