I think a body with aerogel as a liner around key parts to insulate and also mask thermal detection should be an option to consider.
I picture this as a weapon light but bad guys can see my heat radiation from the light housing through a thermal viewer.
The trick is to time capture light while its passive and not have the destructive heat issue.
In effect a simple strobe flash is frozen in time, visible light stasis, since it then is immovable it can essentially become a solid.
Something to freak out about.
Laser bullets can be made from...
I bought two of these a couple years ago, one the battery went completely south, it may have been a victim of a stay outside when it was -47 and damaged the battery, the other I modded to a 35w 5000K HID lamp and ballast.
http://www.hidxenonkits.cn/products/Slim-HID-Ballast.htm
ModelName: Slim Ballast
Place of Origin: China
Price condition: FOBGuangzhou
Packing: Yellow plainpackage or OEM package
Delivery Lead time: According to thedestination
Payment method: T/T (for more than USD 2000)or WesternUnion (for...
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13725&page=3
Try what these guys have done and then think about using a 35watt HID auto bulb kit like on Ebay, I suggest between 4300-5000K for the maximum light. Or design (or buy) a reflector that was designed for dual halogen lamps and...
I thought something like this could be a simple way to start, just substitute modern power supplies like a fluorescent ballast or an inverter etc.
Sorry to go so far off in left field but I like the vacant fields better when I try to hit home runs.
If I were to really experiment I would use my portable arc welder, some large carbon rods and misc. slow motor gears, discs and timers, thermocouples, fresnel lenses, old satellite dishes maybe and build a modern day Sperry searchlamp.
Most people like myself in showing off a light usually need less than 10 minutes to "show off" a light. In thinking of terms like a special effects Hollywood mega torch effect its conceivable to build something that has such a blinding effect albeit temporary at the cost of short duration...
There are some new really small compact ballasts out now, typically in a complete HID kit off of Ebay the regular sized ones are about $70 and the ones with the compact ballast are about $120, but these prices are changing rapidly. Measurably they should draw slightly less at startup.