Mars Attacks! © Current Copyright Holder
The ray gun shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they are about to catch fire. Apart from causing that terrifying sensation, the technology is supposed to be harmless — a non-lethal way to get enemies to drop their weapons.
Anyone hit by the beam immediately jumped out of its path because of the sudden blast of heat throughout the body. While the 130-degree heat was not painful,
it was intense enough to make the participants think their clothes were about to ignite.
Beauty Blaze & Polar Man © DC Comics
The system uses electromagnetic millimeter waves, which can penetrate only 1/64th of an inch of skin, just enough to cause discomfort. By comparison, microwaves used in the common kitchen appliance penetrate several inches of flesh. Link from Live Science
Stan Ridgeway's "Ring of Fire":
