Vibranium
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Vibranium is a fictional metal found in the Marvel Universe. It is known to exist in two forms.
[edit] Wakandan vibranium
Vibranium first appeared in Fantastic Four #53 (August 1966), by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Found in the fictional African nation of Wakanda, vibranium has the ability to absorb all vibrations in the vicinity. It is used in the arsenal of the supervillain Klaw and by Wakanda's king, the Black Panther. It was also used in Captain America's shield, which was made of vibranium, American Steel, and an unknown catalyst. This formulation was later reverse-engineered to produce the first adamantium.
Vibranium absorbs all vibratory energy (i.e., sound) in its area, as well as kinetic energy directed at it. A gun with a silencer made of vibranium would be totally silent, and boots with vibranium soles would completely mask the wearer's footfalls. The Black Panther has also shown that his vibranium-soled boots allow him to take no damage from falls if he can land on his feet, as the vibranium absorbs the kinetic energy; Captain America has used his Shield for similar effect as seen in the movie Ultimate Avengers (2006) as well as throughout The Ultimates as well as in boots used by Nick Fury in Ultimate X-Men.
Vibranium molecules stand unusually still even at temperatures higher than the absolute zero, thus giving vibranium its absorbing powers. For this reason Wakandian vibranium cannot be solidified by only lowering its temperature. Vibranium can be solidified only with a 13 ATM pressure, or sublimated at 3,316 °C.
Due to its vibration-absorbing powers, vibranium is highly resilient. With proper calibration, its vibratory frequency can even shatter diamonds.
[edit] Antarctic vibranium
Another type of vibranium was first seen in Daredevil #13 (February 1966), by Stan Lee and John Romita.
This variety, also called Anti-Metal, is native to the artificially created Antarctic jungle known as the Savage Land. Parnival Plunder (the villainous brother of the man known as Ka-Zar) planned to use it to make weapons with which to take over the world. It was used by Henry Pym to defeat Ultron once and for all. Certain particle bombardments can convert Antarctic vibranium into an artificial and unstable form of Wakandan vibranium.
The Antarctic variety of vibranium produces, rather than absorbs, vibrations; these vibrations liquefy all metals that come into contact with the substance, up to and including the otherwise indestructible metal known as adamantium. Large samples of Antarctic vibranium have caused metals that were merely near them to liquefy. Its effect on Uru is unknown.
During their first mission together, the New Avengers discovered that a faction of S.H.I.E.L.D. had enslaved mutants in the Savage Land to mine this variety of Vibranium.
