The Call of Duty series has become an FPS phenom with its epic campaigns, addictive multiplayer, and its arsenal of fun weapons. While many of the more standard guns are solid enough, there is one that particularly shines amongst the others with its retro design and lightning-like bolts. The gun in question is the Wunderwaffe DG-2; a distinct superweapon whose significance spans as far as its electrified rays.
Being a powerful undead slayer, the Wunderwaffe is a coveted option for those looking to light it up in Treyarch's COD Zombie romps. The gun dates back to the 2008 hit, World at War, and has appeared in a number of COD titles since. Still, there are various details that have likely remained unknown and shrowded for diehards and more casual players alike.
10 The Amusing Task Required To Secure One
This electrical powerhouse can be found in a handful of locales in various Call of Duty games. It can be obtained when playing the Nazi-themed Zombie maps in World at War and the Black Ops remakes - specifically the maps Shi No Numa and Der Riese.
Aside from this, players can nab one in a rather bizarre way in Black Ops; and a pretty cruel one for fans of filmmaking great George Romero. Players will be tasked with finishing the "Original Characters Trapped" easter egg, which involves lighting a fuse box and freeing some significant figures. Slaying the director at the conclusion of the easter egg will yield this coveted weapon.
9 A Minor Cameo In Ascension
While this weapon can be secured in a handful of COD scenes, it also makes a very minor appearance in the memorable Soviet-themed map, Ascension. It's so subtle and small that the term "easter egg" can really describe it more accurately.
Tank Dempsey can be seen carrying the Wunderwaffe on the Ascension poster, but oddly, the gun can't actually be obtained at any point on this map.
8 Crazy Area-Of-Effect Damage
As fans are likely aware, this already potent gun can be further juiced up when given the "Pack-a-Punch" treatment. Though the weapon in its DG-2 form can still zap a respectable 10 zombies at once, the beast that is the Wunderwaffe DG-3 JZ can shock up to 24 undead in one fell swoop.
Which such powerful bolts hitting a range of 300-600m and a fire rate of 60 RPM, players can swiftly wreak absolute havoc with this zombie-zapper.
7 Power At The Expense Of Power-Ups And Quirks
Though most fans would consider the trade-off to be worth it, the impactful nature of this superweapon has a few slight detriments. As it happens, zombies that are slain with the Wunderwaffe DG-2 will not drop any power-ups for the most part. Strangely though, this isn't the case in the map Shi No Numa, and zombies getting fried by the weapon here will yield power-ups like normal.
Another downside is its high splash damage, which can be quite dangerous and zap any players hanging around in close proximity. Not only this, but firing in third-person mode makes it impossible to aim properly, as the bolts fire erratically fire through the side of the player and go through the zombies. It also is bogged down a bit by a slow reload time of six seconds.
6 Its Electrifying Codename
Beyond its actual in-game label, each weapon in Call of Duty is assigned a codename; a sort of designer and coder blueprint. This, of course, applies to the Wunderwaffe as well, which is tagged with the simpler, more identifiable codename "tesla_gun." This is presumably a reference to Nikola Tesla, the Serbian inventor and electrical engineer. It certainly makes sense, given the weapon's electrical and mechanical themes.
Of course, this is not to be confused with the actual Tesla Gun, another Wonder Weapon that can be obtained the Zombies mode of Call of Duty: WWII.
5 One Of The Most Powerful Weapons In The Game
It should be clear that the Wunderwaffe isn't a run-of-the-mill gun in Call of Duty, but rather, an electrifying superweapon. But what may not be known is just how powerful this beast can be. In fact, the weapon is widely considered to be one of the most powerful guns in the franchise, and perhaps the strongest weapon in Zombies.
Its damage statistic is tagged with an "infinite" sign and is described as being able to swiftly slay 10 targets per shot.
4 The Sinister History Behind Its Name
As it happens, the Wunderwaffe is as rooted in World War II lore as it is in Call of Duty Zombies. There's plenty of hidden meaning behind its name and various attributes. The Wunderwaffe is German for "wonder-weapon," and was named by the Third Reich during WWII, intended to be a sort of unique superweapon that was never fully realized. Meanwhile, the "DG" tag is actually an abbreviation for "Die Glocke," or "The Bell."
Information about this design was unearthed through the works of Polish military journalist Igor Witkowski, who also refers to the weapon as the "Nazi-Bell." He wrote about his discoveries in his book Prawda O Wunderwaffe (The Truth About the Wonder Weapon), which covers transcripts yielded from the interrogation of a former SS officer.
3 An Ammo-Granting Easter Egg In The iOS Version
The iOS version of Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies may not look too appealing compared to its flashier console counterparts. However, it does come with at least one small perk for fans of this superweapon.
Players who obtain the Wunderwaffe from the Mystery Box in Shi No Numa can further augment themselves by replenishing its ammo. This is achieved by unlocking all the perks on the map, which will replace the melee ability with a shovel. The player will then be tasked with digging the grave of Deputy Director Peter McCain. The gun will be gifted regardless here, but those who already have the weapon will have their ammo restocked.
2 Packing Heat At Lightning Speed
Black Ops' virtual rendition of U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara further stresses this gun's prowess. As he states in the game, the Wunderwaffe DG-2 shoots at a whopping 130,000 mph and at a scorching 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This certainly brings new meaning to the term "packing heat."
1 A Near-Accurate Recreation Made By A Fan
Many of the best, most memorable games tend to inspire fan creations of some kind or another, and the same is certainly true with Call of Duty. One of the cooler, more elaborate works on this front comes in the form of a fan recreation of the Wunderwaffe DG-2.
This made-to-scale replica was crafted thanks to some detailed 3D printing assets, metal components, and electrical wiring. These pieces were then sawed, refined, and assembled together. A video outlining the process can be seen here. Another detailed replica, complete with ejection and reloading, was crafted by The Ray Gun Project.