| Vibe | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.png) Vibe as depicted inWho's Who in the DC Universe #5 (December 1987). Art byLuke McDonnell. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher | DC Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Justice League of America Annual #2 (October 1984)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Gerry Conway (writer),Chuck Patton (artist) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| In-story information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Alter ego | Francisco "Cisco" Ramon(post-New 52) Paco Ramone(pre-New 52) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Species | Metahuman | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of origin | Earth | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Team affiliations | Justice League Detroit Los Lobos Justice League Black Lantern Corps Justice League United | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Abilities | Above average agility Skilled hand to hand combatant Sonic vibration manipulation Seismic powers (New 52) Molecular vibration Induced image distortion | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Vibe (Francisco "Cisco" Ramon) is a fictionalsuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics.
He has themetahuman ability to emit powerful vibratory shock waves. Introduced in 1984 asPaco Ramone, he joined thenew Justice League formed inDetroit and became the first member to be killed in action. InThe New 52 continuity reboot, his powers were redefined to involve interdimensional physics, posing a significant threat to characters likethe Flash.
Carlos Valdes portraysCisco Ramon / Vibe inThe CW'sArrowverse, where he develops from a supporting engineer to a superhero. Vibe also makes lesser appearances in the animated seriesJustice League Unlimited and a self-titled episode ofDC Nation Shorts.
Vibe first appeared inJustice League of America Annual #2 (October 1984),[1] and was created byGerry Conway andChuck Patton.[2]
In a 2018 interview, Patton discussed the character's creation, stating:[3]
"We threw ideas back and forth, but the most important one that stuck out for me was Gerry really wanted to tap intobreakdancing, BIG TIME, lol. And all joking aside, he wasn't wrong, the time was right, break dancing was all over the media, from music to movies and television. I wanted whomever we came up with to have a strong, urban ethnic, "Down to Earth" feel that would reflect my own background.
However, Gerry's inspiration was definitely more 'West Coast' oriented, so he, tapped into the spirit of the movieElectric Boogaloo and our first hero came from out of the gang element of '80s LA.
I went along to get along, because I really disliked that movie and was unsure about theWest Side Story gang influence, lol. But I did like the potential, so I suggested that his powers would be from what all Angelenos feared most out here—earthquakes. We later changed them into super-vibrational waves he would project thru his dance moves, hence the name 'Vibe'."
Vibe was one of the firstUS Latino superheroes, and possibly the firstMexican-American superhero (if the character is Mexican-American, which is implied but not made explicit). However, the character has been described as stereotypical, and comics artistGeorge Pérez, who was of Puerto Rican descent, refused to draw him in his entirety.[4] As the "Justice League Detroit" series developed, team members noticed that at times he sounded like aCheech and Chong character and other times he had almost no accent at all, deducing that this was done just for appearance's sake.[citation needed]
In DC'sFree Comic Book Day 2012 sample duringThe New 52, a gatefold revealed various characters who would appear inJustice League over the coming year, one of which was Vibe.Geoff Johns revealed that Vibe's return would be explored in greater detail in the third story arc ofJustice League.[5] On August 26, 2012, DC announced a newJustice League of America title which would feature Vibe.[6] On November 5, 2012, DC announced that Vibe would star in his own ongoing title.[7] Debuting in February 2013, the series was written byAndrew Kreisberg and drawn byPete Woods.[8]Justice League of America's Vibe lasted for ten issues, with the final issue released on December 18, 2013.[9]
Cisco Ramon began his career as Vibe shortly afterAquaman disbanded the originalJustice League. When Cisco heard that anew version of the Justice League was forming in his own hometown Detroit, he decided to give up his position as the leader of a local street gang, Los Lobos, to join. What made Cisco a candidate was hismetahuman ability to emit powerful vibratoryshock waves.[10]
Vibe's presence on the team causes Aquaman andMartian Manhunter to harbor some strong doubts about the new Justice League, particularly after he gets the League involved in a rumble with a rival gang and his older brotherArmando. Vibe soon proves his mettle during the League's battles againstCadre,[11] Anton Allegro,[12] Amazo,[13] He stays with the League through theCrisis on Infinite Earths crossover, when his powers played a vital role in defeatingDespero.[14]
During the 1987 eventLegends, the Justice League disbands and Cisco leaves to seek the familiar solace of the streets. He is attacked and killed by one ofProfessor Ivo's androids, becoming the first Justice League member to be killed in the line of duty.[15] Martian Manhunter brings Vibe's body to the League's mountain sanctuary, where he is laid to rest in a cryogenic chamber.[16]
In the 2008 seriesTrinity, Vibe is resurrected afterDespero,Morgaine le Fey, andEnigma replaceSuperman,Batman, andWonder Woman as the core of the DC universe and alter reality. Soon after the real trinity returns, Vibe is disintegrated by an energy blast.[17]In the 2009 eventBlackest Night, Vibe is resurrected as a member of theBlack Lantern Corps, rising from his coffin in theHall of Justice. Alongside the Black LanternSteel, Vibe attacks his former teammates,Gypsy andVixen, untilDoctor Light destroys him.[18][19]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion with: more detailed biographical content fromJustice League of America's Vibe #1–10. You can help byadding to it.(August 2025) |
InThe New 52 continuity, Vibe gained his powers after being caught in theevent horizon of a Boom Tube, a type of portal used by theNew Gods, while juggling a personal life with his younger brotherDante.[20]
As his name suggests, Vibe's powers revolve around vibration, frequency, and resonance. His powers enable him to create shock waves of considerable strength that could shatter concrete or steel as well as affect the physical world as seismic vibrations (and even earth manipulation) or the fabric of space-time (interdimensional, transdimensional and extradimensional portals).[10]
Vibe's reintroduction in 2013 redefined his powers as involving interdimensional physics. Vibe's waves have the power to disrupt theSpeed Force, making him one of the few characters who poses a serious threat tothe Flash.[21] For this reason,Steve Trevor recruits him into the JLA which exists to guard against the threat of the main Justice League going rogue.[22]Amanda Waller stated that "Cisco Ramon might be one of the most powerful super-humans on the planet. He wields vibrational powers that could in theory shake the Earth apart. And he's the only person we know of who can find and track inter-dimensional breaches."[23] He is also undetectable by security cameras.[22]
.jpg)
Cisco Ramon / Vibe appears in media set in theArrowverse, portrayed byCarlos Valdes.[25]
The prestigious Justice League of America got a bit easier to join, thanks to writer Gerry Conway and artist Chuck Ryan Patton. Marking the debut of camouflaging hero Gypsy, the shockwave-casting Vibe, and the second generation hero Steel, this landmark comic saw many of the more famous League members step down in order to make way for a younger roster to carry on their legacy.
