Dark Beam

The Dark Beam (ダークビーム Dāku Bīmu) is a weapon of Luminoth origin that mimics the dark energy type of Dark Aether and its denizens. This weapon is compatible with Samus Aran's arm cannon, and was integrated into her suit during the events of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
== Description ==
The Dark Beam fires strange energy similar to the native energy of Dark Aether. Normal shots resemble swirling flattened disks of this dark energy, trailed by a dark streak and globular emanations. Shots are strong but slow, and quicker enemies can dodge them. Larger concentrations cling to objects, hardening into a brittle shell on contact (see Entangler below). Large quantities of this energy charge and open highly hazardous dimensional rifts (see Darkburst). Both normal and charged shots have the power to freeze enemies, though the former can only freeze smaller enemies susceptible to normal shots; the latter is required for larger or more durable enemies vulnerable to dark energy. Each creature's appearance when frozen varies, with some creature's body parts being encased in hardened Dark Matter or the creature gaining a simple violet tone around their body.
Just as with the other Luminoth-designed projectile weapons, the Dark Beam has a limited amount of ammunition. Destroying targets and containers with the Light Beam will give ammunition for the Dark Beam, and vice versa. The Dark Beam's base ammunition capacity is 50, but ammo expansions can be obtained, increasing the maximum ammunition capacity by increments of 50. A maximum ammunition capacity of 250 is possible. If Samus is out of ammo, she can charge the beam to fire an uncharged shot.
The Luminoth originally designed the Dark Beam as a means to combat the Ing Horde, theorizing that the energy of the Dark Beam would overload the creatures of Dark Aether, and in effect destroy them. Once tested, this weapon was discovered to be of only average effect against the Ing, causing little damage. With further trial and error, the Light and Annihilator beams were created, which proved to be much more efficient in the battle against the Ing.
==Uses==
Along with activating dark Portals, the Dark Beam has the ability to activate many types of crystalline technology throughout the surfaces of the mirror planets. Firing the Dark Beam at Light-charged crystals can have many effects, ranging from lifting a platform, to moving machinery. The Dark Beam cancels the functioning of Light Crystals and Light Beacons, causing protective umbrellas of light energy to disappear from the surface of Dark Aether. Fortunately, this effect is only temporary, and can be reversed at any time with an application of the Light Beam, or several Power Beam shots. The Dark Beam is also used to open Purple hatches.
== Entangler ==
A charged mass of dark energy has the strange ability to encase targets, and harden into a brittle shell. The Entangler, the Charge Beam technique for the Dark Beam, exploits this quality. Firing the Entangler will encase multiple targets within a certain radius completely, immobilizing and providing the perfect opportunity to shatter the target with a single Missile, making it quite similar to the Ice Beam from Metroid Prime. This technique is highly effective for use against the troublesome Dark Pirate Commandos, and also effective when used in tandem with the charged Light Beam against Dark Grenchlers.
It is not necessary to directly hit a target with the Entangler, as it will attach to any possible targets within a short radius. Targets hit with the Entangler will become "sticky" for a short time and cause any other creatures that come into contact with this target to freeze as well, but this will only occur before the dark matter has hardened around the original target. The Entangler seems to possess 'cold' attributes, as it is capable of rendering Metroids extremely fragile to concussive weaponry, a result given by the Ice Beam as well.
In multiplayer, the Entangler can be used to freeze opponents solid, if struck directly by the blast. A player frozen will break free over time, though jumping will lead to escaping faster. If frozen while in Morph Ball mode, a player must drop Bombs to escape (as hinted by the on-screen message). This is similar to how Samus herself is frozen in both Prime and singleplayer Echoes. A frozen player still receives the normal amount of damage from missile fire (20 HP per hit). 
==Darkburst==
Once acquired from the Mining Station B, Agon Wastes, Samus can use the Darkburst, the Charge Combo for the Dark Beam. Though it uses up 30 Dark Ammo, as well as 5 missiles, it creates a large sphere from the arm cannon, moving on a fairly fast, straight trajectory.
This particular charged combo is of great use against aerial foes, or large numbers of enemies, ripping apart its molecular structure and drawing it into a "dark dimension, pulling enemies to oblivion."
==Official data==
===Metroid Prime 2: Echoes manual===
;DARK BEAM
:"The Dark Beam can hinder enemies, extinguish Light Crystals, and is effective against Light Aether enemies. Charge it to fire the Entangler, which enshrouds enemies in shadow. The Dark Beam can open purple hatches."
===Metroid Prime Trilogy manual===
;Dark Beam
:"This is a slower shot, but effective against light-side enemies. This beam uses Dark Beam Ammunition."
===Metroid Prime 2: Echoes acquisition message===
"Dark Beam acquired!Press [C-Stick (Right) to switch to the Dark Beam./Press [+] then point left to switch to the Dark Beam. Charge weapon to fire a normal shot when out of ammo.Additional data downloaded to Inventory Screen. Press [START]/[2] to access the Inventory Screen."
===Inventory data===
===Metroid Prime 2: Echoes: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide===
;Dark Beam
:"The Dark Beam works best against Light World enemies. The charged version is especially good at freezing foes in place, and will fire a spray of goo that follows the target for a short distance. If you run out of ammo, you can fire a shot by charging the beam."
==Development Data==
Within the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc exists a scannable device within the Command Center known as a Dark Cannon. This machine appears to harness the Dark Beam's energy for use with the Portal stationed within the same room, its power able to keep the Portal open for possibly longer time than normal. Internally, this machine is named Dark Beam Cannon, implying this may be a makeshift Pirate variation of the Dark Beam. In the final game, the Cannon itself is unscannable and the terminal used to activate the cannon instead deactivates a gate leading further into the Space Pirate mining facility. The Cannon itself is still believed to be used by the Pirates off-screen, as a squadron of Pirate Commandos were seen entering an activated Portal during Samus's hidden arrival into the room.
An unused Logbook entry exists within the Bonus Disc. Its entry is slightly different from the final entry. The Bonus Disc entry mentions the ability to deactivate "Lightsticks" (which may mean the Light Crystals housed on a staff. The term "Lightstick" isn't used anywhere in the final). The phrase "Entangler blast" is oddly missing a space in between, and "Dark Creatures" was lowercased in the final.
==Behind the scenes==
The "dark energy" fired by this weapon is known to current terrestrial science, if only hypothetically: cosmologists believe that this "negative gravity" permeates the vacuum of space and repels all matter, driving the expansion of the universe. If significant amounts of the field could somehow by concentrated and fired, the massive yet localized expansive force would likely be quite damaging, tearing the target apart from within.
==Trivia==
*There are multiple similarities between the Dark Beam and the Ice Beam. One being that the Dark Beam uses the same "raised" shape Arm Cannon configuration. Secondly, both beams can immobilize targets. Additionally, their Charge Combos function similarly. Even still, the Dark Beam has several advantages, such as a higher rate of fire, and an overall higher capability to cause damage, seeing as how there are more enemies weak to it in comparison.
**Additionally, the Dark Beam shares the Ice Beam usefulness against Metroids, including Dark Tallon Metroids.
*The Dark Beam was given its name by the Space Pirate Science Team, although I-Sha refers to it by the same name.
**Despite the fact that the weapon was in Space Pirate hands when Samus found it, I-Sha told her that it had been claimed by the Ing. This would appear to apply to the Light Beam instead, as it was found on Dark Aether.
*This weapon is one of two pieces of Luminoth technology to make use of dark energy, the other being the Dark Sentinel Crystal.
*Dark Samus is vulnerable to the Dark Beam rather than the Light Beam because she is a being of the Light world. She is often confused with Darklings, when she is a separate copy of Samus.
*Curiously, when Samus is frozen by Dark Samus's Charge Beam during the second fight, the moment the former breaks free, purple Phazon chunks can be seen on her visor. This may be an oversight by developers, as the ice escaping animation in Echoes is likely being reused from the other enemies capable of freezing Samus within the same game. In Echoes, Dark Samus is the only enemy capable of freezing Samus without a dark matter weapon. 
**Additionally, the Dark Beam is found on Light Aether, while its Light counterpart is found in the dark world of Aether. The rooms where the Beams are found are also polar opposites of each other.
*Out of the three beams introduced in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the Dark Beam's icon is the only one with the least number of changes from its early beta icon, retaining its general shape while the other two beam icons received large-scale redesigns.
*The Entangler was designed by Andy O'Neil. According to Kynan Pearson, it was originally much more powerful, generating twice as many globules of darkness on impact, which had a larger area of effect that could spread and hit multiple targets.Interview: Kynan Pearson. Shinesparkers. November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
==Gallery==
Dark_Beam_Metroid_Prime_2_Echoes_Beta.jpg|Samus using the Dark Beam to battle a Space Pirate in an early version of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
Dark Beam Freeze E3 2004.png|In an E3 2004 trailer, an enemy frozen by an Entangler shot reuses the Ice Beam's ice covering from Prime.
Echoes Multiplayer Dark Beam Annihilator Beam shots.png|The Dark Beam being fired by Blue Samus in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Multiplayer.
Echoes Multiplayer Shatter Ice.png|A frozen player shatters free from the Entangler's effects in multiplayer.
Dark beam3.png|Dark Beam - Item Form
Dark_Beam_rip.png|A render of the Dark Beam from Echoes.
Dark Beam Symbol.png|Dark Beam symbol.
Dark Beam Icon Ball.png|The Dark Beam icon shown far off-screen when in Morph Ball.
Bonus Disc Dark Beam Logbook.png|Logbook entry seen in the Bonus Disc (via hacking).
==References==
ru:Луч Тьмы
Category:Beams
Category:Agon Wastes
Category:Ice weaponry
Category:Luminoth
Category:Luminoth Technology