Raygun
Encyclopedia
- This article is about weapons. For other meanings, see Raygun (disambiguation)Raygun (disambiguation)A raygun is a type of fictional directed-energy weapon.It may also refer to:* A Directed-energy weapon* A nickname for former U.S. president Ronald Reagan-In music:*Raygun , a British band...
. See 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 various real weapons which are similar to rayguns.
Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon
Directed-energy weapon
A 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...
. 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
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
; for such stories they typically have the general function of gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s. According to the stories, when activated, a raygun emits a ray, typically visible, usually lethal if it hits a human target, often destructive if it hits mechanical objects, with properties and other effects unspecified or varying.
Real-life analogues are electrolaser
Electrolaser
An electrolaser is a type of electroshock weapon which is also a directed-energy weapon. It uses lasers to form an electrically conductive laser-induced plasma channel...
s, electroshock weapons which send current along an electrically conductive laser-induced plasma channel.
History
A very early example of a raygun is the Heat-RayHeat-Ray
The Heat-Ray is the primary offensive weapon used by the Martians in H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds and its offshoots.- In the novel :...
featured in H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' novel The War of the Worlds (1898). Science fiction during the 1920s described death rays. Early science fiction often described or depicted raygun beams making bright light and loud noise like lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
or large electric arc
Electric arc
An electric arc is an electrical breakdown of a gas which produces an ongoing plasma discharge, resulting from a current flowing through normally nonconductive media such as air. A synonym is arc discharge. An arc discharge is characterized by a lower voltage than a glow discharge, and relies on...
s. Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
's attempts at developing directed-energy weapons encouraged the imagination of many writers.
Soon after the invention of laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
s during 1960, such devices became briefly fashionable as a directed-energy weapon for science fiction stories. For instance, characters of the Lost in Space
Lost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
TV series (1965–1968) and of the Star Trek
Star Trek
Star 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...
pilot episode "The Cage" (1964) carried handheld laser weapons.
By the late 1960s and 1970s, as the laser's limits as a weapon became evident, rayguns were dubbed "phasers" (for Star Trek
Star Trek
Star 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...
), "blasters
Blaster (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:...
" (Star Wars
Star Wars
Star 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...
), "pulse rifle
Pulse rifle
Pulse rifle and pulse pistol are often used to mean a raygun. The terms refer to various science fiction weapons:*M41A "Pulse Rifle", an assault rifle in the motion picture Aliens that uses 10 mm caseless ammunition and is fitted with a pump-action grenade launcher...
s", "plasma rifle
Plasma rifle
When discussing weapons in science fiction, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun that fires a stream, bolt, pulse or toroid of plasma...
s" and so forth.
Function
Ray guns as described by science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
do not have the disadvantages that have, so far, made directed-energy weapon
Directed-energy weapon
A 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...
s largely impractical as weapons in real life, needing a suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief or "willing suspension of disbelief" is a formula for justifying the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literary works of fiction...
by a technologically educated audience:
- Ray guns draw seemingly limitless power from often unspecified sources. In contrast to their real-world counterparts, the batteries or power packs of even handheld weapons are minute, durable, and do not seem to need frequent recharging.
- Ray guns in movies are often shown as shooting discrete pulses of energy visible from off-axis, traveling slowly enough for people to see them emerge, or even for the target to evade them, although real-life laser light is invisible from off-axis and travels at the speed of lightSpeed of lightThe speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
. This effect could sometimes be attributed to the beam heating atmosphere that it was passing through.. A possible evasion tactic is dodging the firing axis of the gun, theorized in the early story of Mobile Suit GundamMobile Suit Gundamis a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
by the character Char AznableChar Aznable, born is a fictional character from the Gundam franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonists in Mobile Suit Gundam and later becomes one of the protagonists of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. In his final appearance in Char's Counterattack, he assumes leadership of the Neo Zeon movement,...
when he first encountered the series protagonist's machine's beam rifle and seemingly dodging it without any difficulty.
Some of the effects are what would be expected from a powerful directed-energy beam, if it could be generated in reality:
- Ray guns are often shown as transmitting heatHeatIn physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
, as with Wells' heat rays. - Ray guns may be used to cut through hard materials like a blowtorch.
But sometimes not:
- In movies, rays are often depicted as having effect instantaneously, with a touch of the beam sufficing for the intended purpose. Raygun victims are generally killed instantaneously, often – as in the Star Wars films – without showing visible wounds or even holes in their clothing.
- Some rayguns cause their targets to disappear ("de-materialize", disintegrate, vaporize or evaporate) entirely, personal equipment and all.
- Occasionally a raygun is shown as transmitting coldColdCold describes the condition of low temperature.Cold may also refer to:*Common cold, a contagious viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system*Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...
, as with the "freeze rays" in the TV series BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
(1966–1968) and Underdog (1964–1970). - Visible barrel recoilRecoilRecoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
. This would only happen if the momentumMomentumIn classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...
of the beam were comparable to that of a bullet shot from a gun. - A wide range of non-lethal functions as determined by the requirements of the story: for instance, they may stun, paralyze or knock down a target, much like modern electroshock weapons. Many of the more implausible functions are almost farcical and involve transmutationTransmutationTransmutation may refer to:*Biological transmutation, the claim that nuclear transmutation occurs within living organisms*Dimensional transmutation, a physical mechanism that transforms a pure number into a parameter with a dimension...
of matter such as rayguns that age or de-age people (various cartoons), or shrink rays (Fantastic VoyageFantastic VoyageFantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
, Honey, I Shrunk the KidsHoney, I Shrunk the KidsHoney, I Shrunk the Kids is a 1989 comedy film. The directorial debut of Joe Johnston and released through Walt Disney Pictures and Silver Screen Partners III, the film tells the story of an inventor who accidentally shrinks his and his neighbor's kids to 1/4 of an inch with his electromagnetic...
)
Ultimately, rayguns have whatever properties are required for their dramatic purpose. They bear little resemblance to real-world directed-energy weapons, even if they are given the names of existing technologies such as lasers, maser
Maser
A maser is a device that produces coherent electromagnetic waves through amplification by stimulated emission. Historically, “maser” derives from the original, upper-case acronym MASER, which stands for "Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation"...
s, or particle beam
Particle beam
A particle beam is a stream of charged or neutral particles which may be directed by magnets and focused by electrostatic lenses, although they may also be self-focusing ....
s. This can be compared with real-type firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s as commonly depicted by action movies, as tending infallibly to hit whatever they are aimed at (when wielded by the heroes) and seldom depleting their ammunition.
"FX-Ray laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
" in American science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
is a humorous name for a raygun that shoots a visible beam: "FX" is a show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
term for special effects. (Google search for uses)
Rayguns by their various names have various sizes and forms: pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
-like; two-handed (often called a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
); mounted on a vehicle; artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
-sized mounted on a spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
or space base or asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
or planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
. The pistol form is seen most often.
Rayguns have a great variety of shapes and sizes, according to the imagination of the story writers or movie prop
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
makers. Most pistol rayguns have a conventional grip
Pistol grip
On a firearm or other tool, the pistol grip is that portion of the mechanism that is held by the hand and orients the hand in a forward, vertical orientation, similar to the position one would take with a conventional pistol such as the M1911....
and trigger, but some (e.g. Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
phasers) do not. The shapes of some rayguns are influenced by an opinion that they look most effective and weapon-like if they look somewhat like real guns; others, such as this, are not:
(The V-Gun is treated as a Gatling gunpod in Macross
Macross
is 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...
, but as a laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
when copied as Jetfire
Jetfire
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. He is nearly always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
's gun in Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
.)
Sometimes the end of the barrel expands into a shield, as if to protect the user from back-flash from the emitted beam.
Types of raygun
The following is a partial list of notable rayguns or types of rayguns mentioned in various science fiction scenarios:- 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:...
s are the standard raygun of the 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...
universe. - DisruptorDisruptorDisruptor can mean:* An energy weapon in Star Trek* An energy weapon in Star Wars* See Dazzler for a real weapon called a "disruptor"* A video game for the Sony PlayStation by Insomniac Games* CD-title from Remyl* Endocrine disruptor...
s or disintegrator rayDisintegrator rayIn science fiction, a disintegrator ray is an energy beam that destroys an object by disintegrating it to its basic components, which usually disperse into the atmosphere. Ray gun is the generic term for the weapons that fire disintegrator beams...
s, weapons disruptive of the molecular structure of matter, are used in Star Trek and in Star Wars, among other works. - Phasers are the standard raygun of the 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...
universe; see also Weapons of Star TrekWeapons of Star TrekThe Star Trek fictional universe contains a very large number of weapons. As with most science fiction franchises, the series focuses primarily on energy weapons...
. - Plasma riflePlasma rifleWhen discussing weapons in science fiction, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun that fires a stream, bolt, pulse or toroid of plasma...
s, shooting bolts of very hot ionized gas (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...
), are described by many works of fiction. One well-known example is 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...
in the Doom video games. - Pulse riflePulse riflePulse rifle and pulse pistol are often used to mean a raygun. The terms refer to various science fiction weapons:*M41A "Pulse Rifle", an assault rifle in the motion picture Aliens that uses 10 mm caseless ammunition and is fitted with a pump-action grenade launcher...
is the name for a wide range of fictional weapons in various works.
The ray is usually stated to be one of the following:
- LaserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
- A real type of particle beamParticle beamA particle beam is a stream of charged or neutral particles which may be directed by magnets and focused by electrostatic lenses, although they may also be self-focusing ....
, e.g. protonProtonThe proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol or and a positive electric charge of 1 elementary charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom, along with neutrons. The number of protons in each atom is its atomic number....
s and/or neutronNeutronThe neutron is a subatomic hadron particle which has the symbol or , no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton. With the exception of hydrogen, nuclei of atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which are therefore collectively referred to as nucleons. The number of...
s from the proton packProton packThe Proton Pack is a fictional energy weapon used for weakening ghosts and aiding in capturing them within the Ghostbusters universe. First depicted in the film Ghostbusters, it has a hand-held wand connected to a backpack-sized particle accelerator...
s in GhostbustersGhostbustersGhostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a... - A fictional type of particle beam, such as:
- "Minovsky particles" in the Universal CenturyUniversal Centuryis the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
GundamGundamThe is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
series scenario, where Minovsky Physics always operate; in the Mobile Suit Gundam 00Mobile Suit Gundam 00is an anime TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise...
series, they use "GN particles" (a byproduct of a fictional topological defect baryonBaryonA baryon is a composite particle made up of three quarks . Baryons and mesons belong to the hadron family, which are the quark-based particles...
decay); and other timelines use other unknown particles. - Nadions, in the well-known 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...
phaserPhaserPhaser may refer to:* Barber pole phaser is an analog synthesizer specially designed to create Shepard tones, an Auditory illusion.* Endosulfan, an organic compound* Phaser , in the Star Trek fictional universe... - "Greek letter" rays other than the well known real-world alpha ray, beta ray, gamma rayGamma rayGamma radiation, also known as gamma rays or hyphenated as gamma-rays and denoted as γ, is electromagnetic radiation of high frequency . Gamma rays are usually naturally produced on Earth by decay of high energy states in atomic nuclei...
. This includes delta rayDelta rayA delta ray is sometimes used to describe any recoil particle caused by secondary ionization. The term was coined by J.J. Thomson. It is entirely unrelated to the family of subatomic particles named delta baryon.-Characteristics:...
s and epsilon rays, which however have been given real-world meanings.
- "Minovsky particles" in the Universal Century
- 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...
; see also plasma riflePlasma rifleWhen discussing weapons in science fiction, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun that fires a stream, bolt, pulse or toroid of plasma... - Defined by a word not known in real-world science, e.g. "disruptorDisruptorDisruptor can mean:* An energy weapon in Star Trek* An energy weapon in Star Wars* See Dazzler for a real weapon called a "disruptor"* A video game for the Sony PlayStation by Insomniac Games* CD-title from Remyl* Endocrine disruptor...
". - Concussion beam: A generic term often applied to energy beams when the nature of the weapon is unknown. They are often non-lethal and only disable an opponent temporarily by knocking them out. They are often seen in television cartoons where realistic conventional weaponry is usually disallowed due to restrictions of violence.
- See Blaster (Star Wars)#Technology for an attempt (using unreal technologyScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
) at describing how a type of raygun works. - Undefined
Rayguns are often one-handed, sometimes two-handed, and often artillery-sized fastened to a spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
.
Rayguns powered by a backpack powerpack are described from time to time in science fiction.
List of rayguns
- Or see in table form in Rayguns in fictionRayguns in fictionRayguns often appear in fiction, frequently science fiction...
.- Alien film seriesAlien (film series)The Alien film series is a science fiction horror film franchise, focusing on Lieutenant Ellen Ripley and her battle with an extraterrestrial lifeform, commonly referred to as "the Alien"...
: "PIG" 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...
cannon: powered by a backpack powerpack. Uses an electrolaserElectrolaserAn electrolaser is a type of electroshock weapon which is also a directed-energy weapon. It uses lasers to form an electrically conductive laser-induced plasma channel...
to create a magnetic containment bottle.- "Particle BeamParticle beamA particle beam is a stream of charged or neutral particles which may be directed by magnets and focused by electrostatic lenses, although they may also be self-focusing ....
Phalanx": cannon-sized.
- "Particle Beam
- 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...
: "PPG" aka "Phased Plasma Gun" - 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...
: BattleMechs carry a wide variety of laserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
s, ether beamed or pulsed. - Blake's 7Blake's 7Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
: paragun: Federation standard issue. Image here. More Federation kit images here.- a pistol: Federation issue, image here.
- BloodBlood (computer game)Blood is a PC game developed by 3D Realms and Monolith Productions and distributed by GT Interactive. Development was underway at 3D Realms in parallel with a number of other well-known titles. Following the success of Duke Nukem 3D, development progress was made public starting in June 1996 with...
and Blood IIBlood II: The ChosenBlood II: The Chosen is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Monolith Productions and distributed by GT Interactive, which was later purchased by Infogrames. Released on October 31, 1998, it featured Monolith's new fully 3D engine Lithtech, which was previously used in Shogo: Mobile...
: TeslaNikola TeslaNikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
CannonTeleforceTeleforce was Nikola Tesla's charged particle beam projector, first mentioned publicly in the New York Sun and New York Times on July 11, 1934.-Introduction:...
: shoots electrical discharges - Captain Proton: blaster: a lethal white electric ray
- Command & Conquer: Red Alert seriesCommand & Conquer: Red Alert seriesCommand & Conquer: Red Alert is a series of real time strategy video games set within the Command & Conquer universe. The series is well known for having some of the most quirky and outlandish units in the genre....
- Tesla coilTesla coilA Tesla coil is a type of resonant transformer circuit invented by Nikola Tesla around 1891. It is used to produce high voltage, low current, high frequency alternating current electricity. Tesla coils produce higher current than the other source of high voltage discharges, electrostatic machines...
technology of the SovietsSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
is in- Shock TroopersShock Troopersis an arcade game developed by Saurus. Gameplay involves taking command of one or three commandos in an 8-way shooter through 6 stages of opposing forces, weaponry, and power-ups.-Story:...
: elite infantry units equipped with portable Tesla coils - Tesla coils: large electric discharge-firing stationary coils
- Tesla tanks
- Tesla troopers
- Shock Troopers
- PrismPrism (optics)In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. The exact angles between the surfaces depend on the application. The traditional geometrical shape is that of a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in colloquial use...
technology of the Allies is in- Prism tanks: fire powerful light beams
- Prism towers
- Mirage tank: contains technology very similar to Prism technology and can camouflage
- Tesla coil
- Command & Conquer: RenegadeCommand & Conquer: RenegadeCommand & Conquer: Renegade is a first and third person shooter video game developed by Westwood Studios and is part of the Command & Conquer series. It is the only C&C game that uses the first person view...
: "Black Widow" (Volt auto-rifle): an electric beam- Firefly: a laser rifle
- Tarantula: a laser chaingun
- Merlin: a personal ionIonAn ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
cannon: an instantly visible bolt of ions
- Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars (novel)Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars (novel)Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars is a spin off novel by Keith R. A. DeCandido based on the popular RTS video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars by Electronic Arts...
: T7: a TiberiumTiberiumTiberium or Ichor is a fictional substance that is central to the plot of much of the Command & Conquer series of real-time strategy video games...
-fueled laser pulse- EW1: a laser beam
- Scrin cannon: a beam of Tiberium particles
- Commander KeenCommander KeenCommander Keen is a series of video games developed by id Software in the early 1990s. The series focuses on the adventures of Billy Blaze, an 8-year old boy who travels through space and assumes the identity "Commander Keen". The series was successful at replicating the side-scrolling action of...
: wielded a red raygun in the first game - Crash BandicootCrash BandicootCrash Bandicoot may refer to:* Crash Bandicoot , a video game protagonist* Crash Bandicoot , a video game series* Crash Bandicoot , a 1996 PlayStation video game and first Crash Bandicoot...
: raygun: plasma of charged particles - Call of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It is generally considered to be the fifth mainstream game of the Call of Duty series and returns the setting to World War II. The game was...
and Call of Duty: Black OpsCall of Duty: Black OpsCall of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii consoles, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Announced on April 30, 2010,...
: Raygun is in Nazi Zombie mode and can be obtained in the campaign mission 'Little Resistance' in World at War through an easter egg. (note: Suggests Japanese Origin, as they did experiment with microwave technology). It is also in Black Ops used in Zombie mode can be found on Kino Der Toten, "Five", Dead Ops Arcade, Ascension, Call of the Dead, Shangi-La and Moon. - Darwin's WorldDarwin's WorldDarwin's World, created by Dominic Covey, is a post-apocalyptic role-playing game first published under the d20 Open Game License in 2001. Originally designed as a quick adaptation of the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules, the game has since been greatly expanded and revised and now utilizes...
: role-playing game: laser rifle: Nd:YAG laserNd:YAG laserNd:YAG is a crystal that is used as a lasing medium for solid-state lasers. The dopant, triply ionized neodymium, typically replaces yttrium in the crystal structure of the yttrium aluminium garnet , since they are of similar size... - David Weber's novel Apocalypse Troll: blaster: pulse of 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...
- The Day the Earth Stood StillThe Day the Earth Stood StillThe Day the Earth Stood Still is a 1951 American science fiction film directed by Robert Wise and written by Edmund H. North based on the short story "Farewell to the Master" by Harry Bates. The film stars Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffe, and Hugh Marlowe...
: The alien visitor Klaatu's robotic bodyguard Gort had a conventional laser beam which was shot from his 'eyes'. Not meaning any harm, Gort only used the laser defensively. It could vaporize weapons as large as a tank, or even a rifle in a soldier's hands, though the soldier would not be injured. - District 9District 9District 9 is a 2009 South African science fiction thriller film directed by Neill Blomkamp. It was written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James...
: The film's protagonist Wikus utilizes an extremely powerful directed energy weapon (manufactured by the film's resident aliens, pejoratively called prawns) that thoroughly destroys a human body on contact. Other alien weapons are used that seem to be very advanced and powerful ballistic weapons, and are keyed to the alien DNA, preventing them from being used by humans. None of the prawn's weapons are ever named or their workings explained. - Doctor Grordbort's Infallible Aether Oscillators: Rayguns utilizing "infra-wave undulation" and "Phlogiston over-charging" amongst other pseudo-scientific concepts.
- Descent seriesDescent (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...
: laser pistols, fusion cannon, omega cannon - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
: DalekDalekThe Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s' guns: "ruby rays", Time Lord's "Stasers", SilurianSilurianThe Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
s "ray guns" - Doom: Plasma riflePlasma rifleWhen discussing weapons in science fiction, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun that fires a stream, bolt, pulse or toroid of plasma...
- 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...
: undefined (named "plasma" in Doom 3Doom 3Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...
), unreal physics
- BFG 9000
- DuneDune universeDune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
: Continuous-wave laser projectors called lasguns exist but are rendered obsolete by the use of personal Holtzman shields. The interaction of a lasgun blast and this force field results in a nuclear explosion which typically kills both the gunner and the target, to say nothing of collateral damage. Subsequently, lasguns are mostly mounted on aircraft. - Edison's Conquest of MarsEdison's Conquest of MarsEdison's Conquest of Mars, by Garrett P. Serviss, is one of the many science fiction novels published in the 19th century. Although science fiction was not at the time thought of as a distinct literary genre, it was a very popular literary form, with almost every fiction magazine regularly...
(1898 sequel to ditto): disintegrator rayDisintegrator rayIn science fiction, a disintegrator ray is an energy beam that destroys an object by disintegrating it to its basic components, which usually disperse into the atmosphere. Ray gun is the generic term for the weapons that fire disintegrator beams... - Fallout: "Solar Scorcher" (runs on solar power), "Alien Blaster", various laser, plasma and pulse weapons (rifles, handguns, gatling guns, grenades)
- FarscapeFarscapeFarscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
: various weapons - F.E.A.R.: "Armacham Type-7 Particle Weapon": 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...
- Forbidden PlanetForbidden PlanetForbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
: hand blasters & larger blasters - The Foundation SeriesThe Foundation SeriesThe Foundation Series is a science fiction series by Isaac Asimov. There are seven volumes in the Foundation Series proper, which in its in-universe chronological order are: Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation, Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, and...
- Original trilogy: blaster: high-powered nuclear particleSubatomic particleIn physics or chemistry, subatomic particles are the smaller particles composing nucleons and atoms. There are two types of subatomic particles: elementary particles, which are not made of other particles, and composite particles...
s, shattering the target. Foundation models were seen to cause extensive damage to the surroundings, like shattering the wall behind the target. - Prequels: blaster: weaker. Certain models have been known to kill without producing visible damage.
- Sequels: microwaveMicrowaveMicrowaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
gun
- Original trilogy: blaster: high-powered nuclear particle
- FreeSpace 2FreeSpace 2FreeSpace 2 is a 1999 space combat simulation computer game developed by Volition, Inc. as the sequel to Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War. It was completed ahead of schedule in less than a year, and released to great critical acclaim...
: photonPhotonIn physics, a photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic interaction and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It is also the force carrier for the electromagnetic force...
beam cannons - GhostbustersGhostbustersGhostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
: proton packProton packThe Proton Pack is a fictional energy weapon used for weakening ghosts and aiding in capturing them within the Ghostbusters universe. First depicted in the film Ghostbusters, it has a hand-held wand connected to a backpack-sized particle accelerator...
: particle beam- Filmation's Ghostbusters: The Dematerializer: disintegrator beam (though it only works on ghosts)
- GridlinkedGridlinkedGridlinked is Neal Asher's first novel, published by the Macmillan Publishers imprint Pan Books in 2001. It contains elements of the technological inventiveness of hard science-fiction with a more contemporary political plotline...
: pulse-gun: various types of fire mode - GundamGundamThe is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
- Universal CenturyUniversal Centuryis the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
series, mega beam cannons: "Minovsky particles" (and the degenerated Mega particles). (Minovsky Physics operate throughout series.) - Mobile Suit Gundam 00Mobile Suit Gundam 00is an anime TV series, the eleventh incarnation of Sunrise's long-running Gundam franchise consisting of two seasons. It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and features character designs by Yun Kōga. The twenty-five episode season was officially announced by Sunrise...
, "GN particles", byproduct of a fictional topological bayon decay. - Mobile Fighter G GundamMobile Fighter G GundamMobile Fighter G Gundam, known in Japan as , is a Japanese animated television series directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa . Created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the franchise in 1994, it is the first of the Gundam series to be set in an alternate continuity from the original "Universal Century"...
, some of the martial artist can magnify their QiQiIn traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
by their mobile fighter and make long range attacks similar to rayguns. - Undefined for other series.
- Universal Century
- Half-Life: The Gluon gun (aka the Egon), a disintegration ray, and the Tau Cannon (aka the Gauss gun)
- Halo (series)Halo (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...
: various plasma weapons - 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...
: "Powergun": a plasma pulse - The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin (1927 novel)The Hyperboloid of Engineer GarinThe Garin Death Ray also known as The Death Box and The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin is a science fiction novel by the noted Russian author Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy written in 1926–1927. It was one of the first science fiction novels in Russian...
: "hyperboloid" - The Hyperion CantosHyperion 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...
: "Death Wand": a laser-like beam weapon - Independence DayIndependence Day (film)Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
: city-destroyer ray - James Bond: MoonrakerMoonraker (film)Moonraker is the eleventh spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The third and final film in the series to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, it co-stars Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Corinne Clery, and Richard Kiel...
: "Moonraker laser": laser beam. Images: http://goldeneye.detstar.com/beta/militarylaser.jpg http://www.agonybooth.com/moonraker/monk_laser.jpg http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/4995/rakerg8fe.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/MoonrakerMovieNovel.jpg. It also appears in some videogames. - James Bond 007: NightfireJames Bond 007: Nightfire007: NightFire is a first-person shooter video game featuring the character of the British secret agent James Bond and a sequel to Agent Under Fire, published by Electronic Arts in ....
: Phoenix International Experimental Laser Rifle - Kingdom Hearts IIKingdom Hearts IIis an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
: Gun Arrow: bullet-like laser beams; freezes in midair before homing in on the target - Kingdom of LoathingKingdom of LoathingKingdom of Loathing is a browser-based, multiplayer role-playing game designed and operated by Asymmetric Publications, including creator Zack "Jick" Johnson and writer Josh "Mr. Skullhead" Nite. The game was released in 2003...
MMORPGMMORPGMassively 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....
: Toy Ray Gun: laser beam - The Librarian: Quest for The SpearThe Librarian: Quest for the SpearThe Librarian: Quest for the Spear is the first in The Librarian franchise of movies which was originally released on American cable channel TNT in December 2004, directed by Peter Winther and starring Noah Wyle in the title role....
(2004): Tesla's "Legendary Death Ray" - Lucky Starr seriesLucky Starr seriesLucky Starr is the hero of a series of science fiction books by Isaac Asimov, using the pen name "Paul French". Intended for juveniles, the books were written in the middle of the Cold War and the series shows traces of this, both in educational intent and in the nature of the social forces involved...
: blasters: small slugs which on impact turn a fraction of their mass into energy - Mars AttacksMars AttacksMars Attacks is a science fiction trading card series released in 1962. The cards feature artwork by science-fiction artist Wallace Wood and tell the story of the invasion of Earth by cruel, hideous Martians. The cards depicted futuristic battle scenes and bizarre methods of Martian attack, torture...
: Both the cards and movieMars Attacks!Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and based on the cult trading card series of the same name. The film uses elements of black comedy, surreal humour, and political satire, and claims to be also a parody of multiple science fiction B movies...
feature alien weapons used by the Martians capable of disintegrating human/animal flesh, and on some occasions, terrestrialEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
weapons and devices. - Metroid (video game series): various, see Items in the Metroid series
- Might and Magic VII: For Blood and HonorMight and Magic VII: For Blood and HonorMight and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor is a role playing game published in 1999 by 3DO and developed by New World Computing, and is the predecessor of Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer...
: typical blasters, similar to disintegrator guns, near the end of the game, created by the Ancients - Perry RhodanPerry RhodanPerry Rhodan is the name of a science fiction series published since 1961 in Germany, as well as the name of the main character. It is a space opera, dealing with several themes of science fiction. Having sold over one billion copies worldwide, it is the most successful science fiction book series...
(cover of first issue (1961)) shows a rifle-shaped raygun, and a pistol in its holster. - Phantom Crash (video game)Phantom CrashPhantom Crash is a high-speed Mech combat simulator released by Genki in 2002 for the Microsoft Xbox console. It allowed for large amounts of customization for the weapons, from the AI controlling the mech all the way down to the paintjob...
: scoobees or mechs carry ether shoulder or arm-mounted lasers - Predator (franchise)Predator (franchise)The Predator film series is a science fiction horror film franchise. Produced by 20th Century Fox, the series started in 1987 with the film Predator, which led to two sequels and novel, comic book and video game spin-offs....
: Plasma caster, see Predator technology - Quake: BFG10K: plasma
- Resistance: Fall of ManResistance: Fall of ManResistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sgt...
: AugerAugerAn auger is a drilling device, or drill bit, that usually includes a rotating helical screw blade called a "flighting" to act as a screw conveyor to remove the drilled out material...
: similar to 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...
's "OSIPIR" - Return to Castle WolfensteinReturn to Castle WolfensteinReturn to Castle Wolfenstein is a first person shooter video game published by Activision and originally released on November 19, 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It was made available on Steam on August 3, 2007. The single player game was developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Nerve Software...
: "Tesla Gun": a multi-targeting electric shock gun - 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...
: Reflex Cannon (artillery-sized) - Sky Captain and the World of TomorrowSky Captain and the World of TomorrowSky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a 2004 American pulp adventure science-fiction film written and directed by Kerry Conran in his directorial debut. The film is set in an alternative 1939 and follows the adventures of Polly Perkins , a newspaper reporter, and Harry Joseph "Joe" Sullivan ,...
: An unnamed raygun firing glowing rings is used by Dex. - StargateStargateStargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
: Staff Weapon: a yellow plasma-bolt- intar: a red ball of energy
- Kull disruptor: a blue blast
- zat: a blue electrical discharge
- Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse: raygun: a red/blue bullet of energy
- laser shotgun: a steady blue beam of energy
- laser RPG: a swirling mass of red and white energy
- Super Smash Bros. series: "Ray Gun": plasma
- 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...
: See Weapons of Star TrekWeapons of Star TrekThe Star Trek fictional universe contains a very large number of weapons. As with most science fiction franchises, the series focuses primarily on energy weapons... - 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...
: blaster: see blaster (Star Wars)Blaster (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:...
, which describes it in detail, but with unreal physics.- lightsaberLightsaberA lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
- various weapons: see List of Star Wars ranged weapons
- lightsaber
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 cartoon)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. The pilot was shown during the week of December 28, 1987 in syndication as a five part miniseries and began its official run on October 1, 1988...
: traditional laserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
guns, carried by Bebop and Rocksteady - Terminator (franchise)Terminator (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....
: Beam-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...
: may be a traditional laser, or may use coherent mesonMesonIn particle physics, mesons are subatomic particles composed of one quark and one antiquark, bound together by the strong interaction. Because mesons are composed of sub-particles, they have a physical size, with a radius roughly one femtometer: 10−15 m, which is about the size of a proton...
or pseudo-bosonBosonIn particle physics, bosons are subatomic particles that obey Bose–Einstein statistics. Several bosons can occupy the same quantum state. The word boson derives from the name of Satyendra Nath Bose....
beams instead- Plasma Cannon: Bumble
- Transformers (film): Plasma cannon, Bumblebee'sBumblebee (Transformers)Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
secondary weapon - UFO: Enemy Unknown: laser pistols, laser rifles, heavy laser
- Unreal Tournament 2004Unreal Tournament 2004Unreal Tournament 2004, also known as UT2K4 and UT2004, is a futuristic first-person shooter computer game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes...
: "Lightning Gun": an electrolaser - V: shock rifle and pistol: unknown
- 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...
: numerous Imperial laser weapons (Lasgun, Laspistol, Lascannon, Volcano Cannon, Turbo-laser destructor, Ship-based Lances) - War of the Worlds (1898): "Heat-RayHeat-RayThe Heat-Ray is the primary offensive weapon used by the Martians in H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds and its offshoots.- In the novel :...
" - (various): plasma riflePlasma rifleWhen discussing weapons in science fiction, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun that fires a stream, bolt, pulse or toroid of plasma...
- Alien film series
Real-world development
- Radar is the result of attempts to develop rayguns before WWII
- CBS in their show 60 minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
showed a real weapon described as a raygun. This video of it shows that it is most likely the Active Denial SystemActive Denial SystemThe Active Denial System is a non-lethal, directed-energy weapon developed by the U.S. military. It is a strong millimeter-wave transmitter primarily used for crowd control . Some ADS such as HPEM ADS are also used to disable vehicles. Informally, the weapon is also called the heat ray...
. - Recent real developments of laserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
guns have produced artillery-sized weapons which might be described as rayguns, but usually are not. - See electrolaserElectrolaserAn electrolaser is a type of electroshock weapon which is also a directed-energy weapon. It uses lasers to form an electrically conductive laser-induced plasma channel...
for an electric current sent through a laser beam. - See 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 various real weapons which are more or less like rayguns. - See Directed-energy weapon#Mythology for energy weapons of ancient mythologies.
- See Directed-energy weapon#Tesla for reports that Tesla made a real directed-energy weapon.
Distinguish from
- The "RayTek laser heat gun" (at http://www.raytek.com/ search for heat gun) is a non-contact infrared thermometerInfrared thermometerInfrared thermometers infer temperature using a portion of the thermal radiation sometimes called blackbody radiation emitted by the object of measurement. They are sometimes called laser thermometers if a laser is used to help aim the thermometer, or non-contact thermometers to describe the...
, not a gun.
See also
- 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...
- Death rayDeath rayThe death ray or death beam was a theoretical particle beam or electromagnetic weapon of the 1920s through the 1930s that was claimed to have been invented independently by Nikola Tesla, Edwin R. Scott, Harry Grindell Matthews, and Graichen, as well as others...
- ID Sniper rifleID Sniper rifleThe ID Sniper rifle is an art project, a fictional, hoax weapon devised by Jakob Boeskov, a Danish artist and Danish industrial designer Kristian von Bengtson on a suggestion of Danish journalist Mads Brügger. The ID Sniper supposedly shoots GPS chips, and the police force may tag persons with...
- Lasgun
- Leyden ballLeyden ballA Leyden ball is a fictional bullet used in a nineteenth century science fiction novel. It contains a capacitance charge of electrical energy, which discharges instantaneously upon the bullet's impact...
- NeedlegunNeedlegunA needlegun, also known as a needler, flechette gun or fletcher, is a firearm that fires small, sometimes fin-stabilized, metal darts.-History:...
- Pulse riflePulse riflePulse rifle and pulse pistol are often used to mean a raygun. The terms refer to various science fiction weapons:*M41A "Pulse Rifle", an assault rifle in the motion picture Aliens that uses 10 mm caseless ammunition and is fitted with a pump-action grenade launcher...
- Plasma riflePlasma rifleWhen discussing weapons in science fiction, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun that fires a stream, bolt, pulse or toroid of plasma...
- Shrink rayShrink RayIn science fiction, a shrink ray is any device which uses energy to reduce the physical size of matter. Many are also capable of enlarging items as well.-Scientific angle:...
- Weapons of Star Wars
- Weapons of Star TrekWeapons of Star TrekThe Star Trek fictional universe contains a very large number of weapons. As with most science fiction franchises, the series focuses primarily on energy weapons...
- List of plasma (physics) applications articles
External links
- The Wave Weapons of Dr. Grordbort : Showcasing the advanced Raygun technology of inventor and philanthropist extraordinaire, Dr. Grordbort.
- Atomic Rocket: descriptions and technology and many images of handgunHandgunA handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s and rifleRifleA rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
-sized guns used in space including rayguns. - The Virtual Ray Gun Exhibition: Computer-generated ray gun art by various artists.
- The Original Ray Gun