Superweapon
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A superweapon is an extremely powerful weapon by the standards of its time and its scale. Examples include the Tsar Bomba (the most powerful nuclear bomb ever made), various superguns and other various weapons employed to give a decisive advantage over opposing countries or forces. The given advantage is usually based on intimidation and demoralization of the opposing side. Historically, the majority of superweapons have given little to no tactical advantage at best, instead being part of a greater strategy.
In modern times superweapons are usually considered to be weapons of mass destruction, and close attention is paid to countries who possess and/or operate such weapons, as well as countries who have operated, researched, funded, or otherwise sought to gain such weaponry. This is especially true of so called "Rogue states", as most people feel that possession of a superweapon by such nations would pose a threat to international security.
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[edit] Weapons that have been regarded as superweapons
[edit] Superweapons in Fiction
In many works of science fiction, superweapons are often far more powerful than their real-life counterparts, capable of devastating entire cities, continents, planets, stars, or even entire galaxies. See also Orbital bombardment and Planet killer. The best known example of a fictional superweapon is the Death Star from the Star Wars movies.
In the Halo universe, seven collective orbitals, known as Halos to mankind, are capable of eliminating all sentient life within the galaxy. However, the life eliminated by the Halos must be of sufficient biomass to sustain a parasitic race known as the Flood. Theoretically, this allows smaller life forms, such as bacteria, to survive and reproduce.
In the Stargate universe, the weapon on Dakara was capable of reducing all matter into its basic elements in the Milky Way galaxy by disrupting molecular bonds using the Stargate network to spread the disrupter wave across the entire galaxy. Not intended to be used as a weapon, it was originally built by the Ancients to create life in the Milky Way.
[edit] Strategy Games
The term is often used in Real Time Strategy games to define a special weapon or spell ability that is capable of inflicting massive damage on enemy forces, but with great cost and usually with a hefty time-delay between uses. Many nuclear weapons fall into this category, as well as more exotic weapons such as the Ion cannon from the Command & Conquer series and the Weather Control Machine in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2.
[edit] See also
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