Marvel has more than a few mythical metals that have played big roles in the comics. Uru, Adamantium, and Vibranium are all key components of storytelling in Marvel Comics, not to mention required for making some of the top weapons that have ever been used.

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But in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the big one has been Vibranium (partly because licensing issues had previously prevented the MCU from even acknowledging the existence of Adamantium). It made its first appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger and has only grown in importance since then. With the full introduction of Wakanda, Vibranium has become a key component of the MCU. But as big a part as it's played so far, there are still secrets that not everyone knows about it.

10 Wakanda's Vibranium Mound Is A Crashed Meteorite

Wakanda's Vibranium mound

Long before humans walked the Earth, a massive meteorite crashed in the area of Africa that would eventually become Wakanda. This meteorite was comprised almost entirely of Vibranium.

A lot of people do not know that Vibranium is an extraterrestrial material that doesn't appear naturally on Earth. The Wakandans were incredibly lucky that it landed where it did or their fortunes would have played out differently. It was definitely better for the world than the meteorite landing in Latveria.

9 It Also Enriched The Soil & Plant Life

Flying into Wakanda

At this point, it's well known that Wakanda was heavily impacted by Vibranium. Not only did it turn them into a society so technologically advanced that Tony Stark would have been jealous, it was part of their everyday life. Vibranium was even sewn into their clothes.

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What is less known is the impact it had on the environment. The Vibranium enriched the soil, the flora, and the fauna. This provided the Wakandans with reliable food sources that were highly resistant to disease, drought, and any other potential threat.

8 Howard Stark Believed Cap's Shield Was All That Existed

Howard Stark helping create Captain America

The first appearance of Vibranium in the MCU was in Captain America: The First Avenger. Howard Stark had used a small amount of it to make what would become Captain America's shield, one of the most formidable weapons on Earth.

What was interesting was that Howard believed this to be all of the Vibranium on the planet. It's also never really made clear where he got it from or if Howard was even fully aware of the source of his sample. That was probably why he thought that was it as Wakanda's secret wasn't out yet.

7 It Has Its Limitations

Captain America's broken shield

At first glance, Vibranium seems indestructible— and it is, to an extent. This is due to the fact that it's significantly stronger than steel but is only a third of the weight. On top of that, it absorbs vibrations, which allows it to handle a variety of physical attacks.

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But on more than one occasion, it has been shown to have limitations. Obviously, Thanos annihilated it in the final battle of Avengers: Endgame. But in Age of Ultron, various Avengers used energy blasts to melt Ultron's Vibranium shell away, leaving him vulnerable.

6 No One Knows Who Bought All Of Klaue's Stolen Vibranium

Killmonger with Klaue

In 1992, the terrorist and mercenary known as Ulysses Klaue attacked Wakanda using intelligence provided to him by King T'Chaka's brother N'Jobu. Many Wakandans were killed in the assault and Klaue escaped with a significant amount of Vibranium.

What isn't known is what happened to all of the Vibranium Klaue stole. Ultron took what he had left, but someone had to buy the rest of it in the 20+ years between the theft and Age of Ultron. A big contender is obviously Hydra but there's another recognizable name on that list.

5 S.H.I.E.L.D. Used Vibranium A Lot

The cast of Agents of SHIELD

A significant portion of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technology utilized Vibranium components. This came up frequently on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as items like Fury's toolbox or the interrogation room on The Bus either had Vibranium in their composition or were entirely made from it.

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At that point, Wakanda was still hiding in plain sight and virtually no one outside of the country knew about the Vibranium mound. As such, it stands to reason that S.H.I.E.L.D., which was a Hydra puppet, purchased some of Klaue's ill gotten stash.

4 It Has Magnetic Properties

Captain America running with his shield

While Vibranium is a completely different animal when it comes to terrestrial metals, it does share some qualities in common with them. Like some metals native to Earth, Vibranium is magnetic, a quality that has come in very handy.

Captain America made good use of this in a few key ways. A magnet strapped to his back held his shield in place while one on his forearm held it in place there, as well. He also used that same magnet to get the shield to come back to him when it was lying on the ground.

3 It Can Convert Energy

Falcon Sam Wilson Captain America Shield

While being magnetic is a more common property of Vibranium, its ability to absorb energy it not. But being able to absorb kinetic energy is one thing. The energy has to go somewhere, which the other half of this equation.

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Energy cannot simply be destroyed. It has to be converted into another form of energy, such as light or sound, and Vibranium is capable of doing just that. This has been seen several times across the MCU, most obviously when Thor hit the shield with his hammer in the first Avengers movie.

2 Sonic Equipment Can Negate Its Properties

Klaw in Black Panther

Nothing in the world is 100% invulnerable or indestructible, and that is certainly true of Vibranium. While it has its upper limits when it comes to taking a beating, it has one pretty significant vulnerability in the form of sonic attacks.

Shuri lays this out in Black Panther, and T'Challa puts this knowledge to good use when fighting Erik Killmonger. But it would have been interesting to see what kind of damage Klaue's arm mounted sonic weapon could have done to Cap's shield.

1 The New Captain America Suit Is Made From Vibranium

Sam Wilson in his Captain America gear

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier detailed several journeys, the big ones being Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes leaving their former hero identities behind. Barnes is no longer Winter Soldier but the name he will be going by remains to be seen. Sam is more straightforward as he's Captain America now.

One thing that wasn't made clear is that Wilson's new super suit is made of Vibranium. Based on the fact that Bucky got it from Wakanda, that should be assumed but it was never explicitly stated in the show. This will come in handy for the new Captain America.

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