Jack Reacher, ex-Navy Seal, drifter and all-round badass has probably the most interesting repertoire of weird killing techniques in all of popular culture. He doesn’t need to kill people with lethal objects, he IS a lethal object.
As we get ready for the release of the latest film in the Jack Reacher film series, starring Tom Cruise in the eponymous role, it’s the perfect time to cast a curious eye back over Lee Child’s popular book series.
Two of Lee’s books have been adapted so far One Shot into Jack Reacher and Never Go Back into the second film, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.
To celebrate the release of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back we’ve gone through all the books and picked out some of our favourite ways Reacher’s dispatched his enemies over the years.
Pops A Guy’s Eyeball Out – Killing Floor
In the first of the 17 Jack Reacher novels he basically pops a guy’s eyeball with his thumb. That happens in the first novel, no messing about, no building up to this crazy violent act, it happens in novel numero uno. That’s like starting your dinner with dessert!
Suffocates A Man By Jamming His Face Into A Mattress – Die Trying
In Jack’s second outing, Die Trying, our hero is caught up in the kidnapping attempt of an FBI Agent who’s related to the President and who he, naturally falls in love with.
Throughout the course of the novel Reacher has to use all his killing talents to fight off a small town militia, using all the tools at his disposal, knives, elbows and, of course, mattresses.
That’s right, he suffocates a guy by jamming his face into a mattress, Jack can even make soft and comfy mattresses dangerous!
Shoots A Person’s Leg Off – Killing Floor
You might have read that as ‘he shoots someone in the leg’ but no I meant he shoots someone’s leg off.
The explosive power of a Jack Reacher wielded weapon is obviously more powerful than that of mere mortals, when he shoots you your leg falls off, you don’t get a hole in your leg, you get a hole in your body where you leg was.
Breaks A Neck With A Single Punch – The Visitor
The only thing I could break with a single punch is my own hand or maybe a Salt & Vinegar Pringle! Not Jack Reacher, no. Jack Reacher’s punches pack so much power that they sever neck bone.
Bashes Two People With A Big Rock – Persuader
Whether it’s a high-tech AR15 assault weapon or simple boulder, it’s immaterial to Reacher as he could just as easily kill you with both.
In Persuader he kills two people by braining them with a skull crushing blow to the head with a big stone – like a primal caveman Reacher can and will use anything as a weapon.
Stabs Someone In The Brain – Persuader
Personally I find it hard to kill anything, if I step on a snail I’ll feel remorseful and a little bit sickened with myself.
So it’s a good thing I’m not asked to perform any of the outlandish feats of violence that Mr. Jack Reacher does reguaarly. In Persuader, Reacher stabs a guy straight through his skull into the brain.
Not only does that take a strong arm but also the kind of borderline obsessive who, if he happened to stand on a snail or a human head, wouldn’t even blink. In fact if he did blink, the slight gust of air would kill a butterfly on the wing ten paces away.
Crushes A Man To Death In A Bear Hug – Jack Reacher
Lee Child really loves to lather it on thick whenever he’s talking about how strong Jack Reacher is. Not content with having him punch or elbow people to death, in the film Jack Reacher, Reacher literally squashes a human being to death with his bare hands.
Shoots Someone’s Ear Off – Gone Tomorrow
Mr. Blonde did it with a razor blade, Jack Reacher prefers to pop a round off whenever he fancies taking the ear off another human being.
Breaks Someone’s Hand By Headbutting Their Punch – Worth Dying For
Wow, how has this never been done before. I mean, it’s so simple, the top of the head is probably the hardest part of the human body and yet it just sits there wearing the odd hat and bad haircuts. That’s the kind of man Reacher is, he’ll use unusual body parts to attack people.
Kills A Guy With An Elbow – The Affair
Not content with using his head, his fists, rocks, guns, knives and anything else he finds lying around, Reacher can also kill you with one swift elbow to the temple. In fact, throwing an elbow is arguably his signature move, appearing in almost every one of the books.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is in cinemas across the UK on October 20.
