The lesser known facts behind Marvel's most famous substance.
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00:00 You can't navigate the vast expanse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the comics that inspired it without coming across Vibranium in one form or another.
00:08 From Captain America's iconic shield to the arm of the Winter Soldier, Vibranium has been popping up on screen since the very early stages of the MCU.
00:16 Fans of the MCU will now be more than aware of Vibranium's incredible capabilities after seeing that demonstrated in glorious detail in many of the franchise's more dramatic showdowns.
00:26 Whether it be Falcons soaring through the sky in his new suit or bullets literally bouncing off Black Panther, the incredible uses and properties of Vibranium have been on display in Marvel films and comics for years.
00:38 However, considering that it debuted in the comics in 1966, it's hardly surprising that even the most diehard fans may have forgotten some of the more obscure facts about the world's toughest metal.
00:49 This is Emile from WhatCulture and here's 10 things you didn't know about Vibranium.
00:54 10. Vibranium arrived on Earth in a meteor
00:57 Appearing with a bang, Vibranium first arrived on the planet 2.5 million years ago within a meteorite that landed in a small region in Africa.
01:06 This meteor had a peculiar and welcome effect on the ecosystem it landed in.
01:11 In a mysterious turn of events, the soil and the plant life in the region suddenly exploded with fertility.
01:17 And as time passed and man eventually evolved on the continent, five tribes made their way to the area, making it their home.
01:23 Now Marvel fans will know instantly, this sequence describes the birth of the country of Wakanda, which would become home to the Avenger, Black Panther.
01:31 While on Earth, Vibranium is most closely associated with Wakanda for obvious reasons.
01:36 The Wakandans possess and guard the planet's Vibranium supply.
01:39 Despite this, the fact that Vibranium arrived from outer space means that it is originally an extraterrestrial material, a theory that has already been confirmed in an edition of the comics featuring Captain Marvel.
01:51 9. Another version of Vibranium exists in Antarctica
01:55 In the Marvel comics, the first instance of Vibranium being discovered by humans took place in Antarctica.
02:01 However, this version of Vibranium bore a key difference to that of the Vibranium Marvel fans have become familiar with.
02:07 Showing up for the first time in a 1966 edition of Daredevil, it doesn't manipulate kinetic energy.
02:12 Instead, this version of Vibranium dissolves other metals, earning it the appropriate name of "antimetal" as it possesses the ability to cut through any metal.
02:20 Antimetal is discovered in a region of Antarctica dubbed the Savage Land.
02:24 This bizarre region was created 200 million years ago by the N'Wali, an ancient group of aliens that progressed to advanced levels of technology millions of years before most species were learning to rub twigs together to make fire.
02:37 The Savage Land is a separate, contained ecosystem within Antarctica, a tropical landscape circled by volcanoes and inhabited by dinosaurs and humanoid creatures dubbed "man-apes".
02:47 This mind-blowing location is discovered by explorer Robert Plunder.
02:51 His sons Kevin and Parnival go on to become the superhero Kazaar and the cunning Daredevil 4, the Plunderer, respectively, in the comics.
02:58 8. Captain America met Black Panther defending Wakanda's Vibranium from the Nazis
03:03 While Captain America and Black Panther meet for the first time under the MCU banner in 2016's Civil War, events play out a little differently in the comics.
03:11 These two iconic characters actually meet during World War II, as depicted in the 2010 comic "Flags of Our Fathers".
03:19 Rogers is dispatched to Wakanda to prevent Nazis led by the Red Skull from stealing Vibranium from Wakanda.
03:25 On his arrival, he soon finds himself face to face with the Black Panther of that time period.
03:30 Much like the events depicted by the Civil War film, the two heroes actually go toe to toe upon meeting for the first time, eventually teaming up to decimate the incoming Nazi attack with the help of Nick Fury.
03:41 During this conflict, Cap's triangular original shield, made of ordinary metal, is destroyed.
03:46 He is subsequently gifted with a round Vibranium shield by Black Panther, which inspires the iconic circular shield he wields in his later adventures.
03:54 This is quite a shift from the MCU canon, where Rogers' original shield is forged by Howard Stark,
04:00 who confides that making that shield used virtually all of the Vibranium stores he had access to.
04:05 Safe to say, it was worth it in the long run.
04:08 7. The Vibranium in Black Panther's suit robs incoming objects of momentum.
04:12 Anyone who has seen Black Panther will be awestruck at the seemingly endless capabilities of the suit donned by T'Challa, played by the late, great Chadwick Boseman.
04:21 The heart-shaped herb that he ingests in the Wakandan tradition, granting him near superhuman strength, speed and agility, draws its powers from the Vibranium-enriched soil where the meteor landed.
04:32 Coupled with his Vibranium-weaved suit, it is easy to see why Black Panther is such a formidable hero.
04:38 The science behind the suit is incredibly interesting.
04:41 The Vibranium-weaved material robs incoming items of kinetic energy and stores it for use at a later time.
04:47 Bullets fired back at Black Panther quite literally do nothing but make him stronger, as the suit can disperse the stored kinetic energy at his discretion.
04:55 Look no further than T'Challa's chase of arms dealer Ulysses Klaus in 2018's Outing.
05:00 Black Panther uses the stored energy to blast away a carload of goons after absorbing a haul of gunfire during a chase through the streets of South Korea.
05:07 Some might argue the suit gives T'Challa an almost unassailable advantage over most of his foes.
05:12 The playing field would be considerably more level were it not for the involvement of Vibranium.
05:16 I mean, give the rest of us a chance, please, Black Panther.
05:19 6. A scientist experimenting with Vibranium discovered adamantium
05:23 While fans of the MCU may be familiar with Captain America's shield or Falcon's suit,
05:28 newer fans who may not have read the comics might be unaware that another unforgettable superhero owes his powers in part to Vibranium.
05:35 That's the X-Men's poster boy, Wolverine.
05:37 In the comics, scientist Myron McClane stumbles upon a small amount of Vibranium.
05:41 He attempts to bond it with other metals in order to create a new super-strong alloy, but fails time and time again.
05:47 However, following yet another failed experiment, McClane accidentally created a new metal, virtually immune to destruction, adamantium.
05:55 As all die-hard Marvel fans are aware, adamantium is the substance that eventually bonds with Logan's skeleton,
06:01 resulting in his transformation into the essentially indestructible, razor-clawed Wolverine.
06:06 He remains one of the most recognizable and well-known superheroes in comic history to this day,
06:11 following Hugh Jackman's unforgettable 13-year tenure in the X-Men films.
06:16 It's hard to process that according to the comics, had a meteor not crashed in Africa millions of years ago,
06:22 the world might never have seen one of the most archetypal superheroes of the last 50 years bear his famous claws on screen.
06:28 Due to Vibranium's ability to absorb kinetic energy, the logic-defying substance can also be used to great effect when jumping from great heights.
06:40 Conveniently enough, this comes in handy extremely often when you're a superhero, and plunging from great heights is all in a day's work.
06:47 Black Panther's suit exemplifies Vibranium's impact-dampening effect perfectly.
06:52 T'Challa is able to consistently plummet from great heights and hit objects at great speed, emerging unscathed in the process.
06:58 The Vibranium that comprises the suit absorbs the impact from forces that would turn your average citizen into a meat pancake.
07:05 Captain America can also be seen using his shield to disperse the impact of falls to great effect throughout his appearances in the MCU.
07:12 You know, it's not just a glorified Frisbee, right?
07:15 But there are limits to the amount of energy Vibranium can store,
07:19 so I wouldn't go skydiving without the parachute relying on Vibranium to save you.
07:24 However, considering the limits of how much energy Vibranium can absorb are yet to be established in the comics,
07:29 a standard MCU 50-foot drop, it should be a piece of cake.
07:33 Or you'll turn into one.
07:35 4. A company has created a real-life form of Vibranium
07:39 While Vibranium as depicted in the MCU is obviously a fictional metal,
07:43 the ultra-adaptable qualities of the material has inspired a real-life version of the notoriously useful Marvel staple.
07:50 Hyperloop Transportation Systems have developed their own smart material that they have christened Vibranium,
07:56 which they're planning to use in their Hyperloop systems in the near future.
07:59 A prototype system that'll connect the regions of the United Arab Emirates is currently in development,
08:04 which will lead to US variants if testing is successful.
08:08 Dirk Olborn, the founder of the company, has boasted of the extraordinary capabilities of their version of Vibranium.
08:14 He posits that their material is intelligent and can actually sense integrity and react adaptively to impact,
08:20 offering greater protection to passengers on board in the unlikely event of an accident.
08:25 This version of Vibranium is allegedly 8 times lighter than Aluminium,
08:29 while boasting strength 10 times that of steel versions,
08:32 and the plan is to use the material in the outer layers of the Hyperloop's transportation pods.
08:37 Who knows, you could be barreling to work one day soon in a pod made of Vibranium-inspired material.
08:42 3. Vibranium can be sentient
08:45 Vibranium's incredible adaptability is no surprise when one considers that a living version of the substance actually exists in Wakanda.
08:53 Sentient Vibranium is discovered in a Wakandan cave by the Dora Milaje, an elite personal guard to the King of Wakanda.
08:59 The Vibranium discovered within the cave has the uncanny ability to cause earthquakes and disrupt local ecosystems,
09:05 in addition to other natural phenomena.
09:08 The Dora Milaje actually take this sentient Vibranium into their bodies.
09:12 Members who spent years fine-tuning their abilities within the cave eventually absorb the substance through their skin.
09:18 They also use this Vibranium in their spears, allowing them to better bond with the substance and connect with the environment around them.
09:25 Just like Ultron and with all intelligence, sentient Vibranium can be extremely dangerous in certain circumstances.
09:32 This version of Vibranium mimics the nature of the person absorbing it down to their very core,
09:37 while forming a distinct personality of its own at the same time.
09:40 A member of the Dora Milaje with a flawed personality who goes on to absorb the sentient iteration
09:45 runs the risk of the darker aspects of their personality being multiplied and taking control of them,
09:50 with potentially devastating consequences.
09:53 2. A member of the New X-Men uses Vibranium tattoos to stay alive
09:57 A lesser-known fact surrounding Vibranium is tied up in the backstory of member of the New X-Men, the disarmingly named Gentle.
10:04 Born to a Wakandan mother, Gentle's mutation derives from his Russian father.
10:09 He has the ability to dramatically increase or decrease muscle mass at his discretion.
10:14 While this imbues him with super strength and durability, he is abused and treated as an outsider by his own mother due to his X-Gene.
10:21 T'Challa eventually takes pity on him and sends him to Xavius' school for mutants.
10:26 But what does this have to do with Vibranium?
10:28 Well, Gentle's body is covered from head to toe in Vibranium tattoos.
10:32 As a result of the psychological trauma from his upbringing, he is prone to fits and seizures which the Vibranium tattoos alleviate.
10:39 Over time, they have bonded with his muscle tissue and glow blue whenever he uses his powers.
10:44 After watching Captain America bash bad guys to pieces with the help of his trusty Vibranium shield for years,
10:49 it is hardly surprising that the medical properties of Vibranium may have gone unnoticed by the wider Marvel fandom.
10:55 1. Vibranium still has weaknesses
10:57 It might be an absurdly resilient metal, but Vibranium has shown throughout the Marvel canon
11:02 that while nearly unbreakable, the extraterrestrial metal still has weaknesses that can be exploited.
11:07 While a key benefit of Vibranium is that it manipulates kinetic energy,
11:10 it also has the unfortunate side effect of being a superb conductor of electricity.
11:15 This could spell disaster for any hero rocking a Vibranium weapon or suit.
11:19 Eagle Eye fans will remember Natasha Romanoff allowing Cap to escape in Civil War
11:23 when she managed to slow Black Panther down to great effect using an electroshock weapon.
11:27 While astonishingly resistant to damage, Vibranium has been shown throughout the MCU films as a material that is ultimately breakable.
11:34 It's the iconic scene in Endgame where Thanos shatters Captain America's shield with titanic blows,
11:40 showing that the metal is not immune to damage of the highest degree.
11:43 It has also been shown to not provide protection against telekinetic powers.
11:47 Ultron's Vibranium-enriched final form does not do a great deal to prevent Wanda Maximoff
11:52 from quite literally ripping his heart out of his chest.
11:55 While astoundingly adaptable and durable, Vibranium falls just short of indestructible.
12:00 I don't care how strong a weak it is though, you can't stop me using it to slide down hills on a snowy day, that's for sure.
12:06 Please, make it a real thing.