We know Magneto is able to affect even adamantium as shown when he extracts all the adamantium from Wolverine's body.
Is he also able to affect or control vibranium? Has that been shown in any Marvel comic or maybe a crossover with Captain America?
asked Nov 2, 2012 at 14:18
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Wasn't the shield NOT made of real vibranium but of an experimental attempt to replicate vibranium?– DVK-on-Ahch-ToCommented Nov 2, 2012 at 21:38
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Cap's shield is made of an alloy of Vibranium and steel (iron originally)– Monty129Commented Nov 3, 2012 at 11:21
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Movie version ditches the alloy idea and its pure vibranium.– Jared TritschCommented Nov 3, 2012 at 18:09
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4 Answers
Though we have never seen Magneto directly manipulate vibranium, there is no reason he shouldn't be able to. While its spot on the periodic table has not been determined, it has all the behaviors of a metal and has been described as such. It's extraterrestrial origins imply it is likely an unknown super-material derived artificially using advanced science. It is known to be used by the Celestials as a component in their armor.
Magneto is able to use his magnetic powers to affect adamantium which is thousands of time more difficult to manipulate once it has been set into a particular form. Vibranium has no such rigidity or claims of durability.
Vibranium may need specialized tools to manipulate, but has never been shown to be particularly difficult to shape or alloy with other materials.
Vibranium has been seen used in a variety of formats in the Marvel Universe. The Black Panther wore body armor comprised of it, had claws made with it and boots which could absorb vibrational energy making them silent and decrease the damage the Panther took from falls and the Constrictor used them in his weaponized cables.
Non-ferrous metals have been affected by his powers in the past, so there is no reason to believe, despite its properties, it would be any more able to resist than any other non-ferrous metal.
In the panel shown below, Magneto is seen using his magnetic powers to repel:
the Iron Man armor (made mostly of steel alloys at the time),
Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor, which is comprised of the extra-dimensional metal, Uru, and
the shield of Captain America, which is made of proto-adamantium (an undisclosed mixture of adamantium and vibranium) and one of the most durable substances on Marvel Earth-616.
He is able to do this effortlessly, so there is no reason to consider he would be less able to affect the pure form of the metal, should he be confronted by it.
- However, later depictions of pure vibranium, rather than the alloys used in Captain America's shield have proven to be resistant to Magneto's powers. This inconsistency implies Magneto is affecting the other alloys in Captain America shield, NOT the vibranium itself.
answered Nov 3, 2012 at 7:01
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Now I want to know who the person is impersonating Beast. Commented Apr 28, 2015 at 18:10
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2@JackBNimble : LOL, this was back when Beast first got the blue fur, so Magneto had never seen him like that before. Commented Jun 25, 2015 at 20:53
Magneto cannot manipulate vibranium. I saw a edition of Uncanny X-men where he fought Black Panther and didn't not manipulate his suit. In fact, the vibranium suit stopped him from even manipulating the iron in Black Panther's blood.
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1Can you add some reference to this? Such as by finding the comic edition which this came out of? If so, this answer will be better accepted by the community. Commented Apr 11, 2015 at 17:41
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The iron in your blood is not magnetic. That's why Mystique had to inject the prison guard with a metallic compound in X-Men 2.– GaiusCommented Apr 28, 2015 at 19:25
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Mystique injected him with alot of iron. The normal amount of iron in the body wasn't enough.– user16696Commented Jun 26, 2015 at 0:36
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@Gaius My understanding of that scene was that Mystique injected the guard as a way to smuggle a larger amount of metal to Magneto than could normally be harvested from a human body.– ssokolowCommented Oct 21, 2020 at 18:08
Until recently, there wasn't a definitive answer to this question.
Siefer posted a scan from Black Panther Vol 3 #48, where 'Magneto' states that the vibranium micro-weave in Black Panther's costume prevented him from affecting the iron in T'Challa's blood. This implies that Magneto's powers don't work on vibranium.
However, the 'Magneto' T'Challa interacted with there was just a hallucination on his part. T'Challa was suffering from a brain aneurysm at the time, caused by a severe beating he'd taken from Iron Fist in Black Panther Vol 3 #39. As such, I don't think anything said by this 'Magneto' -- particularly in regard to whether his powers do or don't work on vibranium -- should be considered reliable.
Thaddeus Howze pointed out that Magneto has been shown to move Captain America's shield with his powers, specifically in Super-Villain Team-Up Vol 1 #14.
Magneto's clone, Joseph, was also shown to be able to move Cap's shield in Avengers Vol 1 #401.
However, in New Mutants Vol 1 #40, Magneto said Cap's shield was composed of a substance his powers could not affect.
I consider the latter example a goof on the writer's part, for two reasons. Firstly, Magneto was shown to be able to move Cap's shield in at least one prior issue, as evidenced above, so this scene contradicted existing precedent.
Secondly, it didn't make sense, as Cap's shield is composed of a mixture of a unique steel alloy -- which the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe dubbed proto-adamantium -- and vibranium.
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol 1 #15
Proto-adamantium isn't quite the same thing as modern adamantium (like the kind used to lace Wolverine's bones), which Magneto definitely can affect.
Proto-adamantium only exists within Captain America's shield, and is a precursor to modern adamantium, which was created as a result of unsuccessful attempts to reproduce proto-adamantium. However, as a metal that is related to modern adamantium, and described as a "steel alloy" by it's creator, Myron MacLean, proto-adamantium logically ought to be magnetic.
So even if Magneto's powers don't work on the vibranium parts of Cap's shield, he should still be able to move it by latching onto the steel parts, the same way he can move a person by latching onto the iron in their blood. By virtue of this though, Magneto's ability to move Cap's shield proves nothing about whether he can directly affect vibranium or not.
In X-Men Vol 5 #1 though, published in 2019, we finally saw Magneto using his powers to directly affect vibranium for the first time.
So the final answer is yes, Magneto's powers do work on vibranium.
answered Oct 21, 2020 at 17:31
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For the avengers 401 comic, it is said he created a magnetic field around the shield, not manipulating the shield. It would be like in my opinion, when you lift a car with a pulley. Is it you who lift the car or the pulley helping you lift the vehicle? Commented Mar 9, 2021 at 0:16
Wow this is a really tough one. While there are a few instances back years ago where Magneto and Captain America interact, I could not locate ANY instance where Magneto even attempted to take or manipulate the Shield. Most of the interactions are either non-combat or Captain wins by talking Magneto down using his diplomatic skills.
So I cant reference any canon proof as to yes or nay on this but, Given that the prevailing theory as to the reality of Magneto's powers is that he can create and manipulate localized Electromagnetic fields, it would then stand to reason than even a unique material as vibranium could still be manipulated by Magneto's powers. In some cases Magneto clearly moves non-magnetic materials using his powers, so even if the vibranium resisted magnetism he could create localized fields around the shield and move it that way.
Hope this helps.
