Martian (Looney Tunes)

Martian
General Information
Homeworld	Mars
Habitat	Earth-like
Height	Varies
Locomotion	Bipedal
Diet	Unknown
Lifespan	Millennia
Sapience level	Sapient
Language	Martian
Subspecies/Races	Unknown
Behind the Scenes
Universe	Looney Tunes
Created by	Chuck Jones

Martians are a sapient humanoid species that hails from the planet Mars. They are easily recognizable by their black feature-less skin, a pair of large eyes and a usually tranquil, smooth-talking nature which often hides ambitious and belligerent intentions.

Biology

Anatomy

Martians have a most peculiar appearance. While they do have a typically humanoid body plan, it is their overall simplicity, rather than complexity, that makes them look so alien. They have completely black skin, four-fingered hands and three-toed feet. Most notable of all, their heads are smooth and usually spherical in shape. Their faces are featureless, except for a pair of large eyes. Height is highly variable among individuals: while some are really short, others reach more respectable stature. Females generally have hair, while the males are more commonly bald, although older males sometimes grow facial hair and bushy eyebrows. When they do have hair, it is most commonly white.

Lifespan

Martians are a very long-lived species. Marvin once claimed that he has been trying to destroy Earth for more than two millennia. The fact that he is still alive and well in the 24½th Century also supports this claim.

Diet

The diet of a Martian is a mystery only made more noticeable by the fact that they have no visible mouth, yet they do store food and beverages on their ships. They have been observed eating potato salad in at least one occasion.

Communication and language

Despite having no visible mouth, Martians are perfectly able to speak. In addition to having a vocal language, they also make use of expressive body language.

It is possible that the Martian language might be similar to the way Earth frogs communicate, to the point of allowing frogs and Martians to naturally comprehend one another. Michigan J. Frog once said "hello" to Marvin by using body movements in addition to croaks. Amazed, Marvin said, "Oh, goody-goody gumdrops! He speaks Martian, too! Isn't that dandy?" Michigan then asked Marvin, "Would you like to hear me sing?", again with his croaks and body movements.

In another notable occasion, Baby Marvin muttered and fiddled his fingers and feet as he was too shy to talk to the Earthling babies—he does not talk to strangers. This led to Baby Taz serving as Baby Marvin's "interpreter". Baby Marvin was only able to talk after Baby Bugs offered to play his toy rocket.

Culture and society

Martian society is imperialistic, and ruled by a single monarch, although said monarch can choose a consort to share the throne with, as Queen Tyr'ahnee once chose to marry Duck Dodgers. Martians are extremely expansionist, claiming even the smallest asteroids in the name of their home world. Their major rivals are their system neighbors, the inhabitants of Earth.

Martians have an interesting fashion sense. Their attire usually consists of a Roman centurion's helmet and skirt, as well as white gloves, basketball shoes, and sometimes a red suit. In the 24½th Century, however, their fashion sense is a bit different. The females wear clothing reminiscent of the ancient Egyptians.

Relationship with other species

Martian Dogs have long been domesticated (or possibly genetically created) by the Martian people, and are used for companionship, as well as tasks such as hunting. Unlike Earth dogs, however, Martian Dogs are a sapient (or at least semi-sapient) species, sometimes even capable of speaking.

The relationship between Martians and a green avian race referred to as "Instant Martians" is less clear. Instant Martians usually come dehydrated, but come to life instantly in full size when Marvin adds water to them. The most likely explanation is that the Instant Martians were genetically engineered by Martians to be used as soldiers, being loyal to the Martians and conveniently easy to transport. On the other hand, there has been at least one documented incident of an Instant Martian operating by itself in the vicinity of Jupiter.

In the 24½th Century, the use of Robot Centurions as warriors seems to have been popularized, although Instant Martians are still in use. The robotic Centurions are sapient, sentient and possess free will. Although usually loyal to the Empire, they will sometimes fool Marvin and go on vacations when they think they need some.

As stated above, Martians have a politically unstable relationship with Earthlings. Marvin, as a toddler, has been shunned by baby earthlings as he acts and talks differently from them, but sometimes he can get along with them well; as an adult, he has tried to destroy Earth on many occasions, declaring that the planet obstructs his view of Venus.

Like earthlings, Martians are also vulnerable to the mind-controlling alien parasite known as the Fudd.

History

Not much is known about the Martian history.

During the 20th and 21st centuries, they seem to have had a loose society, always operating individually (sometimes with the company of a Martian Dog). Even at this point, however, their technology was far superior than Earth's, including weapons able to reduce an entire planet to scraps. Their hand weapons include disintegration pistols. Oddly, some of their weapons seem to come from ACME, which is an Earth-based corporation.

In the 24½th Century, the Martian Empire has become much more organized and agents would operate with larger ships and armies of robot centurion warriors. It is unclear whether the planet-destroying weapons have been lost or if they simply decided not to use them against Earth, despite the relationship between the two worlds remaining mostly hostile.

Appearances

• Haredevil Hare (1948)
• The Hasty Hare (1951)
• Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953)
• Hare-Way to the Stars (1958)
• Mad as a Mars Hare (1963)
• Spaced Out Bunny (1980)
• Duck Dodgers Returns to the 24½th Century (1980)
• Taz-Mania, s02e13, "The Man from M.A.R.S" (1992)
• Another Froggy Evening (1995)
• Space Jam (1996)
• The Simpsons, s08e10, "The Springfield Files" (1997)
• Marvin the Martian in the Third Dimension (1997)
• Pinky and the Brain, s04e07, "Star Warners" (1998)
• Baby Looney Tunes, s02e06, "War of the Weirds" (2002)
• Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
• Duck Dodgers (2003-2006)
• Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas (2006)
• The Looney Tunes Show (2011)
• Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

Gallery

Notes

• Marvin the Martian was created by animation legend Chuck Jones, who explained that he wanted to have a villain who was the exact opposite of Yosemite Sam: one who was quiet and soft-spoken, but legitimately dangerous.
• Ever since his first appearance in the 1948 short cartoon Haredevil Hare, Marvin has developed a large fan base, leading to him joining the main Looney Tunes cast and making guest appearances and cameos on many productions, as well as spawning a respectable amount of merchandise. An interesting fact is that the character is hardly ever named "Marvin" onscreen. He is most commonly referred to as "Commander X-2".
• An image of Marvin the Martian appears in NASA's rover Spirit, which explored the surface of Mars between 2004 and 2010. Another rover, Opportunity, carries the image of Duck Dodger.
• Martians also appear to be able to survive in the space vacuum, although this might mean nothing, as virtually all Looney Tunes characters, alien and earthling alike, seem to have this ability. The planet Mars itself has been portrayed differently across cartoons, but is usually seen as a red desert or wasteland, with an atmosphere breathable for Earth creatures. Some episodes of Duck Dodgers ("K-9 Kaddy" and "K-9 Quarry") reveal that, as of the 24½th Century at least, some areas of Mars are covered by fields and forests, populated by a fauna similar to that of Earth, though possessing such features as four arms or antennae.
• It is possible that Martians can pass through narrow spaces and teleport into short distances. As seen in a nursery rhyme music video of Baby Looney Tunes, Marvin plays with Daffy in the bathroom—Marvin goes through the faucet popping his head out and goes back in, takes a quick swim into the bathtub, and hides underneath the rug. These abilities have not been demonstrated in other media.
• The use of Roman war helmets by Martians is a reference to Mars being the Roman god of war.

  

  A Martian toddler fixing a toy rocket.

• Martian toddlers can perform advanced abilities which are normally done by adult earthlings, as evidenced in Baby Looney Tunes. Marvin the Martian is able to fix broken toys with his hands, proving to Bugs Bunny that he can fix Bugs' toy rocket. Also, he can make an explosive chemical mixture that turns into Daffy Duck and he can drive a spaceship.
• In Looney Tunes Back in Action, Marvin the Martian is acknowledged as an ACME agent, along with other Looney Tunes characters such as Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote, and the Tasmanian Devil.
• Marvin the Martian makes an appearance in the Walmart commercial "Famous Visitors".

External links

• Marvin the Martian on Looney City Citizens