Jawa

Origin
Spurs Jackson and Strong Bow leave to investigate some explosions observed on the moon. Spurs tells Hank Roper to watch out for a group of FENS, or Science Fiction Fans. He invited a local club of called the "Dehyrates" to the ranch while Descon, a science fiction conference, is going on. Spurs invited them over for a visit. Spurs informs Hank they will be in costume and will arrive in a plane made up to look like a spaceship.

When a rocket lands nearby, Hank naturally assumes it's the FENS. Instead, it is the Neptunian, Jawa is an Artopod from Neptune, leading a small force of scouts to prepare for an invasion.

Jawa tells Hank to turn off the beam that lead them to Earth. The beam is the locator Spurs uses to return in his rocket. While obliging Jawa, Hank also turns on an alarm to the local Army base. Soon, the Army sends out soldiers in a Jeep to attack the Neptunians. The soldiers hold their fire so as not to injure Hank, but the Neptunians blast the soldiers with their pistols, demolishing the Jeep.

The military sends a flame-throwing armored vehicle, sending the Neptunians fleeing. Their craft sends a light beam at the vehicle, which causes it to disappear.

The ray also strikes an attacking Mustang fighter plane, causing it to burst into flames. When the Descon group shows up, Jawa permits it to land. Hank thinks he must warn them about what is going on. He rushes to the plane, but Jawa tells his cohorts to let him go, and then they will take the plane's occupants and Hank prisoner all at once. When the science fiction fans alight in costume, their plane is instantly destroyed by the Artopods. Hank explains quickly what is going on. The "Dehyrates" fires sprayguns at the Artopods, causing them to retreat and fly away in their spaceship.

Hank radios Spurs, who is just returning to Earth. Spurs sees the ship, having Strong Bow blow it up.

Back on Earth, one of the "Dehyrates" talks to Spurs; "Hi Spurs! Come join our Fanference and we'll tell you how we Bammed the BEMS!"

Spurs explains to Hank that Fanference is a Fan Conference and B.E.M.s is an acronym for 'Bugged Eyed Monsters'.

The red-headed Hyrate explains they needed ray guns for their costumes, and knowing how bad the mosquitoes were at the ranch, they took spray guns filled with insecticide instead. They figured Artopods was just another term for insects, so they used the spray on the Neptunians. To great effect.

Public Domain Appearances
Space Western #43