Well, for my entry in the “esoteric poll of the week contest,” I’m going to ask…what’s your favorite fictional chemical, from TV, movies, novels, etc.
Any chemical will do…Medications, illicit drugs, experimental or industrial concoctions, you name it. The only requirement is that it doesn’t actually exist in real life.
My first nomination? 2-4-5 Trioxin, from the Return of the Living Dead movies. Such a potent and versatile substance, even if it does have a few…unpleasant side effects on the test subjects.
After that, probablyPolydichloric Euthimal from Terminator 2 and Outland, a very odd substance, indeed. Seeing as it was a narcotic in one movie, and a high explosive in the other.
And of course, there’s the old standby of Mutagen, from the Ninja Turtles series. Always handy for creating bizarre half-human creatures.
So, anyone else have any personal favorites?
I’m a big fan of Chemical X. Add in some sugar, spice, and everything nice and accidentally add Chemical X and you’ve got the Powerpuff Girls. Da da da da da da.
I like Narrativium from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books. Since it is an element, I would presume it’s a chemical as well?
Anyway, it’s what’s present in the world that makes everything that happens on the Discworld happen according to the ancient rules of how a story is supposed to go. Granny Weatherwax, for instance, who is an old woman (well, you wouldn’t call her an old woman to her face) and also happens to be a witch (though not, you understand, by any means a crone, as in the classic witch trio. Even though she does from time to time cooperate with a maiden and a mother.) is very watchful when she’s out in the forest by herself gathering firewood, because narrativium forces any wronged orphans (of which you’ll find a surprising number of on the Discworld) or third brothers (ditto) to gravitate toward old women (who of course are also witches) who are gathering firewood or in any other way could use the “help” of an inexperienced young dolt out for an “adventure”, and being beset by a horde of inept fortune seekers doesn’t lead to any actual work getting done.
Kurt Vonneguts’ Ice-9 from Cat’s Cradle. It’s a configuration of the water molecule that is solid at room temperature, but turns regular water into itself on contact. Not a nice chemical, but impressive nonetheless.
Gingold – used by Ralph Dibny to become The Elongated Man
Unstable Molecules – don’t know what they are, but they are the magical thingies that make up the uniforms of the Fantastic Four. as such, can stretch forever to accommodate Mr. Fantastic, resist Johnny (Human Torch) Storm’s flames, and turn invisible with Sue Richards. I wonder what would happen if Mr. Fantastic’s uniform turned invisible instead of stretching.
Vibranium – again, from the Fantastic Four. It seemed to absorb vibrational energy. And release it when needed.
Diamethyltribenzol – “truth serum” in an old Lois Lane comic.
Kryptonite – the ultimate comic book chemical.
Whatever the magic chemical was in "Raise the Titanic"
Dilthium Crystals – true story: I was working on Laser Propulsion at a defense contractor back in the 1980s. We added various easily ionized chemicals to the mix of the stuff to be ablated. One of the substances we had to try was dilthium tartrate – in crystal form. We’re the only people I know of that actually tried to use dilthium crystals for spaceflight. Didn’t work.
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[li]Heal all wounds.[/li][li]Heal All Illnesses.[/li][li]Hi Opal[/li][li]Cure Insanity.[/li][li]Grant Youth In Old Age.[/li][li]Grant Immortality Faster Than A Magnetic Chinese Ring.[/li][li]Dunno About Vast Sexual Potency.[/li][li]From The Potion, I mean. I’ve Already Got Vast Sexual Potency, & Will Prove It To The Ladies On Request.[/li][li]Raise The Dead. [Size=1]This is not related to the vast sexual potency thing, & wash your brain out with soap for thinking it, you necrophilliac deve freak.[/li][li]Animate Inanimate Objects.[/li][li]Create Life.[/li][li]And, I Suspect, Do The Hokey-Pokey.[/li][/list=1]
“Doc” Smith had some good ones … the Skylark series featured arenak, which was stronger than steel, but also transparent and colourless, with the same refractive index as air (effectively, invisible).
The Lensman books went in for explosives, more, like heptadetonite and duodecaplylatomate (normally abbreviated to “duodec”).
I can’t believe I’m the first person to mention Iocaine! It is odorless, tasteless, and dissolves instantly in liquid and is among the more deadly poisons known to man. Luckily, it is possible to build up an immunity.
Well, did you suspend anti-matter within the crystalline structure, then mix it with matter in a controlled way while directing the force of the resultant energy?
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