Thunderbolt

The thunderbolt (initially, just a lightning strike) is often associated in mythology with the weapon of a sky god, usually a storm god. As such, it is an unsurpassed method of destruction, and thunderbolts as divine weapons can be found in most mythologies. The most familiar thunderbolt weapon for people in the west was that used by Jupiter in Roman literature and Zeus in the source materials of Greek mythology. These thunderbolts were manufactured by Vulcan exclusively for the use of Jupiter. Jupiter used his thunderbolts generally to strike down notorious criminals and divine opponents only.

Because of its association with divine vengeance, "thunderbolt" has been a common name for military devices.