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marvel - What, exactly, is Vibranium able or not able to absorb?


There have been a number of recent questions asking about Vibranium, and objects (like Captain America's Shield) made from Vibranium, based on the property that it can "absorb kinetic energy". This wording, in particular, appears to come from the Wikipedia article, and it's sourced from this Cinemablend article that was written pre-Iron Man 2:



While the serum gave him abilities like increased endurance, strength and speed, he was also given a shield made of a material called vibranium that can absorb any amount of kinetic energy and, when thrown, can maintain speed even after collision.



On the other hand, the Marvel Wikia puts things a slightly different way; it says:



Wakandan Vibranium, through as yet unknown means, absorbs vibratory energy in its vicinity, such as sound waves, within itself. The apparent observable vibratory rate of the molecules of the Vibranium itself does not noticeably increase when the Vibranium absorbs mechanical energy.


If enough force were 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.




Those two statements are not even remotely the same, yet people seem to be taking the Wikipedia paraphrase of the Cinemablend article as fact.


What, exactly, are the absorptive characteristics and limitations of Vibranium, particularly in the -616 universe, but also, anything we know about it from -199999 that may be different?




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