When I first created the silhouette, I found that it was a really nice shape to adapt, but had not mutch of an idea of its weapon, I remembered the tesla coil from Red Alert 2. Tesla coils were being experimented with during the 50's, also Red Alart is based in the context of America vs Russians and the cold war.
This is a moden Tesla, it reminds me of the first Lost in Space robot, of the 1950's.
Number 2 would work from building up static electirsity, by the round part at the bottom, being split in half, and rubbing against each other really fast.
