Vibranium last edited by Symlen on 10/30/18 01:56AM View full history


Vibranium is an extraterrestrial metallic ore known to exist on Earth in numerous forms. The largest known deposit comes from a meteorite that crashed on Earth approximately 10,000 years ago.

Vibranium, contrary to some reports, is not an element. Vibranium is not radioactive, as all elements with high atomic weights are. (All newly discovered elements must have higher atomic weights than the known elements.)

Vibranium's electrons do not move, meaning that vibranium's molecules are constantly at a temperature of 0 degrees Kelvin (absolute zero). This lack of motion on the molecular scale means that vibranium is physically incapable of transferring force, making it the most durable substance in the Marvel Universe. (Note: adamantium is more dense than vibranium and is thus more lethal, but vibranium is better for defensive purposes as it is can withstand nearly unlimited amounts of force.)

Wakandan Vibranium

Most of the aforementioned meteor, consisting of the more common variety of vibranium, landed in the what is now the African nation of Wakanda. Even though deposits have been found in other locations, due to the fact that Wakanda is the first known source in existence is the reason why it continues to be known as Wakandan vibranium.

Wakandan Vibranium has the unique property to absorb vibratory waves such as sound as well kinetic energy by somehow storing this energy within it's molecular bonds. The more energy it absorbs, the stronger the molecular bonds become until the vibranium is extremely difficult to damage or destroy.

This makes vibranium highly prized for its durability. Although not as hard or dense as adamantium, few other substances can equal it in durability. In addition vibranium is much easier to shape and manipulate than adamantium and remains unsurpassed in it's ability to absorb impacts and to absorb noise and sound.

Although vibranium is extremely difficult to destroy, it is not impossible. There is an upper limit to the amount of energy vibranium can safely absorb, however this has yet to be determined. Doing so is incredibly dangerous as once the molecular bonds are shattered it causes all of the energy stored within those molecular bonds to be released at once resulting in an incredibly powerful explosion.

Wakandan vibranium also has the power to greatly amplify mystical energies. It is highly unstable when used this way, as it taps into an energy flow on the Quantum Level that is virtually infinite.

Wakandan vibranium is a powerful mutagen. Exposure to vibranium has led to the mutation of several Wakandan natives such as Vibraxas and Vibrania. It is theorized that it has also altered Wakandan flora and fauna such as the Heart-Shaped Herb that is eaten by the Black Panther to bestow upon their physical enhancements and the White Gorillas of Wakanda whose flesh and blood gives the White Gorilla Cult their enhanced strength and powers.

Antarctic Vibranium

The second form of vibranium exists in Antarctica, within the Savage Land and is known as Antarctic Vibranium. Unlike the Wakandan version, this type does not absorb vibratory waves but instead generates a unique vibration field that breaks down other metals that is in close proximity to. A single piece of Antarctic vibranium can reduce any metal into a liquid or near liquid-like state. Because of this unique property, it has been more commonly referred to as "Anti-Metal". Even the molecular structure of Adamantium can be affected by sufficient exposure to Antarctic vibranium.

It has been theorized this version of vibranium was exposed to particle bombardment which severely altered it's molecular structure. Theoretically, the Wakandan vibranium could also be converted to the Antarctic vibranium type.

If the Vibranium Mound in Wakanda were it composed of Anti-Metal instead; it would produce vibrations that would liquefy all metals throughout the entire continent. If Anti-Metal was compiled in a large enough mass, the vibrations would be increased logarithmically as more is amassed.

It is unknown if the process can be reversed and Antarctic Vibranium can converted back into Wakandan Vibranium.


An artificial form of Vibranium created at Horizon Labs. Reverbium was conceived by Sajani Jaffrey after most of the Vibranium in the world was rendered inert in the Doomwar aftermath. This imperfect variant channeld and redirected sound based energy while steadily amplifying it over time, with many unscrupulous individuals seeking to make it a powerful weapon to be used or sold to the highest bidder. The faux alloy was thought to be destroyed when Spider-Man deployed an Anti-Metal Spider Tracer to melt down the only known repository of which that was stolen by the Hobgoblin for the Wilson Fisk; The Kingpin. Sajani had actually kept some bits of her failed replacement metal for her own private study.

Sajani wasn't the only one interested in the valuble yet unstable element. As some A.I.M scientists were making more of and studying the substance for their own purposes in their private labs for quite some time. Eventually coming under the influence of Klaw, who learned that this man-made Vibranium could amplify his sound based powers to unfathomable degree's. Reverbium's main fault despite it's potency is that its atomic structure is incredibly unstable compared to the purer, naturally occurring isotopes. Because of this it is largely less resilient than true blue Vibranium; both Antarctic or Wakandan variety. Black Panther managed to use specialized particle bombardment that caused the metal's subatomic structure to deteriorate into nothing.

Despite this fault however, through a combination of his unique semblance and A.I.M.s own cache of Reverbium, his control over sound had reached an even greater range and effect. Using his powers in conjunction with it to subtly influence the actions of the scientists under his thrall in order to test the operational limitations of the alloy's augmentative properties. Intending to use his bolstered powers channeled through the Reverbium in order revive his unresponsive sister Julia to a semblance of life after she was lobotomized by their uncaring parental figures. Hoping to resurrect her consciousness as a soniokinetic entity using a neuropsychic energy transfer of one of Wakanda's rogue Dora Milaje warriors as a focal point.


Approximately 10,000 years ago, a large meteorite composed of vibranium crashed in Africa in the now modern-day nation of Wakanda. The natives would call this the Sacred Mound and studied the mined metal for centuries.

But the existence of vibranium has only recently been made public in the 1980's, although rumors have been around for many years. Dr. Myron MacLain, a young scientist came into contact with a small amount of vibranium in the early 1940's.

Captain America with Shield
Captain America with Shield

MacLain's early experiments with the material were initially unsuccessful. He would make a vibranium-iron alloy mix which had an unidentified catalyst that resulted in an incredibly durable and near-invulnerable metal alloy. This resulting vibranium-iron alloy would be poured into a tank hatch cover mold and the resulting concave disc would eventually be made into the famous shield of Captain America.

MacLain's repeated attempts to recreate this substance lead to the creation of another incredibly durable alloy known as adamantium, which is not as immutable as Captain America's shield but still a remarkable metal alloy in its own right.

A different type of vibranium was subsequently discovered in the Savage Land of Antarctica many years ago by Lord Robert Plunder, the father of Kevin (Ka-Zar the Savage) and Parnival Plunder. This isotope had wildly different properties and although officially known as "Antarctic or Savage Land Vibranium", it's power to liquefy metal has resulted in most referring to this unusual isotope as "Anti-Metal".


However his discovery was leaked to unscrupulous agents of a foreign power who sought to torture the information out of Lord Plunder. Although rescued from this attempt, Lord Plunder was afraid that others would continue to acquire the "Anti-Metal" and decided to separate his two sons for their safety. He sent Parnival away under an assumed name while he and Kevin fled back to the Savage Land.

Shortly afterwards though, Lord Plunder was tragically killed by Maa-Gor and his savage tribe of Man-Apes and left Kevin to grow up in the wilds of the Savage Land as Ka-Zar the Savage.


A renegade scientist by the name of Ulysses Klaw, who believed rumors of the existence of vibranium, later found the "Sacred Mound" hidden within Wakanda. The Mound had been guarded for generations by the Wakandan Kings and Klaw attempted to steal some vibranium to power one of his devices, killing King T'Chaka in the process. T'Challa, T'Chaka's son, would take over as both king of Wakanda and assume the mantle of the Black Panther.

The existence of vibranium was soon made public knowledge. By selling small amounts of it, T'Challa was able to use the profits to better stabilize the nation and made Wakanda into one of the richest countries in the world.

Parnival Plunder who had become a criminal known as "The Plunderer" would discover that part of his inheritance included half of a key to his late father's secret cache of "Antarctic Vibranium" and sought to acquire the other half which lay in the hands of his brother, Kevin who he had long thought was deceased along with his father.

Instead he discovered that Kevin was alive and was now called Ka-Zar the Savage and the Protector of the Savage Land. Acquiring Ka-Zar's half of the key by force, Parnival sought to use the "Anti-Metal" as a weapon to conquer the world but failed thanks to the efforts of Ka-Zar and Daredevil.

Rough & Tumble
Rough & Tumble

Several years ago, Roxxon Oil was dumping their industrial waste illegally in the South Atlantic when they discovered that a small island had a vibranium foundation composition. Roxxon attempted to secretly exploit the situation by getting rid of the island's sole inhabitant, an old man known Hiram Dobbs. Their attempt however is foiled by the surprising presence of Namor the Sub-Mariner who was recuperating from exposure to toxins and was rescued by Dobbs.

When Roxxon's secret presence is completely blown by the arrival of Iron Man as well, Roxxon proceeded to hide their illegal activities by blowing the island up with explosives. The vibranium was not able to fully absorb the explosive force, but did absorb the sound waves the explosion made.

When the Life Foundation rebuilt the infamous Tri-Sentinel, they installed a special failsafe of a chunk of Antarctica Vibranium that they had acquired through unknown means in order to prevent it from going rogue. It failed and it was only through the intervention of Spider-Man who managed to infiltrate the Tri-Sentinel to trigger the Anti-Metal that ended the threat.

When the genocidal robot Ultron massacred the entire European nation of Slorenia, Justice brought several containment vessels of Antarctic vibranium to use as a weapon against the insane artificial intelligence. The anti-metal ultimately broke down the molecular bonds of Ultron's adamantium body and allowed the Avengers to end the threat.

Indestructible No More
Indestructible No More

In the aftermath of the Secret Wars where Captain America's shield was shattered and later repaired, a small sub-molecular imperfection was introduced. It grew until the molecular bonds of the shield were completely broken down years later and shattering the shield. This shattering effect created a "vibranium cancer" which propagating throughout the world as a shockwave that violently detonated any vibranium it encountered, from mineral deposits to components of ships or equipment.

When this travelling shockwave strikes the "Sacred Mound" in Wakanda, the resulting explosion could destroy the world. In a desperate attempt to stave off this apocalypse, Captain America rushed to Wakanda with the remnants of his shield in an attempt to stop the cancer. However, he found himself under attack by Klaw who was growing stronger and stronger with the destruction of each bit of vibranium and sought to achieve absolute power with the destruction of the "Sacred Mound" itself.

Unwittingly, Klaw inadvertently aided in the resolution of the crisis by neutralizing the cancer and also restoring Captain America's shield.

During the Secret Invasion by the Skrulls, they assumed the identity of S.H.I.E.L.D agents and were secretly mining Antarctic Vbranium in the Savage Land by enslaving the natives until they were discovered by the New Avengers. Later still, the Skrulls attempted an invasion of Wakanda to acquire their deposits of vibranium and were repulsed by the Black Panther.

Most recently, Doctor Doom discovered Wakanda's most closely guarded secret of how vibranium can amplify mystical energies. He attempted to assassinate T'Challa and was able to destabilize Wakanda's government to the point where his allies, the Desturi dissent group is able to seize political power over Wakanda.


Doom was able to acquire over 10,000 tons of vibranium stored within Wakanda and uses it to construct an army comprised of mystically enhanced vibranium robots. To save the world, T'challa was forced to use a secret failsafe to render all the processed Wakandan vibranium inert. Although this resulted in the end of the so-called Doomwar, it also forced Wakanda to rebuild without the resource they used as a crutch of power and influence for 10,000 years.

Wakanda still possesses the unmined vibranium from the meteor but it is unknown what Wakanda will choose to do with the little vibranium ore they have left after the Doomwar.

The catastrophic loss of vibranium throughout the world has forced scientists to explore the development of alternative materials. Sajani Jaffrey of Horizon Labs' Lucky Seven has created an artificial variant known as reverbium which has the opposite effect where it amplifies sound rather than absorbing it. As of yet, it remains to be seen if an artificial version of vibranium can be created.

Example of uses

  • Captain America's shield is partially composed of vibranium.
  • Agent Zero can move silently due to his vibranium armor. He used Anti-Metal Bullets in a sniper rifle.
  • Warpath was given a pair of Wakandan vibranium knives by Storm.
  • Gentle has powers that are helped controlled by his vibranium tattoos.
  • Black Panther's uniform comprises of Wakandan and Savage Land Vibranium incorporated into it.
  • Namor's former company Oracle Inc. sold SLV to Roxxon corp, who made metal smelting guns from it.


Nuform was an artificial version of Vibranium created by Roxxon. It was made of both mineral and organic compounds. However, it was unstable and degraded into Antarctic Vibranium unless it was temporarily stabilized by microwave treatments. Roxxon knew about its problems and still tried to sell it on a mass scale. However, Iron Man, Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Sunturion managed to stop its production during the Vibranium Vendetta storyline.

Other Media

Captain America: The First Avenger

The Shield
The Shield

When Steve Rogers takes a liking to a circular shield created by Howard Stark, he mentions that it is special as it is cast out vibranium which is stronger than steel yet weighs about a third less. It is completely vibration absorbent and represents the total sum of vibranium Stark has in the world.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Ultron's final Vibranium form
Ultron's final Vibranium form

Vibranium plays a major role in the movie, with Ultron traveling to Africa to buy some from Ulysses Klaue. It is mentioned that the material is exceedingly rare, and that Klaue had only barely managed to smuggle some out from Wakanda. For his crimes, he was branded with the Wakandan word for "Thief."

Ultron forces Helen Cho to build a new, synthetic body for him by combining Vibranium and synthetic tissue, creating a fusion of organics and machine. The plan goes haywire when Cho stops Ultron from uploading his mind into the new body, which eventually becomes the Vision.

During the final battle, it is revealed that in addition to building a new body, he had used the remaining Vibranium to create an anti-gravity device capable of lifting the small country of Sokovia into the air.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

In Season 1, Episode 11, we see T'challa, the Black Panther, going to New York City to request help from the Avengers to overthrow Man-Ape, who has taken over the nation of Wakanda and has allowed the villainous organization known as HYDRA to gain access to the Vibranium Mound. The Avengers agree to assist T'challa and fly to Wakanda in Iron Man's Quinjet. They are seen being attacked by Wakandan defense tech and are shot down, landing in the jungle. Captain America and Black Panther navigate through the jungle to get to the main city where Man-Ape is residing while Iron Man, Wasp and Ant-Man enter the Vibranium Mound where they encounter Klaw and the Grim Reaper mining the Vibranium. During their fight, the nearby Vibranium absorbs too much energy causing Klaw to become one with it, turning into a being of pure sound. Iron Man and Ant-Man theorize that if they can contain the sonic emitter that Klaw was using prior to his transformation that he will cease to exit. They are successful by putting the emitter inside a hollow Vibranium shell, thus ending Klaw's sonic rampage.


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