Stun Guns: Difference between revisions

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Unlike real world weapons made by Taser, which work by a very powerful electric shock, many of these show no clue to ''how'' they incapacitate a target, simply acting like a nonlethal version of the [[Instant Death Bullet]]. And like the [[Tap On the Head]] often used for similar purposes, in fiction they almost never cause someone to be killed accidentally. In real life, Taser weapons have infamously caused several heart attacks, although they're still much safer than coshing or shooting someone. If they intentionally cause pain, can be an [[Agony Beam]].

Useful when [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]] is in effect. Ideal as [[Family Friendly Firearms]] and often part of a [[Non Lethal Warfare]].

Useful when [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]] is in effect. Ideal as [[Family-Friendly Firearms]] and often part of a [[Non Lethal Warfare]].

Compare [[Instant Sedation]] (especially in the form of firearms firing tranquilizer darts) and [[Static Stun Gun]] for the electric-powered variant ([[Department of Redundancy Department|For the last time,]] [[Real Life]] equivalent: the T.A.S.E.R.).

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

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** They're sonic weapons, at least according to [[All There in the Manual|the RPG]].

*** Wow, the weapon designed not to cause collateral damage doesn't cause collateral damage.

* ''[[Space 1999]]'' used laser Stun guns, which were called this despite a highly visible KILL option on the weapon.

* ''[[Space: 1999]]'' used laser Stun guns, which were called this despite a highly visible KILL option on the weapon.

* ''[[Red Dwarf (TV)|Red Dwarf]]''. A newsreader reports that "[[Rule of Funny|rubber nuclear weapons]]" (presumably the WMD version of rubber bullets) were used to suppress a riot over the latest virtual reality game.

** A simulant incapacitates the crew with a laser weapon for a period of three weeks. Somehow, this works on all four of them, considering two are flesh and blood, one is a droid and the other is a hologram.

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== [[Western Animation]] ==

* In the 90s [[X-Men (Animation)|Marvel]] [[Spider Man the Animated Series|cartoons]] and various other action shows, [[Family Friendly Firearms|energy weapons]] on low settings are treated this way.

* In the 90s [[X-Men (Animation)|Marvel]] [[Spider Man the Animated Series|cartoons]] and various other action shows, [[Family-Friendly Firearms|energy weapons]] on low settings are treated this way.

* In the ''[[Jonny Quest]]'' episode "The Robot Spy", the title device had two antennae that could render anyone they touched unconscious.

* ''[[G.I. Joe]]'', one of the granddaddies of [[Family Friendly Firearms]], actually showed this... only twice. Once when a character was hit by a laser during a training exercise (and failed to be actually ''stunned'', merely yelping in pain), and once during a closeup of a Joe setting the power slider on a pistol ''from'' "stun" to "max." [[A Team Firing]] seemed to be their preferred form of less-lethal attack.

* ''[[G.I. Joe]]'', one of the granddaddies of [[Family-Friendly Firearms]], actually showed this... only twice. Once when a character was hit by a laser during a training exercise (and failed to be actually ''stunned'', merely yelping in pain), and once during a closeup of a Joe setting the power slider on a pistol ''from'' "stun" to "max." [[A-Team Firing]] seemed to be their preferred form of less-lethal attack.

* The season 3 finale of ''[[Archer]]'' features "ion pulse" weapons that are supposed to be this. In a bit of a deconstruction, they actually stop your heart and affected persons need immediate defibrillation ("So... 'stun' may be a bit of a misnomer"). Naturally, this doesn't stop [[Jerkass|Archer]] from shooting his co-workers with them anyway.

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* Several companies are working on electrolasers, effectively taking the awkward probes and wires out of the Taser by using a high-frequency laser to ionise a path through the air for current to follow. So far, they've developed effective [[Booby Trap|area-defense]] devices, although they're still a long way from pistol or even rifle size.

** The development problem is, as per all beam weapons, a portable power supply.

** Another problem with electrolasers is that laser beams powerful enough to ionize air between them and a target are usually powerful enough to ''[[Frickin Laser Beams|make holes in it]]''. Which kinda defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.

** Another problem with electrolasers is that laser beams powerful enough to ionize air between them and a target are usually powerful enough to ''[[Frickin' Laser Beams|make holes in it]]''. Which kinda defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.

*** Raw power (i.e. the number of photons) is not the issue, but frequency. Each photon must be able to kick off an electron on its own, so what's needed is a fairly modest beam in ultraviolet. This also contributes to the size problem--there is no simple, stable lasing medium that works in that band, necessitating more complicated and bulky designs.

** There are also a few designs using concentrated jets of salt water, but they face the same issue as peeing on the third rail, lack of a coherent stream.