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{{
[[File:Tesla.jpg|frame|[[Mundane Utility|Nikola Tesla's reading light]].]]
{{quote|''Genius, scientist, inventor,''
''penniless at death, yet ignored.''
''Nikola Tesla,''
''who remembers?''|'''[[Joy Electric]]''', "Nikola Tesla"}}
{{quote|''Tesla was the electric Jesus.''|[http://www.myvidster.com/video/114083/Drunk_History_Nikola_Tesla_thanks_g3rm Drunk History]}}
Nikola Tesla: electrical genius, brilliant engineer, [[Mad Scientist]], possibly [[Asexuality|asexual]] (or just [[Celibate Eccentric Genius|celibate]]), [[The Wonka|pigeon-loving weirdo]], poor businessman. Born in the village of Smiljan from Serbian parents (Austrian Empire at the time, Croatia today) and immigrant to the United States, Tesla is best known for his eponymous electrical transformer, the [[Shock and Awe|Tesla Coil]], closely followed by his development of the first feasible alternating current power generator, ultimately built at [[Niagara Falls]]. Other patents of his include the equipment for radio, vertical take-off and landing, and fluorescent light bulbs. (X-rays and quasars? Possibly.) However, a combination of poor business decisions, economic trouble, and pressures from archrival [[Thomas Edison]] eventually led to the end of his good fortunes, and he acquired obsessive/compulsive tendencies and other eccentricities. He ultimately died alone in a hotel room after failing to sell a giant [[Death Ray
These are the facts. Everything else is [[Wild Mass Guessing|very, very much up for grabs.]] Artificial lightning? Never left home without it! (In fact, one of the highlights of any of his demonstrations was [[Crazy Awesome|shooting lightning from his fingertips.]]) [[
Conjecture and conspiracy aside, some of the things that we do know Tesla was either working on or had plans for are quite terrifying. Aside from the above mentioned Artificial Lightning, Earthquake Machine, and the Death Ray (a particle beam weapon, to be precise) he tried to sell to the Government, Tesla had plans (whether or not any were close to functional is of course entirely up for debate) for Force Shields, Gravity Manipulation, Wall Phasing and Teleportation. You know what they say about 'genius and madness'!
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For examples relating to his most famous invention, see [[Shock and Awe]].
{{examples|Appearances of Nikola Tesla in fiction include:}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* ''[http://www.mangapark.com/manga/Henjin-Henkutsu-Retsuden/c0/all Chronicles of the Bizarre and Eccentric: Nikola Tesla]''{{Dead link}} (1989) by Hirohiko Araki of ''[[
== Comic Books ==
* ''[[Atomic Robo]]'', Tesla built the title character. In his earlier days (Volume 3, ''Atomic Robo and the Shadow From Beyond Time''), he also stopped a [[Cosmic Horror]] with Charles Fort and [[
* A brief note in ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' implies that in that world, Tesla and Edison merged their electric companies, contributing to the [[Steampunk]]-ishness of the series' Britain.
* ''[[The Five Fists of Science]]'' features Tesla and [[Mark Twain]] teaming up to fight Thomas Edison. With a [[Steampunk]] [[Humongous Mecha|giant robot]]. After Edison summoned [[Eldritch Abomination|cosmic horrors]]. Also Tesla was trying to become a superhero. It's pretty much as awesome as it sounds.
* Tesla is a significant character in the [[DC Comics]] Elseworld ''[[Justice League of America|JLA]]: Age of Wonder'', in which he quits Edison Machine Works at the same time as Lex Luthor and Clark Kent. The combination of wacked-out science ability, ruthless business savvy and superpowers changes the world, until Luthor remembers he's a [[Super Villain]] and asks Tesla to take out those Death Ray plans again.
* As part of IDW's "Infestation 2" event, and a sequel to Transformers: Hearts of Steel, which took place in the Industrial Revolution, Nikola Tesla fought Cthulhu-powered Decepticons alongside Optimus Prime. Just go ahead and bask in that sentence for a bit.
== Film ==
* In the film adaptation of ''[[The Prestige]]'', [[Celibate Hero|Tesla]] is played by, [[Memetic Sex God|of all people]], [[David Bowie]]. {{spoiler|He also invented a cloning machine.}}
* ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079985/ The Secret of Nikola Tesla]'' by the Croatian director Krsto Papić, done in 1980.
* In the film ''[[Cloudy
* The animated movie ''[[War of the Worlds]]: Goliath'' includes Tesla as part of the research and development staff for the Earth forces preparing for a renewed Martian invasion. He shows up in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXgiTlKhKM8&feature=related the first trailer], alongside [[Theodore Roosevelt]], briefing troops on the expected attack and Earth's new equipment.
== Literature ==
* Tesla plays a brief but important role in ''[[The Prestige]]''. {{spoiler|He rips physics a new one by inventing a [[Steampunk]] matter duplicator.}}
* Tesla is a character in Spider Robinson's extended universe of ''[[
* In ''[[Far Fetched Fiction|The Witches Of Chiswick]]'', it's revealed that in the ideal timeline, Nikola Tesla was respected and befriended several other scientists - particularly Charles Babbage. Which led to him perfecting his inventions and bringing about the space age (plus broadcasted electricity and androids) in the Victorian era. This is screwed up when time-traveling witches pollute the time line which leads to a [[Dystopia|dystopic]] time line. This is patched up and we end with the current timeline we all live in.
** As an ironic historical note, had Tesla beat Edison at the whole electricity business and broadcast electricity become the dominant business model, modern electronics would have to have evolved in a radically different direction, since shooting loads of high frequency alternating current through the air is seriously bad news for transistors.
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* Tesla is the replacement/rival for [[Santa Claus]] in the short story [http://escapepod.org/2008/12/25/ep184-as-dry-leaves-that-before-the-wild-hurricane-fly/ As Dry Leaves Before The Wild Hurricane Fly.]
* He's not exactly a character in the novel ''Crazy For Cornelia'', but Cornelia, a big ol' fan of [[Lightning Can Do Anything|lightning]], is an obsessive fan of him.
* Flaming's ''The Kingdom of Ohio'' features the rivalry between Tesla and Thomas Edison, Tesla being the good guy of course.
* Tesla is a character in the ''Worldweavers'' books, where he also has elemental powers.
* He appears in the [[Alternate History]] novel ''New Amsterdam'' by Elizabeth Bear, where he has fled to France from Russia's encroaching imperialism and the French government has hired him to build his broadcast energy system for Paris. His death ray, a concentrated form of his broadcast energy, also makes an appearance but is ineffective, {{spoiler|at least against werebeasts.}}
* Tesla is a central character in Samantha Hunt's novel ''[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/books/review/Thomas-t.html The Invention of Everything Else]'', which fictionalizes his last years of life. You know that page quote above about everything being "[[Wild Mass Guessing|very, very much up for grabs]]?" The book is that trope in ''spades''.
* In ''Behemoth'', the sequel to ''[[Leviathan]]'' by Scott Westerfeld, the [[Steampunk|Steam]]/[[
* Some researchers have suggested that the character of [[Cthulhu Mythos|Nyarlathotep]] was inspired by Tesla.
* Tesla is a [[Posthumous Character]] in ''[[The Grimnoir Chronicles]]'' and his inventions are vital to the plot of the first book. [[Thomas Edison]] takes the role in the second book ''Spellbound''.
* Tesla was featured quite prominently in the Titanic themed novel ''[[Distant Waves]]''
* ''[[
▲== Live Action TV ==
** The bridge these guys were using their Tesla inspired device on was relatively modern, meaning that it had been built to withstand mechanical resonance. This theory has already been proven by incidents such as that of the Angers Bridge in 1850 (with the vibration of soldiers marching in step dislodging the bridge) and of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 (with the wind happening to have a frequency that matched the structural frequency of the bridge). This could potentially work, but that would depend on whether or not the building or bridge had been fortified against such frequencies.
▲* ''[[Myth Busters (TV)|Myth Busters]]'' tested Tesla's earthquake machine. While there were some surprisingly large vibrations, the idea that it could take out a building without external power was quite busted.
▲** The bridge these guys were using their Tesla inspired device on was relatively modern, meaning that it had been built to withstand mechanical resonance. This theory has already been proven by incidents such as that of the Angers Bridge in 1850 (with the vibration of soldiers marching in step dislodging the bridge) and of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 (with the wind happening to have a frequency that matched the structural frequency of the bridge) This could potentially work, but that would depend on whether or not the building or bridge had been fortified against such frequencies.
* ''[[Sanctuary]]'' recently took Tesla and {{spoiler|turned him into a pseudo-vampire with delusions of world domination.}} He's one of the most popular characters on the show.
* ''[[Eureka]]'' gave someone else credit for Tesla's [[Death Ray]]. But hey, at least they named the local school Tesla (High) School. Which has got to count for something, right?
* Croatian mini-series ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0273375/ Nikola Tesla]''
* Canadian period drama ''[[
* ''[[Warehouse 13]]'' has a handgun shaped and sized machine made by Tesla that shoots electricity and causes short term memory loss. He and Edison also apparently stopped their war long enough for both of them to create the warehouse's electrical system. The designing of the actual warehouse, however, was done by [[
* An episode of [[Team Knight Rider]] revealed that in his childhood, Trek had managed to design a fully functional version of Tesla's earthquake machine, which was being used by a renegade priest to do "God's work" by destroying Las Vegas.
== Music ==
* [
* The band [[Dream Team|8in8]] ([[
* [[Joy Electric]], the Christian Electronica band, has a rather odd song dedicated to Tesla (as noted in the page quote).
* [[Jay Electronica]], no connection to the above, used a photo of Tesla as the cover to his set of [[E Ps]], "Exhibit A" and "Exhibit C." Seen [https://web.archive.org/web/20140831063633/http://cdn.nahright.com/news/m.php/2009/12/jay-electronica-exhibit-c-ep-artwork-450x450.png here] and [http://beatsfromthebarn.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/albumart.jpg here]. Electronica also name drops Tesla in a verse of "Exhibit C."
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* The ''[[GURPS]] Infinite Worlds'' setting includes among its many [[Alternate Universe|Alternate Earths]] one codenamed "Gernsback
* Tesla is an important figure in the "Ravaged Earth" setting of the ''[[Savage Worlds]]'' RPG. In that timeline, following the [[The War of the Worlds (novel)||Martian Invasion of 1898]], a.k.a. the "Red War", Tesla used scavenged pieces of Martian technology to invent a whole host of new inventions, becoming incredibly rich when he sold them to Edison. In that world's setting of 1936, he is the head of a major scientific research institution.▼
* In the [[
* He's been merged into ''[[
* In the [[Euro Game]] ''Through The Ages: A Story Of Civilization'', one of the six Modern Era leaders available for your civilization is Tesla (at least, in the more recent editions - the original version of the game had [[Bill Gates]] filling the same role).▼
== Theatre ==
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090913014508/http://www.ihosopera.com/rep_tlihh.html Tesla - Lightning in His Hands]'' is an opera based on the life of Tesla.
== Video Games ==
* ''Tesla: The Weather Man'' has an [[Alternate Universe|AU]] version of Tesla wielding a gauntlet that [[Weather Control Machine|controls the weather]] against Edison and his robot army. [[Crazy Awesome|Yes]].
* ''Zen Pinball'' has a pinball table themed around him, and it's easily the most popular table.
* ''[[Tomb Raider]]: Legend'' had an entire level set in a secret Siberian lab that belonged to Tesla.
* ''[[Command
* ''[[Fallout]] 3'' has higher-level Enclave soldiers decked out in Tesla Armor, which has giant glowing electric coils on the back, and gives the wearer a better handling of energy weapons.
** Books entitled "Nikola Tesla And You" add +1 to your [[Energy Weapon]] Skill.
** Tesla Armor appeared also in previous installments, but, despite the fact that it was quite fancy-looking, shining item, it was quite useless.
** In the DLC "Broken Steel", you have to find a Tesla Coil in order to build the Tesla Cannon, a BFG that ''[[Lightning Gun|shoots lightning]]''.
** It's back in ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', and '''it's even better'''!
* ''[[Dystopia (
* In ''[[Arcanum]]'' you can lay your hands on Tesla Guns and other Tesla-as-adjective weapons, provided you play a technological character. As it seems, every [[The Verse|'verse]] has a Tesla to develop electric technologies.
* In ''[[Assassin's Creed]] 2'', it's revealed that Tesla had an ancient artifact, called a "Piece of Eden", apparently loaned by the secretive Templar order, from which he reverse-engineered all of his inventions. He wanted to take it many steps farther and start the Internet decades early while providing the world with free electricity; Thomas Edison, a Templar, notes in a letter that this would be easy. As it would also completely reshape the world away from what the Templars want it to be, they engineer his downfall, only for the Templars' rivals, the Assassin order, to recruit him so he can use '''science''' to destroy a Piece of Eden for them. Naturally, the result of that is the [[The Tunguska Event]].
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** He also pops up in the [[Backstory]] to ''[[Resistance]]'', where he's credited with the invention of VTOL aircraft akin to the modern V-22 Osprey in the early 1930s.
* ''[[Dark Void]]'' features an alternate dimension where the main character, his ex-girlfriend, and Tesla all end up. Tesla ends up outfitting the player with [[Jet Pack|jetpacks]] to battle the game's villains.
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Return to Castle Wolfenstein]]'' has another Tesla gun.
== Web Comics ==
* Tesla appears early in ''[[Dresden Codak]]'' as one of the residents of Atheist Heaven. (Tesla was actually Christian, but it works for the jokes.)
* Tesla is the star of one of [[
* Tesla invented Little Miss Mechanical, ''[[The Intrepid Girlbot]]'''s oldest ancestor.
* Tesla appears in ''[http://www.thinkin-lincoln.com/ Thinkin' Lincoln]'', where he exists as an omnipresent [[Energy Beings|being of pure energy]].
* A recent plot line in ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20070518230820/http://www.newadventuresofqueenvictoria.com/ The New Adventures of Queen Victoria]'' concerns the consequences of Tesla turning Queen Victoria's broken watch into a [[Time Machine]].
* Tesla makes a brief appearance in ''[
* A recent edition of ''[[The Oatmeal]]'' entitled "[http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla Why Nikola Tesla Was the Greatest Geek Who Ever Lived]" went to great lengths to make the case for Tesla being one of History's most unsung heroes. It goes to just as much trouble to illustrate why Tesla's classic rival Thomas Edison was a "douche."
== Web Original ==
* Both ''[[Cracked.com]]'' and [[Badass of the Week]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20131024174720/http://www.cracked.com/funny-284-nikola-tesla/ have entire pages devoted] [http://www.badassoftheweek.com/tesla.html to proving to the world] how much an underestimated genius Tesla was.
* In the Chinese webfic ''Time to Shoot Down the Moon'' (written by a troper called T*sl*shark), the NATO extends Tesla's research and built "Coil Antennas" in Alaska and on the Moon to serve as a mean of long-range communication and detection, also generators of weaponized plasma lightning. The AI overseeing the Coil Antennas on the Moon is named Nick for some obvious reason, and many of the staff there belong to the Scientist's Vigilante, a secret organization founded by Tesla.
* The mad scientist’s time in Colorado Springs plays a vital role in the blog novel ''[[Flyover City]]!''
▲* Tesla is an important figure in the "Ravaged Earth" setting of the ''[[Savage Worlds]]'' RPG. In that timeline, following the [[The War of the Worlds|Martian Invasion of 1898]], a.k.a. the "Red War", Tesla used scavenged pieces of Martian technology to invent a whole host of new inventions, becoming incredibly rich when he sold them to Edison. In that world's setting of 1936, he is the head of a major scientific research institution.
▲* In the [[Old World of Darkness (Tabletop Game)|Old World of Darkness]] game ''[[Mage: The Ascension (Tabletop Game)|Mage: The Ascension]]'', Nikola Tesla was a Son of Ether, a Tradition of [[Mad Scientist]] mages. His [[Arch Enemy]] Thomas Edison was either a rival in the Technocratic Union or a pawn of the Technocracy, depending on who you asked.
▲* He's been merged into ''[[Genius: The Transgression (Tabletop Game)|Genius: The Transgression]]''; this time he's a Etherite, putting him as one of the villains. Then again Etherites are often considered to be the least nasty of the villians, more interested in their crazy theories and experiencing the wonders of science than hurting anyone. They just tend to have a mental breakdown when someone disagrees with them, and have easy access to rayguns.
▲* In the [[Euro Game]] ''Through The Ages: A Story Of Civilization'', one of the six Modern Era leaders available for your civilization is Tesla (at least, in the more recent editions - the original version of the game had [[Bill Gates]] filling the same role).
== Western Animation ==
* The character Nikolai Technus from ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' is named after Tesla.
* On ''[[Clone High]]'', the words "Tesla rules" are perpetually visible on the blackboard in Mr. Sheepman's classroom. Tesla himself never appears.
* One episode of ''[[Histeria
* On ''[[Family Guy]]'' Peter tries to console his sister-in-law and tells her she wasn't the only one to get a bum deal, then they cutway to a turn of the century boardroom:
{{quote|
'''Thomas Edison:''' Aw, I wanted that one! }}
== Real Life ==
* Tesla was [[Historical Domain Character|featured as a character]] in [[Real Life]], [[Captain Obvious|believe it or not]].
* [http://www.teslamotors.com/ Tesla Motors], which builds high-performance electric vehicles, is named in tribute to him.
** [
** [
** [
* [[Zomg Smells]] makes a scent as a tribute to Nikola Tesla entitled ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120125091526/http://www.zomgsmells.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=50 The Melancholy Death of Nikola Tesla]''.
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Historical Domain Character]]
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