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"I can destroy time and space!"

Magician from Mars
MagicianfromMarsTitle

Real Name

Jane Gem (Jane Q-X3/6EM35)

First Appearance

Amazing Man Comics #7 (November 1939)

Original Publisher

Centaur

Created by

John Giunta & Malcolm Kildale

Origin[]

In the future, Jane Q-X 3 Gem, the Magician from Mars, is born to a Martian father, Jarl 6EM35, and an Earthling mother, Jane Faro. When she was a baby, she was accidently exposed to "cathode" radiation, which is deadly to humans but which Martians are naturally immune to. Because she was a hybrid of the two, the radiation had an unexpected effect of boosting her brain power to the point where she was capable of changing reality with a thought.

Her powers developed as she grows. By age six, she could "wish" things like ice cream cones into existence and levitate things through the air. At 16 years old, she lost both of her parents and was raised by her Aunt Vanza, who refuses to allow the girl to travel to Earth. Eventually, she found life on Mars too boring, so she escaped from the "Supersteel Room" prison her aunt locked her in and took passage on a ship to Earth. There, she decided to use her reality-warping abilities to help those in need. She soon faced an enemy closer to her own power, an extradimensional demonic Elemental, and became a national hero.

Her idyllic life on Earth came to an end when the Hood, leader of an evil organization with the goal of "Universal Domination," declared war. Returning to Mars and donning a new uniform-like costume, she led the Martian armies into battle against the Hood. In the process, she met and fell in love with Prince Taal, son of King Marsu of Mars, who fell at the hands of the Hood. Confronting the Hood, Jane discovered her enemy was none other than her own aunt. Kissing Taal goodbye as he died, Jane swore vengeance on the Hood, and there the series ended.

Powers and Abilities[]

Her powers included super strength, speed, agility, telekinesis, super-intelligence, and the ability to manipulate matter, nullify gravity, transform her own appearance, and maintain her own youth and beauty indefinitely.

She could also sing well enough to banish the Elemental by singing "one of the most beautiful songs in the world."

Public Domain Appearances[]

  • Amazing Man Comics #7-11

Notes[]

  • The Woman in Red has been identified by comics historian, Trina Robbins, as the first masked female crime fighter, with the Magician from Mars, who debuted one year prior, being the first female superheroine in comic books (Olga Mesmer being the first in pulp magazines).
  • The Magician from Mars's powers were (nominally) scientific in nature. However, her adventures had recurring occult overtones, especially her battle with the Elemental.
  • One of the Magician's more notable tricks was making a blank card appear to be documentation in order to steal a spaceship in Amazing-Man Comics #11, which anticipated the Doctor's use of "psychic paper" in Doctor Who
  • The Magician from Mars was ranked fourth in the Huffington Post's list of the 10 Most Bada** Comic Book Heroines.

See Also[]

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