MEDUSA Analysis in Mortal Engines

MEDUSA is a giant, computer-controlled laser that is about as powerful as an atomic bomb, able to destroy entire cities. Its name comes from the mythological figure Medusa, who could turn people to stone with a single glance. If the name is an acronym, it doesn’t get defined in the novel, although the “USA” in its name seems to hint at its origin in the United States (which, in the story’s timeline, is an extinct empire from several centuries ago).

MEDUSA Quotes in Mortal Engines

The Mortal Engines quotes below are all either spoken by MEDUSA or refer to MEDUSA. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Above it flapped a black and white flag; a grinning skull and two crossed bones.

“Great Quirke!” gasped Tom. “This is a pirate suburb!”

Related Characters: Tom Natsworthy (speaker), Nikolas Quirke, Chrysler Peavey

Page Number and Citation: 118

Explanation and Analysis:

“Nor will we have to go chasing after scraps like Salthook,” Crome continued. “In another week London will be within range of Batmunkh Gompa, the Shield-Wall. For a thousand years the Anti-Traction League has cowered behind it, holding out against the tide of history. MEDUSA will destroy it at a single stroke.”

Related Characters: Magnus Crome (speaker)

Related Symbols: Shield-Wall

Page Number and Citation: 174

Explanation and Analysis:

“No!” Katherine heard herself say. “Oh, no, no, no!” She started to run across the garden, staring towards the lightning-flecked cloud which wreathed the wreckage of the conurbation. From Circle Park and all the observation platforms came the sound of wordless voices, and she thought at first that they were crying out in horror, the way she wanted to—but no; they were cheering, cheering, cheering.

Related Characters: Katherine Valentine (speaker), Tom Natsworthy, Magnus Crome

Page Number and Citation: 189

Explanation and Analysis:

And light burst down from above; the harsh beam of an airship’s searchlight raking across the snow. The aviatrix reeled blindly backwards, and Valentine leaped up, snatching his sword, pulling her hard against him as he drove it home. For a moment the two of them stumbled together like drunken dancers at the end of a party, close enough to Tom’s hiding place for him to see the bright blade push out through the back of Miss Fang’s neck and hear her desperate, choking whisper: “Hester Shaw will find you. She will find you and—”

Related Characters: Miss Anna Fang (speaker), Tom Natsworthy, Hester Shaw, Thaddeus Valentine

Page Number and Citation: 233

Explanation and Analysis:

He said, “You must understand, Kate, I did it for you...”

Related Characters: Thaddeus Valentine (speaker), Tom Natsworthy, Hester Shaw, Katherine Valentine, Miss Anna Fang, Magnus Crome, Pandora Shaw

Page Number and Citation: 242

Explanation and Analysis:

“So, Apprentice Melliphant, I gather you have something to tell us?”

Related Characters: Magnus Crome (speaker), Tom Natsworthy, Katherine Valentine, Bevis Pod, Chudleigh Pomeroy, Herbert Melliphant , Clyde “Clytie” Potts

Page Number and Citation: 251

Explanation and Analysis:

Hester was stumbling backwards, lifting her bound hands to ward off Father’s blow, and Katherine flung herself between them so that suddenly it was she who was in his path, and his sword slid easily through her and she felt the hilt jar hard against her ribs.

Related Characters: Hester Shaw, Thaddeus Valentine, Katherine Valentine, Bevis Pod

Page Number and Citation: 286

Explanation and Analysis:

He gently moves a stray strand which has blown into her mouth, and holds her close, and waits—and the storm-light breaks over them and they are a knot of fire, a rush of blazing gas, and gone: the shadows of their bones scattering into the brilliant sky.

Related Characters: Tom Natsworthy, Hester Shaw, Thaddeus Valentine, Katherine Valentine

Page Number and Citation: 293

Explanation and Analysis:

“But we’re alive, and together, and we’re going to be all right.”

Related Characters: Hester Shaw (speaker), Tom Natsworthy, Thaddeus Valentine

Related Symbols: Scar

Page Number and Citation: 296

Explanation and Analysis:

MEDUSA Term Timeline in Mortal Engines

The timeline below shows where the term MEDUSA appears in Mortal Engines. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...dead there could be serious problems, especially if Hester tells another city that London has MEDUSA (a term that Katherine doesn’t recognize). Valentine volunteers to go search for Hester’s body, but... (full context)

...in the middle of the night and saw Valentine demanding that her mother give him MEDUSA. Valentine used to be her mother’s friend, but that night he looked frightening. When Hester’s... (full context)

Tom wonders aloud what MEDUSA might be. All Hester knows is that it’s a piece of old technology that her... (full context)

...who doesn’t even know the Head Navigator. Miss Fang says Hester told her something about MEDUSA. (full context)

...Captain Khora who also speaks Airsperanto. Tom thinks he overhears Miss Fang mention something about MEDUSA to Khora. (full context)

...probably had a good reason. Katherine wonders if any of this has to do with MEDUSA. Crome looks even more alarmed at this. He tells her not to look into the... (full context)

Katherine asks Pod if the new Stalkers have anything to do with MEDUSA. Pod goes pale and says MEDUSA is supposed to be a Guild secret. Supervisors talk... (full context)

...them that they’re Guild members. Katherine overhears some Engineers talking about an upcoming test of MEDUSA. They mention that Valentine himself found MEDUSA and brought it to Crome. Eventually, Katherine and... (full context)

...projector shows a diagram behind Crome of a big, complicated-looking machine. Crome proclaims that it’s MEDUSA. He explains how MEDUSA will be able to turn rival cities into dust and how... (full context)

...from inside the Engineerium in London, Katherine and Pod realize that the Engineers have built MEDUSA inside St. Paul. But as they’re watching, another Engineer notices that the Guild-mark that Katherine... (full context)

Just then, Pomeroy points over at St. Paul’s, where MEDUSA is crackling like lightning. A beam fires out at Panzerstadt-Bayreuth, and the giant city comes... (full context)

Sometime after the first MEDUSA demonstration, Katherine goes to the Museum of Natural History to visit Pomeroy and Pod. Pod... (full context)

...Jenny Haniver, Miss Fang realizes that the smoke they see in the distance must be MEDUSA (although she still isn’t sure what MEDUSA is). They land in an air-harbor, and the... (full context)

...and Hester. But he doesn’t believe at first that London poses a threat, even with MEDUSA. Khora mentions that scouts have reported an unfamiliar black airship in the mountains, which likely... (full context)

...years ago, around the exact same time when Valentine was away in America looking for MEDUSA. Suddenly, Katherine starts to cry, realizing that her father killed Pandora and that’s why Hester... (full context)

...what to do next and whether he should flee Batmunkh Gompa before London arrives with MEDUSA. He wishes he had let Hester kill Valentine after all. Hester arrives and is sad... (full context)

...then at some point went back to America and found the computer-brain that could control MEDUSA. Valentine admits he killed Pandora for MEDUSA but says he had to in order to... (full context)

Valentine reveals that MEDUSA will blast a path through the Shield-Wall that evening. Katherine says they have to stop... (full context)

...first to see the Shield-Wall. Meanwhile, in the Museum, Katherine tells Pod about the impending MEDUSA attack. She disowns Valentine and says he won’t help them. Pod suggests that if they... (full context)

...to just leave her there where she’ll be safe for the moment. He regrets giving MEDUSA to Crome. Meanwhile, at his dinner, Crome greets Melliphant, who has just come into his... (full context)

...finishes, he explains that the bomb won’t make a huge blast, but it can destroy MEDUSA’s computer-brain if it’s close. Katherine plans to use her status as Valentine’s daughter to get... (full context)

...party guests have headed out to a square where they’ll have a better view of MEDUSA. As they’re getting ready, however, Valentine stands in Crome’s way. He worries that breaching the... (full context)

...from Cat’s Creep not far from the square where the crowd has gathered to watch MEDUSA. Meanwhile, Tom searches for the Jenny Haniver’s guns. He finds them and fires, managing to... (full context)

...Crome instead of investigating the fires from the crash. Crome says they have to fire MEDUSA at once, in case the fires damage it. Katherine thinks maybe she could activate and... (full context)

While Crome’s Engineers put in MEDUSA’s input codes, some Stalkers bring back Hester to him. Katherine watches from her secret place,... (full context)

...cradles Katherine and shouts for help, but the Engineers around him are more worried about MEDUSA, which keeps building power even though it rejected their targeting coordinates. At last, Hester comes... (full context)

As the fires spread through Top Tier, Hester climbs up to the top of MEDUSA and waves to the Jenny Haniver. Tom recognizes her shawl in the distance. On the... (full context)

Mortal Engines

Philip Reeve

MEDUSA Term Analysis

MEDUSA Quotes in Mortal Engines

MEDUSA Term Timeline in Mortal Engines