# What is your favourite fictional weapon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 17, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947 "2008-09-17T03:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/21 "2008-09-17T06:25:40Z")
Upon further consideration, my favorite weapon from Starship Troopers is not the Marauder, but rather, the Thirty Second Bomb. So called because, when you threw it through a window, it would audibly announce, in the pre-set language of your choice: “I am a thirty second bomb! I am a thirty second bomb! Evacuate the premises immediately! Twenty nine! Twenty eight! Twenty Seven…” Designed to be thrown into crowded confined areas such as bunkers or occupied buildings. Has about the effect you expect it to on a bunch of surprised frightened people who know that you do not deploy weapons which lie to them. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/22 "2008-09-17T06:44:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The Soft Weapon, from one of the stories in Larry Niven’s _Known Space_. It’s basically a very deadly Swiss army knife: On various settings, it’s a high-power computer, or a jetpack, or a variable sword, or a long-range cutting laser, or a flamethrower, or a disintegrator, or a ranged total conversion beam. To elaborate that on that last setting–it was apparently intended as an orbital bombardment weapon, as firing it at something on the planet you’re currently occupying is quite dangerous. It’s a _pistol_ designed to destroy cities from space. It’s also the weapon I came in here to mention. _shakes fist at **Chronos** _ Fine, then–I’ll go for another oldie: the Krang (from Alan Dean Foster’s _The Tar-Aiym Krang_). It’s a musical instrument that can generate and control naked singularities, and it maintains insta-frag zones in the atmosphere that can destroy any ship that tries to enter it. Mind you, that’s when it’s being “played” by a complete novice. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/23 "2008-09-17T06:55:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The Soft Weapon, from one of the stories in Larry Niven’s _Known Space_. It’s basically a very deadly Swiss army knife: On various settings, it’s a high-power computer, or a jetpack, or a variable sword, or a long-range cutting laser, or a flamethrower, or a disintegrator, or a ranged total conversion beam. > > Also from the same series, there’s the Wunderland Treatymaker. It’s a modified disintegrator that, if both beams are used at once, will cause a current to flow. It’s also the reason an entire planet got re-named “Canyon”. Yah, Niven has a knack for creating scary-ass weapons, doesn’t he? Honestly, though - the tasp is scarier than both of those things combined. The Soft Weapon and the Treatymaker will _impress_ a kzinti. A tasp will frighten him. (A tasp, for those who’ve never read the “Ringworld” books, is a small device, normally handheld, which induces extreme pleasure in the “victim.” Not frightening? Well, what happens if someone has a tasp who wants to use it to turn you into their slave? Conditioning can be a b\*tch …) ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/24 "2008-09-17T06:56:05Z")
1. The Glaive from the movie “Krull” 2. A Chainsword from the “Warhammer 40k” game 3. A skullgun, from Neal Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age” ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/25 "2008-09-17T07:05:33Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > To elaborate that on that last setting–it was apparently intended as an orbital bombardment weapon, as firing it at something on the planet you’re currently occupying is quite dangerous. It’s a _pistol_ designed to destroy cities from space. Weapons like that don’t impress me. It just sounds like the author’s trying to compensate for something, rather than making something cool. Something like a Bolo super-heavy tank is cool, a pistol of comparable firepower just makes me roll my eyes. I nominate the Shokk Attack Gun - a heavy weapon that works by teleporting its ammunition - typically small goblin-like creatures - at the enemy. The target gets telefragged, or has to deal with a large number of snotlings, terrified by their sudden trip through _hell_, which are now tearing apart the sensitive insides of their tank. ---
**Author:** ![Claptree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Claptree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claptree)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/26 "2008-09-17T07:58:13Z")
I’m not all that good at the Sci-Fi, but I’d like to mention Rhulad Sengar’s sword, from the Malazan fantasy series. No real powers or effects, but every time the wielder dies, he is returned to life a while later, having experienced all the trauma and loss of actual death, meaning he is driven mad. Also, the weapon is cursed, so he can’t drop it. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/27 "2008-09-17T08:38:51Z")
[Mjolnir.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mjolnir) ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/28 "2008-09-17T08:50:24Z")
I personally prefer Wonder Woman’s golden lasso to Thor’s hammer. Storm generator, high impact reusable missile, and interdimensional portal creator are all impressive qualities for a weapon. But the lasso can instantly subdue or turn your enemies in your favour (one cast caused Ares, God of War to stand down on his plans for planetary destruction), plus makes a slightly dangerous whip. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/29 "2008-09-17T09:27:09Z")
My first two choices already mentioned, _Reason_ and the _BFG9000_. I’m not sure it would work for just anyone, I think you have to be it/her yourself, the _White Violin_ from the Umbrella Academy. Seems pretty effective. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/30 "2008-09-17T09:37:14Z")
Hard to choose just one; so I’ll list a few by class. \*\*BIG weapon : \*\*The Ringworld meteor defense laser. A system that manipulates a star into producing a flare - then uses it as a gas laser. **Fantasy weapon :** The Speaking Gun. A gun crafted out of flesh and blood, evil and aware. It has the ability to speak the Word of God’s creation backwards ( “In the Beginning was the Word” ), and can therefore **uncreate** anything short of God himself. **Pistol :** The alien guns in the B-movie [I Come In Peace](http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=i_7hste4vnc&feature=related) ( YouTube link; seen in action at about 6:15 into the clip ). \*\*Exotic : \*\* The “TISSer”, aka the TIme-Space Separator from _War of Omission_. It consists of a small box with three antenna; the antenna are adjusted to define one edge of a cube, a button is pressed and everything in that zone is erased. Not simply from existence, but even from people’s memories. **Sword :** Morgaine’s _Changeling_. There’s just something about what amounts to a black hole on a stick, with the secrets of a forbidden technology written upon it. **Humorous :** The Pen That Is Mightier Than The Sword, which extends a line from it’s tip that cuts right through swords, among other things. **Heavy Weapon :** Chalk up another fan of Reason. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/31 "2008-09-17T09:55:14Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I nominate the Shokk Attack Gun - a heavy weapon that works by teleporting its ammunition - typically small goblin-like creatures - at the enemy. The target gets telefragged, or has to deal with a large number of snotlings, terrified by their sudden trip through _hell_, which are now tearing apart the sensitive insides of their tank. I was going to say this. Or a lightsaber. Or a Power Ring. Really, there’s so much to choose from! ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/32 "2008-09-17T10:54:48Z")
Y’know, Phasers would often seem to be the ideal weapon. With setting ranging from the adaptable, “moral” choice of merely stunning the opponent, to outright vaporization. (According to the technical manuals, a standard hand phaser can vaporize 650 cubic meters of rock _per shot_) Alas, most treatments of phasers tend to ignore the “interesting” options (wide-field; stunning…from a ship’s phaser banks _in orbit_; drilling through obstacles to improve transporter coverage, etc). In combat, a phaser rifle seems to be used like a glorified M1 Garand. Just with better ammo, and worse range. ☹ Anyway… •I’ve been on an orbital weapons kick, lately, so the SOL 740 satellite from _Akira_ is a current favorite. •Marvel’s “War Machine” armor, in a modern version. (Imagine the armor from the recent movie, only _specifically configured for heavy combat._ :eek: 🆒 ) •The Genesis Device. According to some interpretations, it might actually be possible to use this thing as intended. Failing that…hey, still a kickass planet-killer, even if you can’t use it for prejudicial terraforming. •I’ve always been oddly fond of [Dr. Satan’s robots](http://www.megomuseum.com/community/showthread.php?p=167291). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/33 "2008-09-17T13:11:28Z")
> [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](#): > > Katana’s (of Batman and the Outsiders fame) sword, which absorbs the souls of its victims[…] Elric’s **Stormbringer** ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/34 "2008-09-17T13:34:58Z")
Roland of Gilead’s revolvers were darned cool, though King was inconsistent in his description of how they work. I tended to think of them as being Colt SAA’s with sandalwood grips and most of the finish worn off the metal. I sometimes think of them when I fire my Ruger Blackhawk. Severian’s sword Terminus Est from Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun series was way, way, way cool. Wolfe also had some nifty weapons in his Long Sun series. Needlers were some of the coolest handguns ever, and he gave a plausible explanation for how one works. The Azoth, which wasn’t entirely unlike a light saber, was also something it would be entertaining as hell to own. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/35 "2008-09-17T13:37:06Z")
The batarang, if it’s prepared. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/36 "2008-09-17T13:46:27Z")
I want a [Lawgiver](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawgiver), though I would also kind of like a Stub Gun (from [_Apocalypse War_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_War)), if they could ever get rid of that damned overheating problem ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/37 "2008-09-17T14:27:48Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > The batarang, if it’s prepared. Surely that is the utility belt? **Mr Dibble** > [@](#): > > Elric’s Stormbringer Elric is a Michael Moorcock creation, yes? How interesting. I wonder which came first? ---
**Author:** ![A\_shameful\_cracka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@A\_shameful\_cracka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_shameful_cracka)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/38 "2008-09-17T14:31:43Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Yah, Niven has a knack for creating scary-ass weapons, doesn’t he? Honestly, though - the tasp is scarier than both of those things combined. The Soft Weapon and the Treatymaker will _impress_ a kzinti. A tasp will frighten him. > > (A tasp, for those who’ve never read the “Ringworld” books, is a small device, normally handheld, which induces extreme pleasure in the “victim.” Not frightening? Well, what happens if someone has a tasp who wants to use it to turn you into their slave? Conditioning can be a b\*tch …) I love Speaker to Animal’s response when he gets hit with one. He mews in ecstasy “Pleeeeeeaase…never do that to me again”. A 200 year old man got hit by one and became a wirehead addict as a result. Scary stuff. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/39 "2008-09-17T14:36:08Z")
Well, **shameful cracka** beat me to the Lazy Gun (which would be my first choice) so I’ll go for AKKA from Jack Williamson’s _Legion of Space_ stories. AKKA is an (apparently psychic) weapon that simply causes matter to disappear. (Not explode or turn to energy, it just… goes away.) ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947/40 "2008-09-17T14:39:33Z")
I believe the weapon was called a Tasp. I’m amused by the idea: A stun gun that works on the principle of causing incredible, undeniable, literally stunning ammounts of pleasure. I believe they were a Niven creation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-fictional-weapon/463947.md?page=3)