Powerful Objects From Science Fiction

5 minute read

By Wes Walcott

Let’s face it, one of the things that make sci-fi movies and TV shows so exciting is that there’s constantly some sort of doomsday weapon or nullifier that threatens to wipe out civilizations in the blink of an eye. So, in honor of these fantastic and high-tech devices that tend to bring destruction, we’ve put together a list of what we believe to be the most powerful objects in all of science fiction.

The Lightsaber

The lightsabers from Star Wars are easily the most iconic weapon in all of sci-fi. They are basically laser swords that come in increasingly varied shapes and sizes. Not only do they look and sound like the coolest thing in the galaxy, but they also gracefully deflect laser fire and have the power to slice through just about anything.

Truly an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.

Source: Screenshot via Disney/Lucasfilm

Arc Reactor

Invented by Tony Stark, the arc reactor is essentially a pure energy power core capable of producing the equivalent of four million horsepower. It was originally created to power the first Iron Man suit and protect Tony’s heart from pieces of life-threatening shrapnel.

Tony would later use vibranium — the same material used to make Captain America’s shield — to refine the arc reactor. With this upgrade, the arc reactor also powers mega structures like Stark Tower and Stark Industries.

Source: Screenshot via Marvel Studios

Mjolnir

Etched onto Thor’s mighty hammer, Mjolnir, is the inscription: “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” That power consists of unearthly strength, supersonic flight, and control over the elements, especially lightning.

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than the God of Thunder himself wielding Mjolnir. Despite that, the mythic hammer has been handled by a few others in the Marvel Universe, including Beta Ray Bill and Captain America.

Source: Screenshot via Marvel Studios

Warp Drive

The warp drive is the hypothetical Star Trek technology that allows the Enterprise to travel at speeds faster than light. It works by bending spacetime to propel the starship throughout the universe. In order to achieve this feat, mass must be converted to pure energy. This conversion takes place in the ship’s warp core, where small amounts of matter and antimatter produce enough energy to power everything on Earth for an entire year.

Warp cores also serve as the main power plant on starships. If breached or detonated, produce massive explosions.

Source: Screenshot via Paramount Pictures

The Death Star Superlaser

This moon-sized destroyer of worlds is the pride and joy of the Galactic Empire. By focusing energy into a powerful beam, the Death Star’s superlaser can blow planets to bits in a matter of seconds.

Theoretically, a laser with that kind of power would be like focusing over 8,000 years of our sun’s energy into a single beam. Too bad the original Death Star designers left that one thermal vent leading to the main reactor core exposed. Otherwise, the entire battle station, along with its 1.7 million military personnel and 400,000 droids, might not have been obliterated by a couple of puny proton torpedoes.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Superlaser?file=Superlaser2.jpg Source: Starwars.wikia.comSource: Screenshot via Disney/Lucasfilm

5. The Little Doctor

Also known as the Molecular Detachment Device, the Little Doctor from Ender’s Game is a powerful weapon capable of destroying an entire planet.

Described as a laser-style weapon, the Little Doctor creates an atomic state in which electrons cannot be shared. In this state, molecules split into separate atoms, which causes a chain reaction inducing a similar splitting state in the surrounding mass. This means that the larger the target is, the greater the destructive potential of the weapon. That makes it perfect for taking out fleets of starships or troublesome alien homeworlds.

Source: Picture via Summit Entertainment

4. Trilithium Warhead

Star Trek: Generations has one of the most cataclysmic acts in all of Trek history. It occurs when Dr. Tolian Soran uses trilithium warheads to destroy two stars along with their entire planetary systems. The star-destroying effect of the warheads is made possible because the trilithium acts as a nuclear inhibitor, stopping all nuclear fusion within a star and resulting in a supernova-scale explosion.

http://www.ditl.org/article-pictures.php?ArticleID=32&ArticleSubID=2&ListID=Galleries Source: Ditl.orgSource: Screenshot via Paramount Pictures

3. The Tesseract

One of the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Tesseract is actually a vessel for the Space Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones. The Infinity Stones are the MCU’s version of the comics’ Infinity Gems. They are known to be sources of great power and conflict throughout countless worlds.

The Tesseract’s power is thought to be limitless. It can open rifts in space, power weapons of mass destruction, and even display visions of the future.

https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Joint_Dark_Energy_Mission_Facility?file=Tesseract_ta.png Source: Marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.comSource: Screenshot via Marvel Studios

2. The Moment

During the Doctor Who episode “The Day of the Doctor”, it’s revealed that there exists a Time Lord doomsday weapon so powerful that even they were too afraid to ever use it.

The Moment is the final creation of the Ancients of Gallifrey. Theoretically, it’s capable of trapping entire galaxies in a single moment in time. At one point, The Doctor believes he’s used the Moment to wipe out both the Daleks and his own race. However, it is later revealed that this is not the case. The device is so sophisticated that it makes use of a telepathic interface capable of determining whether or not it will allow itself to be used.

https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Moment?file=TheMomentBox.jpg Source: Tardis.wikia.comSource: Screenshot via BBC Studios

1. The Infinity Gauntlet

In Marvel comics, the Infinity Gems are six enormously powerful gems. Each gem gives its owner total control over one aspect of the multiverse.

During the Infinity Saga, Thanos captures all six gems and fuses them into a gauntlet that makes him virtually omnipotent and omniscient. Of course, once he gains his newfound powers, Thanos does what any guy would do and uses it to impress the ladies. The only problem is that the woman of his affection happens to be the embodiment of death itself. So, the only way Thanos thinks he can show his love for Death is by wiping out half of all the living things in the universe. Too bad he didn’t try a bouquet of roses first.

The MCU adapted the Infinity Saga into Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. During those movies, Thanos eliminates half of all life in the universe using the Infinity Gaunlet. Instead of wanting to impress Death, Thanos does it to bring balance to the universe in his own perverted way.

http://www.comicvine.com/forums/gen-discussion-1/any-dc-item-that-can-rival-the-infinity-gauntlet-1687802/ Source: Comicvine.comSource: Art via Marvel Comics

Wes Walcott

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Wes is a devourer of media. He ravenously consumes podcasts, books, and TV shows with seemingly no regard for review scores or subject matter. If encountered in the wild, Wes is said to respond positively to verbal cues relating to X-Men or the SNES. The subject can be easily captured and tamed using Transformers or Gundam models.