Martian (Looney Tunes)

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.

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)