The Destroyer is a series of paperback novels about a U.S. government operative named Remo Williams, originally by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir. The first novel was published in 1971, although the manuscript was completed on June 25, 1963.[1] Over 150 novels have been published. The main characters were adapted to film in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985).[2]
The series was initially co-authored by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir, with each writing a portion of each book separately. In the late 1970s, the relationship between the two became tense, and Sapir withdrew. In the early 1980s, Murphy began using ghostwriters to help with the series, among them his wife Molly Cochran.[3] In the mid-1980s, Sapir returned to participating in the series.
In the late 1980s, Will Murray took over the sole responsibility of writing the series with #74, having written several previous books with Murphy (and one with Cochran). After Sapir's death, Murray continued the series until the late 1990s. When Murray left after novel #107, three novels were written by interim ghostwriters (#108 & #110 by Mike Newton; #109 by Alan Philipson). Jim Mullaney took over for novels #111-#131, followed by two more by Newton. Tim Somheil was ghostwriter from #134 through #145. Marvel Comics writer Doug Murray wrote two related novels in the series, both involving the Destroyer's battle with a werewolf.[citation needed]
The last Gold Eagle Publishing book, Dragon Bones, was released in October 2006. On July 11, 2006, it was announced that The Destroyer would be moving to Tor Books. Somheil was replaced by Mullaney, who co-wrote the new novels with Warren Murphy. The first Tor novel, The New Destroyer: Guardian Angel, was published in May 2007, accompanied by a re-release of three older novels collected as The Best of the Destroyer. There were a total of four (4) novels in 2007-2008 (#s 146-149), listing Murphy & Mullaney as authors. 'The End of the World' (#150) did not come out until 2013 and lists Murphy as sole author; this book and many reprints marked the start of Destroyer Books as the franchise's own publication company. The last three books (so far), cover the period of 2016-2019 and listed Murphy and R.J. Carter as authors.
In 2002 Murphy started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, as a vehicle for Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion, now known as Destroyer Books, has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Destroyer World: The Assassin's Handbook II , Destroyer World: The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.[citation needed]
In 2011 the rights to most of The Destroyer novels reverted to Warren Murphy. They are being released as e-books. Murphy is also reissuing many of the older titles in print format.[citation needed]
In 2017 Gene Donovan Press began publishing new books in the series (starting with Bully Pulpit) written by author R.J. Carter. #151 and #152 show a writing credit of "Warren Murphy with R.J. Carter" while #153 shows "R.J. Carter with Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir".[4]
In 2024, Bold Venture Press published a new anthology produced under license from Warren Murphy Media, LLC. Remo Williams, The Destroyer: The Adventures Continue features 11 new stories by various authors (several of who were ghost writers for Warren Murphy, or previously considered as ghost writers). A twelfth story, "Terminal Philosophy" by Warren Murphy and Will Murray, was originally published in All-Star Action Heroes #1 (Starlog Group, 1989), and previously unreprinted.
Description
The series' hero is Remo Williams, a Newark cop framed for a crime and sentenced to death. His death is faked by the government so he can be trained as an assassin for CURE, a secret organization set up by President Kennedy to defend the country by working outside the law. The head of CURE is Harold W. Smith, a man selected by the President not only for his brilliant mind but also because of his integrity. Smith is a former law instructor at Yale and served in the Office of Strategic Services during World War II.
Remo's trainer and father figure is Chiun, a deadly assassin and the last Master of Sinanju. It has also emerged that Remo is the Avatar of Shiva, as prophesied in the legends of Sinanju. In 1985, a revision of The Assassin's Handbook was published as Inside Sinanju, a companion book to the series. This is narrated primarily in the first person, from Chiun's perspective. It covers anecdotes as well as information on the various villains and history of the series.[citation needed]
The series' basic formula had taken shape by about the third book, but many elements have been introduced into later stories about the early days of Remo's training. In the first book, the word Sinanju is not used at all to describe the martial arts that Chiun teaches Remo. Zen, karate, aikido and judo are used instead. Remo has many trainers for other aspects of being an undercover operative; he is taught to use different types of firearms, and trained in close-quarters assassination. He smokes tobacco, drinks alcohol, and eats red meat, all activities that would later prove harmful or impossible as his body was changed by the harsh Sinanju training regimen. Remo uses a gun to shoot somebody, although it is only to wound, and all his actual kills are hand-to-hand. He does make a conscious choice not to use weapons, after a fight in which he kills a man who had been pointing a gun at him. He realizes that Chiun never carried a gun and is over 70, whereas MacCleary, who had told him to always carry a gun, is dead. The retelling of Remo's origin in the story "The Day Remo Died" in The Assassin's Handbook and in The Destroyer #120-121 and #128 resolve later developments more fully with his origins.[citation needed]
Villains
Remo and Chiun have encountered a number of colorful villains, both human and superhuman. Their foes have run the gamut of pulp fiction, from mobsters to mad scientists to satires of famous real people. Notable examples include:
Mr. Gordons, a shapeshiftingandroid created by NASA with limited emotional capabilities.
Cartoonist Uncle Sam Beasley, revived from cryogenic sleep and armed with an animatronic eye and hand.
Super-soldier Elizu Roote, a cyborg with electricity-based superpowers.
Nuihc ("Chiun" reversed) the Renegade, Chiun's first pupil and nephew. Once trained, Nuihc deserted his duty of providing for the village of Sinanju to seek personal profit. This forced Chiun out of retirement to train Remo Williams.
Jeremiah Purcell (a.k.a. the Dutchman), Nuihc's protege and a strong psychic and pyrokinetic.
Dr. Judith White, a scientist specializing in genetic engineering who changed herself into a weretiger.
The Krahsheevah, a Russian soldier with the ability to walk through walls and transmit his physical form by converting into energy and traveling on phone lines, as well as other unique powers.
Given Remo and Chiun's talents as assassins, few of their enemies have survived their initial encounter with them, but some of the above have managed to escape and return in subsequent stories.
In 1985, The Destroyer concept was adapted for the theatrical movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, starring Fred Ward as Williams, Joel Grey as Chiun and Wilford Brimley as Harold W. Smith. The film shows the first meeting of Remo and Chiun, and centers on a corrupt weapons manufacturer who is selling guns to the US Army.
In 2014 Sony Pictures hired director Shane Black, a fan of the book series, to begin work on a script by Jim Uhls and The Destroyer series co-author James Mullaney.[5] In a 2018 interview Black said the project was "still very much in play", and he planned to work on the script with Fred Dekker and Jim Mullaney. He praised Mullaney's books in the series as equal to those of Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir's.[6]
In 1988, an American television pilot, Remo Williams, aired but did not lead to a series. It was a follow-up to the first movie incorporating footage from the movie in the opening credits. It starred Jeffrey Meek as Williams, Roddy McDowall as Chiun, and Stephen Elliott as Harold W. Smith and is loosely based on the novella "The Day Remo Died".[7] Set one year after the events of the feature film, the pilot episode (titled "The Prophecy") was directed by Christian I. Nyby II and the teleplay written by Steven Hensley and J. Miyoko Hensley. The episode featured guest stars Carmen Argenziano, Judy Landers, and Andy Romano. Craig Safan, who scored the movie, returned to provide the music for the pilot; his score was later released by Intrada Records (paired with Safan's score for the TV movie Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis).
The television pilot had not been seen since 1988 until the Encore cable television channel began airing it in the summer of 2009.
On December 8, 2022, it was announced that Gordon Smith will be adapting a TV series version of The Destroyer for Sony Pictures Television with Adrian Askarieh executive producing.[8]
Comic books
There have been several Destroyercomic book and magazine series published by various companies including Marvel.[9]
Audio book
Books 95–122 in the series were released in audiobook format by GraphicAudio.[10]
Books 3, 12 and 19 in the series were also released in audiobook format. These were produced by Speaking Volumes, LLC.
Assassin's Playoff was published by Speaking Volumes ( ISBN978-1-935138-02-0), number 20 in the list of audiobook format. Not sure if the three book numbers are incorrect or if there was a fourth release.
Series listing
Created, The Destroyer (1971)
Death Check (1972)
Chinese Puzzle (1972)
Mafia Fix (1972)
Dr. Quake (1972)
Death Therapy (1972)
Union Bust (1973)
Summit Chase (1973)
Murder's Shield (1973)
Terror Squad (1973)
Kill or CURE (1973)
Slave Safari (1973)
Acid Rock (1973)
Judgment Day (1974)
Murder Ward (1974)
Oil Slick (1974)
Last War Dance (1974)
Funny Money (1975)
Holy Terror (1975)
Assassin's Play-Off
Deadly Seeds
Brain Drain
Child's Play
King's Curse
Sweet Dreams
In Enemy Hands
The Last Temple
Ship of Death
The Final Death
Mugger Blood
The Head Men
Killer Chromosomes
Voodoo Die
Chained Reaction
Last Call
Power Play
Bottom Line
Bay City Blast
Missing Link
Dangerous Games
Firing Line
Timber Line
Midnight Man
Balance of Power
Spoils of War
Next of Kin
Dying Space
Profit Motive
Skin Deep
Killing Time
Shock Value
Fool's Gold
Time Trial
Last Drop
Master's Challenge
Encounter Group
Date With Death
Total Recall
The Arms of Kali
The End of the Game
Lords of the Earth
The Seventh Stone
The Sky Is Falling
The Last Alchemist
Lost Yesterday
Sue Me
Look Into My Eyes
An Old-Fashioned War
Blood Ties
The Eleventh Hour
Return Engagement
Sole Survivor
Line of Succession
Walking Wounded
Rain of Terror
The Final Crusade
Coin of the Realm
Blue Smoke And Mirrors
Shooting Schedule
Death Sentence
Hostile Takeover
Survival Course
Skull Duggery
Ground Zero
Blood Lust
Arabian Nightmare
Mob Psychology
The Ultimate Death
Dark Horse
Ghost in the Machine
Cold Warrior
The Last Dragon
Terminal Transmission
Feeding Frenzy
High Priestess
Infernal Revenue
Identity Crisis
Target of Opportunity
The Color of Fear
Last Rites
Bidding War
Unite and Conquer
Engines Of Destruction
Angry White Mailmen
Scorched Earth
White Water
Feast or Famine
Bamboo Dragon
American Obsession
Never Say Die
Prophet of Doom
Brain Storm
The Empire Dreams
Failing Marks
Misfortune Teller
The Final Reel
Deadly Genes
Killer Watts
Fade To Black
The Last Monarch
A Pound of Prevention
Syndication Rites
Disloyal Opposition
By Eminent Domain
The Wrong Stuff
Air Raid
Market Force
The End of the Beginning
Father To Son
Waste Not, Want Not
Unnatural Selection
Wolf's Bane
Troubled Waters
Bloody Tourists
Political Pressure
Unpopular Science
Industrial Evolution
No Contest
Dream Thing
Dark Ages
Frightening Strikes
Mindblower
Bad Dog
Holy Mother
Dragon Bones
Choke Hold
Guardian Angel
Dead Reckoning
Killer Ratings
The End of the World
Bully Pulpit
Continental Divide
Monumental Terror
Blood Brotherhood
Trial by Fire
The Assassin's Handbook (1983) features a novella The Day Remo Died. It was republished in 1985 as Inside Sinanju.
Remo: The Adventure Begins... (1985): a novelization of the script by Christopher Wood
The Best of the Destroyer (May 1, 2007): a collection of three early Destroyer books: Chinese Puzzle, Slave Safari, and Assassin's Playoff.
In 2007, Tor Books published four books in the series; due to contractual issues, the titles were changed to "The New Destroyer", although the characters were unchanged. The numbering also restarted, so the first book is called "The New Destroyer #1", rather than "Destroyer #146".
Guardian Angel (May 2007)
Choke Hold (October 2007)
Dead Reckoning (April 2008)
Killer Ratings (July 2008)
The series also includes several novellas, now available online from many of the different e-reader companies:
The Day Remo Died (a reissue of the story from The Assassin's Handbook)
Savage Song (March 2012)
Number Two (October 2012)
Starting in November 21, 2012, the Legacy spin-off series, featuring Remo's father (Bill "Sunny Joe" Roam), Remo's son (Stone Smith), and Remo's daughter (Freya Williams; Stone's half-sister), was introduced. It was co-written by Warren Murphy and Gerald Welch until Murphy's death in 2015, after which Gerald Welch continued it on his own:
Forgotten Son (November 21, 2012)
The Killing Fields (July 29, 2013)
Overload (May 7, 2014)
Trial and Terror (October 30, 2014)
Mother Mine (December 4, 2015)
Laughing Matter (January 13, 2017)
100 Proof (August 18, 2018)
Homecoming (May 15, 2021)
Even though both of the original creators have been deceased since 2015, new books in the Destroyer series are still being published:
Jerome Morrell Ahern was an American writer of science fiction and action novels, non-fiction books, and articles for various firearms publications. He was considered an expert on firearms and related accessories, produced his own line of holsters, and served as president of a firearms company.
Joel Grey is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer, and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical Cabaret on Broadway and in Bob Fosse's 1972 film adaptation. He has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. He earned the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2023.
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, also released as Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous, is a 1985 American action-adventure film directed by Guy Hamilton. The film featured Fred Ward, Joel Grey, J. A. Preston, Wilford Brimley, and Kate Mulgrew.
Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was one of the first to offer royalties and creator ownership of rights.
Christie Golden is an American author. She has written many novels and several short stories in fantasy, horror and science fiction.
Tales from the Crypt is an American bi-monthly horror comic anthology series that was published by EC Comics from 1950 to 1955 created by Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein. The magazine began in March 1947 as International Comics. It continued under this title for five issues before becoming International Crime Patrol (#6) and Crime Patrol (#7–16). It was retitled The Crypt of Terror with issue #17. Two more issues were published under this title before it was rebranded as Tales from the Crypt for issue #20. The comic bore this title for 27 issues until being discontinued after issue #46.
Warren Burton Murphy was an American author, best known as the co-creator of The Destroyer series, the basis for the film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.
Remo is an American drum skin company.
The monk is a playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A D&D monk is a fantasy martial artist, specializing in unarmed combat.
Jonathan Maberry is an American suspense author, anthology editor, comic book writer, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. He was named one of the Today's Top Ten Horror Writers.
James Mullaney is an American writer. Mullaney was ghostwriter and later credited writer of 28 novels in The Destroyer paperback-novel series. He is currently the author of The Red Menace novel series as well as the Crag Banyon Mysteries series.
Richard Ben Sapir was an American author, best known for The Destroyer series of novels that he co-created with Warren Murphy.
GraphicAudio is an audiobook publishing imprint of RBMedia. The GraphicAudio format includes a full cast of actors, narration, sound effects and cinematic music.
William Murray is an American novelist, journalist, short story, and comic book writer. Much of his fiction has been published under pseudonyms. With artist Steve Ditko, he co-created the superhero Squirrel Girl.
Sinanju is a fictitious Korean martial art of the cult paperback book series The Destroyer, by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir. The Destroyer series lampoons politicians, politics, and other adventure novels, and features gory violence on evildoers, martial art adventures and more.
Nick Carter-Killmaster is a series of spy adventures published from 1964 until 1990, first by Award Books, then by Ace Books, and finally by Jove Books. At least 261 novels were published. The character is an update of a pulp fiction private detective named Nick Carter, first published in 1886.
Lou Cameron was an American writer and a comic book artist.
The Assassin's Creed series is a collection of novels by various authors, set within the fictional universe of the Assassin's Creed video game franchise created by Ubisoft. The books are set across various time periods and, like the games, revolve around the secret war fought for centuries between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order. The series includes both direct novelizations of several Assassin's Creed games, and books that function as standalone narratives, although some of these tie-in with one or more of the games in the franchise. British publishing house Penguin Books was responsible for the publication of most of the novels in the series, as well as their respective audiobook versions, until 2020, when Aconyte Books took over as the main publisher of the series.
Remo Williams is the main character in The Destroyer, a series of novels about a United States government operative and Chiun, a martial arts master who is Williams' 'sunseng', analogous to a sensei.
Remo Williams: The Prophecy is an American action-adventure television pilot from 1988. It is based on The Destroyer pulp paperback series by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir, and is a spin-off of the 1985 movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins and incorporates footage from the movie in the opening credits. It stars Jeffrey Meek as Remo Williams, and Roddy McDowall as Chiun. It is loosely based on the 1983 novella "The Day Remo Died". It was directed by Christian I. Nyby II and the teleplay written by Steven Hensley and J. Miyoko Hensley.
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