History Main / Martians

* ''WesternAnimation/ButtUglyMartians'' depicts Martians as big-headed, blue-skinned, [[FourFingeredHand four-fingered]] [[HumanoidAlien humanoid creatures]].

* In ''ComicBook/BlackHammer'', Martians are tall, red-skinned humanoids who possess innate superpowers, including--but not limited to -- {{flight}} and VoluntaryShapeshifting. Mark Markz, the superhero known as Barbalien, is a Martian and an {{Expy}} of DC's ComicBook/MartianManhunter.

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[[quoteright:350:[[Toys/LEGOLifeOnMars https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lom_martians.png]]]]

The possibility of life on [[UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} the planet Mars]] has fascinated scientists and sci-fi fans since at least the 19th century, though the word "Martian" wouldn't be popularized until the publishing of ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898'', which highly influenced the depiction of Martians in popular culture.

* In ''ComicBook/BlackHammer'', Martians are tall, red-skinned humanoids who possess innate superpowers, including--but not limited to--{{flight}} and VoluntaryShapeshifting. Mark Markz, the superhero known as Barbalien, is a Martian and an Expy of DC's ComicBook/MartianManhunter.
* Franchise/TheDCU:

** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: Aphrodite's nemesis [[Characters/WonderWomanAres Mars]] rules the ethereal native Martians who fight Wonder Woman and her allies on Earth, Mars, Venus and the [[{{Lunarians}} moon]]. They most commonly act as invisible corrupters of those actually partaking in cruel actions, but can possess bodies to attack directly.
* Franchise/MarvelUniverse:

** Other Martians have shown up in minor roles, such as the [[{{Kaiju}} giant monster]] [[Characters/MarvelComicsMonsters Zetora]], and the "Takers" from the ComicBook/Marvel2099 universe
* ''ComicBook/LeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'': Mars is inhabited by [[Literature/JohnCarterOfMars Barsoomians]], [[Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy Sorns]], and [[Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898 cephalopods]], all of whom have been at war for centuries. Eventually, aided by [[Literature/GullivarOfMars Lt. Gullivar Jones]], the Sorns and Barsoomians band together and drive the cephalopods off the planet, causing them to invade Earth, where they eventually die from exposure to terrestrial pathogens. In the 1950's, Garath Gannz, a mixed-race Martian who could pass for human, spied on Earth in the guise of superhero Marsman.
* ''ComicBook/TrishTrashRollergirlOfMars'': The Martians in the book are depicted is a four-armed race of insectoid humans. The second set of arms is lost whenever they shed their skin, and the resulting carapace can apparently be used to make a variety of items. Qiqi makes Trish and her team a bunch of roller skates from her various shed skins, and they use them to quickly become a team with a shot at the championship. [[spoiler:They encounter more Martians in the cache they go into to hide from the Arex Corporation.]]

* ''Fanfic/RocketshipVoyager''. The Martians serve as a substitute for Vulcans, albeit with a [[Literature/TheMartianChronicles certain Ray Bradbury influence]].

* ''WesternAnimation/MarsNeedsMoms'': In this adaptation of the below-mentioned picture book of the same name, the Martians are depicted as RubberForeheadAliens.

* ''Film/InvadersFromMars1986'', Creator/TobeHooper's remake of the 1953 film, in which the Martians are (to quote the TVT page) "huge, ugly, slimy giant Mr. Potato Heads!" In the original, they were much more humanoid.

* Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs' "Barsoom" works (see "Literature" section) have been adapted into at least a couple of movies:
** ''Film/JohnCarter'', the mega-budget Creator/{{Disney}} BoxOfficeBomb of 2012.
** ''Film/PrincessOfMars'', the much smaller budget DirectToVideo 2009 triumph from Creator/TheAsylum, starring infamous former not-quite adult film star Traci Lords as the titular princess.
* In ''Film/WarGod'', a trio of Martians decides to invade earth after our nuclear weapons test begins polluting the stratosphere, which affects the surrounding galaxies, with the aliens demanding humans to have all nuclear weapons disposed off within 48 hours or they'll destroy every major city.

* Creator/EdmondHamilton: ''A Conquest of Two Worlds'' describes Martians as humanoid creatures with stilt-like limbs and large, bulging chests and heads. They live in tribal groups centered on oases and occasionally fight among themselves. After an accidental confrontation sparks war, they are all killed or enslaved by the invading human population.
* ''Literature/DavidStarrSpaceRanger'' by Creator/IsaacAsimov portrays Martians as having [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascended]] to incorporeal energy beings with advanced technology and telepathic powers.

* ''Literature/TheMartianChronicles'' by Creator/RayBradbury depicts Martians as a refined, artistic race of golden-skinned RubberForeheadAliens.
* ''Mars Needs Moms'': Martians are squat, humanoid beings with antennae and skin color that varies by individual. When they travel to Earth, they wear transparent helmets and a bulbous, ribbed outer garment. In the story, a five-year-old boy learns to appreciate his mother after three Martians kidnap her while he sleeps. The story was later adapted into [[WesternAnimation/MarsNeedsMoms an animated film]].
* Creator/CSLewis' ''Literature/OutOfTheSilentPlanet'' has three sapient species on Mars: The otter-like hrossa, fifteen-foot tall séroni, and tapir-headed frog-like pfifltriggi. The human scientists attempting to invade initially mistake them for primitive "savages", but the hapless man they brought with them as a sacrifice to what they assumed was some pagan idol discovers that they are actually quite civilized, without comprehension of sin, and protected by an immaterial fourth species called the eldila [[spoiler:essentially angels, and unfallen ones unlike those on Earth.]]

* Creator/RobertAHeinlein:
** ''Literature/RedPlanet'' starts out as ABoyAndHisX story about a young Mars colonist and his pet "bouncer", a native Martian lifeform capable of mimicking human speech but less intelligent than humans. Then, it turns out bouncers grow into giant tripedal sapient Martians with immense PsychicPowers.
** ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand'' is about a human raised by Martians forced to adjust to life among his own species after growing up learning the Martians' BlueAndOrangeMorality and PsychicPowers. Strangely enough, he ends up starting his own religion.
** Although the Martians in ''Red Planet'' and ''Stranger in a Strange Land'' are probably the most famous Heinlein-created Martians (and may, arguably, be in the same "universe"), Heinlein also created several other versions of Martians in various different works, from the frail "perambulator"-bound "pseudo-winged" Martians of ''Literature/BetweenPlanets'' to the propriety-obsessed Martians of ''Literature/DoubleStar''.
* ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898'' by Creator/HGWells is a science fiction novel about a Martian invasion of Earth. The Martians in the story are a technologically advanced race of OctopoidAliens with [[MyBrainIsBig large brains]] and no digestive tracts. Their main fighting machines are tripod walkers impervious to nearly all form of attack -- [[spoiler:they ultimately get defeated by pathogens, which they have no immune system to]].

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* ''Series/SesameStreet'': The "yip-yip" aliens are implied to be from Mars. In their first appearance, they're saying "Not Mars; Earth!".
[[/folder]]

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Mars is the homeworld of the Adeptus Mechanicus Machine Cult, entirely devoted to industry and science (or rather the religion that is science). While there are no indigenous aliens there, the AdMech are so augmented it's hard to think of them as human, and there's an unimaginably powerful star vampire known as the Void Dragon trapped somewhere under the surface (by the GodEmperor, making him as the original Myth/SaintGeorge).

* ''Toys/LegoLifeOnMars'', as stated in its title, is about humans discovering the native inhabitants of Mars. Unlike many other depictions of Martians, these Martians are largely friendly towards the humans. However, they weren't always this way; the radio drama ''Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds1938'' was actually a true story, and even in modern day there is TheRemnant still holding onto their violent past.
* Subverted by ''Toys/LegoMarsMission'', where the aliens encountered on Mars are not actually Martians and are [[InsistentTerminology never referred to as such]]; ''VideoGame/LegoBattles'' makes it explicitly clear that they aren't native to Mars. While the friendly Martians of ''Life on Mars'' are sadly nowhere to be seen, ''LEGO Battles'' does hint at the existence of Martians by showing ancient ruins on the planet, dating back long before the arrival of the aliens or humans.

* As the name implies, the molding kit ''Martian Matter'' from Hasbro has various alien shapes you can cast to make your own toys with which are supposed to be Martians.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''[[WebOriginal/HarDeshur Har Deshur: Visions of an alternate, slightly more habitable Mars]]'' is a {{Speculative Biology}} project that tries to imagine what a whole Martian biosphere would look like if the predictions from before Mariner-4 had turned out to be true. While complex, multicellular life does now exist on the surface in this reality, most of it is small and adapted to extreme conditions, while intelligent life is absent.

* ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'': The green, three-eyed toy aliens from the ''WesternAnimation/FranchiseToyStory'' films are retconned into being Martians.
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers'': The series features the below-mentioned Marvin the Martian and K-9 as well as new Martian characters Queen Tyr'ahnee and General Z-9.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': The Native Martians are basically pastiches of Native Americans, and the episodes they appear in are thinly-veiled allegories of American settlers' treatment of real-life Natives.
* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': Zim discovers [[spoiler:that Mars is actually a [[PlanetSpaceship giant spaceship]] as the Martians converted their homeworld into one. They're not around anymore, having overworked themselves into extinction trying to make their ship [[RuleOfCool look cool]].]]

** The Merrie Melodies short "Rocket-Bye Baby" details the humorous consequences when a green Martian baby and an Earthling get accidentally switched at birth. It turns out [[spoiler:ItWasAllJustADream on the baby's father's part. Probably...]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "Homer the Great", we briefly see a Martian, whom the Stonecutters "keep under wraps".
* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'': The episode "Duck Dodgers Jr." introduces Marcia Martian, the niece and young apprentice of the aforementioned Marvin the Martian.

* Back in [[TheNineties 1996]], scientists thought that they had found bacteria-like fossils in the Martian meteorite [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Hills_84001 ALH 84001]] making headlines worldwide. However evidence was controversial and the current scientific consensus is that such "fossils" are actually the product of abiotic (not related to life) processes in the early Mars.

In Western media, they are commonly depicted as either TheGreys or LittleGreenMen. In Japan, Martians (called "Kaseijin") are depicted as OctopoidAliens, based on how they appear in ''War of the Worlds''. In most works, Martians possess highly advanced technology, including spaceships (especially [[FlyingSaucer flying saucers]]) and {{Ray Gun}}s, and often use this technology for sinister purposes- either to TakeOverTheWorld, or [[AlienAbduction abduct and experiment on unsuspecting people]].

* Mars used to be inhabitated in ''Fanfic/TheNewAgeOfMonsters''. However, it's inhabitants were eradicated hundreds of thousands of years ago [[spoiler: by King Gidorah.]]

* In ''Literature/AlanMendelsohnTheBoyFromMars'', Martians look just like somewhat short humans who wear orange-and- green checkered sweaters and black-and-white bowling shoes. One of them blends in effortlessly at a human school and starts a riot about whether he is one or not, yet others more versed in interplanetary travel can somehow easily visually identify them. They are ruled in part by the Martian High Commissioner Rolzup, who is a highly respected diplomat across planets and dimensions.

* Creator/CSLewis' ''Literature/OutOfTheSilentPlanet'' has three sapient species on Mars: The otter-like hrossa, fifteen-foot tall séroni, and tapir-headed frog-like pfifltriggi. The human scientists attempting to invade initially mistake them for primitive "savages", but the hapless man they brought with them as a sacrifice to what they assumed was some pagan idol discovers that they are actually quite civilized, without comprehension of sin, and protected by an immaterial fourth species called the eldila [[spoiler: essentially angels, and unfallen ones unlike those on Earth.]]

[[folder:Web Original]][[/index]]

* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': Zim discovers [[spoiler: that Mars is actually a [[PlanetSpaceship giant spaceship]] as the Martians converted their homeworld into one. They're not around anymore, having overworked themselves into extinction trying to make their ship [[RuleOfCool look cool]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "Homer the Great", we briefly see a Martian, of whom the Stonecutters "keep under wraps".

* Before the Viking probes landed, it was thought that Mars had canals and possibly even intelligent life. While research has shown Mars is a cold desert with a thin atmosphere, a number of structures on the planet [[OnceGreenMars were formed by water]], and it's thought Mars was habitable billions of years ago. There's some evidence suggesting liquid water (and maybe even life) might exist underground where there's enough heat and pressure to do so due to the presence of methane, which usually is produced either by volcanic and geological activity (which Mars doesn't seem to have) or some form of life[[note]]Also, as we've studied ''in-situ'' just a very small part of Mars' surface (its entire surface area is larger than all continents combined) there's still the possibility albeit very unlikely at best of some small, hardy, lifeforms (ie, some equivalent of lichens) existing where conditions are more hospitable[[/note]].

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS2E64WillTheRealMartianPleaseStandUp Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?]]" centers around some troopers trying to figure out which of the patrons at a diner is a Martian. They fail, and when they're taken out by a bus crash the Martian set up, he reveals that he has a third arm and that more are on the way to colonize Earth. [[spoiler:But, in keeping with the twists that the show loves to throw at its viewers, it then turns out that the diner's cook is, in fact, from Venus, and that his race has intercepted the Martians and intend to colonize Earth too, with the cook revealing that he has a third eye under his hat.]]

* ''Series/XFiles'': Martians are a ghostly creature capable of possesing others and flout through space. They built the "face of Mars" and are sabotaging the space program because they don't want humans to know about their existence.

* Franchise/MarvelComics:

The possibility of life on [[UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} the planet Mars]] has fascinated scientists and sci-fi fans since at least the 19th century, though the word "Martian" wouldn't be popularized until the publishing of H.G. Wells' ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'', which highly influenced the depiction of Martians in popular culture.

* ''ComicBook/LeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'': Mars is inhabited by [[Literature/JohnCarterOfMars Barsoomians]], [[Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy Sorns]], and [[Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds cephalopods]], all of whom have been at war for centuries. Eventually, aided by [[Literature/GullivarOfMars Lt. Gullivar Jones]], the Sorns and Barsoomians band together and drive the cephalopods off the planet, causing them to invade Earth, where they eventually die from exposure to terrestrial pathogens. In the 1950's, Garath Gannz, a mixed-race Martian who could pass for human, spied on Earth in the guise of superhero Marsman.

* ''Literature/TheMartianChronicles'' by Creator/RayBradbury depicts Martians as a refined, artistic race of golden-skinned HumanAliens.

* ''Toys/LegoLifeOnMars'', as stated in its title, is about humans discovering the native inhabitants of Mars. Unlike many other depictions of Martians, these Martians are largely friendly towards the humans. However, they weren't always this way; the ''Radio/WarOfTheWorlds'' radio drama was actually a true story, and even in modern day there is TheRemnant still holding onto their violent past.

* ''Film/{{Invaders from Mars|1986}}'', Creator/TobeHooper's remake of the 1953 film, in which the Martians are (to quote the TVT page) "huge, ugly, slimy giant Mr. Potato Heads!" In the original, they were much more humanoid.

* ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' by Creator/HGWells is a science fiction novel about a Martian invasion of Earth. The Martians in the story are a technologically-advanced race of OctopoidAliens with [[MyBrainIsBig large brains]] and no digestive tracts. Their main fighting machines are tripod walkers impervious to nearly all form of attack- [[spoiler:they ultimately get defeated by pathogens, which they have no immune system to.]]

** [[ParasiteZombie The Flood]] also count. [[SealedEvilInACan They were sealed away in a glacier]] by the Ice Warriors and when human astronauts accidentally wake them up, they want to hitch a ride to Earth for their water.

* Interestingly Mr Spock from ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' was originally conceived as being half Martian but the writers were afraid that [[ScienceMarchesOn astronauts would land on Mars]] during the series run and prove there are no Martians. Hence Spock was rewritten as a member of the extrasolar Vulcan race.

* ''Series/{{The Twilight Zone|1959}}'': "Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?" centers around some troopers trying to figure out which of the patrons at a diner is a Martian. They fail, and when they're taken out by a bus crash the Martian set up, he reveals that he has a third arm and that more are on the way to colonize Earth. [[spoiler:But, in keeping with the twists that the show loves to throw at its viewers, it then turns out that the diner's cook is, in fact, from Venus, and that his race has intercepted the Martians and intend to colonize Earth too, with the cook revealing that he has a third eye under his hat.]]