I would like to know the name of the film/novel, if exists.
I saw a "bubble" in a couple of cartoons. In both of them there is the protagonist that is fleeing from a village/island/camp in which people are kept prisoner with some sort of brainwashing. Suddlenly appears this big transparent bubble (a couple of meters diameter) that is chasing the protagonist, flying slowly after him.

I saw this in the Simpson (lol), and most important in an episode of the anime Lupin III (that episode was really good, nice horror to be a cartoon). In that episode Lupin was eventually reached by the bubble, encompassed in it, and brought back to the village by the ball itself.

Does anybody know where's the original idea coming from? Can be a film or a novel, I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure what I saw was just a "quote" of something - and I would like to find out.

Thanks in advance.