On a neutral island in the Pacific called Shadow Island (above the island of Formosa), run by American gangster Lucky Kamber, both sides in World War II attempt to control the secret of element 722, which can be used to create synthetic aviation fuel.
Secret Agent X-9 is based on the comic strip Secret Agent X-9 by Dashiell Hammett, Leslie Charteris and others. It was Universal's last comic strip adaptation (from 1936 to 1945, Universal made almost as many serial adaptations of comic strips as both of their rivals, Columbia and Republic, combined).[1] The serial reuses footage and Frank Skinner's score from Universal's Gung Ho! (1943).