Forgotten Superweapon: Difference between revisions

* Perhaps the most egregious example is the Flaz Gaz Heat Ray, as discussed in Nick Lowe's essay, ''[http://news.ansible.co.uk/plotdev.html The Well-Tempered Plot Device]'':

** ''"Everyone knows, I imagine, the story of the Flaz Gaz Heat Ray, perhaps the most outrageous [[Deus Ex Machina]] ending in all literature. There the heroes were, stranded deep in an enemy sector of space, surrounded by an entire enemy fleet with the guns trained on them, when the maestro realized all of a sudden he had only one page left to finish the book. Quick as a flash, the captain barks out: "It's no use, men. We'll have to use the Flaz Gaz Heat Ray." "Not -- not the Flaz Gaz Heat Ray!" So they open up this cupboard, and there's this weapon that just blasts the entire fleet into interstellar dust. One almighty zap and the thousand remaining loose ends are quietly incinerated."''

** Sirius Black gives Harry a magic mirror in case Harry needs to contact him. Many months/chapters later, Harry really needs to contact Sirius. Harry forgets about the mirror. Lack of communication leads to tragic results. THEN Harry remembers the mirror, too late to be helpful.

*** Harry never knew it was a mirror until after the tragic results, Sirius merely gave him the package, and told him to use it if he needs to talk, but not to open it until he got back to Hogwarts. Harry believes it will be something that will get Sirius into trouble if he does use it, and so never opens it.