The Destroyer — by Warren Murphy; Richard Sapir

Order	Book	Date	Rating
1	Created, the Destroyer	1973	4.5
2	Death Check	Jan-1972	4.5
3	Chinese Puzzle	Mar-1972	2.5
4	Mafia Fix	1978	4.5
5	Dr. Quake	Sep-1972	4.5
6	Death Therapy	Dec-1983	4
7	Union Bust	1973	5
8	Summit Chase	1974	5
9	Murder's Shield	Apr-1973	4
10	Terror Squad	1973	5
11	Kill or Cure	Nov-1988	5
12	Slave Safari	1973	4
13	Acid Rock	1973	4
14	Judgment Day	1974	5
15	Murder Ward	1974	4.5
16	Oil Slick	Aug-1974	5
17	Last War Dance	1974	5
18	Funny Money	Feb-1975	5
19	Holy Terror	1975	5
20	Assassins Play-Off	May-1989	4
21	Deadly Seeds	Nov-1975	5
22	Brain Drain	Jan-1976	5
23	Child's Play	Apr-1976	5
24	King's Curse	Jul-1976	4.5
25	Sweet Dreams	Oct-1976	4
26	In Enemy Hands	Jan-1977	4
27	The Last Temple	1977	4
28	Ship of Death	May-1977	4
29	The Final Death	Jul-1977	5
30	Mugger Blood	1977	4
31	Head Men	Nov-1977	4.5
32	Killer Chromosomes	Mar-1978	5
33	Voodoo Die	Jun-1978	5
34	Chained Reaction	Jul-1990	5
35	Last Call	Dec-1978	5
36	Power Play	Mar-1979	5
37	Bottom Line	Jul-1979	5
38	Bay City Blast	1979	4.5
39	Missing Link	1980	4.5
40	Dangerous Games	1980	5
41	Firing Line	1980	4
42	Timber Line	1980	5
43	Midnight Man	Feb-1981	4
44	Balance of Power	Jun-1981	4
45	Spoils of War	Aug-1981	5
46	Next of Kin	Nov-1981	4
47	Dying Space	Jan-1982	4
48	Profit Motive	May-1982	5
49	Skin Deep	Jul-1982	4
50	Killing Time	Oct-1982	5
51	Shock Value	Jan-1983	5
52	Fool's Gold	May-1983	0
53	Time Trial	Aug-1983	4
54	Last Drop	Nov-1983	4
55	Master's Challenge	Feb-1984	5
56	Encounter Group	Jun-1984	4.5
57	Date With Death	Oct-1984	5
58	Total Recall	Dec-1984	5
59	Arms of Kali	Nov-1984	5
60	End of the Game	Feb-1985	0
61	Lords of the Earth	May-1985	0
62	The Seventh Stone	Aug-1985	0
63	The Sky Is Falling	Jan-1986	5
64	The Last Alchemist	Apr-1986	0
65	Lost Yesterday	Jul-1986	0
66	Sue Me	Oct-1986	5
67	Look into My Eyes	Jan-1987	5
68	An Old-Fashioned War	Apr-1987	5
69	Blood Ties	Jul-1987	5
70	The Eleventh Hour	Sep-1987	0
71	Return Engagement	Jan-1988	5
72	Sole Survivor	Apr-1988	5
73	Line of Succession	Jul-1988	5
74	Walking Wounded	Oct-1988	0
75	Rain of Terror	Jan-1989	5
76	The Final Crusade	Apr-1989	5
77	Coin of the Realm	Jul-1989	0
78	Blue Smoke and Mirrors	Oct-1989	0
79	Shooting Schedule	Jan-1990	5
80	Death Sentence	Apr-1990	0
81	Hostile Takeover	Jul-1990	0
82	Survival Course	Oct-1990	0
83	Skull Duggery	Jan-1991	0
84	Ground Zero	Apr-1991	0
85	Blood Lust	Jul-1991	0
86	Arabian Nightmare	Oct-1991	0
87	Mob Psychology	Jan-1992	0
88	The Ultimate Death	Apr-1992	5
89	Dark Horse	Jul-1992	0
90	Ghost in the Machine	Oct-1992	0
91	Cold Warrior	Jan-1993	0
92	The Last Dragon	Apr-1993	0
93	Terminal Transmission	Jul-1993	0
94	Feeding Frenzy	Oct-1993	0
95	High Priestess	Apr-1994	0
96	Infernal Revenue	Sep-1994	0
97	Identity Crisis	Nov-1994	0
98	Target of Opportunity	Jan-1995	0
99	The Color of Fear	Mar-1995	0
100	Last Rites	Jul-1995	0
101	Bidding War	Oct-1995	0
102	Unite and Conquer	Feb-1996	0
103	Engines of Destruction	Jun-1996	0
104	Angry White Mailman	Sep-1996	0
105	Scorched Earth	Nov-1996	0
106	White Water	Feb-1997	0
107	Feast or Famine	Mar-1997	0
108	Bamboo Dragon	Jun-1997	0
109	American Obsession	Sep-1997	0
110	Never Say Die	Jan-1998	0
111	Prophet of Doom	Apr-1998	0
112	Brain Storm	Jul-1998	0
113	The Empire Dreams	Nov-1998	4
114	Failing Marks	Feb-1999	0
115	Misfortune Teller	May-1999	5
116	The Final Reel	Jul-1999	0
117	Deadly Genes	Nov-1999	4
118	Killer Watts	Jan-2000	0
119	Fade to Black	May-2000	4
120	The Last Monarch	Jul-2000	0
121	A Pound of Prevention	Oct-2000	0
122	Syndication Rites	Jan-2001	0
123	Disloyal Opposition	Apr-2001	4
124	By Eminent Domain	Jul-2001	0
125	The Wrong Stuff	Oct-2001	0
126	Air Raid	Jan-2002	0
127	Market Force	Apr-2002	0
128	The End of the Beginning	Jul-2002	0
129	Father to Son	Oct-2002	0
130	Waste Not, Want Not	Jan-2003	0
131	Unnatural Selection	Apr-2003	0
132	Wolf's Bane	Jul-2003	2
133	Troubled Waters	Oct-2003	2
134	Bloody Tourists	Jan-2004	2
135	Political Pressure	Apr-2004	2
136	Unpopular Science	Jul-2004	2
137	Industrial Evolution	Oct-2004	0
138	No Contest	Jan-2005	0
139	Dream Thing	Apr-2005	2
140	Dark Ages	Jul-2005	0
141	Frightening Strikes	Oct-2005	0
142	Mindblower	Jan-2006	0
143	Bad Dog	Apr-2006	2
144	Holy Mother	Jul-2006	0
145	Dragon Bones	Oct-2006	3
146	Choke Hold	Oct-2007	1
147	Guardian Angel	May-2007	1
148	Dead Reckoning	Apr-2008	1
149	Killer Ratings	Jul-2008	1
150	The End of the World	Aug-2019	0
151	Bully Pulpit	Feb-2016	1
152	Continental Divide	Jan-2018	1
153	Monumental Terror	Sep-2019	1

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Series Premise

Remo Williams, a tough, honest Newark, New Jersey cop, is framed for murdering a drug dealer and sentenced to death. His execution is faked by the U.S. government, and he is "recruited" into CURE—a secret, ultra-covert organization created by President John F. Kennedy to fight threats (crime, corruption, terrorism, foreign enemies) that the law cannot touch. CURE operates outside the Constitution, with a mandate to eliminate problems by any means necessary. Remo's identity is erased—he is declared dead—and he is trained to become the ultimate assassin: "The Destroyer." His teacher is Chiun, the ancient, cantankerous Korean Master of Sinanju—the legendary "sun source" of all martial arts (karate, kung fu, ninjutsu, etc., are said to derive from it). Chiun, the last true master from the poor Korean village of Sinanju, is hired by CURE to train Remo (the first non-Korean pupil), turning him into a superhuman killing machine capable of feats like stopping bullets with his fingertips, moving faster than the eye can follow, and killing with a finger flick. Remo and Chiun undertake impossible missions worldwide: assassinating untouchable criminals, foiling terrorist plots, dismantling conspiracies, or neutralizing threats to America—often with absurd humor and over-the-top action. The series satirizes bureaucracy, politics, media, and human folly while delivering pulp thrills.

The Destroyer Series Characters

> Remo Williams ("The Destroyer"): Protagonist—former cop turned super-assassin. Caucasian (Irish-Italian roots), sarcastic, street-smart, physically perfect after Sinanju training. Loyal to America but cynical about government; grows from reluctant killer to confident hero.
> Chiun: Remo's Korean mentor—ancient (appears elderly but timeless), vain, gold-obsessed Master of Sinanju. Deadly with a fingernail, hilariously arrogant, culturally proud (constantly insults Remo as "pale piece of pig fat"). Becomes Remo's father figure; wise, philosophical, and comedic.
> Harold W. Smith ("Emperor Smith"): Head of CURE—brilliant, ascetic, incorruptible former OSS/Yale law professor. Runs operations from a hidden Folcroft Sanitarium office; emotionless but deeply patriotic.
> Supporting/recurring: Various presidents (often unnamed or caricatured), CURE tech staff, villains (mad scientists, terrorists, corrupt officials), and occasional allies (Remo's daughter in later books, other Sinanju trainees).

Setting of the The Destroyer Series

Contemporary United States (primarily New York/New Jersey area, Washington D.C., and various U.S. cities) with global reach: missions take Remo and Chiun to Europe, Asia (including Korea), the Middle East, South America, and beyond. Settings range from urban streets, government buildings, and mob hideouts to exotic locales (jungles, palaces, secret labs). The world is grounded in 1970s–present-day reality but amplified for pulp: high-tech gadgets, shadowy agencies, and over-the-top villains. Sinanju (the Korean village) appears in flashbacks and visits as a poor fishing hamlet that exports assassins to fund itself.

Tone & Themes of the The Destroyer Series

Hilarious, irreverent, satirical, and over-the-top—black comedy mixed with action-adventure. The tone is tongue-in-cheek pulp parody: exaggerated violence (Remo folds people into origami or kills with pressure points), absurd villains (mad scientists, corrupt politicians, cartoonish terrorists), and sharp social/political satire (mocking government inefficiency, celebrity culture, fads, and hypocrisy). Humor dominates—Chiun's deadpan insults, Remo's wisecracks, and ridiculous situations—while action is fast, creative, and cartoonishly lethal. It's not grimdark; the series is fun, guilty-pleasure escapism with a wink at men's adventure tropes (like The Executioner or The Destroyer's own inspiration). Beneath the laughs lies a father-son bond between Remo and Chiun, adding warmth and depth.

The Destroyer series is a wild, hilarious pulp masterpiece—over 150 books of satirical action, absurd violence, and unforgettable characters that poke fun at everything from politics to pop culture. Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir created an enduring guilty pleasure: Remo and Chiun's father-son dynamic, Chiun's biting wit, and Remo's wisecracking heroism make it more than just men's adventure fiction—it's a comedic institution. With its blend of over-the-top kills, sharp satire, and underlying patriotism, the series remains addictive escapism for fans of irreverent thrillers—a timeless guilty pleasure that keeps delivering thrills and laughs decades later.