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Rambo shows Mousa the "Blue Light".

The Blue Light was an accessory used by John Rambo to see in the dark. It was seen in Rambo III and was used in the escape sequences as well as some fight sequences in a cave.

Rambo III[]

Rambo heads to Peshwar, Pakistan, the de-facto headquarters of the Mujhadeen, where he meets Mousa, the leader of a rebel force. Mousa heads to the back room with Rambo to discuss the rescue mission. Rambo goes through his gear with Mousa and discusses his explosives and detonators. Mousa spots a plastic stick full of clear liquid and inquires what it is. Rambo grabs it and cracks it, and the clear liquid instantly becomes bright blue.

600px-RamboIIIbow-1

Rambo with the blue light arrows in Rambo III.

Rambo responds that it is 'blue light' and a confused Mousa who thinks that it has a bigger purpose, asks what it is supposed to do. Rambo nonchalantly responds that it 'turns blue'. Mousa then realizes what it is supposed to do and says 'ah'. This scene has become somewhat of an inside joke between Rambo fans because of the way Rambo responded to what should have been common sense.

The blue light is first used by Rambo during the first escape attempt of the Soviet Camp when Rambo jumps into the sewer. Rambo cracks a blue glow stick and sees his way out. Rambo later uses it in a cave fight where he attaches the glow sticks to arrows and uses them to see him hit his targets as well as to see his way around the dark cave. Rambo also cleverly attached a glowstick to a grenade which a confused Spetsnaz commando picked up, only to arm the grenade and kill him.

Operation[]

The blue light is a self-contained, short-term light-source. It consists of a translucent plastic tube containing isolated substances that, when combined, make light through chemiluminescence, so it does not require an external energy source. The light cannot be turned off and can only be used once. Glow sticks are often used for recreation, but may also be relied upon for light during military, police, fire, or EMS operations. 

Glow sticks are waterproof, do not use batteries, generate negligible heat, are inexpensive, and are reasonably disposable. They can tolerate high pressures, such as those found under water. They are used as light sources and light markers by military forces, campers, and recreational divers. Glow sticks are considered the only light source that is safe for use immediately following any catastrophic event.

Glow sticks emit light when two chemicals are mixed. The sticks consist of a tiny, brittle container within a flexible outside container. Each container holds a different solution. When the outer container is flexed, the inner container breaks, allowing the solutions to combine, causing the necessary chemical reaction. After breaking, the tube is shaken to thoroughly mix the two components.

Trivia[]

  • Blue light
    In 1997, Sylvester Stallone would again use blue light to see in New York City's collapsed underwater Holland Tunnel in his film "Daylight".
  • "Blue light" is the only equipment named by Rambo but not given an actual name. It's just called "blue light". The technical name for "blue light" is a "glow stick" but that's a very general term. 
  • Long enough exposure to blue light wavelengths can actually cause eye damage. This is in very long doses, of course. 

Scene[]

Rambo_3_-_The_Blue_Light

Rambo 3 - The Blue Light

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