It began with an uncanny encounter on busy Seventh Avenue. Two men pass each other in the street, walking along calmly one minute-struck down the next by a horrific fate. All over Manhattan, soundless detonations cut down prince and pauper alike. No one is safe. Great buildings are reduced to ruin. ...

It began with an uncanny encounter on busy Seventh Avenue. Two men pass each other in the street, walking along calmly one minute-struck down the next by a horrific fate. All over Manhattan, soundless detonations cut down prince and pauper alike. No one is safe. Great buildings are reduced to ruin. Banks are demolished. The authorities stand helpless. Only one man, Doc Savage-scientist, adventurer and superman-can penetrate the eerie enigma that threatens to bring the mightiest city on earth to its knees. But when The Alchemist decrees that the Man of Bronze must surrender unconditionally to save New York, will Doc be snuffed out next? From the besieged canyons of New York to the rugged coast of Alaska, Doc Savage and his men race to resolve the riddle that brings grisly doom to ordinary citizens-and threatens the economic recovery of a Depression-besieged world.