Love them or hate them, the Marvel comic book movies have ruled the box office for nearly a decade now, making characters like Iron Man, Black Widow, and Thor household names. And the latest movie, Black Panther, is one of the most acclaimed and financially successful so far.

Even if you haven’t seen the movie itself, it’s impossible to escape the onslaught of news headlines and social media posts talking about it.

And now, here we are talking about it on a welding and fabrication blog.

Why? Because essentially everything that happens in Black Panther is centered around the presence of a very special metal: Vibranium.

What is Vibranium?

Vibranium is metallic element that absorbs sound waves, along with other vibrations such as kinetic energy. So, if a bullet was fired at vibranium, the energy from the bullet would transfer to the vibranium, and the bullet would fall harmlessly to the ground.

This makes it nearly indestructible to brute force attack.

Should vibranium be hit with a force strong enough to destroy it, the stored energy releases, causing a devastating explosion.

Is this all sounding like science fiction? Well, that’s because it is.

Vibranium is Not Real

Vibranium was created by Marvel comics in 1966, first appearing in Daredevil #13. Originally shrouded in mystery, the fictional metal was fleshed out across various comic lines over the next few years. Vibranium is actually an alien metal that crashed to earth, hence its fantastical properties.

While there were different crash sites throughout the globe, the most prominent was in the African country of Wakanda (also fictional). Thanks to the strength, versatility, and abundance of vibranium, Wakanda grew into a highly advanced and prosperous nation.

At the head of this powerful country is the Black Panther, chieftain of Wakanda. But the Black Panther isn’t your average king.

Due to its alien origin, the vibranium that crashed into Wakanda emitted a strange radiation that affected the country’s plant-life, most notably, a heart-shaped herb. When consumed, this plant gives enhanced strength, speed, and perception, should the person prove worthy.

When a new chieftain is crowned, they consume the plant, taking on the title as the new Black Panther. In battle, the Black Panther dons a black, cat-like suit constructed out of vibranium. Between the enhanced abilities and a nearly indestructible suit, the Black Panther is a force to be reckoned with.

How is Vibranium Forged?

Throughout many comic books, vibranium is used to create clothes, weapons, structures, and even Captain America’s shield. But if it’s so indestructible, how is forged into anything?

The simple answer is to say that it’s a comic book, and therefore, logic doesn’t always need to apply.

But a more technical response would be to say that it’s likely forged and manipulated the same way other metals are: through heat and pressure. Vibranium absorbs vibrations, not heat.

Heating up the metal would allow it to become mailable. From there, you could shape and purpose it as needed. With their advanced technology, the country of Wakanda likely has some pretty impressive vibranium tube-bending and fabricating machinery.

Who knows, maybe we’ll get to see some of the behind-the-scenes fabrication in the inevitable Black Panther sequel. In the meantime…

We’ll Continue to Provide the Strongest Fabricating Available in the Real World

We might not have vibranium available to make our parts and equipment, but we do have steel, and steel is a pretty fantastic metal in itself. It’s strong, dense, long-lasting, and affordable. Mix it with some chromium and nickel, and you have rust-proof stainless steel.

For all of your welding and tube bending needs, contact Ever-Roll. Our fabricated products might not match the strength of vibranium, but they’ll out perform anything this side of the comic books.