Editing Weapons in Star Trek (section)

==Energy weapons==
The franchise depicts various weapons which fit the motif of the [[raygun]], the most prominent of these being the "phaser". These directed-energy weapons emit energy rather than a projectile. A hand phaser can be set to "stun" or "kill".

===Phaser===
{{Infobox fictional artifact
|name            = Phaser
|image           = William_Shatner_Sally_Kellerman_Star_Trek_1966.JPG
|caption         = Captain Kirk wielding a phaser rifle
|alt             = Standard Type-3 Phaser
|first           = [[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]
|first_ep        = [[Where No Man Has Gone Before]]
|first_type      = Television
|date            = [[1966 in television|1966]]
|creator         = [[Gene Roddenberry]]
|source          = Star Trek
|source_type     = franchise
|company         = [[CBS]]
|type            = [[Phased array]] [[Pulsed energy projectile]] weapon
|genre           = [[Science fiction]]
|uses            = [[Firearm]]<br />[[Explosive]]<br />[[Pain compliance]]<br />[[Non-lethal weapon]]<br />[[Riot control]]<br />[[Welding]]<br />[[Melting]]<br />[[Heating]]<br />[[Burning]]<br />[[Lighting]]
|affiliation     = [[Starfleet]]
}}
Phasers are common and versatile [[phased array]] [[pulsed energy projectile]] weapons, first seen in the original ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' series and later in almost all subsequent films and television spin-offs. Phasers range in size from [[small arms]] to [[starship]]-mounted weaponry.

Phaser output can be adjusted in both area of effect and output: a typical hand phaser can be adjusted so that it will merely shock or stun a living organism, while the effects of higher settings range from burning, disintegration, or to true vaporization. This versatility means they can also be used as welding torches or cutting tools, and can create heat sources by firing at a large, solid object (like a rock). The stream can be adjusted to strike multiple targets at once, strike a single target with precision, or even destroy large amounts of material. Phasers can be set to overload, whereby they build up a force-chamber explosion by continuously generating energy without releasing it; the resulting blast can destroy most natural objects within a {{convert|50|meter|adj=on}} radius. The overload process is marked by a distinctive sound that increases in volume and frequency until it is deactivated or it detonates.<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=The Conscience of the King| title=The Conscience of the King | series=Star Trek: The Original Series}}</ref> Personal phasers can be made small enough to fit in the user's palm and still be lethal.<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=The City on the Edge of Forever| title=The City on the Edge of Forever | series=Star Trek: The Original Series}}</ref> Larger and more powerful phaser rifles are issued to security personnel.

Ship-mounted phasers have a similar range of functions on a larger scale: The phasers on the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']] can be used as an "anti-missile" defense to destroy incoming projectiles,<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky | title=For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky | series=Star Trek: The Original Series}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=Cathexis (Star Trek: Voyager)| title=Cathexis| series=Star Trek: Voyager}}</ref> stun entire city blocks full of people,<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=A Piece of the Action (Star Trek: The Original Series)| title=A Piece of the Action| series=Star Trek: The Original Series}}</ref> destroy cities,<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=Mirror, Mirror (Star Trek: The Original Series)| title=Mirror, Mirror| series=Star Trek: The Original Series}}</ref> and even destroy entire asteroids up to a given size. The ship's phaser system is also said to be capable of destroying continents.<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=The Cage (Star Trek: The Original Series)| title=The Cage| series=Star Trek: The Original Series}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=A Taste of Armageddon | title=A Taste of Armageddon | series=Star Trek: The Original Series}}</ref>

Although starships are frequently shown firing their phasers while at Warp speeds across the various Star Trek series, this was generally avoided during ''The Next Generation'',<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/treknology-weapons.htm |title = Ex Astris Scientia - Weapons }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.ditl.org/article-page.php?ArticleID=10&ListID=Articles |title = Daystrom Institute Technical Library - Phasers}}</ref> and the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual]]'' states that it is impossible. The ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual]]'', on the other hand, describes an "ACB-jacketed beam device" as the mechanism which allows phasers to function at Warp speeds.

According to later series, phasers release a beam of fictional subatomic particles called "rapid nadion", which are then refracted ("rectified") through superconducting crystals. The ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual'' indicates that the superconducting crystals used in phasers are called {{Lang|ja-latn|fushigi no umi}}, which is Japanese for "sea of mystery", and the phrase is written {{Lang|ja|ふしぎの海}} in the original glyphs. This was a homage to the 1990 anime series ''[[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water|Fushigi no Umi no Nadia]]'', known in North America as ''Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water''.

The phasers in the 2009 [[reboot (fiction)|reboot]] film ''[[Star Trek (2009 film)|Star Trek]]'' appear similar in shape to the classic phasers, but fire singular energy pulses instead of a sustained stream of them, in a fashion similar to [[Semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic weapons]].<ref>{{cite web |url = https://media.giphy.com/media/RjUrL7BeRhpo4/giphy.gif |title = Animated GIF showing a reboot phaser discharge in slow motion |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201204208/https://media.giphy.com/media/RjUrL7BeRhpo4/giphy.gif |archive-date=1 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> This version of the phaser has two settings, stun and kill, which fire blue and red colored pulses respectively. The barrel of the weapon is two-sided, one being colored red and the other blue to indicate the current setting; the user must manually rotate to the other output to use the other setting. A similar change is seen in the starship-mounted phaser banks, which also fire single energy pulse instead of continuous streams. In ''[[Star Trek Beyond]]'', the barrel sides of the sidearm phasers are flat and both barrels shoot blue bolts that deal no physical damage, while the barrel tips are still colored blue and red.

The original phaser rifle prop from "[[Where No Man Has Gone Before]]" sold at auction in 2013 for $231,000.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57578550-1/star-trek-phaser-rifle-sells-for-$231k/| title='Star Trek' phaser rifle sells for $231k| first=Christopher| last=MacManus| access-date=April 9, 2013| date=April 8, 2013| work=[[CNET]]| publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]}}</ref>

===Laser===
Lasers are a sidearm in the original ''Star Trek'' pilot "[[The Cage (Star Trek: The Original Series)|The Cage]]", and laser pistols appear in several ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' (''TOS'') episodes, although later episodes in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' (''TNG'') indicate that the laser's use as a weapon is outdated. In one instance, the ship-mounted lasers of two spacecraft were incapable of overcoming the navigational shields of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS ''Enterprise''-D]],<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=The Outrageous Okona (Star Trek: The Next Generation)| title=The Outrageous Okona| series=Star Trek: The Next Generation}}</ref> though on two other occasions it is threatened with destruction by a laser-armed spacecraft.<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=Loud as a Whisper| title=Loud as a Whisper| series=Star Trek: The Next Generation}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=Suddenly Human (Star Trek: The Next Generation)| title=Suddenly Human| series=Star Trek: The Next Generation}}</ref> The [[Borg (Star Trek)|Borg]] cutter weapon is a laser, as mentioned in the ''TNG'' episode "[[Q Who]]" and is capable of quickly disintegrating the hull of a Federation starship, as seen in the pilot episode of ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', "[[Emissary (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|Emissary]]". At lower power levels, it is capable of making "surgical" incisions into a ship's hull.

According to ''The Making of Star Trek'', [[Gene Roddenberry]] claimed that production staff realized using laser technology would cause problems in the future, as people came to understand what lasers could and could not do. This resulted in the move to phasers on-screen, while letting lasers be known as a more primitive weapon style.

===Plasma cannon===
Plasma cannons are a form of directed energy weaponry used by both Earth Starfleet and the early Romulan Star Empire. On Starfleet vessels, they are the precursors to phase cannons. Plasma cannons fire a plasma discharge in the form of a beam or a burst, similar to the plasma bullets fired by hand-held plasma weapons, but much bigger in size. The NX-class is initially armed with plasma cannons.

===Phase cannon===
Phase cannons are 22nd century weapons, several of which first appear mounted to the ''[[Enterprise (NX-01)|Enterprise]]'' in the ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' episode "[[Silent Enemy (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Silent Enemy]]". Phase cannons have a variable yield, with the cannons on the ''Enterprise'' being rated for a maximum output of 500 gigajoules, equivalent to about 120 tons of TNT.<ref name="Silent Enemy">{{cite episode| episode-link=Silent Enemy (Star Trek: Enterprise)| title=Silent Enemy| series=Star Trek: Enterprise}}</ref> Phase cannons are generally more powerful than spatial torpedoes.<ref>{{cite episode| episode-link=Fallen Hero| title=Fallen Hero| series=Star Trek: Enterprise}}</ref> They are the 22nd century precursor to phaser technology, in addition to phase pistols (hand-carried phase cannons). Unlike 24th century phasers, they do not have the normal variable power settings or a variable beam width – only stun and kill.

===Disruptor===
[[File:Klingon Disruptor.svg|thumb|A Klingon disruptor]]

Disruptors are employed by several alien species in this series, including [[Romulan]]s, [[Klingon]]s, [[Breen (Star Trek)|Breen]], [[Cardassian]]s, Iridians and Orions in their personal and military small arms as well as being mounted as cannon, emitters, turrets, and banks. Only the first three species are known to have type-3 disruptors, the most advanced type developed by the 24th Century. Disruptors cause damage by exciting the molecular bonds of targets to such great extents that those bonds are weakened and/or broken by the energies emitted, which often manifest as an explosive force. According to Last Unicorn's ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation Role-playing Game]]'', disruptors are considered less "elegant" than phaser-based weapons; their effects there are described as thermal shock and blunt force, as opposed to the "rapid nadion effect". As a result, disruptors inflict more damage to matter, but less damage to shields, than phasers. Klingons call their disruptors ''nISwI'''.

===Phased polaron cannon===
Phased polaron cannons are the primary armament of the [[Dominion (Star Trek)|Dominion]], the main antagonist faction in the later seasons of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. The cannon emits a beam of polaron particles, the fictional in-universe antimatter counterpart of the [[muon]] (not to be confused with the actual [[polaron]] or the actual [[antimuon]]). When first introduced, Dominion polaron cannons easily penetrate the shielding systems of most Alpha Quadrant races. The Alpha Quadrant races eventually learn to modify their shields to resist polaron weaponry ("[[Call to Arms (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|Call to Arms]]").

===Tetryon cannon===
Tetryon cannons are the primary armament of the Hirogen and are similar in application to phasers and disruptors. Tetryon cannons are unique in that they are designed primarily to damage energy and force fields, such as starship shields. Tetryon cannons damage matter, but not to the same extent as phasers or disruptors. This is in line with the Hirogen philosophy of the hunt, as depicted in ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' (''VOY''). The Hirogen ship would therefore knock out its opponent's shields and beam over hunters to engage in face-to-face ranged or melee combat. This allows the Hirogen hunters to collect items that they would consider to be hunting trophies.

===Varon-T disruptor===
Varon-T disruptors are featured in the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''TNG'') episode "[[The Most Toys]]", and are mentioned to be a rare type of disruptor that are illegal in the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]] because of their slow, excruciating method of killing, with the weapons tearing the body apart from the inside. Kivas Fajo, a Zibalian trader in that episode, owns four of the five Varon-T disruptors ever manufactured (he sleeps with one under his pillow) and uses one on his own crew before his collection of rare items was confiscated after his capture and arrest for kidnapping and theft (among other crimes).<ref>{{cite episode| title = The Most Toys| episode-link  = The Most Toys| series = TNG| series-link = Star Trek: The Next Generation| airdate  = May 5, 1990| season = 3| number = 70}}</ref> The fifth Varon-T was kept by the criminal Kelsey who was killed when her scout ship exploded.<ref>{{cite episode| title = Starship Mine| episode-link  = Starship Mine| series = TNG| series-link = Star Trek: The Next Generation| airdate  = Mar 27, 1993| season = 6| number = 18}}</ref>

===Ferengi energy whip===
The [[Ferengi]] energy whip, as seen in the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|TNG]]'' episode "[[The Last Outpost (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Last Outpost]]", looks and handles like a typical [[bullwhip]] and discharges a powerful phaser-like energy pulse.