The two-headed Martians are an unnamed sapient species of two-headed beings from Mars.
Biology[]
Little is known of the two-headed Martians' true physiology, as they have only been seen in cybernetic bodies. However, it is extremely likely that their bodies are at least semi-humanoid, with wide, blocky torsos, two arms with three-fingered hands, and presumably with thick, muscular humanoid legs capable of holding up their bodies, although their legs may not have to be very strong due to Mars' lower gravity. The only part of Martian biology definitively known is that they possess two heads. Their heads, while appearing mostly Human-like, have pointed ears and large, bald craniums. Each head on a given Martian may look different from the other, even if they share a single body. Only male Martians have been seen, so it is unknown what differences a female Martian would have from a male Martian, if there are female Martians. Their heads appear to work in perfect unison when it comes to moving their bodies, although they appear to each have distinct personalities. The cybernetic bodies of the two-headed Martians replaces their entire body except for their heads, and changes their method of locomotion to gliding across the floor through what could be either a wheeled pad or a hover device. Despite evolving in the Martian environment, they appear perfectly capable of surviving in Earth's environment, although this may be due to a cybernetic enhancement.
Culture and society[]
The two-headed Martians, like the eye-stalk Venusians, are interplanetary scientists. They are known to conduct experiments on Humans and other sapient lifeforms, and deemed the typical Human behavior as rude and violent. This could imply that Martian society is more "refined" and formal, possibly due to a dominance of scientific intellect. Their only known experiment has been testing to see what Humans would do if given power beyond that of the rest of the species, and would take away the power if the Human starts using it for personal gain, also implying that the Martians value selflessness and utilizing power and advantages for the benefit of greater society. They appear to hold some relations with the eye-stalk Venusians, and are willing to share scientific results and subjects with them. Their system of measurements includes a unit known as the secogram, which is described as a unit of atomic weight.
Technology[]
Two-headed Martian technology is highly advanced, as seen with the cybernetic bodies of the Martians, which bear an armored torso, a frictionless pad for locomotion, and two antennae-like components, one grafted to the top of each head. They appear to have cloaking technology built into their bodies, as they are invisible and inaudible to Humans. Also built into their bodies is a technology that can alter the physiology of other beings, such as Humans, capable of granting a Human super strength by increasing their atomic weight, appearing to be two lights on their chest, controlled by a switch.
History[]
A two-headed Martian grants Mr. Dingle super strength
The two-headed Martians had been observing Earth for an unknown amount of time. At some point in the 1960s, a two-headed Martian arrived on Earth, seeking a subject for their experiment in granting weak species enhanced strength. They entered a bar while cloaked, observing the Humans for a prime candidate. Seeing Mr. Dingle, a "sub-physical" Human vacuum-cleaner salesman who was constantly bullied by other patrons at the bar he frequents, they decide to use him as their subject, granting him superhuman strength. The two-headed Martian then withdrew to observe him. After seeing that Mr. Dingle only used his strength for his own gain, such as gaining fame and getting revenge on the bullies, the Martian decides that he is a failure, and revokes his strength, which causes Mr. Dingle to lose his fame. As the two-headed Martian prepares to leave, they run into two stalk-eyed Venusians, who are also seeking out Human subjects for their experiments in enhancing intellect. The two-headed Martian directs them to Mr. Dingle, and then leave Earth, noting that one of the three planets next on their list of worlds to experiment on has a population made up of purely females.
Appearances[]
- The Twilight Zone, s02e19, "Mr. Dingle, the Strong" (1961)
Notes[]
- They are one of three variations of Martians to be featured in the 1960s iteration of The Twilight Zone, with the other two being a humanoid species and a three-armed species. They are also the only one of the three Martian species to hold a friendly relationship with their Venusian counterparts, as opposed to the hostile relationship between the three-armed Martians and the three-eyed Venusians.