Black smoke
Encyclopedia
The black smoke, or black powder is a fictional poisonous gas in H. G. Wells
' science fiction novel The War of the Worlds
, used by the Martians
to eliminate groups of humans remotely, especially artillery crews, before they could fire. The rockets from which they explode are fired from a "black tube" attached to the Tripod
. Any human breathing this deadly smoke is killed almost instantly. The smoke would form a scum on contact with water. After the smoke had done its job, the Martians would dispel it with jets of steam, leaving only a residual black powder. The smoke is more of an ink
-like vapour than a smoke, and is very dense; it can be avoided by climbing to higher places. The aliens may have used this also to avoid unnecessary destruction of buildings in cities such as London
. As they used it on London after one of their Tripods is brought down by a Twelve-pounder
, it may be seen as a reserve weapon in case the humans prove dangerous. Although Wells never exactly explains how the black smoke works, he does mention that it may bind with argon and cause a disastrous chemical reaction inside a human who comes in contact with it. Although as at that time argon
was considered inert this is unlikely.
Wells specified that the black smoke consists of an unknown element that shows four blue lines in a spectrum analysis. This element combined with the argon
in our atmosphere to form the deadly gas. (Although in the very last chapter, spectrum analysis "unmistakenly" pointed to "the presence of an unknown element with a brilliant group of three lines in the green.")
' radio adaptation
dramatizes the effects of the black smoke. In fact, the poison is depicted as being potent enough to render gas mask
s useless, as do modern nerve gases
.
The only accurate screen appearance of the black smoke is in Pendragon Pictures' film adaptation
. However, the film's aliens only use the smoke twice, and it is not described in any detail.
The black smoke is briefly mentioned in the 1978 musical version
, where a tripod releases it while engaging the Thunder Child
and later on when the narrator is trapped in the house. Its effects are not mentioned however; this is likely the result of an earlier usage being removed at the script editing stage. This musical version featured musicians known as the Black Smoke Band.
In the 1998 PC game
, the black smoke can be launched from cannons by three Martian Machine units: the Fighting Machine, the Bombarding Machine and the Tempest. The smoke deals very high, always fatal, damage to any human vehicles that come close to it. However, this version lasts for a limited time, depending on what type of canister launcher the black smoke is launched from.
The Asylum
film H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds features a deadly gas, but it is green
rather than black
in color. The "green smoke" does appear, however, to have the same deadly effect as the black smoke; it also has the same density, since it can be escaped by climbing to higher altitudes. Whereas the novel's smoke is launched from "black tubes" attached to the machines on an arm, this smoke leaks from a small object ejected from the walkers, from the same slot from which the Heat Ray is fired. The smoke in the novel was described as an ink
-like vapour, but the film's smoke is believed to be a kind of toxic gas. It is described in no detail.
In the Asylum's 2008 sequel, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
, the black smoke is left absent, though chemical warfare is briefly mentioned. A fleet of jets, upgraded with the Martian technology left from the first film, are equipped with a kind of Heat-Ray and missiles containing mustard gas, a weapon that has only been used in warfare once before, in World War I
.
The black smoke is not used in Steven Spielberg's 2005 adaptation
, but was a considered addition as early as a first draft until it was dropped due to paucity of time. It is also absent from the TV series
, though the aliens do make attempts at engaging in chemical warfare.
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' science fiction novel The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is an 1898 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells.The War of the Worlds may also refer to:- Radio broadcasts :* The War of the Worlds , the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles...
, used by the Martians
Martian (War of the Worlds)
The Martians, also known as the Invaders, are the fictional race of extraterrestrials from the H.G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds. They are the antagonists of the novel, and their efforts to exterminate the populace of Earth and claim the planet for themselves drive the plot and present...
to eliminate groups of humans remotely, especially artillery crews, before they could fire. The rockets from which they explode are fired from a "black tube" attached to the Tripod
Tripod (The War of the Worlds)
Tripods or fighting-machines are a type of fictional three-legged walker from the H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, used by Martians to invade Earth.-Novel:...
. Any human breathing this deadly smoke is killed almost instantly. The smoke would form a scum on contact with water. After the smoke had done its job, the Martians would dispel it with jets of steam, leaving only a residual black powder. The smoke is more of an ink
Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
-like vapour than a smoke, and is very dense; it can be avoided by climbing to higher places. The aliens may have used this also to avoid unnecessary destruction of buildings in cities such as London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. As they used it on London after one of their Tripods is brought down by a Twelve-pounder
Ordnance BL 12 pounder 6 cwt
The Ordnance BL 12 pounder 6 cwt was a lighter version of the British 12 pounder 7 cwt gun, used by the Royal Horse Artillery. The "6 cwt" referred to the weight of the gun and barrel to differentiate it from other 12 pounders guns...
, it may be seen as a reserve weapon in case the humans prove dangerous. Although Wells never exactly explains how the black smoke works, he does mention that it may bind with argon and cause a disastrous chemical reaction inside a human who comes in contact with it. Although as at that time argon
Argon
Argon is a chemical element represented by the symbol Ar. Argon has atomic number 18 and is the third element in group 18 of the periodic table . Argon is the third most common gas in the Earth's atmosphere, at 0.93%, making it more common than carbon dioxide...
was considered inert this is unlikely.
Wells specified that the black smoke consists of an unknown element that shows four blue lines in a spectrum analysis. This element combined with the argon
Argon
Argon is a chemical element represented by the symbol Ar. Argon has atomic number 18 and is the third element in group 18 of the periodic table . Argon is the third most common gas in the Earth's atmosphere, at 0.93%, making it more common than carbon dioxide...
in our atmosphere to form the deadly gas. (Although in the very last chapter, spectrum analysis "unmistakenly" pointed to "the presence of an unknown element with a brilliant group of three lines in the green.")
In other adaptations
Orson WellesOrson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
' radio adaptation
The War of the Worlds (radio)
The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker...
dramatizes the effects of the black smoke. In fact, the poison is depicted as being potent enough to render gas mask
Gas mask
A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word...
s useless, as do modern nerve gases
Nerve agent
Nerve agents are a class of phosphorus-containing organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanism by which nerves transfer messages to organs...
.
The only accurate screen appearance of the black smoke is in Pendragon Pictures' film adaptation
H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (2005 film)
H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds is one of three film adaptations of H. G. Wells' classic novel released in 2005, about a Martian invasion of Earth...
. However, the film's aliens only use the smoke twice, and it is not described in any detail.
The black smoke is briefly mentioned in the 1978 musical version
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a 1978 concept album by Jeff Wayne, retelling the story of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Its format is progressive rock and string orchestra, using narration and leitmotifs to carry the story via rhyming melodic lyrics that express...
, where a tripod releases it while engaging the Thunder Child
HMS Thunder Child
HMS Thunder Child is the name of the fictional ironclad torpedo ram of the Royal Navy that is destroyed by Martian fighting-machines in H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds...
and later on when the narrator is trapped in the house. Its effects are not mentioned however; this is likely the result of an earlier usage being removed at the script editing stage. This musical version featured musicians known as the Black Smoke Band.
In the 1998 PC game
Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds
Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds is a title used for two 1998 video games published by GT Interactive. The first is a real-time strategy game developed by Rage Software Limited for the PC...
, the black smoke can be launched from cannons by three Martian Machine units: the Fighting Machine, the Bombarding Machine and the Tempest. The smoke deals very high, always fatal, damage to any human vehicles that come close to it. However, this version lasts for a limited time, depending on what type of canister launcher the black smoke is launched from.
The Asylum
The Asylum
The Asylum is an American film studio and distributor which focuses on producing low-budget, usually direct-to-video productions. The studio has produced titles that capitalize on productions by major studios; these titles have been dubbed "mockbusters" by the press.-History:The Asylum was founded...
film H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds features a deadly gas, but it is green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
rather than black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
in color. The "green smoke" does appear, however, to have the same deadly effect as the black smoke; it also has the same density, since it can be escaped by climbing to higher altitudes. Whereas the novel's smoke is launched from "black tubes" attached to the machines on an arm, this smoke leaks from a small object ejected from the walkers, from the same slot from which the Heat Ray is fired. The smoke in the novel was described as an ink
Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
-like vapour, but the film's smoke is believed to be a kind of toxic gas. It is described in no detail.
In the Asylum's 2008 sequel, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave is a 2008 direct-to-DVD science fiction film starring and directed by C. Thomas Howell....
, the black smoke is left absent, though chemical warfare is briefly mentioned. A fleet of jets, upgraded with the Martian technology left from the first film, are equipped with a kind of Heat-Ray and missiles containing mustard gas, a weapon that has only been used in warfare once before, in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The black smoke is not used in Steven Spielberg's 2005 adaptation
War of the Worlds (2005 film)
War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
, but was a considered addition as early as a first draft until it was dropped due to paucity of time. It is also absent from the TV series
War of the Worlds (TV series)
War of the Worlds is a television program that ran for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990. The series is an extension of the original 1953 film The War of the Worlds, using the same War Machine, often incorporating aspects from the film, radio adaptation, and original novel into its mythology.Though...
, though the aliens do make attempts at engaging in chemical warfare.