Sci-Fi TV’s Coolest Weapons: ‘Batwoman,’ ‘Doctor Who,’ ‘Hawkeye’ & More
An amazing arsenal of weapons keeps this galaxy (and every other one) safe in sci-fi TV. From Batarangs to portal guns, shows like Batwoman, Rick and Morty, and more are raising the cool factor.
Below, we round up some of sci-fi TV’s finest.
This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s Sci-Fi & Fantasy Special Collector’s Issue, which is available for international pre-order online at SciFi2021.com and available nationwide on newsstands now.
Sara Lance’s Bo Staff in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
As leader of the Legends, Sara Lance, aka White Canary (Caity Lotz), is a resourceful hand-to-hand combatant, but her trusty, lengthy staff is what really knocks some sense into her adversaries.
Uses: This weapon is multipurpose — and it’s actually two weapons. Each of the batons she wields can unite to make a wickedly intimidating bo staff.
Where it was invented: Fighting staffs have been part of Asian martial arts practice for centuries; rumor has it the bo staff was invented in Okinawa in the 1600s. We first saw Sara using one to fine effect in Season 2, Episode 4 of Arrow.
Best scene: They may be engaged and happily in love now, but in Season 3, Episode 2 of the CW series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Time Bureau agent Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan) tried to bring Sara in —
resulting in a battle for the ages (literally), with both femmes fatales wielding staffs and fighting without mercy.
Coolness rating 9 (out of 10)
The Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver in Doctor Who
Talk about a tool that’s right on time. The sonic screwdriver is the all-in-one weapon of choice for most iterations of the good Doctor.
Uses: Pretty much…everything? Well, except when it comes to wood, which (irony alert) the screwdriver is usually unable to affect. But from emitting heat and light (or even just blasting an opponent) to taking over most kinds of machinery, this is your most useful intergalactic tool belt item.
First appearance: In 1968’s “Fury From the Deep” (sixth installment of Season 5), the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) unveiled a common-looking screwdriver with awesome capabilities. (Sadly, as true Who fans know, no copies of this episode exist.)
Best scene: Most Doctors on the BBC America series receive these sonic tools from the TARDIS. But not the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker). She had to build hers from scratch, melting down spoons and throwing in whatever else was around, proving she’s the most resourceful Doctor of all.
Coolness rating 7
Daryl’s Stryker StrykeZone 380 in The Walking Dead
From the beginning of this AMC series’ zombie apocalypse, Daryl (Norman Reedus) has been aiming shots through the hearts — rather, make that brains — of the undead. His trusty weapon of choice: always a badass crossbow.
First appearance: Our initial sighting of Daryl was back in Season 1, Episode 3, when he used a crossbow to demonstrate why you always need to aim for the head if you want to drop a zombie for good. Our favorite crossbow, the Stryker StrykeZone 380, was a gift from Michonne (Danai Gurira) in Season 3, Episode 13.
Worst use: Ouch. In Season 6, Episode 14, double-crosser Dwight (Austin Amelio), who had stolen Daryl’s crossbow, used it to shoot an unsuspecting Denise (Merritt Wever) right through the eye, just as she was delivering a powerful speech. That was D-plorable!
Coolness rating 9
Boba Fett’s Gauntlets in The Mandalorian
We’re so glad he survived the Sarlacc Pit! Return of the Jedi appeared to leave Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) to a grisly fate — being digested over, gulp, a thousand years — but he managed to escape and return in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. He then reclaimed his armor, including those bitchin’ gauntlets — which, by the way, are not just on his wrists; he’s got weaponized kneepads too!
Uses: Fire away! These accessories shoot out cables, rockets, flames, lasers, explosives and lots of other handy things that have helped secure his fame.
Best scene: TBD. We’re reserving our judgment until Disney+’s upcoming series The Book of Boba Fett drops this coming December, unleashing this iconic, beloved Star Wars character to a legion of fans old and new.
Coolness rating 10
Hawkeye’s Arrows in Hawkeye
Clint Barton’s alter ego (Jeremy Renner) never misses a target. The expert marksman has plenty of arrows in his quiver, helping secure his rep.
Uses: Offensive and defensive tricks galore. He carries exploding arrows, ones with grappling hooks or electromagnetic pulses and others with just plain deadly arrowheads.
Best scene: The non-superpowered Avenger has often been an underrated asset to the team, but our favorite (so far — we haven’t seen his upcoming Disney+ series, due November 24) use of his arrows came in the Marvel megahit Captain America: Civil War’s legendary airport fight scene. That’s where Clint used his arrows to flummox Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) not once but twice, distracting him while Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) buried him under an avalanche of cars, and concealing a tiny Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) on the tip of an arrow, which allowed the microscopic superhero to sneak inside Iron Man’s sophisticated circuitry. Pretty sneaky move, Clint.
Coolness rating 9
Penance’s Devices in The Nevers
Why choose just one weapon when you can choose a person whose entire superpower is the ability to invent a ton of them? One of the Touched, who have been given mysterious and enviable talents, Penance (Ann Skelly) has an arsenal of battle-ready (but nonlethal) awesomeness in her head just waiting to spring to life in the lab on the HBO steampunk adventure series.
Abilities: Penance can envision potential energy, meaning she sees where energy is and where it should go. That helps her create such unique and useful things as foam guns, taser parasols and an electric car. In the world of The Nevers, these come in handy in a pinch.
Best invention The Shiner, from Season 1, Episode 1. As you might guess from its name, this device is bright — and when it goes off, the spinning, flying object may leave you with more than a black eye. That’s also the episode where we’re introduced to the auto-carriage, her incredibly cool three-passenger, three-wheel retro car that looks like an old-fashioned racer.
Coolness rating: 9
Rick’s Portal Gun in Rick and Morty
When you need to make a quick jump between dimensions, it helps to have this portal-popping pistol. Rick Sanchez’s (voiced by Justin Roiland) unique invention takes you anywhere in a flash.
Uses: Far more than just the ultimate travel accessory, the portal gun can interface with computers and record previous portal stops.
Best scene: In Season 3, Episode 1 of the Adult Swim series, a Gromflomite agent from the Galactic Federation tried to trick Rick into revealing how he invented his portal gun. Things didn’t exactly end well for that presumptuous agent. We may never know its origins, but we love seeing this gun in action.
Fun Fact: We’ve found them selling for as low as $16.99, but chances are those Halloween props won’t help you visit a postapocalyptic world to find a valuable Isotope 322 gemstone being guarded by Death Stalkers.
Coolness rating 9
Wonder Girl’s Magic Lasso in Titans
It’s as good as gold, and maybe even better. Donna Troy/Wonder Girl’s (Conor Leslie) “Lasso of Persuasion” makes others come clean with info and even do her bidding.
Uses: We can’t lie: This has some awesome abilities. As Donna put it, the lasso is made of “a little memory wipe and some Themysciran truth coils.” Sounds like Wonder Woman’s iconic golden Lasso of Truth. But that’s not all: It works on defense (blocking blades, for example) and offense (such as when she wants to rope a nearby motorcycle and hurl it at a supervillain).
Best scene: Season 2, Episode 13 of the HBO Max series: During a brutal battle with Superboy (Joshua Orpin), Donna was able to lasso and subdue her mind-controlled teammate long enough for Raven (Teagan Croft) to bring him back to normal.
Coolness rating 10
Batarang in Batwoman
The simple fact is this: There are Batarangs and there is Batwoman’s Batarang. As Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) learned when she took over the crimefighter’s role in Season 2, Episode 3 of the hit CW show (after Ruby Rose’s departure), it’s always good to have something to hurl at the bad guys in between all the thrown punches.
Inventor: Credit Bruce Wayne/Batman for the original, but Batwoman’s striking red Batarangs come courtesy of ultra-brainy creator Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson), who himself now fights crime as Batwing.
Uses: Combining the best aspects of a throwing star and a boomerang, this weapon packs a wallop. While getting the hang of being the famed crimefighter, Ryan has used it against baddies such as Black Mask, Kilovolt and members of the False Face Society.
Fun fact: Not to put too fine a point on it, but according to an offhand mention during Season 2 of the series, these Bat-gadgets cost $1,000 to make! Good thing they’re designed to return to the thrower.
Coolness rating 10
Android Mother’s Scream in Raised by Wolves
The Android Mother (Amanda Collin) has many ways of protecting the human children she’s overseeing (we definitely wouldn’t want to be on the business end of those necromancer eyes), but it’s her bloodcurdling scream we truly want to holler about.
Uses: Boom! Making its target explode. It’s that simple and deadly.
Best scene: Right from the start, Season 1, Episode 1, Raised by Wolves made it clear that this is an android with a temper when pressed. In that first HBO Max episode, the maniacal mom showed how far she’s willing to go to protect her children from any and all harm. Boarding the Ark, she had a wail of a time killing all in her path, unleashing a river of the red stuff.
Coolness rating 8
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