History Main / DisintegratorRay

** In the earlier editions of the game, this was one of the special purpose powers that could be chosen for an intelligent sword with a special purpose. This effect was delivered on ''any hit'' with the weapon (in addition to its normal damage) against those that the weapon was dedicated to slaying. In fact, in the original D&D rules, this was the main power that Chaotic special purpose swords had against the Lawful beings they were designed to slay - Lawful swords had paralyzation against their opposite numbers instead.

** In the earlier editions of the game, this was one of the special purpose powers that could be chosen for an intelligent sword with a special purpose. This effect was delivered on ''any hit'' with the weapon (in addition to its normal damage) against those that the weapon was dedicated to slaying.

** In the original series episode "The Apple", a ''lightning bolt'' acted as a DisintegratorRay. Though [[spoiler:it was a super-computer-controlled active defensive system only pretending to be natural lightning.]]

** In ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture,'' V'Ger disintegrated ''entire Klingon battle cruisers.'' (Although strictly speaking that was less of a disintegration and more of a destructive scan.)
** In the ''TNG'' episode ''The Most Toys'' there is the Varon-T Disruptor, which combines this ''and'' AgonyBeam, as it literally tears the body apart at the molecular level from the inside out, resulting in a relatively slow and excruciating death by disintegration compared to most phasers and disruptors, which is why it was banned in the Federation and only five were ever made.

*** In fact, in ''StargateAtlantis'', the Asgard have safeguards built into their transporters that prevent using them in an offensive capacity.

* Let's not forget the Particle Cannon from the new ''VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}}'', which vibrates matter at such incredibly high frequencies that it instantly reduces enemies to green ash.

* ''AmericanDad:'' In the episode "I Can't Stan You," Stan fights with another CIA agent over a disintegrator, and accidentally blasts the other agent with it; apparently, Stan mistakenly believed it to be a penis enlarger until then. "That almost went horribly wrong!"

** In the ''TNG'' episode ''The Most Toys'' there is the Varon-T Disruptor, which combines this ''and'' AgonyBeam, as it literally tears the body apart at the molecular level from the inside out, resulting in a relatively slow and excruciating death by disentigration compared to most phasers and disruptors, which is why it was banned in the Federation and only five were ever made.

* Subverted in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Bad Wolf", where the ray used in several deadly gameshows turns to be a transmat device, but those affected generally end up as Dalek meat (as in their cells are used to grow Daleks).

* Dr. Who has numerous instances of this technology, the Daleks having one of the more frequently used. However, The [=DeMat=] Gun used by the Fourth Doctor in The Invasion of Time is a special weapon. Powered by the Great Key of Time, is doesn't just disintegrate the target, it removed their entire existence from time itself.
** The episode "Robot" had the title character using a disintegrator gun and making a battle tank glow and disappear. When asked what the "range and power of that device is" the Doctor's answer was "the power is limitless and as to range, it could cut a hole in the surface of the moon". See also {{BFG}}

-->-- '''[[FrickinLaserBeams Manmelter]] description''', ''Team Fortress 2''

* The SciFi-Series ''Literature/PerryRhodan'' features Desintegrators both as weapons and tools. Only atomic steam remains after the beam breaks apart the molecules of the target/victim.

* Combine dark energy weaponry in ''{{Half-Life}} 2'' and its Episodes instantly disintegrates any enemies (with the exception of [[BadassBookworm Gordon]] [[OneManArmy Freeman]]), including the Strider's mounted cannon, a mortar-like "suppression device" and the secondary fire of the Pulse Rifle. Seems to be an innate quality of all dark energy-based technology, as even the dark energy reactors in the Citadel disintegrate anyone who touches them.

* The Gluon Gun from {{Half-Life}} unleashes a deadly solid blue beam of destruction, one of the only weapons able to damage Gargantuas and almost instantly killing anything else the beam touches; it is a primo example of this trope.

* ''{{FEAR}}'''s Particle Beam vaporizes the flesh of its victims, leaving only charred skeletons.

* ''BuckRogers'' is the UrExample and possibly the TropeNamer.

* An episode of ''TimeTrax'' featured a villain-of-the-week who is a high-tech weapons designer from the 22nd century. Two of his specialties include a powerful beam weapon and something called a "sonic demolecularizer". It fires a sonic blast that turns people and objects into a rapidly-disappearing cloud. Like the BigBad, the villain is a [[ItsPersonal personal]] case of Darien, whose partner was killed by the villain with the demolecularizer when they first came to arrest him in the future.

* The [[SniperRifle disruptor rifle]] in ''StarWars [[DarkForcesSaga Jedi Outcast]]'' and ''Jedi Academy'' can completely disintegrate most enemies with one fully charged shot. But they'll still conveniently drop their weapons for you.

* Another of these weapons that works ''too'' well appears in RobertSheckley's short story "The Gun Without a Bang."

* ''{{VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert|Series}} 2'' had at least three ways to disintegrate infantry; radiation (gloop), electricity (ash) and light (ash/dust).

-->'''Duck Dodgers:''' Ah-ha! Now I've got the drop on you with ''my'' disintegrating pistol! And brother, when it disintegrates, [[ExactWords it disintegrates]]!

-->'''Duck Dodgers:''' Heh, well what do you know, it... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin disintegrated]].

* The N64 version of ''DukeNukem3D'' has a Plasma Cannon that vaporizes enemies.

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