Martian (H.G. Wells)

"Martian" refers to an inhabitant of Mars, the fourth planet of our solar system. While Mars does not support life in the real world, it has long been speculated that it may once have done so. A popular trend of science fiction is the idea of Martians invading the planet Earth, an idea first brought to life by 19th-20th century British author H.G. Wells in his ever-popular story, ''The War Of The Worlds. ''Since Wells' original story, the concept of Martian invasion has been re-used and re-imagined in many works of fiction, and the Martians themselves have been envisioned in a variety of forms.

This article refers only to H.G. Wells' original concept of Martians.

Characteristics
The Martians imagined by H.G. Wells are described as "merely heads… practically mere brains" and resemble giant octopi, with bulbous, rounded bodies featuring lipless, beaklike mouths, great disk-like eyes, and whip-like tentacles. They are nearly helpless under Earth's gravity, but are extremely intelligent and technologically advanced, and capable of constructing tremendous machines to serve as their "bodies". They do not communicate audibly, and may be telepathic. The only vocalisations known, are a 'queer hooting [which] invariably preceded feeding', and a repeated cry of 'Ulla', which they utter in moments of distress.

War Of The Worlds
In The War Of The Worlds, the Martians - having seemingly exhausted their own planet's resources - launch an invasion of Earth by launching gigantic cylinders that carry invasion parties and serve as war factories and bases during their occupation. After landing, they construct giant, three-legged fighting machines that march into human cities and destroy everything in their path with their terrifying heat-ray weapons. They also use a horrific chemical weapon known simply as "black smoke" that instantly kills anyone who inhales it. In a matter of days, humanity's armies are all wiped out and the Martians take over, seeding the land with a bizarre form of vegetation called "red weed", and start rounding up humans in order to feed on their blood, injected directly into their own veins.

Having lived for generations on a world without disease, the Martians have no biological defence against any of the bacterial organisms native to Earth, and soon their entire occupying force dies off.