Cydonia Quest

The Occasional Journal

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Entry No. 10 - 1st March 2006

Real Life Imitates Art.........Again!

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One would be forgiven for thinking that the comic story above was inspired by the Face on Mars formation discovered at Cydonia by the Viking orbiter in 1976.

In fact it comes from a comic book published in September 1958.

The Face on Mars was published in a comic titled Race for the Moon. A synopsis of The Face on Mars story can be found towards the bottom of this linked web page, (click this "stargate" µµµ ).

"The Face On Mars", penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Al Williamson. – On an expedition from the Earth's moon to the planet Mars, an international team of astronauts – led by American Ben Fisher – discover a huge carving of a Martian face – that's as big as a mountain! Ascending to the inscrutable statue's hollow eyes, Fisher plunges inside, where he finds a green, sunlit countryside with cool, rich and breathable air, one which shelters a civilization of "magnificent giants". Suddenly, the otherworldly city is attacked by insect-like airborne craft, which bomb the giant's homeland into ruins. Outraged, Fisher blasts away at the potato-like invaders who emerge from the landing aircraft, offering them a taste of their own "medicine". Appalled by the wanton destruction, Fisher eventually locates a hidden stronghold of the surviving members of the race of Martian giants. As he eavesdrops, the Earthman sees one them pilot a rocket to destroy their enemy's home base, an unknown planet located somewhere between Mars and Jupiter! Suddenly, Fisher begins to gasp for breath! Blacking out as he falls into oblivion, Fisher eventually awakens on the floor of the Martian desert, with an oxygen mask strapped to his face, while his expedition-mates hover over him. Fisher explains that the statue contains "a visual history of a race's heroic death – and the triumph of a surviving memory". Later, as they pilot their rocket to Jupiter, to Earth, Fisher and his team take careful notice of the debris-strewn asteroid belt – "the pieces of a planet that blew up between Mars and Jupiter".

"Curiouser and curiouser", said Alice.......

Sometimes real life seems determined to take us down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass.

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