Percival Lowell

Astronomer Percival Lowell (1855-1916) was the leader of the 1893 expedition to Mars, and the brain behind its inception. He was, in Lt. Dibbs' words, "a fine commander," until he used a dream machine and had his body taken over by Tekapesh. Prior to this, he had been communicating with Earth using the lens towers to transmit Morse code, and was keeping the construction of a new space cannon on schedule.