The OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER is a miniature colliding beam accelerator which creates intermediate vector bosons from the annihilation of electrons and their antimatter counterparts, positrons. It is a device that enabled scientist and adventurer Buckaroo Banzai to travel through solid matter and to the eighth dimension and back.
It is an object size of a fist. In the Jet Car it is placed inside a gyro cradle and needs superconducting magnets cooled by liquid helium to operate.
Both Buckaroo in his Jet Car and Professor Hikita in the bunker had a console that showed status of the OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER. The states were SINED, SEELED and DELIVERED. (armed from novel, other from transcript of film, needs to be checked)
John Whorfin tried to create his own OVERTHRUSTER, but unable to find the crucial missing circuit to overcome Goldshtik’s problem, his OVERTHRUSTER was ineffective and his ship did not enter the eigth dimension. However, he managed to free Emilio Lizardo from there.
In the adventure The Prequel, Buckaroo Banzai, captured by Hanoi Xan uses crude version of OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER to enter the seventh dimension, also known as the seventh heaven. The comic book conflicts with novel where Xan is surprised by Buckaroo's accomplishment and the existence of OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER while in the comic he demands the OVERTHRUSTER from Buckaroo.
The novel spells the name of his device as OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER everywhere except in actual dialogue.
The adventure Across the Eighth Dimension presents events concerning OSCILLATION OVERTHRUSTER and Whorfin's attempt to get it.