Being a long time Star Trek fan the idea of the Klingon disrupter popped into my head when I sighted “Disruption” the  day’s word in Fandango’s one word challenge. Yeah the a fictional weapon carried by fictional non-human alien species that we all love in the Star Trek repertoire of characters.

The Klingon disruptor is the standard hand held weapon issued to the Klingon Warrior. The weapon is capable of exciting the molecular bonds in a living target that results in massive tissue damage. The end result is a very painful death.  There is only one setting, which is to kill. The weapon is simple and brutal for a brutal species.

Then it darned on me that the Klingons weren’t the only ones who has disruptors. The Romulans also had their version of the disruptor.

The Romulan disruptor also a standard issued weapon. Unlike the Klingon version the Romulan version is designed with various power settings as well as an overload setting. This makes it a bit superior to the Klingon version, because there is a choice of stunning the target or killing it. Overloading setting can also make the weapon into a bomb.

So what is the difference between a disruptor and phaser?

As most of us know our heroes in Star Fleet carry the standard issued weapon called the phaser. Like the disruptor the discharge beams can be fired in pulses or by a continuous beam. The phaser has settings that can give the user the choice of stunning or killing the target. Like the disruptor the rifle version is more powerful than the hand held version.  

What makes the phaser the more superior weapon is that it can be used has a multipurpose tool.  The phaser beam could be set to use to cut, weld, provide heat..etc.

In essence the phaser is more versatile then the disruptor. The only drawback is that it is a more sensitive weapon. The disruptor is sturdier and easier to maintain. But has no further function other than to be used as a weapon.  

If you look at it the disruptor is the AK 47 of the Star Trek world. One could consider the phaser M16/AR15 of the Star Trek world.

If one is familiar with the AK 47 and M16/AR15 then you know why. Otherwise feel free to ask if you don’t know.        

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