History Main / TripodTerror

* The young-adult trilogy-plus-a-prequel by Creator/JohnChristopher called ''Literature/TheTripods'' features, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin what you might expect]]. (The aliens that pilot them also have three legs.) Christopher essentially [[CaptainErsatz filed the serial numbers]] off Wells' Martians, and depicted what the world might be like if their initial invasion had been successful.

* The pilot of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' features invading tripods from Mars, and a heap of ''War of the Worlds'' in-jokes.

** Even the 1950s "floating" ''Film/TheWarOfTheWorlds1953 War of the Worlds]]'' Martian war machines have, if you look closely, ''3'' repulsors keeping it hovering in the air. (They originally planned to have the usual tripods, but the amount of money available and the limited technology of the day led them to change it to more fit a "Flying Saucer" motif)

** Even the 1950s "floating" ''[[Film/TheWarOfTheWorlds1953 War of the Worlds]]'' Martian war machines have, if you look closely, ''3'' repulsors keeping it hovering in the air. (They originally planned to have the usual tripods, but the amount of money available and the limited technology of the day led them to change it to more fit a "Flying Saucer" motif)
** In ''WarOfTheServers'', the Mingepods aren't even really tripods. They have two front wheels, and a third "leg" with another two wheels on it. So while they're technically tripods (three 'legs') they still have four points of contact.

* Creator/LarryNiven's ''Rainbow Mars'' features creatures with these -- they are meant to be roughly the WOTW Martians, had they lived on the same Planet Mars as the Barsoomian Martians, the "Martian Odyssey" martians, the "Out of the Silent Planet" martians and the Flash Gordon Martians. Niven calls them the Softfingers or Astronomers, depending on who is talking about them.

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* Deconstructed in ''Fanfiction/SlippingBetweenWorlds''. A group of "visitors" from Roundworld (Earth) provoke a mass panic that Ankh-Morpork is being invaded by pitiless alien conquerors. The possibility of a Slight Disagreement Of The Worlds is explored in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' style, and includes stolid Discworlders debating the self-evident drawbacks of top-heavy tripod war machines. A farmer looks down at a cattle grid and nods, saying "I'd like to see 'un get over ''this'' 'un!", while a Man In A Pub smugly discusses how unbalanced a tripod would be to, for e.g., a troll or a golem grabbing one leg and flipping it over. "Sides, your golem. Made out of invulnerable heat-resistant ceramic. Your troll. Fire a death ray at him, just makes him dumber and angrier. Them tripods is just scrap metal either way!"

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* ''{{Mechwarrior}}'' has the Ares.
** ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' advanced to the point where the 135 ton Ares, and its slightly smaller precursor, the Poseidon, have been added to the game. Players have yet to decide if the advantages they have in firepower, armor, and their three-person cockpits make up for their [[MightyGlacier extremely low speed]].
* In ''{{Monsterpocalypse}}'', the Martian Menace faction has some figures based on the tripods from ''War of the Worlds'': the monsters Deimos-9 and Phobos-7, and the Reaper and Despoiler units.

* The album cover for DoctorSteel's album, ''People of Earth'', shows an attack by giant tripod robots reminiscent of ''The War of the Worlds'' - only in the foreground it shows Dr. Steel controlling them. (A similar tripod is seen in the background of the album art for ''The Dr. Steel Read-A-Long''.)

* Deconstructed in ''Fanfiction/SlippingBetweenWorlds''. A group of "visitors" from Roundworld (Earth) provoke a mass panic that Ankh-Morpork is being invaded by pitiless alien conquerors. The possibility of a Slight Disagreement Of The Worlds is explored in ''{{Discworld}}'' style, and includes stolid Discworlders debating the self-evident drawbacks of top-heavy tripod war machines. A farmer looks down at a cattle grid and nods, saying "I'd like to see 'un get over ''this'' 'un!", while a Man In A Pub smugly discusses how unbalanced a tripod would be to, for e.g., a troll or a golem grabbing one leg and flipping it over. "Sides, your golem. Made out of invulnerable heat-resistant ceramic. Your troll. Fire a death ray at him, just makes him dumber and angrier. Them tripods is just scrap metal either way!"

* ArthurCClarke's ''RendezvousWithRama'' features 3-legged [[OrganicTechnology biots]] used as a sort of mobile sensor. These move very fast by pivoting around on one leg, using each of them in alternation, and reversing the direction of rotation from time to time. As a matter of fact, a 3-part symmetry is central to all things Raman.

* ''SherlockHolmes' War of the Worlds'' by Creator/ManlyWadeWellman

* ''ScaryMovie 4'' attempts to spoof ''The War of the Worlds'' with the triPods, which resemble an iPod on three legs with a "Destroy Humanity" playlist.

* Some clanks in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' have this design, [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040804 like this one.]] Also, on [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091014 "My vacation"]] picture, evidently left from one of older Heterodynes.

** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'', also taking place on Mars, features the Mobile Workers, small, futuristic tanks with the legs ending in wheels. The 'terror' goes in two directions here, though - while Mobile Workers are notorious for their ability to shred infantry and break up riots, they're little more than tin-plated coffins if a [[HumongousMecha mobile suit]] shows up. [[spoiler: However, they're surprisingly effective for anti-personnel purpose, as shown by how Gjallarhorn dispatch the Dort protestants.]]

** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'', also taking place on Mars, features the Mobile Workers, small, futuristic tanks with the legs ending in wheels. The 'terror' goes in two directions here, though - while Mobile Workers are notorious for their ability to shred infantry and break up riots, they're little more than tin-plated coffins if a [[HumongousMecha mobile suit]] shows up.

** ''[[TabletopGame/BattleTech'' recently advanced to the point where the Ares, and its slightly smaller precursor, the Poseidon, have been added to the game. Players have yet to decide if their advantages make up for their [[MightyGlacier extremely low speed]].

** ''[[TabletopGame/BattleTech Classic [=BattleTech=]]]'' doesn't yet because the timeline hasn't yet advanced that far. It's only a matter of time, though, since Catalyst Game Labs ''are'' dedicated to considering the Dark Age effectively Canon Yet To Come.

** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'', also taking place on Mars, features the Mobile Workers, futuristic technicals with thee legs ending in wheels.

* ''SpaceRunawayIdeon''

* The Dark Nebula Empire has these in the ''UchuuSenkanYamato'' spin-off film ''Be Forever Yamato''

* In ''Literature/AlienInASmallTown,'' the Jan and most of the animals from their world have trilateral symmetry. The Jan are cone-shaped, with three stumpy legs underneath and three arms sprouting out the top, two ending in hands and one in an eye.

* Some clanks in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' have this design, [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040804 like this one]]. Also, on "[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091014 My vacation]]" picture, evidently left from one of older Heterodynes.

* The Invaders in ''SeikimatsuOccultGakuin'' '''will''' use them to crush Mankind.

* Some tripod-like aliens can be seen in SeikimatsuOccultGakuin as a memory flashback of Fumiaki's BadFuture memories.

* The ''GundamSEED'' spinoff manga ''[[GundamSEEDAstray Delta Astray]]'' has the Guardshell, which can change from a tripod to a Gundam-like form that uses the tripod's carapace as a giant yo-yo. Considering it was designed and piloted by a Martian, it's definitely a ShoutOut to ''War of the Worlds''.

* The Combine Striders and Hunters of ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'' and its episodes.
* Scrin Annihilator and Reaper Tripods from ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer 3''. The aliens just ''love'' these things.
** ''Red Alert 3'' has the Shogun Executioner in two scripted missions, a HumongousMecha with three legs and three torsos, with each torso shaped like a samurai complete with a LaserBlade. The thing is so big it can destroy aircraft just by walking at them. It's especially effective against the Soviets, as electrical attacks only serve to heal it.

* The Hierarchy Science Walkers from ''UniverseAtWar''

* House Harkonnen's [[MightyGlacier Devastator]] from ''EmperorBattleForDune''.

* [[http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Scarab Dwarf Gekko]] from MetalGearSolid4.
* A particularly gigantic instance of this trope in the form of the [[FinalBoss Teraformer]] in ''Jak3''. The thing is so big, that after you take it down with a vehicle, you have another fight on its wreckage with plenty of room to maneuver around.

* In [[http://xkcd.com/556/ this]] ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' comic.