The Invader is one of the local media companies in the city of Port Charles. It is located inside the Metro Court Hotel on the 7th floor and is currently owned by Valentin Cassadine who bought it from Shawn Butler through his Cassadine funded non-profit and previously owned by Peter August as former Mayor Janice Lomax approves as she is later given a job as receptionist.
After Valentin left town and disappeared with his daughter Charlotte Cassadine on July 17, 2024; Janice becomes the new owner of The Invader.
History[]
.jpg){kind=link}
Nelle Benson meets with editor Steven Culp who is working with his boss Peter August (2017)
In November 2017, a trashy gossip magazine called "The Invader" is first mentioned when Nelle Benson meets with the editor of the magazine Steven Culp to talk about "Ask Man Landers". Nelle revealed that she worked at Crimson Magazine and had overheard Nathan West and Amy Driscoll talk about Nathan posing as "Ask Man Landers" while Amy wrote the blog since Nelle's male counterpart Peter August is the founder, owner, and publisher of The Invader. Nina also knew about the plan. Steven warned Nelle that this would likely destroy the blog and Crimson but Nelle happily accepted a check from Steven after the crime at the Metro Court Hotel by Frank Anderson and Greg Barnes, leaving Mayor Janice Lomax outraged as well as Franco Baldwin and Nathan West unharmed and before Janice Lomax appeared at Charlie's Pub for the Charles Street redevelopment project before her resignation as Mayor of Port Charles leading to Janice becoming a fan of The Invader and Cesar Faison returning to Port Charles leaving the city unprotected without a mayor and Jim Harvey of Niagara Equities coming to Port Charles to follow former Mayor Lomax's idea before the deaths on Nathan West and Cesar Faison triggering the earthquake one month later.
In August 2018, the WSB cleared Peter August of all his charges regarding The Jason Morgan Conspiracy and after being released from the hospital, Peter bought "The Invader" with Valentin Cassadine's help. He was determined to reshape the trashy gossip magazine and media company as a news aggregator, so he offered a job to Lulu Spencer as a journalist.
Also in March of 2021; Peter publishes the story of Jason Morgan's arrest for the murder of Franco Baldwin - the murder that Peter committed, and that he is framing Jason with the help of Cyrus Renault enough for Jason to be replaced by Yuri Tamashevich one month later who adopts Danny, Scout, and Jake making Yuri their adoptive father since Yuri is a fan of The Invader and didn't have any children of his own after Yuri already replaced Franco after his death since Yuri is a bodyguard and had no skills of being an art therapist and is not an artist as he can't fill Franco's shoes making Yuri also the new Head of Security at ELQ.
On Christmas Day 2021, Shawn Butler tells the Davis girls that he used his new non-profit (funded by the Cassadines) to purchase the sensationalist news source. Now, as a publisher, he wants to change the reputation of the publication after the death of Jason Morgan on Cassadine Island and Yuri's deportation by ICE with the help of Drew Cain after Drew's return to Port Charles.
On January 4, 2022; the first hit piece against Cassadine Industries was published. Shawn informed CI CEO Nikolas Cassadine and Ava Cassadine that the new direction for the publication was to promote or expose issues of social or political relevance. Shawn later met with Nikolas' aunt Alexis Davis, who was delighted in the new direction, and to whom he offered the job of his second in command (Editor-in-chief) at the publication.
On May 17, 2023; Alexis hires Esme Prince as a secretary at The Invader after the nightmare of Victor Cassadine is over resulting Victor's death via drone strike to The Haunted Star by the WSB. After thinking about it, Esme accepts the offer.
On July 19, Alexis catches Esme sneaking through her files - who points out they are about her after the will reading of Victor Cassadine. Alexis shares that she was approached about writing an article about Heather and Ryan and their reign of terror and was doing research. They argue about families, identities, and shady pasts, with Alexis reminding Esme that she hasn't don't anything to clean her slate - that she has a past even if she doesn't remember it. Esme secretly steals an article, this one specifically stating that Heather has been moved from D'Archam to Pentonville. At the same time, Sasha Gilmore is interviewed by Invader reporter Elyse Taylor, at the pool for "Deception." When she confides to Gladys Corbin about her nerves, her mother-in-law manipulates her into taking more of the pills her therapist prescribed, then Gladys goes to Cody Bell to argue with him. Sasha takes the pills, and then hallucinates that Cody is the evil Cyrus Renault who bores an uncanny resemblance to the late Cesar Faison all thanks to Dr. Damon Montague wanting revenge for Victor and Cyrus. She grabs a serrated knife and stabs Cody, thinking she's stopping Cyrus nearly a month later Judge Albert Kim sent Drew Cain to Pentonville where Drew met Cyrus in person who bores an uncanny resemblance to the late Cesar Faison.
In October 19-20, Gregory Chase and Alexis Davis got to meet up with Judge Albert Kim who became friends with Edward Sinclair a week earlier prior to Albert Kim becoming friends with Yuri who later struck a deal with ICE and the SEC to give him a second chance after Drew Cain's imprisonment as a reverse of what Drew has done because Judge Kim is somewhat like former judge Naomi Carson who is now a fan of The Invader.
On January 31, 2024; Esme was presumed deceased when Spencer dragged her into the river with him in River Seine near Paris revealing that the job as receptionist for The Invader is open in Port Charles.
On February 5, Alexis wrote an obituary of Spencer Cassadine the same day that Nikolas Cassadine came back with Ace Prince-Cassadine before Nikolas was arrested as both Nikolas and Spencer are later replaced by FBI agent John Cates previously Jagger Cates.
Valentin Cassadine hires former Mayor Janice Lomax as the new receptionist
On February 19, 2024; Valentin reveals to Alexis that he bought The Invader from Shawn who is now living in San Francisco after his nephew Nikolas was sent to prison thinking that he and his children Donald and Charlotte are better Cassadines than Nikolas. He makes it clear he has no intention of changing the publication or her job. Nina Reeves rushes in, and Alexis is surprised to learn she's the new publisher. His daughter Charlotte approves to benefit her future along with Janice Lomax six years after her resignation as mayor and nearly a year after the death of Epiphany Johnson. Janice was later given a job as the new receptionist at The Invader as Valentin will make sure that his daughter Charlotte gets a job at The Invader to benefit her future as Valentin thinks that a person can't do two jobs at once in The Invader as only one person can do one job like one as the owner and the other as the publisher.
On March 6; newly-made publisher Nina Reeves hires Adrian DeWitt, the gossip columnist for "The Fourth Estate", as the social columnist for The Invader. She later promotes him to associate publisher which editor-in-chief Alexis Davis is against and former mayor of Port Charles and receptionist at The Invader Janice Lomax approves. She doesn't agree with his ideas that will turn The Invader into a gossip magazine again to what the late Peter August and the late Nelle Benson loved after the presumed deaths of Spencer Cassadine and Esme Prince on the Seine River in Paris.
On March 29, it is revealed that Valentin is has been operating as the new leader of the Pikeman Security Group after Jack Brennan was arrested and sent to prison while he is owner of The Invader because Valentin already has good riddance of Sabrina Santiago over seven years ago as he knew he wanted the Rivera and Santiago families replaced by the Cassadine family from his side.
On May 31, Adrian publishes an upsetting article in The Invader from an unknown source about Mayor Laura Collins making moves to free Heather Webber of The Hook killings.
On June 12, Laura meets Alexis and says she hopes Alexis had nothing to do with Adrian's article.
On July 1, Alexis tells Nina she's got her law license back. Nina let's Adrian know he is being promoted to Acting Editor-in-Chief, though she isn't happy he will be running the paper and that Janice Lomax is happy with it.
Newly promoted Adrian stops by Ava Jerome's hotel room, where she asks what he knows about Natalia Ramirez. He admits only that she's the mother of popstar "Blaze". Ava reveals that Natalia is controlling, manipulative, and very politically incorrect. He then plays the recording of Natalia's disparaging remarks about Blaze, Kristina, and gay people in general.
Adrian's shocked at her bigotry towards the LGBTQIA+ community, but is thrilled with a smear campaign. She tells him to use it however he likes but leave her name out of it, he tells her to send it anonymously to the tip line. Adrian notes that Blaze is the face of Deception, which prides itself on being environmentally friendly and socially aware. He promises this is going to the press immediately now that Alexis is out at the paper. He then kisses her hand and leaves.
The evening edition goes to print with a controversial article about Natalia Ramirez's homophobia and outing her popstar daughter, Blaze. It becomes a national scandal. Nina rushes to Deception - she promises she'll handle "The Invader" and Adrian, but right now, she's here to help them. The latest issue of Crimson has a two-page spread for Deception featuring Blaze, that she paused before going to print for whatever they decide. Maxie says they stand by Blaze, and Lucy Coe says they could do a two-page spread on the history of Deception, and gushes that she can give an interview. Maxie says her last attempt to sell on TV was a disaster.
Lois Cerullo suggests they give the space to allow Blaze to speak out, but Lucy disagrees as they are supposed to be selling products. Maxie suggests a simple message,
"No One Cancels Love"
in white font on a black background, with their company name under it. Everyone likes the idea, as it takes the pressure off of Blaze and steers to conversation in the right direction.
DeWitt arrives and assumes they are here to praise him and thank him for all the website clicks he's generated. Nina says that's not the case, as Deception is their favorite client, and this was a damning and inflammatory article that hurts them. She demands to know who gave Adrian the recording, which was clearly a doctored with only one side of the conversation. She again demands to know who gave him the recording or he can clear out his new office. He blurts out, "Ava Jerome."
Nina fires Adrian, stating, "No good journalist would give up their source," when he cries that he complied with her demands. Maxie stops them, suggesting Nina keep DeWitt on to print only what she wants him to. Should he disobey, he will be fired, exposed for his part in this mess, and won't be able to find a job anywhere with his journalistic integrity in ruins. Nina likes the way Maxie thinks.
On July 17, Janice's friends and supporters Valentin and Charlotte left Port Charles and they are currently nowhere to be found. Janice later assumes the role of owner of The Invader as Valentin is later replaced by his new bald counterpart warlord Jenz Sidwell before he ran off and fled Port Charles on November 8 after the bombing at the warehouse which made Sonny Corinthos furious after the death of FBI Special Agent John Cates.
Employees[]
- Janice Lomax (Owner; 2024-present)
- Nina Reeves (Publisher; 2024-present)
- Adrian DeWitt (Acting Editor-in-Chief; 2024-present)
- Valentin Cassadine (Former Owner; 2024)
- Shawn Butler (Former Owner & Publisher; 2021-24)
- Peter August (Former Owner & Publisher; 2018-2021, deceased)
- Steven Culp (Former Editor; pre-2017-18)
- Alicia Gallego (Journalist; 2022-present)
- Raymond McAvoy (Reporter; 2022-present)
- Elyse Taylor (Reporter; 2023-present)
- Gregory Chase (Former Journalist; 2023-24, deceased)
- Alexis Davis (Former Editor in Chief; 2022-24)
- Adrian DeWitt (Former Associate Publisher; 2024)
- Janice Lomax (Former receptionist; 2024)
- Esme Prince (Former receptionist; 2023, presumed deceased)
- Liesl Obrecht (Former Medical Columnist; 2019)
- Lulu Spencer (Former Chief Investigative Reporter; 2018-2020, hospitalized)