Unleashing the Fury: Decoding the Enigmatic Watkins Storms in Twisted Metal

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Twisted Metal season 1!

Summary

In Twisted Metal season 1, viewers are immersed in an apocalyptic realm where characters engage in fierce battles and confront the devastating Watkins Storms, which result from a nuclear blast polluting the atmosphere of the Twisted Metal universe.

In Twisted Metal season 1, the show references real-life events like the Y2K bug while also establishing a link between a power failure and the disastrous meltdown of the Watkyn's Harbor nuclear power plant, resulting in the poisoning of the atmosphere.

The series presents an apocalyptic landscape where characters are compelled to engage in battles against each other and the elements, including the formidable Watkins Storms. Following the journey of John Doe, the narrative revolves around his mission to collect and deliver a package from New Chicago to New San Francisco in order to secure residency there. Throughout his quest, John encounters various challenges posed by the law, the Holy Men, the Vultures, and a menacing clown by the name of Sweet Tooth.

Watkins Storms In The Twisted Metal Show Explained

In the sixth episode of Twisted Metal season 1, John trails Quiet out of the restaurant, attempting to halt her progress. However, she retreats back inside when a lightning bolt narrowly misses her, signaling the arrival of a Watkins Storm. This violent electrical storm is the aftermath of a nuclear explosion that contaminated the atmosphere. Noting the perilous conditions, John remarks, "Only a complete idiot would go out in this." In episode 8 of Twisted Metal, titled "EV3L1N," we witness a young John encountering his first Watkins Storm as he swiftly seeks refuge beneath a bridge.

Quiet inquires about the nature of a Watkins Storm, to which John clarifies that it originated from a nuclear plant in Watkyn's Harbor. This plant suffered an explosion due to a power outage, resulting in the contamination of the atmosphere. As the storm intensifies towards the eastern regions, the only option for the two individuals is to patiently wait for its passing, as it poses a significant threat to their lives. Watkyn's Harbor, a fictional industrial seaport situated near Los Angeles in the Twisted Metal: Harbor City game map, serves as the backdrop for this event. While the location may not be real, the scenario of an electrical storm triggered by a nuclear detonation holds the possibility of occurrence. The drastic shifts in temperature and pressure caused by atomic explosions can indeed manipulate local weather patterns.

Joseph Hirschfelder, a physicist involved in the Manhattan Project, elaborated on the potential synchronization of thunderstorms with nuclear detonations in a 1945 memo. He stated that it was indeed practical to select appropriate weather conditions for bomb deployment, aiming to induce the occurrence of thunderstorms alongside the explosion. If a nuclear bomb were to detonate in conditions favorable for thunderstorm formation, the resulting radiation would exacerbate the devastation, as the thunderstorm would aid in spreading the nuclear effects across a wider area.

How Watkins Storms Connect To Twisted Metal's Apocalypse

In episode 1 of Twisted Metal season 1, titled "WLUDRV," a global power failure occurs due to a bug, leading to the shutdown of all power grids and the internet. There are indications that the Y2K issue, a real-life concern in computer coding that was expected to cause problems in the early 2000s, played a role in the show's fictional apocalypse. This connection is highlighted by the Twisted Metal soundtrack, featuring the song "Steal My Sunshine" by LEN from 1999, playing just before the apocalypse begins. Furthermore, the car named Roadkill is a 2000 Subaru, further reinforcing this link as it would have been available in late 1999.

The loss of power resulting from this event impacts the nuclear power plant, which only has a limited fuel supply of approximately 10–12 hours to keep its systems running. Once the backup generators run out of fuel, the cooling systems for the reactors stop functioning, leading to overheating and eventual meltdown. This catastrophic meltdown of the Watkyn's Harbor nuclear power plant triggers a devastating explosion that contaminates the atmosphere in the Twisted Metal apocalypse, resulting in the occurrence of Watkins Storms.

Source: Hirschfeder's 1945 memo