12:00 AM, 07-NOVEMBER-08
6 Baddest-Ass Sci-Fi Sidearms Ever [Pictures & Videos at Link]
Hellboy II: The Golden Army--which hits DVD and Blu-ray on Nov. 11--introduces a bunch of new creatures, magical robots, fantastical settings, yadda yadda, but what's really important is a big-ass new gun: The Big Baby.
Guys, let's be frank. We love science fiction for all the usual reasons, but we especially LOVE us the massive handguns.
The Hellboy franchise has been good to us for that reason. In the first movie--based on Mike Mignola's comic series--we got the Good Samaritan, a demon-sized revolver that only a B.P.R.D. agent could love.
But it was a noisy cricket compared with Hellboy II's Big Baby, a multiple-barreled cannon equal to the task of taking out a building-sized plant monster.
The Big Baby is only the latest in a long line of science fiction mega-pistolas. How does Hellboy's firepower stack up against the biggest guns in SF&F? Here's a rundown on five classic weapons: Which one could take on Big Red's sidearms?
Han Solo's BlasTech DL-44 Blaster. (Star Wars) Constructed from a modified M1932 "Broom Handle" Mauser pistol, Han's trusty blaster might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. This smuggler's weapon of choice has served the resourceful Solo well against both bounty hunters and the Empire. After all, it's not how big your gun is, but how you use it. Like, say, firing first when Greedo shows up.
RoboCop's Auto 9 pistol. (RoboCop) Made from a modifed Beretta m93R, RoboCop's fully automatic handgun can spray 60 rounds a minute. But it's not the size that matters: With his Kevlar-laminated titanium armor, RoboCop is bombproof, bulletproof and impact resistant, so he doesn't feel the need to overcompensate with a gigantic gun. The Auto 9 fits neatly inside Robo's leg for quick draws.
Rick Deckard's Plager Katsumate Series-D Blaster. (Blade Runner) Cobbled together from a Steyr Mannlicher .222 Model SL rifle and a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 revolver, this futuristic handgun is the weapon of choice for the retirement of rogue replicants. Aside from the blinking red lights, this iconic pistol--nicknamed the M2019 by fans--doesn't seem terribly different from the handguns of today (or 1982). Deckard prefers a low profile: When gunning down a half-naked stripper in a clear-plastic raincoat, you want a modest gun.
Judge Dredd's Lawgiver Mark II. (Judge Dredd) There's no doubt that the artillery--a modified Beretta 92--in this oft-maligned 1995 SF flop is more interesting than Stallone's stilted performance. If he didn't have this bad-ass gun in his hand every time he uttered "I am the law!" the bad guys would be too busy laughing at his French-inspired outfit to be arrested.
The Lawgiver--a variation of the sidearm in the Dredd comics--has a vast array of bells and whistles, including the ability to fire single shots, machine-gun style rapid fire, grenades and even the famed "double whammy," which sends simultaneously fired rounds off in different directions. The weapon is DNA coded to its owner and delivers a jolt to unauthorized users comparable to sticking fork in a light socket.
Blade's Benelli M3 Super 90. (Blade) The Daywalker does a lot of his fighting at close range, so swords and knives are often his weapons of choice. But when the battle shifts to long-range combat--or he's just in a rush--the cutlery just won't do. When it comes to home protection or killing vampires, there's simply no more accurate and forceful weapon than the classic shotgun. Blade uses the Benelli M3 Super 90, with an additional modification to fire silver stakes. When he needs to travel light, the Bladester tucks a heavily modified MAC-10 into his trenchcoat. A standard MAC-10 can fire 1,000 rounds per minute, but it's a fair bet that Whistler's modifications have boosted those numbers a tad. --Jeff Otto
Blade II
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index...ry=15&id=61972
6 Baddest-Ass Sci-Fi Sidearms Ever [Pictures & Videos at Link]
