Awesomely terrifying or terrifyingly awesome? Mad scientist (or is it Mad Engineer?) Rob Flickenger has created a Tesla gun:
[Rob's] Tesla gun, inspired by graphic novel The Five Fists of Science, is essentially a hand-held spark gap Tesla coil powered by an 18V drill battery. When fired, it produces anywhere from 8 to 24 inches of lightning and 100,000 volts of electricity. Flickenger is adamant about the fact that it's much more an art piece than a real weapon: "if you hit somebody over the head with it I’m sure it would hurt," he says.
The Verge has the video clip: Link | Interview over at Make Magazine
See more: Tesla: Master of Lightning
Update 5/21/12: Here's the video clip of the Tesla Gun in action.