MAD MARTIAN
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Presumably extraterrestrial; possibly alternate reality
Occupation: Unrevealed
Group Membership: None known
Affiliations: Unrevealed
Enemies: Apparently at least three humans
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None known
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
presumably Mars
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#88 (September, 1961)
Powers/Abilities: Unrevealed. Presumably its immense size afforded it some degree of superhuman strength and durability.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 25' - 40')
Weight: Unrevealed (assuming human density and 400 lbs. at 6', it would be approximately 14.5 tons at 25' and 59 tons at 40')
Eyes: Dark, likely brown
Hair: Black (in central, "Mohawk" style, possibly extending down back)
Distinguishing features:
Brown skin; small, paired horns on forehead; antennae-like projections
from "eyebrow" region; flat, ridged nose; broad mouth with or without
teeth; pendulous pinnae (external ears); pointed projections from
forearms; three fingers (with or without an opposable thumb); two toes.History:
(Strange
Tales I#88 (fb) - BTS) <circa 1960> - Comic book artist Frank
Johnson created a number of characters for various comic books (including Amazing Adventures, Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, and Tales to Astonish,
starting with the giant Mad Martian.
Comments: Created by Stan "The
Man" Lee, Jack "The King" Kirby, and "Sturdy" Steve Ditko.
So...allegedly, the Mad Martian was just a fictional character created
by Frank Johnson within a story, which would make it "metafiction." In
the Marvel Megaverse (at least), however, we know that -- in an
infinite Multiverse -- every story, dream, scenario, etc. is mirrored
in some reality.
However, without knowing any
more about the character/events involved with the Mad Martian, it is
difficult to say whether those events take place in an alternate
reality (which may or may not be in the same reality as other
"fictional" creations of Frank Johnson, like the Glob and the
Lizard-Bird, plus the other characters not as clearly visible in the gallery of covers
they show), or perhaps they eventually occurred in Reality-616 at some
point, and Frank was having glimpses of the future. Without knowing
more, I am reluctant to provide a reality designation.
Analyzing the story/character, as we have just one panel to go with,
it's hard to say too much. Physical features are discussed above.
Is it from Mars?
Maybe it was a native of Mars.
Maybe it was part of an outpost on Mars established by some distant race.
Maybe
it was only assumed to be a Martian, and it was from another
planet...or maybe it originated from Earth, and it was a Deviant or
some other terrestrial creature?
Did the encounter occur on Mars, Earth, or elsewhere?
Tough
to say...the humans are running around without spacesuits, oxygen
masks, etc., but the land on which the encounter occurs is barren, and
there appear to be three nearby moons or worlds...
Was it malevolent?
The cover painting makes it look that way, but covers don't always match the story.
Maybe
it was benevolent, but its size and appearance made others assume it to
be hostile?...and/or someone shooting it made it lash out?
Why was it the Mad Martian?
Was it really cuckoo for Coco Puffs?
Or was it misinterpretation like in the above discussion?
Maybe someday we'll learn the true story of the "Mad Martian."
As
all three creators are, sadly, deceased, it would take some other
writer to just pick up on this one panel from a 1961 comic and run with
it.
It COULD happen...
This was a lot of work/research for a one panel character...
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Mad Martian should be distinguished from:
- MARTIANS - dwelled on
Mars a billion or hundreds of millions of years ago, encounterd by
time-traveling Gullivar Jones--Lieutent Gullivar Jones: His Vacation;
(Marvel) Creatures on the Loose#16
- MARTIANS - dwelled on Mars over 100 millions years ago,
destroyed and Mars left a desolate wasteland in battle with sister
planet Tiamat--Silver Surfer IV#7
- MARTIANS
- four-armed, green-skinned; active in Earth's 18th century;
encountered 19th century's time-traveling John Carter--Princess of
Mars; (Marvel) John Carter: Warlord of Mars#1
- MARTIANS (Captain Ott ) - humanoid; circa 1940, encountered Human Torch (Jim Hammond)--Marvel Mystery Comics#3
- MARTIANS
(Ro) - two (ghastly)-headed, green-skinned semi-humanoids with
tentacle-like limbs. Circa 1953, Ro led a mission to Earth with
initial plans to conquer humanity, instead sought to negotiate peace,
but unwittingly did so via "Lou Briggs," who was a "Moon-Man" who
considered a war between Earth and Mars to be advantageous--Menace#1/1
- MARTIANS - circa 1954, stole New York City
and left it in space to study humans--Mystic#29
- MARTIANs - circa 1960,
a native traveled to Earth as an advance scout for an invasion, encountered and battled a
Venusian, plummeted to death in an elevator shaft. Metamorphs, true nature detectable by infra-red machine, used
flying saucer--Strange Tales I#78
- MARTIANs - red-skinned, giant, superhumanly strong and durable creatures. Circa 1960, the criminal Zetora traveled to Earth---Journey into Mystery I#57/4
- MARTIANS
(Flight 150, Saucer Leader 1) - circa 1960, a number of alien
"spaceships" landed on Earth; secretly the alien beings, the "ships"
allowed themselves to be taken into custody and then allowed scientists
to board them; analyzing the humans, they determined that Mars never
need fear Earth--Tales of Suspense I#11/2
- MARTIANS Semi-humanoid, at war with Jupiter. Circa 1960, Ogor
was sent to Earth to capture human scientist John Cummings who had
allegedly developed a powerful weapon; as Cummings was actually the
Jupiterian Zeno, he instead captured Ogor and brought him back to
Jupiter--Tales to Astonish I#14/3
- "MARTIANS" - green-skinned metamorphs (possibly Skrulls). Circa 1961, "Charles J. Wentworth" and his staff
planned Earth invasion, Wentworth exposed by Robot X--Amazing Adventures I#4
- MARTIANs - circa 1961, captured Horace the Joker to put him
in their zoo--Amazing Adventures I#5/3
- MARTIANs -
circa 1962, sought to transport Earth equipment to Mars. Enhanced strength, used gun able to teleport
its targets to Mars, spacecraft, weakness to light--Tales of Suspense I#29
- MARTIANs - humanoid race, comparable to mankind circa
1960s, created the move "The Invaders"--Strange Tales I#92/4
- MARTIANS of Reality-40800 (Queen
Laraina) - encountered Comet Pierce--Red Raven Comics#1 (August, 1940)
- MARTIANs of Reality-59523 (Emperor of Mars) - sought to conquer Earth circa 2306 AD, duped by Lynn Hamilton--Journey into Mystery #52 (1959)
- MARTIANS of Reality-80324 - circa 2181, gengineered humans designed to survive on Mars--Marvel Preview#24
- MARTIAN MASTERS of Reality-9507- alternate timeline where
Guardians fight off invasion of Mars in 2001 A.D.--Guardians of the Galaxy#61
- MARTIAN MASTERS of Reality-9930 - battled Avengers (Black Panther, Crimson Dynamo, Jocasta, Killraven, Thundra)--Avengers Forever#1
- MARTIAN MASTERS of Earth-691 -
unsuccessfully invaded earth @ 1901, but invaders were killed by
terrestrial germs, took over earth following the end of the
heroic age, battled by Killraven and the Freemen--Amazing Adventures II#18
- other "Mad" or Martian" characters
images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#88, story pg. 1, panel 1 (only picture)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#88 (September, 1961) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Steve Ditko (inks)
First posted: 12/03/2022
Last updated: 12/03/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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