Comic Title: Detective Comics #243
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: May 1957
Approx. On Sale Date: March 21, 1957 Copyright Date March 19, 1957
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1957
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "The Criminal from Outer Space"
Pages: 6

Feature(s):
Martian Manhunter (of Earth-1)

Artist: Joe Certa

Reprinted In:
Showcase Presents:Martian Manhunter Vol. 1 TPB (2007)

Feature Character(s)

• Martian Manhunter (last appearance in Detective Comics #242; next appearance in Detective Comics #244)

Villain(s)

• Tor (a robot criminal from Mars; dies in this story; no further appearances)
• Marty Kirk (a gangster; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Two martian scientists (appear in flashback; no further appearances)

Flashback Appearance(s)

• Martian Manhunter (earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Detective Comics #287)

Synopsis:
John Jones hears a mysterious voice calling his martian name. The voice belongs to a criminal martian robot named Tor. Tor was exiled to the planet Turas, but has found a way to control gangster Marty Kirk on Earth. Tor grants Kirk invulnerability and tries to kill Jones.

John must survive Tor's attacks for 24 hours until the robot dies on Turas from the dust of that world. When Tor realizes he will not succeed in killing Jones, he tries to expose his martian existence on Earth. John stops him by starting a fire, which weakens not only himself, but Kirk as well. When the 24 hour time limit passes, Tor dies, and Kirk regains control of his body with no memories of events while under Tor's influence.