
Art by Richard Elson.
Disruptors are weapons that are generally used to deactivate a power source from a distance. Two named instances have appeared in Sonic the Comic, with one similar example featuring in Sonic the Comic Online.
In the early days of RBR, Sonic the Hedgehog escorted Porker Lewis to the Casino Night Zone, where the pig planned to use a disruptor to shut down a computer hypnotising people into gambling. Unfortunately, the disruptor didn't work well at long distances and Sonic's attempt to get closer only resulted in getting the device stolen by the Marxio Brothers. Grouchio Marxio callously destroyed the contraption, believing he had ended the Freedom Fighters' plan, but it was really just a distraction while Porker fixed the machines in the people's favour and destroyed the central hypnotising computer.
Later, it was revealed that Nack the Weasel hid a secret disruptor gun in his hat, exhibitingan early version of his shrinking technology. The device took a while to charge up, which the Brotherhood of Metallix exploited to shoot Nack and knock him out. Fortunately, Knuckles the Echidna figured out how to activate the gun and wiped out all the Metallixes with one shot. However, the Brotherhood had an emergency back-up system and were able to continue their plans in peace.
Much later after the removal of Doctor Robotnik from power, Tekno the Canary constructed a "scrambler field" that shut down the defensive capabilities of Lord Dave's armour. Since it effectively rendered him useless, the device was effectively a disruptor. Similarly, when the Black Asteroid exploded over Mobius and created an electromagnetic pulse, the effect of shutting down every computerised system was basically one massive disruptor in the sky.
Trivia[]
- Disruptors have been used in other areas of fiction, such as in Star Trek and Star Wars, although the purposes vary wildly and are usually a much more dangerous kind of weapon.