Pen Gun

Pen gun
Equipment information
Model	Pen gun
Created by	Q Branch
Type	Covert projectile weapon
Armament	Varies by depiction, can include: 9×19mm Parabellum, Tranquilliser dart, Shock dart, Distraction dart Miniature rocket
Dimensions	Varies
Weight	Varies
Behind the scenes
First seen	James Bond 007 (role-playing game)
Last seen	007 Legends

A pen gun is a fictional projectile weapon disguised as a fountain pen and developed by the British Secret Intelligence Service's (SIS/MI6) research and development division, Q-Branch. The device was first officially featured in the 1983 James Bond 007 tabletop role-playing game. Similar dart-firing weapons made an appearance in the 2002 PC video game Nightfire and 007 Legends (2012). Although never featured in an official James Bond film, a rocket-firing pen gun was introduced in the unofficial film Never Say Never Again (1983).

History

James Bond 007 (role-playing game)

The pen pistol is first introduced into the official James Bond franchise with the tabletop role-playing game. Capable of writing, it is a bulky implement even for a fountain pen, and is fired in a manner analogous to the use of a syringe. Holding the pen base against the palm of the hand, with the pen protruding between the index and middle fingers, the agent fires by pulling his fingers back towards his palm. The grip and the weapon were not intended for great accuracy. The preferred caliber for the device is 9mm Parabellum. In his evaluation of the weapon, Q notes that although common to the British Secret Service operations during the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, the Service rarely uses the pen gun now. 005 was listed as its last user, during a mission in 1978. While the Service still maintains a small stock of pen pistols, Eastern Bloc operatives still use the weapon, as do several of the "executives" of the criminal organization, TAROT.

Nightfire

Appearing in the PC version of Electronic Arts' 2002 video game Nightfire, the "dart pen" is described an ordinary looking fountain pen housing a powerful tranquilliser dart. Effectively replacing the dart gun from its 2001 predecessor Agent Under Fire and its console cousins, the ingenious Q-lab device is an extremely useful and highly effective (and non-lethal) means of subduing a target while remaining stealthy. The weapon is equipped with five replaceable 'nib' darts and is notable for instantly kills anyone who is hit in the game's multiplayer mode.

007 Legends

A dart-firing pen gun used during the Moonraker level of 007 Legends (2012).

The pen gun is a dart gun disguised as a fountain pen. It appears in the 2012 video game 007 Legends and is used to take down and distract enemies throughout the game. Unlike the pen featured in Nightfire, the weapon featured in 007 Legends can be equipped with three different modes of fire by swapping out and replacing ammunition cartridges. By loading a tranquilliser cartridge in to the pen, the player can shoot an enemy, to silently and non-lethally, take him down. The second mode, a "shock dart", generates an electrical shockwave on impact. Whilst not silent like the tranquiliser, the weapon incapacitates targets within the vicinity of the blast, making it well suited for taking down multiple opponents. The third cartridge is a "distraction dart" capable of generating a noise on impact, drawing the attention of a nearby guard to investigate the source of the noise.

Non-EON appearance

The pen gun in the hands of Q from Never Say Never Again.

In the unofficial James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983), 007 is equipped with a Mont Blanc 149 fountain pen emblazoned with a Union Jack flag on the barrel. The pen's nib is actually an explosive rocket. Q notes that the weapon is not perfected yet, leading to a delayed explosion when used in the field. The villainess Fatima Blush meets her demise on the end of a rocket propelled by the MB 149 shooting pen, leaving only a pair of smoking spike heels behind.

Gallery

A 'dart pen' from the PC variant of Nightfire (2002).

Graphic of a dart-firing pen gun, as seen in 007 Legends (2012).

See also

• Explosive Pen