Probably, it is impossible to imagine good science fiction, especially combat, without appropriate weapons for the main and secondary characters. Often it is fantastic weapons that become the main detail of films and books. So many fans of the genre will be interested in reading more about different types of weapons.
How it can be
Let's start with the fact that the fantastic weapon of the future is presented to writers and screenwriters in different ways. Some believe that the future belongs to blasters and lasers, while others believe that heavily modified melee weapons will come to the fore. Some argue that in a few centuries, weapons smaller than a poppyseed will be used, while others prefer a future where they will reach the size of planets. Yes, and about who will use this weapon, the opinion varies greatly. There are many options here: combat robots, cyborgs, which combine living organisms and the most complex mechanisms, genetically modified, simply trained according to special manuals, or even ordinary people. It is simply impossible to list everything. But here to mention some of the most successful examples, both fromfantasy books, and from films, will be curious.
A few words about melee weapons
Perhaps, if we talk about fantastic melee weapons, then many fans of the genre will first of all remember the Jedi lightsabers. This is indeed an interesting weapon, invented by George Lucas, who gave the whole world the legendary Star Wars trilogy, as well as less spectacular, albeit numerous, sequels.
The weapon is a handle that generates a beam of plasma near it about a meter long. Plasma destroys any objects with which it comes into contact - from human flesh to the armor of spaceships. Not everyone can wield a lightsaber - this requires not only years of training, but also a special skill that only the Jedi and their eternal opponents of the Sith possess.
Another interesting variant of melee weapons is the atomic sword, which is the main weapon in the work "Lord from Planet Earth", written by Sergei Lukyanenko. This is an ordinary sword, only its thickness is only one atom. Thanks to this, the blade easily cuts absolutely any objects, and for this it is not at all necessary to make an effort. True, the sword constantly needs to be sharpened - it becomes dull from friction against the air. A button on the handle is used specifically for this. One press, and a wave of flame runs through the blade, sharpening the weapon to its original sharpness.
Good old firearms
Of course, speaking of a fantastic weapon of the future, one cannotforget about firearms. True, it is quite difficult to come up with something fundamentally new here. Over the centuries of existence, almost everything possible has already been invented and put into practice.
I remember, for example, the weapons of the Starship Troopers from the film of the same name. Brave earthlings had to fight hordes of beetle-like aliens using powerful machine guns.
Also worth mentioning is the ZF-1 complex weapon from The Fifth Element. The main component was a powerful machine gun. And he used smart bullets - he had a very unusual function. When the guidance was activated, the bullets flew exactly in the direction where the first one was fired. Therefore, it did not matter where the barrel of the weapon was directed. With a huge rate of fire, the machine could boast of serious ammunition - 3 thousand rounds. And the firepower didn't end there! The ZF-1 also included a flamethrower, a freezing device, a net launcher, a rocket launcher, and darts. Finally, there was a self-destruct button, pressing which led to a powerful explosion.
When simple weapons are not enough
Not always the power of ordinary cartridges is enough to destroy the enemy. Therefore, the designers went further and created even more powerful samples.
Take, for example, a special grenade launcher from the already mentioned movie "Space Marines". The M55 Nuke Launcher is not just a weapon that is comparable in power to a small nuclear bomb. It is also endowed with artificial intelligence, which allows you to tune in toa specific goal. After the capture, the projectile confidently flew exactly to the right point, flying around any obstacles. In the same film, you can see grenades, quite large, but also super-powerful, with one explosion causing a wall of flame, incinerating everything for tens of meters around.
Viewers who saw the films "Judge Dredd" in 1995 and 2012 remember well the unusual pistol "Legislator". Firstly, only the owner could use it - a sensor is built into the handle that fixes the user's DNA. If an outsider tried to shoot a pistol, it simply exploded. Secondly, the firepower of the weapon is much greater than that of any analogue. Voice control made it easy to switch ammunition - and there are as many as six types. Regular rounds, armor-piercing, incendiary, shock, explosive and many others are available. So, a man armed with the "Legislator" turned into a really terrible enemy.
Electricity instead of gunpowder
Talking about different types of fantastic weapons, one cannot fail to mention the railgun.
Instead of ordinary gunpowder or any explosives, electricity is used here. The barrel consists of several dozen electric magnets, which are energized in series. Instead of cartridges, a metal object like a nail is used. Passing through the barrel, it accelerates to tremendous speed, after which it can fly a considerable distance and at the same time has serious penetrating power.
You can see this weapon in many movies and games. For example, in the S. T. A. L. K. E. R. such a weapon is called a Gauss rifle. But in the movie "Eraser" the weapon did not get its own name and is simply called a railgun. But here the rifle also received an amazing optical sight, which allows you to see through objects, destroying even the enemy hiding behind an obstacle. And the speed of the projectile (instead of bullets, special capsules were used here) approached the speed of light.
Non-lethal weapons
Of course, not always weapons in science fiction films are designed to destroy people and other creatures. In some cases, it simply paralyzes or freezes the victim.
A striking example is the phaser from Star Trek. This is a very powerful weapon that, when hit, simply vaporizes the enemy. But it has several firing modes. One of them is stunning. Using this mode allows you to take the enemy alive without causing him much harm.
It is worth remembering the recently released film "Divergent". Here, during the training of fighters, special weapons were used. His bullets did not pierce the flesh of the opponent, instead hitting him with electric shocks, causing him to experience pain equal to a real wound when they hit. A very good training, accustoming the military to pain and instilling in them the habit of dodging hits without inflicting serious wounds that could lead to death or at least put them out of action for a long time.building.
Lasers and Plasma Throwers
Well, of course, it's hard to imagine science fiction without lasers, blasters and plasma guns. Perhaps this type of weapon is the most common in this genre. Writers and screenwriters describe the principle of action in different ways, but in general it is standard - the laser cuts through any objects at a great distance, and blasters and plasma guns simply blow them up.
Nothing new needs to be invented here, so you can see such weapons in half of science fiction films: "Star Wars", "Men in Black", "Terminator" and many others. There are machine guns, shotguns and pistols that work on this principle. In general, it is so popular that it makes no sense to list individual samples.
Incredible Destructive Power
Speaking about the fantastic weapon, the photo of which is attached to the article, one cannot fail to mention the "Death Star" from the magnificent trilogy of George Lucas "Star Wars". A huge artificial object, the size of the moon, capable of destroying entire planets with one shot. Perhaps there are few such powerful weapons even in the most sophisticated science fiction films.
However, there are still such analogues. For example, in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, an extreme measure was repeatedly used - extrerminatus, when the planet was literally cleared of any life forms. This was carried out with the help of special cyclone torpedoes and atmosphere burner torpedoes. Nobody and nothing on the planet at that momentjust couldn't survive.
All kinds of cyborgs
Of course, talking about fantastic weapons, it is worth talking about such a variety as robots and cyborgs. The former are completely mechanical objects, while the latter are a successful combination of biological and mechanical life forms.
Robots are more numerous - they can be seen in many films. For example, in "I am a robot", "Transformers", "Judge Dredd", "Inhabited Island" and many others. Their appearance was seriously different - from humanoid to any other.
The number of cyborgs in films is much less. First of all, it is worth remembering the "Terminator", "Robocop" (the main character and several versions of different degrees of success), the Warhammer universe (combat dreadnoughts), the Doctor Who series (Daleks and Cybermen), "Star Wars" (Darth Vader). In some cases, only the brain of a living creature was used, while in other cases, the cyborg is a human, enhanced by mechanical devices.
What did the Third Reich have?
In the press (mostly yellow) articles about the fantastic weapons of the Third Reich regularly pop up. Of course, to date, all the developments seem not too impressive. However, given that they were created more than half a century ago, it becomes clear what a terrible danger the same V-2 cruise missiles or He-162 jet fighters posedSalamander, TA-152N-1 Feuerblitz and Me-264 Wotan bomber.
This weapon was indeed seriously ahead of its time. If Germany had a few years of respite and managed to produce enough of these aircraft and missiles, the history of mankind could have taken a very different path.
However, despite the huge achievements in military development, you should not believe the stories about the flying saucers of the Third Reich and other gossip, which is often full of yellow press.
Modern Russian developments
It is impossible not to touch on the fantastic weapons of Russia of the future. Of course, it is difficult to report something new here. All the same, all the latest developments are strictly classified. But even those developments that have been presented in recent years can impress even the most skeptical expert.
Take for example the Armata tank, which impressed the world's experts with its combination of firepower, speed, reliability and safety.
Not everyone has heard that the Soviet Union even created a laser tank 1K17 "Compression". The technology cannot be called modern - after all, the combat vehicle was released almost thirty years ago. But the very fact of creating a laser tank is impressive.
Also, if we talk specifically about that fantastic weapon of the future, made in Russia, which, we can mention the DOR-2. True, this is an old, still Soviet development. The weapon was a full-fledged ball lightning generator capable of destroyingenemy missiles at a distance of up to 200 kilometers. The size of these lightnings (and, accordingly, the power) varied significantly - from 1 centimeter to 50 meters! Few people know, but the DOR-2 was successfully tested back in 1974 and became, perhaps, the world's first plasma weapon.
Conclusion
This concludes our article. In it, we tried to consider various samples of fantastic weapons - from atomic swords and "smart" grenade launchers to laser tanks and huge space stations. Let's hope that the article will expand your horizons and make you an even more interesting conversationalist.
