# Your Favorite Fictional Weapons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921 "2005-01-21T15:45:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/1 "2005-01-21T15:45:24Z")
I was thinking more along the lines of personal weapons than of Death Stars and such. I’ve always liked the sword **Terminus Est** from Gene Wolfe’s \*\*Book of the New Sun \*\* series. Though it wasn’t in any sense magical, it was a unique weapon and an important part of the story. I think we have a member here who goes by that name, too. Also from Wolfe, I liked the Azoth and the needlers in his **Littany of the Long Sun** series. The Azoth is kind of hard to explain, other than to say it wasn’t completely unlike a light saber. Needlers are handguns that electromagnetically launch metal needles at high velocity, something like a tiny rail gun. Wolfe is an engineer and went into great detail about why the needles are deliberately _not_ pointy, as well as other interesting technical details about them. Gad, I want one. I always enjoy the way Wolfe writes about edged weapons. Apparently, he collects them. The various knives, poisons, and other non-laser type weapons in **Dune** fascinated me when I read that book back in the 70’s. Alas, I found myself far less interested in any of the sequels than I did the original. Which objects of fictional mayhem do you covet? ---
**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:** [January 21, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/2 "2005-01-21T16:09:42Z")
The converted siege weapon (crossbow) carried by Sgt Detritus of the Anhk-Morpork watch. aka the **Piecemaker** fires a six foot long bolt. For use by a normal human type person **Reason** from **Snowcrash** An insanely powerful nuclear powered computerised gatling gun that can take bites out of an aircraft carrier. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/3 "2005-01-21T16:16:14Z")
I was always partial to [The World’s Funniest Joke](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000JSJE/102-7400697-9446535?v=glance) personally. And next week, we’ll learn how to protect yourself from a man attacking you with a banana! :dubious: Stranger ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/4 "2005-01-21T16:36:10Z")
My favorite fictional weapon is Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/5 "2005-01-21T16:37:34Z")
Tasp. ---
**Author:** ![enigmatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@enigmatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigmatic)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/6 "2005-01-21T16:38:26Z")
The lazy gun also knife drone’s, and effectors from the culture books ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/7 "2005-01-21T16:50:49Z")
I want Wolverine’s claws. How handy THOSE would be! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/8 "2005-01-21T16:52:29Z")
The 1920’s-style “Death Ray”. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/9 "2005-01-21T16:52:51Z")
Call me a traditionalist, but I just want a good ol’ phaser. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/10 "2005-01-21T16:53:49Z")
**In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night, No Evil Shall Escape My Sight! Let Those Who Worship Evil’s Might, Beware My Power, GREEN LANTERN’S LIGHT!** [See Here](http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/news_images/2140_5579_3.jpg) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/11 "2005-01-21T16:55:13Z")
Sting, baby. Or Anduril, or maybe the Light of Earendil (not technically a weapon, but it still looks cool!) I’d say Gandalf’s staff, but I obviously couldn’t work it 😉 Oh, or Catwoman’s whip. Mrrrowr! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/12 "2005-01-21T17:01:10Z")
I always thought that bone gone, made from the bones of funky critters the protagonist has to eat before assembing the gun, from the move Existenz was cool in a gross and strange way. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/13 "2005-01-21T17:11:48Z")
I always thought from pure asthetics, Buffy’s [scythe](http://www.dimensionedelta.net/fray/images/scythe/Touched/Scythe7x20-3.jpg) from _End of Days_ was kick-ass. However, it was a reused prop from Season 2. Note to prop department: when your main character finds an all-powerful key to anihilation of the First Evil in the universe, don’t reuse the prop she tossed away in high school unless it’s a plot point! And also, it wasn’t a scythe, although the characters kept referring to it as one. Axe, I’ll give you. Scythe’s are reaper-y sorts of things with great sweeping action. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/14 "2005-01-21T17:16:58Z")
**THE WAVE MOTION GUN** Are you being overrun by enemy Ships or leathal Ship killer traps or want to destroy your enemies home planet, simply convert your Ship into a huge giant Weapon and take care of them in one shot! ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/15 "2005-01-21T17:37:39Z")
My vote goes the pulse rifle from **Aliens** , it just looks sooo cool. And it’s the best weapon ever in a computer game. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/16 "2005-01-21T17:38:10Z")
Siegfried’s sword Nothung and Captain Janeway’s Compression Phaser Rifles. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/17 "2005-01-21T17:42:58Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > However, it was a reused prop from Season 2. Note to prop department: when your main character finds an all-powerful key to anihilation of the First Evil in the universe, don’t reuse the prop she tossed away in high school unless it’s a plot point! Really? Reused, you say? Hmm… from which episode? I don’t recall it. Let’s see. The GL Ring’s got the power quotient going… Of course, there’s Excalibur as a pretty cool personal weapon. Or the weapons of Amber, like Frakir. Or, hey, Gundam Deathscythe-H. For style. ---
**Author:** ![malden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@malden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malden)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/18 "2005-01-21T17:47:58Z")
Ice-Nine. “End of the World Delight!” 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/19 "2005-01-21T17:50:46Z")
Does Iron-Man’s suit of armor count as a weapon? (How about just his repulser rays?) Elric of Melnibone’s “Stormbringer” blade was pretty cool. The “Dr. Who” villain the Master had a ‘matter-compressor’ beam. And then, of course, there’s… **the DEATH STAR!!** ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921/20 "2005-01-21T17:53:20Z")
The reset button. Used with some frequency by writers of _ST: Voyager_ and _Legion of Superheroes_. Write yourself into a corner? Reset. Didn’t happen. The ulltimate nullifier. A true MAD weapon, in that it destroys both the target and the person using it. Unless it’s being fired by Franklin Richards, in which case it’s a reset button. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fictional-weapons/285921.md?page=2)