Plasma blaster

There's no mystery too tangled, no conspiracy too intricate, and no clue too obscure when Nightbeat's on the case. But since most mysteries won't be unraveled without a fight, he carries a plasma blaster with infra-red sighting to make sure he lives long enough to expose the truth.

Drag Strip also uses a trunk-mounted plasma-energy blaster, which should theoretically work like Nightbeat's. But confusingly enough, it actually fires explosive balls of energy, much like Headstrong's plasma sphere shooter at a range of 2000 yards. Apparently, he wants to brag to Nightbeat and Headstrong how much better his plasma weapon is.

Omega Supreme's primary weapon: arm-mounted plasma blaster. Can pulverize: 12' x 12' x 12' steel cube. Results: satisfactory. Most of the time.

Fiction

Marvel The Transformers comics

The Technobot Lightspeed was armed with plasma blasters in vehicle mode. Lightspeed's Universe profile In robot mode, Nightbeat carried a high-powered plasma blaster with infra-red sight. Nightbeat's Universe profile Omega Supreme's left arm ended in a powerful plasma blaster. Omega Supreme's Universe profile

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

In robot mode, the Omnibot Camshaft wielded a low-powered plasma blaster. Camshaft's More than Meets the Eye profile When combined with Terror-Tread and the Cannon Transport, Cement-Head could control its weaponry, including long-range dual plasma blasters. Cement-Head's More than Meets the Eye profile Roadblock's inner Pretender shell was armed with plasma blasters that were also usable by his outer shell. Roadblock's Universe profile

2005 IDW continuity

They don't call him Hardhead for nothing.

On Gorlam Prime, having fallen into the thrall of Jhiaxus, Nightbeat turned his gun on Hardhead. However, even with a point-blank headshot, it proved to be utterly ineffective against Hardhead's tough nut. Spotlight: Hardhead

TransTech

Believing them to be responsible for the assassination of Gutcruncher, Jipe tried to kill Jackpot and Hubcap with a plasma blaster. Gone Too Far

Amongst the many objects on display in his office, Ego kept what appeared to be the blaster belonging to the Nightbeat of Primax 1005.19 Gamma. I, Lowtech

Fun Publications Shattered Glass continuity

Updating Optimus Prime on the status of the Ark, Blurr reported that the extra plasma blasters Prime had requested had been fitted to the ship. Shattered Glass

Toys

The Transformers

• Omega Supreme (1985)

• Accessories: 2 small shields, 2 medium shields, 2 large shields, 4 armour halves (A, B, C, D), 4 ankle halves (E, F, G, H), 2 feet, backpack, 4 tracks (J, K, L, M)

According to his packaging bio, Omega Supreme's left arm is a powerful plasma blaster. This mold was also used to make Collector's Edition GADEP.

• Nightbeat with Muzzle (Headmaster, 1988)

• Accessories: Muzzle Headmaster partner, seat/helmet, plasma blaster, left & right photon pistols

Nightbeat came with a black weapon, identified as a plasma blaster in his instructions and packaging bio, that could be held in robot mode or plug into the roof of his vehicle mode. This toy shares a mold with Minelba and consequently Nightbeat's plasma blaster is more or less identical to her shock gun.

• Roadblock (Ultra Pretender, 1989)

• Accessories: 2 lasers, dual blaster

Roadblock came with two black weapons, usable by both his Pretender shells, that were identified as plasma blasters in his packaging bio.

• Turbo Jet with Action Master Starscream (Action Blaster Vehicle, 1990)

• Accessories: Turbo Jet, laser cannon, 2 missiles, seatback/shield, steering bar

Action Master Starscream came with a silver/gray weapon, generically labelled as a laser cannon in his instructions but specified to be a plasma blaster in his packaging bio.

Notes

Top row, second along. Reader, we scratched our heads for years over this one.

• Omega Supreme's packaging bio states that his plasma blaster can destroy a 12" steel cube, which his Marvel Universe profile upscales to a 12' steel cube. Although his Dreamwave More than Meets the Eye profile maintains that he can destroy a 12' steel cube, it genericises his weapon to an "arm-mounted cannon".
• Lightspeed's vehicle mode weapons being plasma blasters is oddly unique to his Marvel Universe profile: his toy's instructions call them "infra-red missile launchers"; his packaging bio expands this slightly to "infra-red scope missile launchers"; and his Dreamwave More than Meets the Eye profile calls them "infrared-targeted missile launchers".
• Nightbeat's Dreamwave More than Meets the Eye profile switches out his plasma blaster for a plasma rifle.
• Fittingly enough, Nightbeat's gun was the center of a longstanding mystery from the Fun Publications Transformers Timelines prose story "I, Lowtech". Amongst dozens of more-recognisable weapons and artifacts, illustrator Nick Roche had drawn a fairly nondescript gray gun, albeit with enough specific details to certainly be a reference to something. Nobody knew where this gun came from, with Nick Roche having eventually forgotten himself; it was finally identified as being Nightbeat's gun, specifically as Roche had drawn it in Spotlight: Hardhead. Case closed!

See also

• Plasma cannon
• Plasma mine blaster