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“It’s good to be bad!” It's the diabolical manifesto shared amongst three of Britain’s glorified acting talents—Ben Kingsley, Mark Strong, and Tom Hiddleston—all of who stepped into villainous personas for Jaguar’s awesome TV ad. Granted the British do an awesome job of living up to the title, the art of villainy is universal and spans across all realms: fictional and non-fictional. Antiheroes are always looking for ways to enhance their evil bidding. And in most cases, they rely on the latest technological advancements to do so. Whether for personal gain or the simple pleasure of forging social chaos, prospective baddies have a variety of ultramodern devices to abet them in their reign of terror. And if they get their hands on these specific ones, well, superheroes beware. Check out these 10 Pieces of Tech We’d Like to See Utilized by Future Villains.
EMP Blaster
A moderate-sized electromagnetic burst stores enough energy to disable all electronic devices and machines in its vicinity. Now imagine what the outcome of a severe blast would result in—quite a scary thought, especial when living in a world where tech controls everything. Cranking this baby up to its highest level would be perfect for Skynet and its evil cyborg army.
Face Maker Mask
Some say that the greatest and scariest villains are the ones who keep their identities secret. Guess the only thing that can make them even more terrifying is having the ability to wear other people’s faces, without resorting to Leatherface extremities. This small rectangular device attaches to a user’s chest and can activate/deactivate several visages programmed into it through the flick of a switch. Cybernetic fugitives from all criminal backgrounds are calling for some face time with the high-tech veil.
Replicator
The replicator does exactly what it’s meant to, which is duplicate non-living objects. It accomplishes this by adapting the molecular levels of an item and producing a cloned version of it. Rising crime lords can bank off such a creation, mass-producing all sorts of super weapons. But who knows? With some updated wiring, what’s to stop it from spitting out bulletproof henchmen?
Time-Stopping Watch
It’s meant for nothing more than freezing time. When you think of it, that’s pretty much all that any villain needs. Though the most maniacal baddie would exploit the technology for nothing more than bank robberies, only a mad scientist can appreciate its limitless possibilities and super-applied scientific knowledge. That’s not to say neither would use it to capitalize on a superhero’s weakness or simply eradicate them from existence. Just a thought!
Hulkbuster Modular Armor
Tony Stark’s exoskeletal armor is by far one of the coolest and most powerful war machines ever made. Nevertheless, several Marvel malefactors have exposed several chinks in the Iron Man suit, proving it can be destroyed when sustaining enough high-impact damage. So what makes the Hulkbuster any different? The fact that it’s capable of lifting up to 175 tons and is strong enough to withstand a power blow from the Incredible Hulk. Suit up any freakishly strong brute with an affinity for environmental destruction in this thing—it’ll be like unleashing Godzilla onto the streets.
Point of View Gun
Simple in its purpose, this perspective changing weapon influences a target to see things from the same point of view as the shooter. In the hands of good, we’re talking world peace. But in the grip of a societal schizoid, we’re talking nation-spread anarchy. The inmates will run the asylum, and the streets, and the White House.
Dream Machine
It’s a sleeping tool that offers access into another person’s dreams—oh the horrors that awaits your favorite do-gooder when they sleep. The Dream Machine administers a sedative to all subjects attached to it, placing them in the same dreamscape as the main dreamer, while holding enough power to manipulate the imagination and plant ideas into the mind’s of their victims. As if superheroes didn’t already view villains as living nightmares. Seeing them trapped inside the subconscious of a psychopath like The Joker means mass hysteria.
Nuclear Fusion Reactor
The sun is a natural fusion reactor. Now picture a machine capable of harnessing such energy generated by nuclear fusion processes and we’re talking about an incredibly deadly machine if misused. With a magnetic field cage to contain its energy, it would unleash a highly electric plasma reaction measured at 180 million degrees Fahrenheit. Dr. Octavious was onto something here, however his failure to weaponize such a device from the jump paves the lane for other twisted scientists with a vendetta against humanity to spark the end of the world.
Dermal Regenerator
Even merciless warlords take a good licking here and there when faced against their most righteous foes. From deep cuts to third-degree burns, this high-tech medical tool heals skin and prevents wounds from bleeding profusely or suffering infections—talk about instant self-healing. What many of the Dark Knight’s most infamous brawlers wouldn’t give to stock this in their arsenal.
Neuralyzer
A mind-wiping neural transmitter developed from intergalactic technology, the fictive Neuralyzer utilizes Optogenetics—light (opto) and genetics—to erase a person’s memory. It can implant false memories as well. Supervillains with aspirations of world domination can basically brainwash countries to follow their lead, plus blank out any bad recollections of the past.