Mars Attacks is a science fiction themed trading card series. It was released in 1962. The cards feature artwork by science-fiction artists Wallace Wood and Norman Saunders.The cards form a story arc, which tell of the invasion of Earth by cruel, hideous Martians, under the command of a corrupt Martian government who conceal the fact from the martian populace, that Mars is doomed to explode and therefore proposes a colonization of Earth. The cards depict futuristic battle scenes and bizarre methods of Martian attack, torture and slaughter, as well as various Earth nations being attacked. The story concludes with an expeditionary force of humans volunteering to embark on a counterattack on Mars, in which the Earth force attacks the Martians in their manner (bayoneting and bullets) This necessitates the Martian invasion troops to be recalled to defend their Martian home-world. The Earth attack force subsequently place armed nuclear devices on Mars and departs just before Mars is destroyed in the predicted cataclysm. Thus ensuring the peace and safety of Earth as the Martian race is doomed to extinction.

Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American comic science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and written by Jonathan Gems. Based on the cult trading card series of the same name minus the punctuation, the film features an ensemble cast consisting of Jack Nicholson (in a dual role), Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Rod Steiger, Tom Jones, Lukas Haas, Natalie Portman, Jim Brown, Jack Black, and Sylvia Sidney. The film is a parody of science fiction B movies with elements of black comedy and political satire.