From the clouds came the great enemy airships that laid waste to eastern America with a new and terrible kind of inextinguishable fire. Through the dark, pall-like, low-hanging smoke moved the monstrous-headed vandals — certainly the strangest, most terrifying invaders ever to sweep over a defenseless land. While America’s proudest cities were reduced to ashes, and patriots frantically sought some means of combating the fire-scourge, Operator #5 made a desperate stand against the aggressors. With a handful of volunteer aides, he gambled the fate of civilization on one final duel with a dictator from hell!
Jimmy Christopher shares traits with other Pulp heroes, but something rather unique stands out about the Operator #5 canon as a whole. Comparisons can be drawn between Jimmy and Doc Savage, for example, or The Shadow because Jimmy had his own bands of aides that helped out on his adventures, especially early on. G-8 and Jimmy share some likenesses too, especially during the Purple Invasion saga, weird air war and such. And of course there was Secret Agent "X" and The Eagle, among others, who plied the same trade as Jimmy, that of being a secret agent.
A primary difference was that Jimmy Christopher fought for one thing and one thing only. His country. The other heroes took on foes that threatened the world or solved crimes that affected a few people or maybe a city, but every Operator #5 mission focused on one goal-protecting the United States of America. This theme ties back to the origins of the concept, focusing on the world condition of the time and Popular Publications seeing a need for a hero for America.
In the flaming cities, now ravaged by a ruthless, invincible invader, Operator #5 and his fighting undercover aides staked the fate of Civilization on one last-minute duel with these new and horrible invaders!
Invasion from the Sky is read with stirring intensity by Milton Bagby. Originally published in the March-April 1939 issue of Operator #5 magazine.
