Plasma rifle
Encyclopedia
When discussing weapons in science fiction
, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun
that fires a stream, bolt(s), pulse or toroid
of plasma
(i.e. very hot, very energetic excited matter). The primary damage mechanism of these fictional weapons is usually thermal transfer; it typically causes serious burns, and often immediate death of living creatures, and melts or evaporates other materials. In certain fiction, plasma weapons may also have a significant kinetic energy component, that is to say the ionized material is projected with sufficient momentum to cause some secondary impact damage in addition to causing high thermal damage. In some fictions, like Star Wars, plasma is highly effective against mechanical targets such as droids. The ionized gas disrupts their systems.
Weapons in science fiction
Strange and exotic weapons are a recurring theme in science fiction. In some cases, weapons first introduced in science fiction have now been made a reality...
, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun
Raygun
Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon. They have various alternate names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun, blaster, laser gun, phaser, etc. They are a well-known feature of science fiction; for such stories they typically have the general function of guns...
that fires a stream, bolt(s), pulse or toroid
Toroid
Toroid may refer to*Toroid , a doughnut-like solid whose surface is a torus.*Toroidal inductors and transformers which have wire windings on circular ring shaped magnetic cores.*Vortex ring, a toroidal flow in fluid mechanics....
of plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
(i.e. very hot, very energetic excited matter). The primary damage mechanism of these fictional weapons is usually thermal transfer; it typically causes serious burns, and often immediate death of living creatures, and melts or evaporates other materials. In certain fiction, plasma weapons may also have a significant kinetic energy component, that is to say the ionized material is projected with sufficient momentum to cause some secondary impact damage in addition to causing high thermal damage. In some fictions, like Star Wars, plasma is highly effective against mechanical targets such as droids. The ionized gas disrupts their systems.
Fiction that includes plasma weaponry
- 2300 AD2300 AD2300 AD is a hard science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers Workshop, originally offered as an alternative to the space opera portrayed by the company's leading science fiction role-playing game, Traveller...
Role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
by Game Designers' WorkshopGame Designers' WorkshopGame Designers' Workshop was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers.-History:Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973... - Alien versus Predator, plasma caster weapon
- Armored Core series
- Artemis Fowl book seriesArtemis Fowl (series)Artemis Fowl is a series of fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer and all the books are best sellers, starring the teenage criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II. The author summed up the series as: "Die Hard with fairies." There are seven novels in the series; the first was published in...
: Cannon-sized plasma weapons are featured, with Koboi Laboratory cannons set to kill, whereas those in Police Plaza are set to stun. Both require a reservoirReservoirA reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
of plasma to function. - Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, specifically, PPGPhased plasma gunThe Phased Plasma Gun is a fictional weapon from the television series Babylon 5. It fires a small charge of superheated helium. This gas retains both its shape and small volume via a residual magnetic field. Upon impact with an object, the magnetic field is dissipated and the heat discharged... - BattleTechBattleTechBattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
has recently introduced two BattleMech-scale plasma weapons, the Clan Plasma Cannon, which only bathes the target in flaming gases, thus causing no damage in favor of massive waste heat to BattleMechs, though heavy damage to vehicles and infantry, and the Inner Sphere Plasma Rifle, which causes sizeable amount of damage in exchange for reduced waste heat. Both use lasers and a plastic foam which becomes a plasma when lased. - In Command & Conquer: Tiberian SunCommand & Conquer: Tiberian SunCommand & Conquer: Tiberian Sun is a real-time strategy video game developed by Westwood Studios and released in . The main storyline follows the second major war between the Global Defense Initiative of the United Nations, and the global terrorist organization known as the Brotherhood of Nod who...
and its expansion Firestorm the Brotherhood of Nod deployed an advanced aircraft known as the BansheeBansheeThe banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
equipped with plasma cannons. Also Nod's Cyborg Commando was also equipped with a plasma gun. - In Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, and released internationally in March 2007...
and its Expansion Kane's WrathCommand & Conquer 3: Kane's WrathCommand & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is an expansion pack for the 2007 real-time strategy video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Developed by Electronic Arts Los Angeles and BreakAway Games studios, it was released on March 24, 2008 in the United States and on March 28, 2008 in Europe by...
the Scrin make extensive use of plasma weapons. - In Crusader: No Remorse and its sequel Crusader: No Regret such kind of weapons instantly disintegrate human targets.
- In Crysis WarheadCrysis WarheadCrysis Warhead is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game developed by the studio Crytek Budapest, Hungary, and published by Electronic Arts. Crysis Warhead is a stand-alone expansion game and does not require Crysis installed to play...
, the final mission features the "PAX Cannon" (Plasma Accumulator eXperimental Cannon), which is a devastatingly powerful hand-held rifle the player can then use to quickly destroy the attacking aliens. The power of the weapon rapidly drops with the distance the projectile travels, limiting it to short or medium range. It can destroy most vehicles with a single shot, and has unlimited ammo (presumably by using the atmosphere to generate plasma). - The CultureThe CultureThe Culture is a fictional interstellar anarchist, socialist, and utopian society created by the Scottish writer Iain M. Banks which features in a number of science fiction novels and works of short fiction by him, collectively called the Culture series....
series by Iain BanksIain BanksIain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies... - Dead Space (video game)Dead Space (video game)Dead Space is a survival horror third-person shooter video game, developed by EA Redwood Shores for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was made available on Steam on October 20, 2008...
and its possible sequels - DescentDescent (video game)Descent is a 3D first-person shooter video game developed by Parallax Software and released by Interplay Entertainment Corp. in 1995. The game features six degrees of freedom gameplay and garnered several expansion packs...
and its sequels - Deus ExDeus ExDeus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
: A projectile weapon which "superheats slugs of magnetically-doped plastic and accelerates the resulting gas-liquid mix using an array of linear magnets." - Destroy All Humans!Destroy All Humans!Destroy All Humans! is a video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by THQ. It was released for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 on June 21, 2005. The game is set in the late 1950s in the U.S. and parodies the lifestyles, pop culture, and politics of this time period...
series (Called "Disintegrator Ray") - The Doom series, including the BFG 9000BFG 9000The BFG 9000 is a futuristic weapon found in the video game series Doom. The BFG 9000 is a huge, solid metal gun that fires balls of green plasma. The most powerful weapon in the games, it is capable of destroying nearly any player or enemy in the vicinity with a single hit...
, and a more general purpose plasma gun. - The computer games Dune IIDune IIDune II: The Building of a Dynasty is a Dune computer game released in 1992 by Westwood Studios...
, Dune 2000Dune 2000Dune 2000 is a real-time strategy video game, released by Westwood Studios in 1998 for Microsoft Windows, and later ported to the PlayStation. It is a partial remake of Dune II, which is also based on Frank Herbert's Dune universe. The story of the game is similar to Dune II, and is continued in...
, and Emperor: Battle for DuneEmperor: Battle for DuneEmperor: Battle for Dune is a Dune video game, released by Westwood Studios on June 12, 2001. It is based in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe....
. The Harkonnen Devastator Tank is equipped with dual plasma cannons, which fire plasma "shots" over a short distances. They are powered by a nuclear reactor, which can be pushed into a meltdownNuclear meltdownNuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission...
under certain circumstances. - Earth 21X0 (Earth 2140Earth 2140Earth 2140 is a 2-D real-time strategy computer game created in 1997 by Polish-based Reality Pump Studios and published by TopWare Interactive . Due to lack of publicity and marketing, the game was virtually unknown in the United States as well as Western Europe...
, Earth 2150Earth 2150Earth 2150 also known as Earth 2150: Escape from the Blue Planet is a real-time strategy game, originally published in 2000 by SSI and the Polish developer Reality Pump and a sequel to the largely unknown Earth 2140...
, Moon Project, Earth 2150: Lost SoulsEarth 2150: Lost SoulsEarth 2150: Lost Souls is the second sequel to the real time strategy game Earth 2150.While the game is in fact a stand-alone game, many consider it the second expansion pack because it does little more than provide new missions, and weapons. The story takes place alongside the original game's story...
, Earth 2160Earth 2160Earth 2160 is a real time strategy computer game, the third in the "Earth" series and developed by Reality Pump studios. It is a direct sequel to Earth 2150...
) has plasma turrets for the UCS faction, stated by the manual to be reverse-engineered from a downed alien craft. Due to its high damage, high rate of fire and regenerating ammo, it is arguably one of the most powerful weapons. - Earthsiege 2Earthsiege 2Earthsiege 2 is a mecha-style vehicle simulation game developed by Dynamix, produced by Frank Evers , and released in 1995. Earthsiege 2 is set the Earthsiege universe, which contains its predecessors Earthsiege and Battledrome , as well as action game Hunter Hunted , strategy games MissionForce:...
features a human developed plasma cannon, the blast of which can be powerful enough to destroy even a fully shielded HERC with a single shot though at the cost of leaving little salvageable material behind. - Eve OnlineEVE OnlineEve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven, persistent-world MMORPG set in a science fiction space setting. Characters pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems. Most star systems are connected to one or more other star systems by means of stargates...
MMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing gameMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Large scale plasma cannons and plasma railguns are the favored weapon of the Gallente Civilization. - The Fallout series features a wide range of handheld plasma weaponry, ranging from one-handed pistols powered by small energy cells, to more conventional rifles and heavy weapons dubbed plasma casters, both powered by "microfusion cells". These weapons produce green bolts that deal considerable damage to an opponent, and tend to reduce enemies to a semi-liquid state upon death - in Fallout 3Fallout 3Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
and Fallout New Vegas, this takes the form of a puddle of green goo, but in Fallout 1 and Fallout 2Fallout 2Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
the character's clothing and body can clearly be seen disintegrating and sloughing off their skeleton, which collapses shortly after. Judging by the protracted groan produced by such victims of plasma fire, this process is extremely painful. - F.E.A.R. series: The Type-7 Particle Weapon, a portable sniper weapon which fires a high velocity particle burst that vaporizes a human save for bone material.
- FreelancerFreelancer (video game)Freelancer is a space trading and combat simulation video game developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game was initially announced by Chris Roberts in 1999, and following many production schedule mishaps and a buyout of Digital Anvil by Microsoft, it was eventually...
, short-ranged but very damaging fighter guns, low muzzle velocity - Gurren Lagann: The show's lead female character Yoko uses an electromagnetic superconducting plasma rifle.
- Half-Life 2Half-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
: While never explicitly described as a "plasma rifle", the Overwatch Standard-Issue Pulse Rifle functions much like the plasma rifles of most FPS games. The main difference is that Pulse Rifles function by using containers filled with "dark energy plasma", essentially a form of exotic matterExotic matterIn physics, exotic matter is a term which refers to matter which would somehow deviate from the norm and have "exotic" properties. There are several uses of the term....
, as clips which expel this material in controlled bursts. They also can fire a compressed orb of dark energy plasma as a form of self-propelled projectile. Dark energy plasma has heat and kinetic damage, and due to the nature of this sort of exotic matter, it causes normal matter to vaporize and cease to exist. Similar weapons are found mounted on the game's enemy warships and vehicles. - The HaloHalo (series)Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
series: used by the CovenantCovenant (Halo)The Covenant are a fictional theocratic military alliance of alien races who serve as the main antagonists in the Halo video game series. They are composed of a variety of diverse species, united under the religious worship of the enigmatic Forerunners and their belief that Forerunner ringworlds...
: they use magnetic coils to form, generally, spheres of plasma. They employ plasma in anything from pistols to ship-to-ship combat, they also are able to direct the plasma to its target - The Hammer's SlammersHammer's SlammersHammer's Slammers is a 1979 collection of military science fiction short stories by author David Drake. It follows the career of a future mercenary tank regiment called Hammer's Slammers, after their leader, Colonel Alois Hammer...
series: Powerguns use precicely arranged copper atoms stored in a plastic matrix. The atoms are pulled down the mirror-smooth barrel of the weapon by electromagnetElectromagnetAn electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by the flow of electric current. The magnetic field disappears when the current is turned off...
s. The barrels are cooled by liquid nitrogen and air, as most use a rotary assembly. - Honor HarringtonHonor HarringtonHonor Stephanie Alexander-Harrington is a fictional character, the heroine of a series of military science fiction books set in the "Honorverse", written by David Weber and published by Baen Books....
: more precisely, plasma carbineCarbineA carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
s. - HomeworldHomeworldHomeworld is a real-time strategy computer game released on September 28, 1999, developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment. It was the first fully three-dimensional RTS. In 2003, Relic released the source code for Homeworld...
includes many ships armed with plasma bomb launchers, notably the Attack Bomber and Assault Frigate. - The semi-canon Homeworld Cataclysm has the Taiidan attempting to increase the rate of fire for plasma bomb launchers. The result is the Energy Gun, an upgrade for mass drivers that fires a self-guided and thus highly accurate plasma bomb. This gives larger ship classes a fighting chance against fighters, yet fighter strafing runs also become more deadly against larger ship classes. The Kuun-Lan's siege cannon is an oversized weapon originally designed to crack the shielding of asteroid bases. It has a range of several kilometers and a massive blast radius.
- Homeworld 2Homeworld 2Developed by Relic Entertainment and released in 2003 by now defunct publisher Sierra Entertainment, Homeworld 2 is a real-time strategy computer game sequel to Homeworld. It takes place after the events in Homeworld and concerns Hiigara's response to a new enemy called the Vaygr. Its gameplay...
features a few ships with plasma-based weaponry, Bombers and Progenitor Movers in a forward mount as well as Progenitor Dreadnaughts in a dual-barreled underside turret. The non-controllable Progenitor Drones are armed with a rapid-fire version. Many mods feature the heavy use of plasma-based weapons. - IjiIjiIji is a freeware videogame featuring platform and shooting elements, developed by Daniel Remar using Game Maker over a period of four years...
has the Shocksplinter, Splintergun and Plasma Cannon - In Infantry Online, plasma rifle is a weapon that uses suit energy to fire. The shot can bounce off walls and do decent damage to enemy players.
- In the InfinityInfinityInfinity is a concept in many fields, most predominantly mathematics and physics, that refers to a quantity without bound or end. People have developed various ideas throughout history about the nature of infinity...
tabletop wargame the Combined Army uses plasma rifles as weapons - Dan Simmons' HyperionHyperion CantosThe Hyperion Cantos is a series of science fiction novels by Dan Simmons. Set in the far future, and focusing more on plot and story development than technical detail, it falls into the soft science fiction category...
universe - Jet Force GeminiJet Force GeminiJet Force Gemini is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Rare. It was exclusively released for the Nintendo 64 in late 1999 in North America, Europe and Japan...
includes a weapon called a plasma rifle, which can be charged to release a more powerful blast. - Lilo & StitchLilo & StitchThis article is about the movie. For the television series, see Lilo & Stitch: The Series.Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released on June 21, 2002...
- Lost Planet: Extreme ConditionLost Planet: Extreme ConditionLost Planet: Extreme Condition is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3...
- Lost SoulsLost Souls (online game)Lost Souls is a MUD, a text-based online role-playing game set in a medieval fantasy world. It has an extensive history of technical innovation in its field and has received critical praise....
: various magickally generated plasma effects, most notably the Ringwielder sithalg rune's plasma dart spray attack - March UpcountryMarch UpcountryMarch Upcountry is the first novel in the science fiction series of the Empire of Man by David Weber and John Ringo. It tells the story of Prince Roger MacClintock and his bodyguards of the Empress' Own Regiment who get marooned on the alien planet of Marduk due to an act of sabotage on their...
and its sequels present a plasma squad-support weapon which takes advantage of thermal blooming. - Master of OrionMaster of OrionMaster of Orion is a turn-based, 4X science fiction computer strategy game released in 1993 by MicroProse on the MS-DOS and Mac OS operating systems. The purpose of the game is to lead one of ten races to dominate the galaxy through a combination of diplomacy and conquest while developing...
Often as a short range but powerful beam weapon. - Metroid PrimeMetroid PrimeMetroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
: The Plasma Beam was a short range heat-based weapon, capable of rapid fire. It can also set enemies on fire, when charged. The Plasma Beam is also present in a few other MetroidMetroidis an action-adventure video game, and the first entry in the Metroid series. It was co-developed by Nintendo's Research and Development 1 division and Intelligent Systems, and was released in Japan in August 1986, in North America in August 1987, and in Europe in January 1988...
titles.- Metroid Prime HuntersMetroid Prime HuntersMetroid Prime Hunters is a first-person shooter and adventure game for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was developed by American video game developers Nintendo Software Technology, and was released by Nintendo in North America in March 2006, in Europe and Australia in May 2006, and...
features an extravagant weapon: The Judicator is said to be powered by cold-fusion synthesis and fires supercooled plasma, with temperatures close to absolute zero, and is capable of freezing the target at close ranges when used by Noxus.
- Metroid Prime Hunters
- Mega Man series: repliods (robots) use plasma weapons( or energy weapons)
- MissionForce:CyberStorm, a turn-based game based on EarthSiege Hercs (battle robots). Plasma guns with short range but high power.
- OGameOGameOGame is a text-based, resource-management and space-war themed massively multiplayer online browser game with over two million accounts. OGame was created in 2000 and is produced and maintained by Bioware.. OGame is available in multiple languages, and different nationalities have their own...
: Described as firing a "bluish toroid (ball) of plasma", the plasma turret is the most powerful defensive structure in the game. - Oni: the projectile inexplicably accelerates as it travels
- Operation: First Strike (short story)
- Out of This WorldOut of This World- Film and television :*Out of This World , a U.S. television series, 1987–1991*Out of This World , a 1962 British science fiction television series*Out of This World , starring Veronica Lake...
(Sci-Fi E-book series) - Pariah
- Perfect Dark ZeroPerfect Dark ZeroPerfect Dark Zero is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game had a difficult development cycle, during which a substantial part of it was initially designed for the Nintendo GameCube...
- Phantasy Star OnlinePhantasy Star OnlinePhantasy Star Online is an online multiplayer action RPG title, originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000, bundled with a demo of Sonic Adventure 2. Another edition, entitled Phantasy Star Online ver.2, was released for Dreamcast the following year...
: Has some guns with plasma rifle-like shots - PhosphorPhosphorA phosphor, most generally, is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of luminescence. Somewhat confusingly, this includes both phosphorescent materials, which show a slow decay in brightness , and fluorescent materials, where the emission decay takes place over tens of nanoseconds...
: Pulse Gun functions like a plasma rifle of most FPS games - In the Predator series, the PredatorsPredator (alien)The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterised by its trophy hunting of other dangerous species for sport, including humans and its fictional counterparts, Aliens....
are armed with shoulder mounted plasma rifles. - PlanetSidePlanetSidePlanetSide is a massively-multiplayer online first-person-shooter computer game published by Sony Online Entertainment and released on May 20, 2003....
: The Vanu Sovereignty empire employs plasma in all of their weapons. - QuakeQuake (series)The Quake series is a line of first-person shooter video games produced by id Software.-Overview:The Quake series is somewhat unusual in that its focus changes frequently; the story of Quake II has nothing to do with Quake, and Quake III Arena has little to do with either of its predecessors...
series- Quake IIQuake IIQuake II, released on December 9, 1997, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Id Software and distributed by Activision. It is not a sequel to Quake; it merely uses the name of the former game due to Id's difficulties in coming up with alternative names.The soundtrack for Quake II...
- Quake III ArenaQuake III ArenaQuake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
- Quake 4Quake 4Quake 4 is the fourth title in the series of Quake first-person shooter computer games. The game was developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. Raven Software has collaborated with id Software, the creators and historical developers of preceding Quake games...
- Quake II
- Rage's IncomingIncomingIncoming is a 3D shooter developed by Rage Software and published by Interplay. The PC version was released in late 1998 and the Dreamcast version, a launch title for the console, was released in March 1998 in Japan and Europe and in July 1998 for the rest of the world...
and Incoming ForcesIncoming ForcesIncoming Forces is a 2002 shooter video game developed by Rage Software and published by Hip Interactive, and is the sequel to the 1998 video game Incoming. The game's plot picks up after the plot of the original game. Incoming Forces was released on September 24, 2002....
vehicle-based shooters, most notably used by the alien fighter craft. - Ratchet & ClankRatchet & ClankRatchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
series - RiftsRifts (role-playing game)Rifts is a multi-genre role-playing game created by Kevin Siembieda in 1990 and published continuously by Palladium Books since then. Rifts takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, deriving elements from cyberpunk, science fiction, fantasy, horror, western, mythology and many other genres.Rifts...
- In the RobotechRobotechRobotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...
and MacrossMacrossis a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
animated series, the ZentradiZentradiThe are a fictional, militastic race of alien, humanoid giants and often the main antagonist in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime series and its Robotech adaptation....
humanoid alien giants use plasma rifles. - "Serious SamSerious SamSerious Sam is the first game in the Serious Sam series. It is a first-person shooter created by the Croatian development house Croteam...
" FPS series. - Schlock MercenarySchlock MercenarySchlock Mercenary is a comedic webcomic written and drawn by Howard Tayler. It follows the tribulations of a star-travelling mercenary company in a satiric, mildly dystopian 31st-century space opera setting...
- Sid Meier's Alpha CentauriSid Meier's Alpha CentauriSid Meier's Alpha Centauri is the critically acclaimed science fiction 4X turn-based strategy video game sequel to the Civilization series. Sid Meier, designer of Civilization, and Brian Reynolds, designer of Civilization II, developed Alpha Centauri after they left MicroProse to join the newly...
: a powerful late-game weapon - Star Fox
- Starfist: The soldiers in this science fiction series wield weaponry similar to plasma weapons.
- Stargate AtlantisStargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
- Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
- Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
(Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
, VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, and EnterpriseStar Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
) - Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
: some blasterBlaster (Star Wars)Blasters are ranged weapons in the Star Wars fictional universe. This category of plasma bolt-firing rayguns includes various pistols, rifles, and other powerful weapons.-Production:...
variants fire plasma packets, though these are less popular than particle-beam-firing models. Lightsaber blades are made of pure plasma trapped in an force containment field. - Steel Reign
- System ShockSystem ShockSystem Shock is a first-person action-adventure video game developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. Released in 1994, the game is set aboard the fictional Citadel Station in a cyberpunk vision of 2072...
: plasma rifle which uses energy, while most other weapons use ammo - TAGAP: The Apocalyptic Game About PenguinsTAGAP: The Apocalyptic Game About PenguinsTAGAP: The Apocalyptic Game About Penguins is a computer action game for Microsoft Windows, released as freeware via the Internet in July 2007. In the game, the player controls cyber-penguin Pablo on his quest to save the Earth from the conquering plans of his lunatic creator, Dr. Glowenko...
. Also features a secondary fire mode which creates a small plasma shield. - Terminator seriesTerminator (franchise)The Terminator series is a science fiction franchise encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race....
:- The TerminatorThe TerminatorThe Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
: The T-800, while in a gun shop, asks the clerk for a plasma rifle, in addition to all his other weaponry. - Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
: Both the Human Resistance and Terminators used plasma rifles in the introductory scene of the film. - T2 3-D: Battle Across TimeT2 3-D: Battle Across TimeT2 3-D: Battle Across Time is an attraction at various Universal Studios parks around the world including those at Florida, Hollywood and Japan...
: A T-800 endoskeleton Terminator is seen carrying one, with the protagonist Terminator commandeering it for the last third of the attraction. - Terminator 3: Rise of the MachinesTerminator 3: Rise of the MachinesTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines, commonly abbreviated as T3, is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken...
: The T-XT-XThe T-X, also known as the Terminatrix, is a fictional character who appears in the 2003 film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which is part of the Terminator franchise. The T-X is a cyborg assassin with a human female appearance; the character was portrayed by Kristanna Loken...
can reconfigure its right forearm into a plasma cannon.
- The Terminator
- The TimesplittersTimeSplitters (series)TimeSplitters is a series of first-person shooter video games created by Free Radical Design. The games are often compared to Rare's shooters GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark since Free Radical Design was founded by a group of ex-Rare employees who developed these games...
series has a wide arsenal of Plasma Weapons. - Total AnnihilationTotal AnnihilationTotal Annihilation is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and released on September 30, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It was the first RTS game to feature 3D units and terrain...
, and its unofficial 3D open-source variant Spring, both include plasma cannon in the place of most tank, infantry, ship and artillery guns. - The TransformersThe Transformers (TV series)The Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animal-like forms. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan and South Korea...
: Several characters use plasma weapons, most notably Optimus Prime and his plasma rifle. - timesplitters 2TimeSplitters 2TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter video game available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube game consoles. The game was published by Eidos and developed by Free Radical Design. The game was first released in October 2002 in North America and Europe, and later in Japan...
there is a weapon called plasma autorifle. - Tribes series
- TurokTurokTurok is a fictional American comic book character initially in comics from Western Publishing published through licensee Dell Comics. He first appeared in Four Color Comics #596 , then graduated to his own title, Turok, Son of Stone...
- UFO Aftermath: Reticulans have plasma pistols as well as plasma rifles which actually operate like a grenade launcherGrenade launcherA grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
. The reverse-engineered human version of the plasma pistol branches off into a proper plasma rifle and a short-range but very devastating plasma shotgun. - Unreal series: the pulse/link guns and several vehicle-mounted weapons are plasma weapons. Also, the ASMD Shock Rifle's secondary fire is said to be a ball of seeded plasma whose EM field contains anti-photons; shooting the field with the photon beam of the primary fire causes the photons of the beam and the anti-photons of the ball to mutually annihilate each other in a violent explosion. This maneuver is officially known as a "shock combo" and is the second most powerful attack in the series while on foot.
- Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
, Plasma rifles, pistols, guns, cannons, destructors (normal and titan size), annihilators (normal and titan size), and blastguns are used by the Imperium and Chaos. These weapons suffer from overheating, which can often prove fatal to the user. Plasma rifles and cannons are also used by the Tau Empire and the EldarEldarEldar is both a Hebrew first/last name meaning "god resides" and a rare Norse first name meaning "Warrior who fights with fire" Eld=fire. It is also a Muslim name meaning 'ruler' in the Persian language. Its also the word for 'fires' in the Icelandic, Swedish and Norwegian language...
, though their plasma weapons sacrifice a measure of damaging capability in order to avoid this flaw. - WALL-EWALL-EWALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
: EVE is seen having a plasma firearm mounted to her (transforming) arm. - Wing CommanderWing Commander (franchise)Wing Commander is a video game media franchise consisting of space combat simulation computer games from Origin Systems, Inc., an animated television series, a feature film, a collectible card game, a series of novels, and action figures...
: a short-ranged but very damaging fighter weapon which uses extreme amounts of energy. - X-COMX-COMX-COM is a series of strategy games created by Julian Gollop. In 2010 2K Marin announced the official reboot of the series, entitled simply XCOM. The original game has a cult following.- Original series :...
: nearly all alien weapons are plasma pistols/rifles/heavy plasmas. Alien craft use plasma weaponry as well. They work by superheating atmospheric gases in a small Elerium-powered reactor, thus creating plasma, then amplifying it with another Elerium crystal. After the projectile is ready, the gun fires it with an electromagnetic particle acceleratorParticle acceleratorA particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
. This technology is reverse-engineered into the Gauss weapons in the Second Alien War because plasma weapons explode when fired underwater (not to mention that Elerium-115 becomes inert upon prolonged contact with seawater), hence why the aquatic aliens used sonic weaponry instead. - X Computer Game SeriesX (game series)X is a science fiction space trading and combat simulator series created by German Developer Egosoft. The series is set in the X Universe where several races populate a number of worlds connected by jumpgates...
: Several plasma based weapons exist such as the High-Energy Plasma Thrower, Plasma Burst Generator and Terran exclusive Electro-Magnetic Plasma Cannon.
Real-life devices
Currently, there are several real tools that are somewhat related to fictional plasma weapons:- Plasma torchesPlasma cuttingPlasma cutting is a process that is used to cut steel and other metals of different thicknesses using a plasma torch...
, which have existed for some years, project plasmaPlasma (physics)In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
streams a foot at most, and are used to cut metal and concrete. - The plasma gunDense plasma focusA dense plasma focus is a machine that produces, by electromagnetic acceleration and compression, a short-lived plasma that is so hot and dense that it can cause nuclear fusion and emit X-rays. The electromagnetic compression of the plasma is called a pinch. It was invented in the early 1960s by...
as used in plasma physicsPlasma (physics)In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
. - Shiva StarShiva StarShiva Star, originally just SHIVA, is a high-powered pulsed-power research device located at the Air Force Research Laboratory on the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
is an attempt to make a real plasma-firing directed-energy weaponDirected-energy weaponA directed-energy weapon emits energy in an aimed direction without the means of a projectile. It transfers energy to a target for a desired effect. Intended effects may be non-lethal or lethal...
for use in space.