Vibranium
is a rare, naturally occurring metallic substance, theorized to be of extraterrestrial
origin, which exists in two forms. The
first, Wakandan Vibranium, is found almost exclusively in the tiny African nation
of Wakanda. Wakandan Vibranium, though as yet unknown means, absorbs vibratory
energy in its vicinity, such as sound waves, with in itself. The apparent observable
vibratory rate of the molecules of the Vibranium itself does not increase when
the Vibranium absorbs mechanical energy. The outside vibratory energy is stored
within the bonds between the molecules making up the Vibranium. As a result, a
chunk of Vibranium, which has absorbed a considerable amount of vibratory energy,
would be exceedingly hard to demolish. If enough force were applied to this chunk
to smash it the Vibranium would explode, releasing much of the absorbed energy.
There are limits to the capacity of Vibranium to absorb vibratory energy, although
the exact extent of these limits has not yet been determined. For example, in
recent years the oil conglomerate Roxxon discovered that a certain small island
in the South Atlantic had a foundation composed of Wakandan Vibranium. Roxxon
found it necessary to destroy the island and blew it up with bombs. Unable to
absorb the force of the explosion, the Vibranium was destroyed, but it did succeed
in entirely absorbing the sound made by the explosion. It
was in the mid 80's that the world learned of the existence Wakandan Vibranium,
although its existence has been rumored for decades. In the early 1940s a small
amount of Wakandan Vibranium came into the possession of the young, brilliant
scientist Dr. Myron MacLain. Through an accident, which cannot be duplicated,
MacLain created an alloy of Wakandan Vibranium and a form of Adamantium
steel. The sole specimen of this alloy now serves as Captain
America's shield. Sometime
later the renegade scientist Ulysses Klaw, who had believed the rumors of Vibranium
were true, found the great "sacred mound" of Vibranium in Wakanda. The
chieftans, also known as kings, of the Wakandans had guarded the mound for generations
as a sacred trust. Klaw failed in his attempt to steal Vibranium from the mound
but killed the chieftan T'Chaka. T'Chaka's son T'Challa became the new king of
the Wakandans and also adopted the sacred guise of the Black
Panther. T'Challa strove to end Wakanda's isolation from the rest of the world.
He made the existence of Vibranium known to the outside world and sold small quantities
of it to foreigners whom he believed would not turn it to harmful ends. T'Challa
used the profits to enrich and modernize his nation. The
other form, Antarctic Vibranium, has thus far been found in nature only in the
isolated region of Antarctica known as the Savage Land. Antarctic Vibranium is
also known as "Anti-Metal" due to its effects. Whereas Wakandan Vibranium
absorbs vibratory energy into its molecular bond, Antarctic Vibranium, through
a means that is not yet understood, emanates vibrations, which cause the atomic
molecular bonds in nearby metals of other kinds to weaken. The result is to cause
nearby solid metals to liquefy. If huge quantities of Antarctic Vibranium were
gathered together, at some unknown point the accumulated mass would be so great
that the vibrations given off by the entire mass would increase logarithmically
as more Vibranium was added. Theoretically, if the enormous mound of Wakandan
Vibranium were composed of Antarctic Vibranium instead, the resulting vibrations
would therefore liquefy metals throughout Africa, and possibly beyond. A fraction
of the sacred mound of Wakandan Vibranium was apparently converted to Antarctic
Vibranium by particle bombardment. It is not known what the Wakandans have done
with this artificially created Antarctic Vibranium. Vibranium
is not an element, despite various references to it as such. The properties of
Vibranium do not qualify it to fill any gaps in the Periodic Table of Elements.
Moreover, Vibranium could not be an element with a higher atomic weight than any
known elements, since it is not radioactive as the elements with the highest atomic
weights are. First
Appearance: (Antarctic Vibranium) DAREDEVIL #13, (Wakandan Vibranium) FANTASTIC
FOUR #53 |