| "There Are Martians Among Us!" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title: | "There Are Martians Among Us!" |
| Credits | |
| Writers: | Stan Lee |
| Pencilers: | Steve Ditko |
| Inkers: | Steve Ditko |
| Editors: | Stan Lee |
"There Are Martians Among Us!" is a comic book short story. It was written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko. It was first published in August, 1962 as the third back-up story in Amazing Fantasy #15.
Synopsis
A Martian space vessel spirals out of the sky through the Earth's atmosphere where it is witnessed by a passing passenger jet. It crashes down in the woods outside of a nearby city. Several men arrive at the crash site, but its occupant is already long gone. Before long, word of the strange event reaches the news waves and a radio broadcaster announces that the ship is from Mars. Because the occupants have chosen to hide, it is assumed that they are hostile. The newscaster urges citizens to remain indoors and lock up their homes for safety.
For the next several weeks, search expeditions comb the area looking for the Martians. By analyzing the instrument panel on the ship, they deduce that the Martians must appear at least somewhat humanoid.
In the city, a husband and wife watch the latest news broadcast. The wife wants him to stay at home, but he elects instead to go to work. He insists however that she should remain indoors no matter what. Several hours later, the wife decides that to go to the store to get some coffee. She is confident that if she is quick enough, she should be able to get to the store and back home without incident. She nearly succeeds too, but on her return trip, she encounters something terrifying.
A short time later, the husband returns home. When he sees that his wife is missing he grows frantic. He unbuttons his coat revealing two distinctive pairs of arms. He is a Martian. He knows that with his wife out and about, the bloodhounds will surely pick up her scent and their secret will be exposed.
Appearances[]
Featured characters
- Unnamed husband
- Unnamed wife
Supporting characters
- Unidentified crash-site witnesses
Villains
- None
Minor characters
- Unnamed radio newscaster
- Unnamed television newscaster
Organizations
- None
Races
Locations
- Unspecified city
Items
- None
Vehicles
Notes & Trivia
- "There Are Martians Among Us!" is job number V-780.
Reprints
This story is reprinted in the following volumes:
- Amazing Fantasy Omnibus
- 40 Years of the Amazing Spider-Man DVD-ROM
- 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time, Volume 10
- Marvel Milestone Edition: Amazing Fantasy #15