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Aliases

The tricky thing about Adamantium is that if you ever manage to process its raw, liquid form, you gotta keep it that way. Keep it hot. Because once the metal cools, it's indestructible.

Adamantium is a virtually indestructible man-made steel alloy which does not occur in nature and whose exact chemical composition is a United States government classified secret.^[2] Adamantium is not an element: its properties do not qualify it for any known space on the Periodic Table of Elements.^[2] It is a virtually indestructible steel-based alloy that's a thousand times harder than diamond.^[3] A sufficient amount is capable of surviving multiple nuclear explosions or a blow from the most powerful superhuman with no damage.^[4] A blade of pure, primary Adamantium is capable of cutting almost any known substance depending upon the amount of force being exerted and the hardness of the material in question.^[4] Adamantium's molecular integrity makes for an extremely hard metal capable of drilling with greater effectiveness than Vibranium.^[4] Furthermore, after several years of additional testing and research, MacLain eventually released his sole supply of Adamantium to the US government who had the Avengers, notablyThor andIron Man, unleash their full power against it, confirming it to be essentially indestructible.^[4]

Creating even a small amount of Adamantium is astronomically expensive, and only a few people know the complete formula.^[4] Adamantium is created by mixing certain chemical resins together.^[4] The exact composition of these resins is a closely guarded secret of the United States government.^[4] When these resins are mixed and kept at a temperature of 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, the resulting liquid can be cast or worked into a particular shape.^[4] After an eight minute 'flux period', the mixture sets and becomes solid regardless of temperature.^[4] Its molecular structure is extremely stable, and its shape can only be altered by precise molecular rearrangement.^[4] However, due to the sheer bonding strength of Adamantium, there are few known forces capable of altering its molecular structure.^[4]

There are very few substances known that are harder than Adamantium such asDargonite^[5],Mysterium,Adamantine^[6] andCaptain America's shield^[7].

Some supervillains have taken to harvesting existing sources of Adamantium, hoping to utilize it through molecular rearrangement.Apocalypse harvested Adamantium fromSabretooth's skeleton,^[8] andGambit in turn got Adamantium fromConstrictor to save Sabretooth's life.^[9]Genesis harvested Adamantium fromCyber by destroying his body's organic matter, leaving only his Adamantium-laced skin.^[10]

Some Adamantium is made byAdametco.^[11]

Background Information[]

Hercules, the demigod of Greek myth, wielded an enchanted golden mace, which (according to legend) was made ofAdamantine and supposed to be indestructible. Inspired by this myth,Dr. Myron MacLain sought to create an indestructible alloy for the American side during World War II. At one point he fell asleep at his lab bench, and the metals he was working with somehow bonded together. This mysterious alloy--a combination of steel,Vibranium, and an unknown catalyst called Proto-Adamantium--created a material stronger than any yet known. However, without knowing the exact ingredients and their proportions, MacLain could never duplicate the process. The sample was worked into a disc, which becameCaptain America'sShield. MacLain's later attempts to duplicate the material included a formula without Vibranium, which resulted in the creation ofTrue Adamantium, which is still weaker than Captain America's shield but is stronger than Vibranium.^[12][13][14]

Because True Adamantium is exceptionally difficult and expensive to create, various researchers found a more cost-effective way to duplicate it, at the expense of quality and durability. This alternate version, referred to asSecondary Adamantium, is considerably stronger than even titanium and is resistant against most assaults. However, assaults from sufficiently powerful weapons or beings can warp or break it.^[15]

Forms[]

True Adamantium[]

Also known as Primary Adamantium, this is an attempt at the recreation of Proto-Adamantium ofCaptain America's Shield. This is the Adamantium present inWolverine. It is nearly as strong or durable, but unlike Proto-Adamantium, Primary Adamantium is able to be reproduced. Only beings with godlike powers (such as Rune King Thor) or with strong magnetic powers (likeMagneto)^[16] can manipulate Primary Adamantium. Otherwise, it is completely indestructible to all forms of attack. Being this strong, it is very rare and expensive to create or manipulate and is top secret in the US government, though it has been shared with some of their "allies". Once liquid Adamantium cools and hardens, it can never be manipulated again,^[2] although it can be destroyed by Antarctic Vibranium, which dissolvesall metals. As well as cleaved by theEbony Blade which was proven in a court case overseen byCouncilor Nelson to dispute the authenticity of which after a phony was being passed around.^[17]

Secondary Adamantium[]

This is much easier to work with, making it much more cost effective though at the expense of its strength. Secondary Adamantium also calledAdamantium Steel, was created retroactively after too many instances of the supposedly-unbreakable metal Adamantium getting broken were written. It's resilience varying in-between showings; at one point someone with considerable superhuman strength, such as Thor, can break or warp it by fully exerting their strength.^[15] While at another showing its durability being such that not even beings of considerable might, likeThe Power Skrull orFrenzy, being able to make something of similar make budge.^[18]

Adamantium Beta[]

Wolverine's skeleton was originally reinforced with True Adamantium. His mutantHealing Factor not only allowed him to survive the process, but it also induced a molecular change in the metal.^[4] Adamantium Beta functions like True Adamantium but does not inhibit the biological processes of bone.^[4] This fact only became apparent after Magneto forcibly extracted the Adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton.^[19] On occasions when Wolverine lost his mutant regeneration ability, he was gradually poisoned by the Adamantium each time.

Adamantium (Earth-1610)[]

In theEarth-1610 reality, Adamantium is still a highly durable alloy but it does not share the indestructible properties of its mainstream counterpart. For example, theHulk was able to break an Adamantium needle,^[20] and also ripWolverine's body in half who was bonded with Adamantium inside his skeleton.^[21] Another incident regarding Adamantium's durability involvedSabretooth; he possesses four Adamantium claws implanted within each forearm, through circumstances yet to be revealed, one of the claws implanted within his left forearm is broken.Lady Deathstrike, possessing an Adamantium laced skeleton, had her neck broken during a battle withLongshot when he used his ability to affect probability. Valkyrie and George Stark destroyed Captain America's Adamantium shield.^[22] The material is also highly effective in blocking telepathic probes, a trait that Adamantium in the Earth-616 reality does not possess. Aside from being highly durable and effective at blocking telepathy, nothing else about Ultimate Adamantium has been revealed. It isn't known when Adamantium was first created, who is responsible for its creation, and what the properties and processes required for making it are. As a result, it isn't even known if Ultimate Adamantium is created in the same way as the Earth-616 version.

Adamantium (Earth-691)[]

On one occasion,Vance Astro of the 31st-centuryGuardians of the Galaxy ofEarth-691 was wounded in a battle with the warlike alienStark. The alloy suit that protected Astro (Earth's first interstellar astronaut) during his trip toAlpha Centauri was damaged. His teammates repaired the damage by applying a flexible Adamantium cast to his arm and chest.^[23]The most likely conclusion is that Earth-691 found a way to create Adamantium cheaply and quickly and in a mesh or flexible form.

Adamantheants (Earth-9047)[]

Inthe Humorverse, Adamantium is sometimes referred as "Adam Ant Steel", "Adamantheants,"^[24] or Adam-antium.^[25] It is indestructible and was used for the skeleton ofWoof'r'eam.^[24][25]

Adamantium (Earth-10005)[]

Much like his Earth-616 counterpart,Wolverine has had Adamantium bonded to his skeleton. However, the history of the material differs greatly from Earth-616. In this reality, Adamantium appears to be at least partially composed of an unknown element from a meteor that crash landed in Africa.William Stryker gathered the material and through unknown means created Adamantium.^[26]

The Adamantium itself appears to function like Earth-616 Adamantium. It appears to be mostly indestructible, and must be superheated in order to be malleable,^[27] but appears to permanently solidify within seconds of being removed from heat. Also, due to its sheer density and molecular structure, adamantium appears to retain its solid form.

This type of Adamantium appears to lose its durability when exposed to extreme heat, as theSilver Samurai was able to cut Wolverine's claws off with a super-heated Adamantium katana, though this make sense as it's a call back to Stryker explaining that Adamantium is malleable when super heated but becomes permanently indestructible when cooled. This suggests that Adamantium is only indestructible when at room temperature^[27], however, Adamantium will still remain solid even when heated to become white-hot^[27], as Stryker also stated that Adamantium must be kept heated in its liquid state, otherwise it becomes impossible to alter its molecular structure through any human means or with any other man-made material^[28]. Also, in order to damage Adamantium at high temperatures, another object made out of Adamantium is required.^[27]

Like his mainstream counterpart,Magneto of Earth-10005 is able to affect Adamantium with his magnetic abilities and as used this to immobilize Wolverine a number of times.^[29][30][27] Unlike his mainstream counterpart^[16], Magneto has never attempted to rip the Adamantium from Wolverine's bones. So, it is unknown if Magneto can reshape it like he could other metals.^[28]

Like its Earth-616 counterpart, Earth-10005 Adamantium is apparently expensive to make. General Munson told William Stryker that he had spent $500 million to bond the metal to Wolverine's skeleton^[26] and the Silver Samurai had bankruptedYashida Corp amassing Adamantium.^[27]

Adamantium (Earth-17315)[]

Much like in 10005, Logan's bones were mended with adamantium in the past but was slowly poisoning him, slowing his healing down. But like in 1610, it apparently isn't completely indestructable as Deadpool broke one adamantium covered rib off with ease.

Adamantium (Earth-199999)[]

After successfully averting Tiamut the Communicator's Emergence, officials were sent to explore the mass now named Celestial Island which they discovered Adamantium. Thaddeus Ross wanted to distribute the element in treaty deals rather than causing conflict over it.^[31]

Adamantium (Unknown Reality)[]

In an alternate unknownreality, a variant ofLady Deathstrike was bonded to adamantium similar to herEarth-10005variant, turning her nail claws into adamantium claws. She was eventually pruned to theVoid by theTime Variance Authority, where she ended up working forCassandra Nova and used her claws to fight theResistance.^[32]

Adamantium Allotropes[]

Serafina claims that Adamantium has thirteen allotropes, all of which are "unstable, and short-lived, but virulently poisonous". She threw a small device that clamped onto Wolverine's claws and made them glow green, claiming that it was "Adamantium nine". This caused Wolverine to become stricken incoherent and collapse.^[33]

Carbonadium[]

Carbonadium is a resilient, unstable metal that is vastly stronger than steel, but more flexible than Adamantium. Carbonadium is, in fact, both a more malleable and cheaper version of Adamantium.^[34] Due to its malleability, Carbonadium is considerably less durable than True Adamantium though for all practical purposes. Carbonadium is nearly indestructible.Omega Red (an adversary of The X-Men, primarily Wolverine) has carbonadium coils which allow him to drain life energies.

Applications[]

See also:list of items made of Adamantium

• Wolverine's claws and skeleton (best known for)
• Lord Dark Wind, is the father ofLady Deathstrike, is the founder of the Adamantium Bonding Process
• Dr. Cornelius and theWeapon X Program frequently made use of an incomplete iteration of the Adamantium Bonding Process on many of its agents and test subjects
• Sabretooth's claws and skeleton (occasionally)
• Daken's sheaths over his Muramasa Claw (formerly) and adamantium katanas
• Battlestar's shield
• M.O.D.O.K's adamantium body (formerly)
• Bullseye's spinal column/partial skeleton
• "The Captain's" shield, used bySteve Rogers and provided byTony Stark
• Ultimate Captain America's shield
• Baron Helmut Zemo's Swords
• Outer plating of severalUltron bodies
• Hawkeye's Trick Arrows (occasionally)
• TheConstrictor's coils (formerly)
• A set ofDoctor Octopus's arms (destroyed by molecular rearrangement)
• Lady Deathstrike's claws and skeleton
• Citizen V's swords
• The cyborg body ofDonald Pierce (formerly)
• Adamantium reserves belonging toKhyber
• Cyber's skin and claws, later harvested byGenesis, reacquired later still, then harvested byOgun; reacquired again in his identity as Hornet
• TESS-One's outer skin layer
• The robotic mantle ofAlkhema
• Citadel's skin
• Shuri's Panther Habit claws
• Strikeforce X's Skeletal structure
• Underworld's bullets
• Romulus's skeleton, nails and claw implants
• Deathlok's skeleton, cartilage, muscle fibers & helmet carapace
• X-23's claws.
• Ricadonna's custom made Scimitar
• Moon Knight's staff and equipment (possibly formerly)
• Maverick's Knife and ammo (formerly)
• Sabreclaw's nail sheaths
• The armor ofOmega Red (possibly)
• Bucky's Captain America suit
• Tiger Shark's Teeth
• Surgical chainsaw implemented by aDoctor Doombot.
• Doc Green's Nanite Gamma Cure
• Bullets used byAncient Order of the Shield agents
• Dog Logan's Adamantium Mace
• Kraven the Hunter's hunting knife
• Iron Man's weapons (occasionally)
• The vault for theBook of the Iron Fist.
• 2nd Constrictor's coils (possibly)
• Moira Kinross uses Adamantium-tipped syringes occasionally to break tough skins
• Hammerhead's upper skeleton was replaced by a cybernetic one made of adamantium, performed onMr. Negative's orders
• Solem's skin is made of a biological derivative.
• The shields of theVon Doom Industries Space Station were made of Adamantium
• Logan'sAdamantium Armor
• Time Variance Authority'sDeadpool katanas
• Tiamut's petrified corpse
• Copperhead's knuckle daggers
• Sidewinder's throwing knives and tomahawk

• WhenShadowcat phases through Adamantium, it makes her sick.^[35]

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