Editing Vibranium

{{short description|Fictional metal appearing in Marvel Comics}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{in-universe|date=July 2020}}
{{Overly detailed|date=July 2020}}
}}

{{Infobox comics elements
| image     = <!-- filename format only -->
| imagesize = <!-- default 250 -->
| caption   =
| publisher = [[Marvel Comics]]
| debut     = ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #13
|debutmo    = February 
|debutyr    = 1966
| creators  = [[Stan Lee]]<br>[[John Romita Sr.]]
| type      = Metal
| material  = y
| supports  =[[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]]<br/ >[[Captain America]]
| subcat    = Marvel Comics
| sortkey   = Vibranium
}}
'''Vibranium''' ({{IPAc-en|v|aɪ|ˈ|b|r|eɪ|n|i|ə|m}}) is a fictional metal appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]], noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of [[kinetic energy]]. Mined only in the kingdom of [[Wakanda]], the metal is associated with the character [[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]], who wears a suit of vibranium, and [[Captain America]], who bears a vibranium/steel alloy [[Captain America's shield|shield]]. An alternate form of the material, known as '''Antarctic Vibranium''', or '''Anti-Metal''', has appeared in the [[Savage Land]].

==Publication history==
Vibranium first appeared in ''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #13 (February 1966), which was written by [[Stan Lee]] and layouts by Jack Kirby with finished art by [[John Romita, Sr.|John Romita]]. Here, vibranium was seen to be an unusual metallic element with decidedly strange properties. Since that point in [[Marvel 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 in ''Daredevil'' #13 eventually became known as Anti-Metal. This variation is different in that it can cut through any known metal. In the [[Marvel Universe]], Anti-Metal can traditionally be found only in Antarctica. Later in ''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'' #53 (August 1966), by Stan Lee and [[Jack 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".

==Fictional history==
In the [[Marvel Universe]], vibranium was first deposited on Earth by a [[meteorite]] 10,000 years ago. It was discovered during an expedition to Antarctica and named "Anti-Metal" due to its property of dissolving other metals.<ref>''Daredevil'' #13 (February 1966)</ref>

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 king [[T'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.<ref name= "Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels">{{cite encyclopedia |title= Wakanda| encyclopedia= Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels |last=Booker |first=M. Keith |year=2010 |publisher= Greenwood |isbn= 978-0-313-35746-6 |page=63 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=K2J7DpUItEMC |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref>
 
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 create [[Captain America's shield]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Dan Glaister |date=March 8, 2007 |title=Wham! bang! Marvel kills off Captain America |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/mar/08/usa.arts |access-date=May 12, 2011 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> MacLain worked for decades without success to duplicate the accident, creating [[adamantium]] in the process.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 2, 2008 |title=It's all in the super-gear |url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=dd8df586-a6b1-4b88-9514-cb70bc55004e |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110094548/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=dd8df586-a6b1-4b88-9514-cb70bc55004e |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |access-date=May 12, 2011 |newspaper=The Gazette (Montreal) |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Moreels |first=Eric J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ddXi-ih9PC0C |title=Marvel encyclopedia: X-Men, Volume 2 |publisher=Marvel Pub. |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7851-2396-5 |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref>
 
When [[T'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.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://altcasey.com/works/alt_bp.pdf | first= Casey| last= Alt |title=Imaging Black Superpower! - Marvel Comics' Black Panther |access-date=May 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811093147/http://altcasey.com/works/alt_bp.pdf |archive-date=August 11, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
==Properties and known abilities==
===Wakandan variety===
Wakandan Vibranium is the most common variety, and can absorb vibrations and kinetic energy directed at it.<ref>{{cite news |title= Marvel brings back first black superhero |newspaper= Star-Gazette |place= Elmira, New York |date=February 18, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Eisenberg |first=Eric |date=May 5, 2010 |title=7 Things You Need To Know About The Marvel Universe Before Seeing Iron Man 2 |url=http://www.cinemablend.com/new/7-Things-You-Need-To-Know-About-The-Marvel-Universe-Before-Seeing-Iron-Man-2-18446.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507200827/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/7-Things-You-Need-To-Know-About-The-Marvel-Universe-Before-Seeing-Iron-Man-2-18446.html |archive-date=May 7, 2010 |access-date=May 12, 2011 |work=CinemaBlend.com}}</ref> Wakandan vibranium is also a powerful [[mutagen]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels" /> 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 the [[White Gorilla Cult|White Gorilla Tribe]]. Both give superhuman abilities to whoever eats them.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=October 2011}}

===Antarctic variety===
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 to [[Liquefaction|liquefy]]. It was first discovered by explorer Robert Plunder, the father of [[Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder)|Kevin]] and [[Plunderer (comics)|Parnival Plunder]].<ref>''Daredevil'' #13 (February 1966)</ref><ref>''Daredevil'' #14 (March 1966)</ref> Wakandan vibranium can be transformed into Antarctic vibranium through exposure to certain kinds of radiation.<ref>''Namor the Sub-Mariner'' #53 (August 1994)</ref><ref>''Iron Man'' Annual #5 (December 1982)</ref>

Much like Wakandan vibranium, Antarctic vibranium can cause mutations. One person who donned an Anti-Metal suit for protection against [[Moon Knight]] began emitting the same radiation he had intended to weaponize.<ref>''Marc Spector: Moon Knight'' #51 (June 1993)</ref>

===Artificial variety===
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 the [[Roxxon Energy Corporation|Roxxon Corporation]].<ref>''Amazing Spider-Man'' Annual #25 (September 1991)</ref> It possesses the properties of Wakandan vibranium, but degrades into Antarctic vibranium unless tempered with [[microwave radiation]].

The second is Reverbium, a dangerous artificial brand created at Horizon Labs by Sajani Jaffrey.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #648 (January 2011)</ref> Unlike standard vibranium, it rapidly amplifies sound energy before exploding.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #650 (February 2011)</ref>

===Living variety===
Wakandan scientist Obinna Nwabueze discovered a new form of vibranium in the Echo Chamber, a cave used for training by the [[Dora Milaje]].<ref name="auto">''Black Panther: Long Live The King'' #5 (April 2018)</ref><ref name="auto1">''Avengers: Wakanda Forever'' one-shot (October 2018)</ref><ref>''X-Men: Wakanda Forever'' #1 (September 2018)</ref> This variety of Vibranium possesses limited sentience and can attune itself to the environment to cause a variety of effects.<ref name="BPLLK1">''Black Panther: Long Live The King'' #1 (February 2018)</ref><ref name="BPLLK2">''Black Panther: Long Live the King'' #2 '''('''February 2018)</ref><ref name="auto" />

==In other media==
===Marvel Cinematic Universe===
Vibranium (also known as '''Isipho''') appears in live-action films set in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]]. First appearing and named on-screen in ''[[Captain America: The First Avenger]]'', [[Howard Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Howard Stark]] states the element is stronger than [[steel]], weighs one third as much, and is completely Vibration-absorbent. Having acquired enough to make a shield, [[Steve Rogers (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Steve Rogers]] uses it when he becomes Captain America.

===Television===
* Vibranium appears in the ''[[Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends]]'' episode "The X-Men Adventure".{{cn|date=June 2023}}
* Vibranium appears in ''[[Iron Man: Armored Adventures]]''.{{cn|date=June 2023}} This version of the element is depicted as a dark grey metal that emits green electricity.
* Vibranium appears in ''[[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]''.{{cn|date=June 2023}}
* Vibranium appears in ''[[Black Panther (TV series)|Black Panther]]'' (2010).{{cn|date=June 2023}}
* Vibranium appears in ''[[Marvel Future Avengers]]''. The element is a critical component of the "Emerald Rain Project", a scheme by [[Kang the Conqueror]] and the [[Masters of Evil]] to reverse-engineer Terrigen Crystals and create controllable superhumans. Due to overmining of the mineral in his future, Kang is forced to travel back to the 21st century to obtain vibranium samples necessary for the project's completion.

===Film===
* Vibranium appears in the ''[[Marvel Animated Features]]'' series of films.
** In ''[[Ultimate Avengers]]'', the [[Chitauri]] use Vibranium in their spacecraft hulls and [[personal armor]]. S.H.I.E.L.D. later salvages one of their ships and use it as component of Captain America's shield as well as use it in other items such as bullets and knives. They also determined that only nuclear blasts and Vibranium itself is capable of penetrating Vibranium. The organization also developed the satellite ''Shield 1'' to locate Vibranium anywhere on Earth and locate the Chitauri, though the aliens destroyed it.
** In ''[[Ultimate Avengers 2|Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther]]'', the Chitauri invade Wakanda for their subterranean supply of Vibranium. In this film, the element is portrayed as a substantial power source, as the Chitauri utilize condensed Vibranium cubes to power their spaceships. It is also the principal component of many Wakandan weapons and can be weakened by gamma radiation as well as gamma-powered individuals such as the [[Hulk]].

===Video games===
Vibranium appears in ''[[Marvel: 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.

===Music===
Vibranium is referenced in the 2019 single "[[Take Me Back to London]]" by [[Ed Sheeran]] (featuring [[Stormzy]]).<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 12, 2019 |title=Ed Sheeran – Take Me Back to London lyrics |url=https://www.genius.com/Ed-sheeran-take-me-back-to-london-lyrics |access-date=December 9, 2019 |website=[[Genius (website)|Genius]]}}</ref>

It is also referenced in the bridge of the 2020 track "Love Is a War" by [[Jeremy Renner]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Jeremy Renner – Love is a War |url=https://genius.com/Jeremy-renner-love-is-a-war-lyrics |access-date=2021-05-03 |language=en}}</ref>

==Real-world material==
{{Importance section|date=March 2018 | reason=This has nothing to do with the article topic. Though it's likely Hyperloop chose the name as an homage, it is nevertheless a different topic.}}

In 2016, [[Hyperloop Transportation Technologies]] developed a real-world smart composite material that they named Vibranium. The lightweight [[carbon fiber reinforced polymer|carbon 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.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hawkins|first1=Andrew J.|title=Hyperloop startup selects Vibranium for pods because it's good enough for Captain America|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/24/11750666/hyperloop-transportation-vibranium-carbon-fiber-marvel-comics|website=[[The Verge]]|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=21 August 2016|date=24 May 2016}}</ref>

Journalists have drawn parallels between Wakanda's vibranium reserves and the mining of [[coltan]] in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]. Coltan is an [[ore]] containing [[niobium]] and [[tantalum]], 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; see [[coltan mining and ethics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@douglaskiba/vibranium-is-real-and-its-called-coltan-7d4b94c76d0e|title=Vibranium is Real and it's called Coltan|first=Douglas|last=Rugambwa|date=18 March 2018|work=[[Medium (website)|Medium]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://geeks.media/from-coltan-to-vibranium-how-marvel-s-black-panther-mirrors-real-life-issues-in-africa-today|title=From Coltan to Vibranium: How Marvel's Black Panther Mirrors Real-Life Issues in Africa Today|website=geeks.media}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nation19.com/tag/coltan/|title=Coltan|website=Nation19 Magazine / APDTA}}</ref> Historian Thomas F. McDow draws a parallel to [[uranium]], found in the mine [[Shinkolobwe]] in [[Haut-Katanga Province]], also in the Democratic Republic of Congo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://origins.osu.edu/connecting-history/searching-Wakanda-african-roots-black-panther-story|title=Searching for Wakanda: The African Roots of the Black Panther Story {{!}} Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective|website=origins.osu.edu|date=15 February 2018 |access-date=2020-02-01}}</ref>

== Scholarly analysis ==
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 of [[afrofuturism]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Harlin |first=Kate |date=September 4, 2019 |title=Vibranium, Nigerium, and the Elements of a Pessimistic Afrofuturism |url=https://vector-bsfa.com/2019/09/04/vibranium-nigerium-and-the-elements-of-a-pessimistic-afrofuturism/ |access-date=August 4, 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Pérez |first=Edwardo |title=The Value of Vibranium |date=January 11, 2022 |work=Black Panther and Philosophy |pages=203–209 |editor-last=Pérez |editor-first=Edwardo |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119635871.ch20 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |edition=1 |publisher=Wiley |language=en |doi=10.1002/9781119635871.ch20 |isbn=978-1-119-63584-0 |s2cid=246167735 |editor2-last=Brown |editor2-first=Timothy E.}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Alessio Gerola noted in the context of the 2018 film ''Black 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 like [[Ulysses Klaue (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Klaw]], [[Erik Killmonger (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Killmonger]], [[T'Challa (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|T'Challa]], and [[Shuri (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Shuri]] 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”.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=Gerola |first=Alessio |title=Vibranium Dreams and Afrofuturist Visions: Technology, Nature, and Culture |date=January 11, 2022 |work=Black Panther and Philosophy |pages=175–183 |editor-last=Pérez |editor-first=Edwardo |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119635871.ch17 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |edition=1 |publisher=Wiley |language=en |doi=10.1002/9781119635871.ch17 |isbn=978-1-119-63584-0 |s2cid=246170354 |editor2-last=Brown |editor2-first=Timothy E.}}</ref>

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 "a [[High-entropy alloy|high-entropy]] [[shape-memory alloy]] [[Composite material|composite]], reinforced with a [[ceramic]]", beyond the ability of our current [[Materials science|material science]] to produce, but not beyond the ability of our current theoretical science to explain.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whiting |first=Mark J. |title=Secret Science of Superheroes |date=September 1, 2017 |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |isbn=978-1-78262-487-5 |editor-last=Lorch |editor-first=Mark |pages=93–110 |language=en |chapter=Is it a Ceramic? Is it Graphene? No it's Vibranium! |editor-last2=Miah |editor-first2=Andy |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0tYvDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22vibranium%22+marvel&pg=PA93}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roush |first=Matt |date=April 26, 2019 |title=Using Black Panther's 'vibranium' to teach kids about chemistry—second LTU paper published |url=https://www.techcentury.com/2019/04/26/using-black-panthers-vibranium-to-teach-kids-about-chemistry-second-ltu-paper-published/ |access-date=August 4, 2022 |website=TechCentury |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Collins |first=Sibrina N. |title=Inorganic Chemistry: Vibranium and Marvel Studios' Black Panther |date=January 2020 |volume=1370 |pages=87–95 |editor-last=Jones |editor-first=Rebecca M. |access-date=August 4, 2022 |series=ACS Symposium Series |chapter=Inorganic Chemistry: Vibranium and Marvel Studios'Black Panther |chapter-url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2020-1370.ch008 |place=Washington, DC |publisher=American Chemical Society |language=en |doi=10.1021/bk-2020-1370.ch008 |isbn=978-0-8412-9858-3 |s2cid=229262565}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=June 20, 2018 |title=Where would Black Panther's wonder-metal vibranium fit on the periodic table? |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/vibranium-periodic-table |access-date=August 4, 2022 |magazine=Wired UK |language=en-GB |issn=1357-0978}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Adamantium]]
* [[Unobtainium]]
* [[Neutronium]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://worldofblackheroes.com/2010/08/02/vibrainium/ World of Black Heroes: Vibranium Biography]
* [http://www.marveldatabase.com/Vibranium Vibranium] at [http://www.marveldatabase.com/ MarvelDatabase.com]
* [http://www.marveldirectory.com/miscellaneous/vibranium.htm Vibranium MarvelDirectory]

{{Black Panther}}
{{Stan Lee}}

[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 1966]]
[[Category:Fictional metals]]