Black Panther’s fictional metal vibranium has become a big part of the MCU, having become a major resource and weapon with multiple appearances.

Vibranium has become a very big part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Incredibly rare with mysterious origins, vibranium is a very powerful substance possessing several different properties. Having been featured in multiple Marvel movies since Phase 1 and likely playing a significant role in narratives for Phase 5 and beyond, it’s important to understand the value of vibranium and all it can do in the overarching MCU.

Vibranium made its first MCU appearance in Phase 1’s Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), serving as the metal used to forge Steve Rogers’ iconic shield. The versatile substance then gained a bigger role in Phase 2 with the AI robot Ultron acquiring the metal in Avengers: Age of Ultron, using it to create a doomsday weapon, the android Vision, as well as a new body for himself. However, vibranium truly came to prominence following the debut of King T’Challa and the African nation of Wakanda in 2018’s Black Panther. Here’s where vibranium comes from, what it can do, and its role in the MCU explained.

Where Vibranium Comes From In The MCU

As confirmed at the beginning of Black Panther, the world’s limited supply of vibranium came from a meteor that crash-landed in the remote region of Africa that would later come to be known as the nation of Wakanda. Likewise, 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revealed that part of the meteor also landed in the Yucatán. Believed to be one of the strongest substances in the universe, it’s unknown where else in the galaxy vibranium can be found.

There are some interesting MCU theories about vibranium and where it might have come from. One idea is that the dwarves of Nidavellir might have forged the substance or that it was a byproduct of Uru (the metal of Thor’s hammer), seeing as how both substances can redirect energy. Another idea suggests that vibranium comes from the MCU’s cosmic beings known as the Celestials, while a very popular theory argues vibranium might have been created by the Power Stone, one of the six singularities Thanos would use in his mission to “balance” the universe. However, the origin point of vibranium in the MCU is currently a big question mark.

How Vibranium Led To The Development Of Wakanda & Talokan

Upon the meteor’s landing in Africa, five tribes came together in the affected region to form the nation of Wakanda. Eventually, a warrior shaman became king, uniting the tribes after receiving a vision from the goddess Bast who led him to a plant grown from vibranium-enriched soil, granting him enhanced strength and senses as the first Black Panther. Passing down the mantle of the Black Panther for generations, Wakanda became a nation of prosperity and great advancement due to all the capabilities provided by the large deposit of vibranium. It also played a key role in Wakanda’s decision be hide from the world for centuries until the reign of King T’Challa.

In a similar vein, vibranium is responsible for the nation of Talokan. Facing the threat of Spanish conquistadors, the shaman of a Yucatán-Mayan tribe received a vision from the god Chaac which led him to a similar vibranium-enriched plant. Consuming the plant, the members of the tribe received gills with blue skin on the surface, gaining the ability to breathe and live in peace beneath the waves.

Moving to the Puerto Rico Trench where more of the vibranium deposit could be found, the tribe named their new nation Talokan. They would come to be ruled by Namor, a mutant born with superhuman strength, longevity, pointed ears, wings on his ankles, and the ability to breathe both oxygen and water due to his mother ingesting the planet while pregnant. As such, Namor became known as K’uk’ulkan, the Feathered Serpent God serving as their ruler and protector (not unlike the Black Panther himself). Using their own stores of vibranium, Talokan thrived under the sea just as Wakanda has in the MCU.

Vibranium Is Strong, But It’s Not Indestructible

Vibranium is quite strong in the MCU while also being very light. It’s also vibration-absorbent, hence the name. This means that metal vibranium can effectively absorb all the kinetic energy on the molecular level when struck, making it incredibly durable and nearly unbreakable (the perfect shield for Captain America). It can also deflect and redirect kinetic energy, explaining the shield’s ability to ricochet off surfaces, deflect bullets, or when Rogers teams up with Thor to redirect the energy from a hammer strike at incoming forces (or Iron Man’s repulsor beams). It also explains the Black Panther suit’s ability to store energy and then release it as a powerful blast.

However, vibranium is not indestructible. Not only can vibranium be broken down by an opposing source of vibranium, but Avengers: Endgame confirmed that whatever metal Thanos’ double-edged sword was made from can damage the powerful metal as well, as seen when it cuts a chunk off of Captain America’s shield during the Battle of Earth. While it’s been theorized that Thanos’ sword may be made from Uru like Thor’s hammer Mjolnir or his axe Stormbreaker, it’s proof nonetheless that other substances can break down vibranium in the universe. All the same, vibranium is still the strongest metal compared to other substances found on Earth.

Everything Else Vibranium Can Do

Beyond its ability to be used in the making of weapons such as Captain America’s shield or Black Panther’s armor, one of the most impressive capabilities of vibranium is its aforementioned ability to enhance individuals. Characters like T’Challa and his sister Shuri became more powerful as Wakanda’s Black Panthers, as did the villain Erik Killmonger when he temporarily took the throne and heart-shaped herb himself. The same is true for the vibranium-altered plants responsible for Namor’s mutations and the aquatic transformations of the original Talokanils and future generations.

Vibranium can also create hyperefficient energy sources. Examples would include vehicles such as Wakanda’s hovercraft or Talokan’s artificial sun, used to bring the undersea nation light despite being 12,000 feet below the surface. Overall, vibranium is not only one of the strongest substances in the universe, but it’s also one of the most versatile. This is why it’s so valued on Earth and why it will likely continue playing such a prominent role going forward. In the wake of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it does seem as though the global arms race for vibranium and the resulting tensions between nations in the MCU has only just begun.