One might assume that the whimsical tale of “The Face on Mars” was inspired by the famous Martian formation discovered by the Viking orbiter in 1976. However, this story actually predates that discovery, originating from a comic book published in September 1958.
The comic, titled *Race for the Moon*, features a story called “The Face on Mars,” illustrated by the legendary Jack Kirby and inked by Al Williamson. In this narrative, an international team of astronauts, led by an American named Ben Fisher, embarks on a journey from the Moon to Mars. They stumble upon a colossal carving resembling a human face, which is as large as a mountain. Intrigued, Fisher ascends to the statue’s hollow eyes and plunges inside, where he discovers a vibrant, green landscape filled with breathable air and a civilization of towering giants.
The tranquility is short-lived as the city comes under attack from insect-like flying machines that devastate the giants’ homeland. In a fit of rage, Fisher retaliates against the invaders, ultimately finding a hidden refuge of the surviving giants. He witnesses one of them pilot a rocket to obliterate the attackers’ base, located on a mysterious planet between Mars and Jupiter. Just as Fisher begins to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen, he awakens on the Martian desert floor, revived by his fellow astronauts. He reflects on the statue as a “visual history of a race’s heroic death and the triumph of a surviving memory.” As they continue their journey back to Earth, the team observes the remnants of an asteroid belt, remnants of a planet that once existed between Mars and Jupiter.
This story, rich in imagination and adventure, predates the Viking mission’s iconic image of the “Face on Mars,” which was captured on July 25, 1976. The Viking orbiter’s photograph sparked widespread speculation about the possibility of extraterrestrial life, as many believed the formation was evidence of an ancient civilization. NASA, however, clarified that the image was an optical illusion created by shadows and the landscape’s contours, a phenomenon known as pareidolia.
Despite the scientific consensus, the “Face on Mars” has continued to capture the public’s imagination, inspiring numerous discussions and appearances in popular culture, from television shows to video games. The intersection of Kirby’s imaginative storytelling and the subsequent Martian discoveries illustrates how fiction and reality can intertwine in unexpected ways.
The comic, specifically Race for the Moon Number 2, published in September 1958, includes a narrative where a large face serves as a monument to an extinct humanoid race from Mars![9][10][11]
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[1] https://www.space.com/17191-face-on-mars.html
[2] https://www.cnet.com/science/the-face-of-mars-a-martian-mystery-turns-40/
[3] https://news.mongabay.com/2006/09/mars-face-photo-dashes-hope-for-existence-of-martians/
[4] https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/31157
[5] https://science.nasa.gov/resource/mars-orbiter-camera-views-the-face-on-mars-comparison-with-viking/
[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/110idmo/the_face_on_mars_captured_by_nasas_viking_1/
[7] https://www.msss.com/education/facepage/face.html
[8] https://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2006/1747752.htm
[9] https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=16921
[10] https://comicvine.gamespot.com/race-for-the-moon/4050-1882/
[11] https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=192901