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In H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel The War of the Worlds (as well as subsequent films, radio shows and television series based on the original), a Tripod or "Fighting Machine" is a type of fictional three-legged walker used by inhabitants of Mars to invade Earth. The tripods were described as 'a shield-like affair' mounted on three legs. These vehicles were apparently capable of traveling as fast as an express train, which at Wells' time would have suggested they could move at least eighty miles per hour (120 km/h) or faster. The tripods were armed with one or more Heat-Rays and black smoke. They also had several tentacles dangling from the main body. It could use these as probes, or a device to grab objects, mostly humans. The tripod also sometimes carried a cage or basket which would be used to hold captives so the Martians could drain their blood. The Tripods were stated to be over 100 feet tall (>33 m) in the novel. The Tripods could wade through water, at least as deep as they are tall. This is outlined in the book when the HMS Thunder Child engages a trio of tripods pursuing a refugee flotilla off the coast of England.
In the original book the tripods are delivered to Earth in massive cylinders. In the 2005 Spielberg film, the tripods were already buried on Earth. The alien crews later arrived in their ships by "riding" lightning into the pods where the tripods were stored.
The lethality of the tripods can be summed up in a single phrase used in 2005 film (A paraphrase of a line from the 1953 film, where the invaders used hovering "War Machines"): "Once the Tripods start to move, no more news comes out of that area". However in the book, the Martians are uninterested in genocide, and only use their formidable machines to their fullest lethal extent against the military that they face, and against the industry and infrastructure, sending a wave of refugees fleeing before them.
It is interesting to note that the original conceptual drawings for the tripod machine, drawn by Warwick Goble, accompanied the initial appearance of The War of the Worlds in Pearson's Magazine in 1897. When Wells saw these pictures, he was so displeased that he added the following text to the final version of his book:
- I recall particularly the illustration of one of the first pamphlets to give a consecutive account of the war. The artist had evidently made a hasty study of one of the fighting-machines, and it was there that his knowledge ended. He presented them as tilted, stiff tripods without either flexibility or subtlety, and with an altogether misleading monotony of effect. The pamphlet containing these renderings had a considerable vogue, and I mention them here to warn the reader against the impression they may have created. They were no more like the Martians I saw in action than a Dutch doll is like a human being. To my mind, the pamphlet would have been much better without them.
In other adaptations
The Martian machines in 1953 movie The War of the Worlds were drastically different from the ones in Wells' novel. Instead of towering tripods, the Martian machines resembled sinister-looking manta rays with invisible, electromagnetic legs. Designed by Albert Nozaki, this machine was armed with a Heat-Ray — one more in keeping with the novel mounted atop in a gooseneck device, and two weapons which fired green blobs from the tips of the wings. These weapons "neutralised meson(s)... the atomic glue holding matter together", causing the target to vaporize, usually leaving behind a black stain on the ground (evidently the scorched remains). These war machines do not have tentacles; presumably, the Martians had no use for humans. The ships were also equipped with a retractable electronic eye, which was used as a probe. There is suggestion that the Martians are physically linked to their machines as at one point in the film, the severed probe seems to stain a piece of cloth with blood. However, because there is a continuity goof involved it is of debate that the blood may be from a recently struck Martian and not from the device.
The serialized TV series, while almost never using war machines in general, did reveal in one episode that these same aliens (from Mor-Tax; not Mars) did at one point use tripods in their past before evolving into the floating machines as seen in the film. This "older model" resembles the latter machines with only a few noticeable differences. Aside from the legs, there is no visible mounted Heat-Ray; however, where the latter models have a green window in its front, the tripods have an orange/red coloured window (framed in blue circle) that, coupled with its pulsating glow, suggests that it is a cruder version of their Heat-Ray and is built into the body of the machine. Whether it is a Heat-Ray, or what other weaponry this model possesses is unknown. While the new models are reminiscent of a swan, the tripods seem more inspired by an insect, both in its (briefly seen) movement as well as the sound it emits. The TV series also gives insight into the machines, refered to both by humans and aliens alike as ships. In "The Resurrection", the interior of the machines are seen to be lit by cold colours of blue and black (with only a sliver of neon green). The machines have an onboard computer that the aliens can communicate with even when distanced by location and time, and even with relatively primitive equipment. When asked how the aliens make the machines fly, Dr. Blackwood refers to Dr. Forrester's unconfirmed speculation that they are able to use brainwave impulses. This is given more credibility when three aliens later take possession of the tripod. From inside, it can be seen that there is no obvious physical means of operation; instead, the three are simply seated back-to-back. (This is reminiscent of how the aliens are often seen throughout the season, frequently in a state of some type of shared mental exercise, though what this practise is exactly was left unrevealed.) A similar seating construction appears to be present in the later machines with the device clearly indentified as the computer placed in the centre.
In H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, a film adaptation from The Asylum productions, the fighting machine is a walker, but not a tripod, either. Instead it has six legs, resembling a crab. The Heat-Ray is built into the body of the machine, shooting through a slot on its "head," which can turn around on the bottom part that houses the legs. This machine can also eject an object that emits a green gas (a substance similar to the black smoke) through the same slot. It also has an opening atop the head through which Martians can leave the machine, as well at least one appendage that is depicted as grabbing fleeing humans.
There are several differences between the tripods as described in Wells' book and those in Steven Spielberg's 2005 movie, which come from an undisclosed planet; the movie tripods do not possess the black smoke and are equipped with some type of invisible energy shield which becomes visible when hit by a missile or other projectile. They are equipped with two Heat-Ray-like weapons and they also have several searchlights mounted on the front of them. Spielberg's tripods also emit loud, deep bellows, which seem to be a means of calling to other tripods, similar to how they are described at one point in the novel. The sounds consist of one 113 Hz blast (between A2 and A#2 on the musical scale) for 3 seconds, followed by a 136 Hz blast (near C#3) for 3 seconds. They are also equipped with tentacles for capturing humans (and two cages for temporary holding) as well as a probe to search abandoned buildings and locations which the tripods are unable to reach. Additionally, the tripods have a tentacle used as a pipette to drain human blood, which is then sprayed as fertilizer to aid the spread of the red weed. Similar to the book, the tripods emit some kind of green smoke before arming the Heat-Ray.
The second volume of the comic book The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen retells the story of The War of the Worlds, and thus, the tripods are prominently featured. These tripods are more organic-looking, with long, curving heads almost resembling a queen Xenomorph from Aliens. Otherwise, they match up well with the tripods from the original novel; they have the baskets to capture humans and the Heat-Ray.
Arguably, the most recognizable depiction of the tripods are those illustrated on the album cover of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds as painted by Michael Trim. However, this design does have some inconsistencies from Wells' description in his novel (such as the Heat-Ray being in the cupola rather than being held separately in a mechanical arm, the cage to hold captured humans being used by the handling-machines instead of the fighting-machines, and the 'cowl' ('cockpit') of the fighting-machine static instead of separately rotating).
Master-modeller Martin Bower built miniatures for an aborted photo-novel of War of the Worlds. His concept for the fighting-machine is regarded by some as being the closest version to Wells' description.
Influence
A trilogy of novels by Samuel Youd (under the pen name "John Christopher") called The Tripods, is heavily influenced by H. G. Wells. The novels provide a type of alternate ending to the H. G. Wells story, whereby the tripods succeed in their invasion. Samuel Youd's Tripods, however, are very different from those found in the works of H. G. Wells. In Samuel's trilogy the tripods do not come from Mars, but another distant world. The Tripods, also do not consume humans or feature weapons, but are used instead to control the human civilization with a "cap" or metallic grid attached to the scalp. Large cities, science and technology are no longer part of the human civilisation, instead humans are forced to live in small rural communities. The main feature of these tripods is a large arm that is extended from the base of the tripod's head and used to lift humans into the head, predominately for the purposes of capping.
The Tripods was later made into a BBC TV Series which was never completed.
The Tripods also inspired the AT-AT, AT-ST and other walkers from Star Wars. In fact, Wells' Tripods are some of the first piloted mecha ever featured in Western literature.
Striders in the 2004 computer game Half-Life 2 bear a striking resemblence to Tripods.
"Tripod (The War of the Worlds)"