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| Vibranium | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Daredevil #13 (February1966) |
| Created by | Stan Lee John Romita Sr. |
| In story information | |
| Type | Metal |
| Element of stories featuring | Black Panther Captain America |
Vibranium (/vaɪˈbreɪniəm/) is a fictional metal appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts ofkinetic energy. Mined only in the kingdom ofWakanda, the metal is associated with the characterBlack Panther, who wears a suit of vibranium, andCaptain America, who bears a vibranium/steel alloyshield. An alternate form of the material, known asAntarctic Vibranium, orAnti-Metal, has appeared in theSavage Land.
Vibranium first appeared inDaredevil #13 (February 1966), which was written byStan Lee and layouts by Jack Kirby with finished art byJohn Romita. Here, vibranium was seen to be an unusual metallic element with decidedly strange properties. Since that point inMarvel Comics continuity, it has been established that there are a few variations of this element which can be found in isolated regions all around the world. The variation first introduced inDaredevil #13 eventually became known as Anti-Metal. This variation is different in that it can cut through any known metal. In theMarvel Universe, Anti-Metal can traditionally be found only in Antarctica. Later inFantastic Four #53 (August 1966), by Stan Lee andJack Kirby, a new variation of vibranium was introduced in the isolated nation of Wakanda. This variation had the unique attribute of being able to absorb sound. This is the variation which is most often identified in continuity as simply "vibranium".
In theMarvel Universe, vibranium was first deposited on Earth by ameteorite 10,000 years ago. It was discovered during an expedition to Antarctica and named "Anti-Metal" due to its property of dissolving other metals.[1]
A different variety of vibranium found in Wakanda absorbs sound waves and other vibrations, including kinetic energy. Absorbing sound waves, vibrations, and kinetic energy makes this metal stronger. To protect this resource, Wakandans concealed their country from the outside world. Wakandan kingT'Chaka funded his country's education by occasionally selling off minuscule quantities of the metal. As a result,Wakanda is one of the world's most technologically advanced nations.[2]
During the early 1940s, a small amount of Wakandan vibranium came into the possession of the scientist Myron MacLain. He tried to combine vibranium with iron to create armor, but was unable to fuse the elements. One morning, MacLain found that the two materials had bonded on their own in an unknown manner. The ultra-resilient alloy was used to createCaptain America's shield.[3] MacLain worked for decades without success to duplicate the accident, creatingadamantium in the process.[4][5]
WhenT'Challa became the king of Wakanda, he strove to end his country's isolation from the rest of the world. Making the existence of vibranium known to the outside world around the mid-1980s, he sold small quantities of it to foreigners who, he believed, would not use it to harmful ends. T'Challa used the profits to enrich and modernize his nation.[6]
Wakandan Vibranium is the most common variety, and can absorb vibrations and kinetic energy directed at it.[7][8] Wakandan vibranium is also a powerfulmutagen.[2] Its radiation permeates much of Wakanda's flora and fauna, including the Heart-Shaped Herb eaten by members of the Black Panther Tribe and the flesh of the white gorilla eaten by the members of theWhite Gorilla Tribe. Both give superhuman abilities to whoever eats them.[volume & issue needed]
Better known as Anti-Metal, this isotope is native to the Savage Land. The variation produces vibrations of a specific wavelength that break down molecular bonds in metals, causing them toliquefy. It was first discovered by explorer Robert Plunder, the father ofKevin andParnival Plunder.[9][10] Wakandan vibranium can be transformed into Antarctic vibranium through exposure to certain kinds of radiation.[11][12]
Much like Wakandan vibranium, Antarctic vibranium can cause mutations. One person who donned an Anti-Metal suit for protection againstMoon Knight began emitting the same radiation he had intended to weaponize.[13]
There are at least two forms of man-made vibranium created outside of Wakanda through various means. The first variant is called NuForm, which was created by theRoxxon Corporation.[14] It possesses the properties of Wakandan vibranium, but degrades into Antarctic vibranium unless tempered withmicrowave radiation.
The second is Reverbium, a dangerous artificial brand created atHorizon Labs by Sajani Jaffrey.[15] Unlike standard vibranium, it rapidly amplifies sound energy before exploding.[16]
Wakandan scientist Obinna Nwabueze discovered a new form of vibranium in the Echo Chamber, a cave used for training by theDora Milaje.[17][18][19] This variety of Vibranium possesses limited sentience and can attune itself to the environment to cause a variety of effects.[20][21][17]
Vibranium (also known asIsipho) appears in live-action films set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe. First appearing and named on-screen inCaptain America: The First Avenger,Howard Stark states the element is stronger thansteel, weighs one third as much, and is completely Vibration-absorbent. Having acquired enough to make a shield,Steve Rogers uses it when he becomes Captain America.
Vibranium appears inMarvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. A nanite-based artificial intelligence known as "the Fold" attempts to harvest vibranium in Wakanda to construct communication towers around the world, spreading its control signal globally. While the heroes manage to thwart the invasion, they are unable to prevent the Fold from constructing enough towers to make it a global threat.
Vibranium is referenced in the 2019 single "Take Me Back to London" byEd Sheeran (featuringStormzy).[22]
It is also referenced in the bridge of the 2020 track "Love Is a War" byJeremy Renner.[23]
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In 2016,Hyperloop Transportation Technologies developed a real-world smart composite material that they named Vibranium. The lightweightcarbon fiber material for the Hyperloop pods is reported to provide the passengers double protection against damage to the exterior. The company says that its Vibranium is 8 times lighter than aluminum and 10 times stronger than steel alternatives. The smart material can transmit critical information regarding temperature, stability, integrity and more, wirelessly and virtually instantly.[24]
Journalists have drawn parallels between Wakanda's vibranium reserves and the mining ofcoltan in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo. Coltan is anore containingniobium andtantalum, two rare and valuable metals, and its exploitation is linked with child-labor, systematic exploitation of the population by governments or militant groups, exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazards; seecoltan mining and ethics.[25][26][27] Historian Thomas F. McDow draws a parallel touranium, found in the mineShinkolobwe inHaut-Katanga Province, also in the Democratic Republic of Congo.[28]
The concept of vibranium as an extremely valuable material, monopolized and mastered by the African civilization of Wakanda, has been subject to scholarly analysis. Several studies have looked at it from the perspective of cultural studies and literary criticism, including tying it to the genre ofafrofuturism.[29][30][31] Alessio Gerola noted in the context of the 2018 filmBlack Panther, that "Fundamental disagreements about vibranium’s existence and use drive the film’s plot, but the mythology and history of vibranium are even more essential to understanding how and why characters likeKlaw,Killmonger,T'Challa, andShuri treat vibranium the way they do", concluding that "Vibranium, from a narrative point of view, simply represents the power of possibilities and the disagreements that arise about the “great responsibilities” that follow from such “great powers”.[31]
It has been also analyzed with regards to its physical properties as a type of supermaterial. In 2017, Mark Whiting concluded that vibranium, as described in fiction, is not unrealistic, and resembles "ahigh-entropyshape-memory alloycomposite, reinforced with aceramic", beyond the ability of our currentmaterial science to produce, but not beyond the ability of our current theoretical science to explain.[32] It has been suggested that the popular culture impact of vibranium can make it useful as a teaching-aid when attempting to interest students in material science and related fields.[33][34][35]
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