What makes Mars sound like Mars?: Random thoughts while journeying home from the west

1. Trip-pe-let ta ta ti-ti ta rhythm
I just find this rhythm so captivating. It really suits the character of the music, especially with the subtitle, "The Bringer of War". When I hear the opening rhythm, I think of a large army of soldiers from the fantasy world. Not your regular human soldiers but armies as portrayed in Narnia, LOTR or Star Wars. It's interesting that this rhythm reminds one of a march despite it being in an irregular 5/4 time. One usually associates the regular 4/4 time with marches, not 5/4. I can distinctly imagine an army preparing for war marching to this 5/4 rhythm. I'm thinking of other works I've heard which are in 5/4 time and they definitely don't sound like a march, more like a lilting sort of feel.

2. Opening theme based on the notes G-D-Db

3. Fanfare-like passages

4. Triads moving in parallel motion