powerful sonic pulses that can bore through solid rock. By increasing the width of the drill's sonic beam, he can use it as a non-lethal weapon to harmlessly stun opponents. Other equipment Hardware has used include a forearm-mounted welding tool, tracking devices, a flashlight helmet attachment, a handheld depolarizing device (used to remove his basic armor during emergencies), a handheld scanning device, a wrist-mounted energy analyzer, a special gun that launches miniature eavesdropping devices, a laser cutting tool, a flare gun, wrist-mounted high-intensity flashlights (that double as blinding weapons), and a portable electromagnet capable of lifting weights equal to three armored SYSTEMatics. Weapons Curtis Metcalf has designed and employed an extensive arsenal of weapons as Hardware. These weapons range from hand-held armaments to much larger systems that are mounted on his armor's gauntlets and shoulder pads. Hardware's arsenal has yet to be fully cataloged since he continues to develop weapons to counter new threats. The following is a list of his more notable armaments. Omnicannon: Hardware's weapon of choice on most missions; it is rare that he goes into battle without at least one Omnicannon. This forearm mounted cannon fires a blast of compressed air capable of knocking down an opponent at a distance of 12 feet. However, these blasts are primarily intended to propel special cartridges or "shells" of Curtis's design that create various effects. At any given time, the Omnicannon is loaded with six shells loaded in a rotating drum the base of his gauntlet (Hardware naturally carries more shells than he could load as needed). The cannon is linked to DOBIE, which provides targeting and tracking. DOBIE can also spin the rotating drum to fire any of the shells currently loaded in any order. When the Omnicannon is engaged, a protective shield slides over the back of his wrist. This shield deflects the cannon’s air blast from Hardware’s hand as well as preventing him from accidentally bending his wrist upward while firing the weapon. Curtis employs an ever-increasing variety of Omnicannon shells for any possible situation. These include the following: Stun (flash bang grenade): Explosive/Incendiary (a high explosive charge accompanied by a blast of heat); Octanitrocubane (a powerful non-nuclear explosive that can breach enemy fortifications); Tear Gas; Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot (releases a solid sharpened rod of depleted uranium); Nanoacid (releases a swarm of armor-consuming nano-robots); Flame Retardant; HEAP (High Explosive Armor Piercing); Flechette (releases dozens of