Sonic projection is a super-power which involves the concentrated projection of sound waves for the purpose of offensive attack. This ability has appeared in various media, mostly in comic book/superhero fantasy as well as sci-fi related animated fare. There are also a plethora of fictional technological devices that can perform similar functions.
In the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert, the main protagonist Paul Atreides developed an ability to harness his voice as a vocalized sonic weapon. This ability became a quintessential benefit when Paul assisted the Fremen in their struggles against the sandworms and the forces of House Harkonnen. As Paul himself intoned, "My name is a killing word".
In the 2008 feature film Incredible Hulk, soldiers of the United States Army used sonic cannons in an effort to defeat the Hulk. Though the barrage of hyper-sonic sound indeed caused the Hulk great pain, he managed to fight through it to incapacitate his enemies.
Comics[]
DC Comics[]
Dinah Drake lets loose her Canary Cry on Arrow.
In the internal continuity of DC Comics, the character of Dinah Laurel Lance, aka the Black Canary possesses a sonic attack that she calls her Canary Cry. By vibrating her vocal chords with significant intensity, Black Canary can emit a wave of sonic energy strong enough to rupture steel. For a period of time, Dinah suffered a physical injury that robbed her of her abilities, but after taking a dip in the life-rejuvinating Lazarus Pit, she was able to produce her Canary Cry once again. The former Justice League member Paco Ramone, aka Vibe, could also produce a similar effect by generating waves of vibration from his hands.
On the villainous side of sound manipulation, there is the character of Bito Wladon, aka Sonar. Sonar is the monarch of a fictional country called Modora and uses his expertise in sound technology to bolster his influence in the world of international politics. Sonar is classically considered a foe of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, but has also fought up against the superhero team Justice League Europe on occasion.
A powerful foe of Superman named Silver Banshee possesses a sonic attack known as the Death Wail. The Death Wail works similarly to that of Dinah Lance's Canary Cry.
Marvel Comics[]
In the internal continuity of Marvel Comics, the mutant superhero Banshee could project undulating waves of sound that he could use to propel, stun or otherwise pummel structures or opponents. Banshee also possessed a unique application to his ability by which he could use his sound waves as a localized effect to propel his body through the air as a form of flying. This was also demonstrated in the 2011 feature film X-Men: First Class.
Another sonic-powered character of note from the Marvel Universe is Ulysses Klaw, a recurring adversary of the Fantastic Four and a sworn enemy of the Black Panther. Once he was human, but he has since evolved into a being comprised entirely of solidified sound. Klaw's weapon of choice is a prosthetic device that he wears upon his right arm which converts sound waves into concentrated blasts of energy. A lesser villain of note is David Angar, better known by nom de crime, Angar the Screamer. Angar is a social activist-turned-criminal whose ability to emit sonic vibrations actually causes those within it's influence to hallucinate. Angar is commonly found as a foe of Daredevil.
Reed Richards developed a device called a sonic blaster. It was capable of generating high volumes of ultrasonic sound waves in a beam of concentrated force. The weapon was designed with one specific purpose in mind - to combat an aggressive alien symbiote that had double as Peter Parker's Spider-Man costume for several months.
After Peter determined that sound waves were painful to the creature, he enlisted Reed's aid in acquiring the blaster in order to combat it. Peter had to use the blaster to combat the symbiote again after it had taken possession of a former reporter known as Eddie Brock, who now called himself Venom. After using the sound wave to incapacitate the symbiote, Peter brought the gun and Brock to Four Freedoms Plaza where Ben Grimm took possession of both, promising Peter that he would have them transferred to The Vault.
Characters[]
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| David Angar | Marvel Universe |
| Dinah Drake | DC Television Universe |
| Helen Alexandros | DC Universe |
| Lorelei Circe | Batman (1966) |
| Silver Swan | Wonder Woman '77 |
| Melissa Gold | Marvel Universe |
Items[]
| Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Sonic blaster | Marvel Universe |
| Sonic cannon | Star Wars |
| Sonic crystal | DC Universe |
| Sonic disruptor | Marvel Universe |
Appearances[]
Television[]
- Batman: The Wail of the Siren - Lorelei Circe uses her powers to hypnotize Commissioner Gordon and Bruce Wayne.
- Go! Godman: Godman vs. Kinger (Part 6) - Godman emits sonic waves to blow up Kinger.
Comics[]
- 1st Issue Special 12 - Starman uses a sonic crystal to disarm Frank Clay.
- Amazing Spider-Man 363 - Mr. Fantastic uses Sonic blaster to incapacitate Venom.
- Strange Tales 99 - Sound engineer tries to use sound waves to commit murder, but it backfires.
- Uncanny X-Men 94 - Count Nefaria uses sonic disruptors to destroy the X-Men Stratojet.
- X-Factor 206 - Siryn uses her power against Mordo's goons.