The Aliens is a 1963-1969 serialized science fiction story that ran in the back of Gold Key Comics' Magnus: Robot Fighter comic book series starting with issue #1 (Feb 1963). The series was produced by writer/artist Russ Manning. Originally, Manning assumed that the backup feature would be a one-shot, and borrowed the story from Murray Leinster's 1945 novelette First Contact. The publisher liked the story enough to make a regular back-up feature. The series was left unresolved on a cliff-hanger at issue #28 (Nov 1969).

Premise

The Aliens is set is the far distant future. Captain Johner and his crew encounter an alien spacecraft 3,000 light years from earth. The aliens attack first, doing so as a precaution to protect their planet. Captain Johner fights off the attack and meets with Zarz, the alien commander. The Captain manages to convince Zarz that both species can co-exist if they learn to trust each other. To that end, half of Captain Johner's crew accompanies Commander Zarz's ship. Similarly, Commander Zarz and three of his crewmen accompany Captain Johner on their adventures through space.

Chapters

Reprints

Valiant reprinted the first 14 chapters in 1995 in a two issue series called Captain Johner & the Aliens.