Heat-Ray

In H.G. Wells's classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, heat-rays are the primary offensive weapon used by the Martians. The heat-rays were mounted on Tripods.

Related Topics:
H.G. Wells - Science fiction - The War of the Worlds - Martians - Tripods

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The heat-ray was apparently some type of beam projector that incinerated anything it came into contact with. It instantly set ablaze flesh, vegetation and anything else flammable. When the heat-ray hit water, it almost instantly turned into steam. It was also capable of melting metal.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The novel explains the origin of the heat-ray as an intense beam of heat generated in a chamber of absolute nonconductivity, which was then projected against a parabolic mirror towards whatever target the Martians wished to incinerate. This explanation is repeated in the 1938 Orson Welles radio version of the story. While the heat-ray was photonic in nature, passages in the novel describe the beam as invisible, with the only visible element being a flash emitted from the chamber while the heat-ray is fired.

Related Topics:
Parabolic mirror - Orson Welles - Radio version - Photon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For the 1953 film version, the Martians used a combination of three rays, one heat-ray on top of their ships which fired red sparks, and two disintegrator rays at the side, which are shown as green energy blobs. These two can only be pointed in the direction the ship is facing, while the one at the top can be pointed in any direction. Both types of the heat-ray had a less violent effect on its target as most of what they would hit would begin to glow and then vanish, sometimes leaving a stain as a remainder. Although, often times, the heat-ray did have a simple destructive effect on certain objects. Dr. Clayton Forrester explained how these heat-rays worked as such:

Related Topics:
1953 film version - Dr. Clayton Forrester

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"It neutralizes meson somehow. They're the atomic glue holding matter together. Cut across their lines of magnetic force and any object will simply cease to exist."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The heat-ray's use in the War of the Worlds TV series is rather notable. When the war machines are recouped by the aliens in the first episode, the glow-and-disappear effect from the film is replaced with a more destructive force such as when they turn the main ray on a helicopter that goes up in a ball of flames. The main heat-ray of their machines took more attention in another episode wherein which the aliens were unable to unearth a buried war machine and were forced to removed the gooseneck device from the ship and strap it atop a hearse. For reasons unknown, the heat-ray's effects were similar to those in the 1953 film rather than the more continutiy-secured first episode. Ironically, it is a makeshift parabolic mirror of all things that is used to defeat the aliens in this mission. It is unknown if their older war machines, tripods, also featured a heat-ray. An interesting note to add is that the only time the heat-ray is ever called by name in the series, it is referred to as a "death ray" by one of the alien Advocates.

Related Topics:
War of the Worlds - Hearse

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds adaptation of Wells' novel, the heat-ray is portrayed as blueish fast moving bolts. Also, the movie heat-ray vaporized human beings and turned them into dust instead of lighting them ablaze. Although vaporized, a person's clothes still remained intact, while cars, trucks and buildings were blown headlong as if from a massive impact, making it seem more like a biological weapon than a massive torch.

Related Topics:
Steven Spielberg - War of the Worlds - Torch

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Ronald Emmerich's Independence Day, the heat-ray is used to destroy cities by placing directly above usually the tallest building in the city, including the famous scene where the aliens blow up the White House. Instead of multiple blasts, their heat-ray could annihilate an entire city with one blast.

Related Topics:
Ronald Emmerich - Independence Day - White House

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~