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Someone asked a Gorilla vs. Shark answer recently ("Would Captain America's shield stop a lightsaber?"), which was closed for obvious reasons. However, it did get me curious as to whether or not the Vibranium of Earth-616 would negate an energy-based weapon with ZERO kinetic energy involved.

For an in-universe example, let's use Psylocke's energy blade. The blade is comprised of 100% psychic energy, so theoretically the only kinetic energy involved would be exerted by Psylocke's arm, not the blade itself.

Psylocke's energy blade

Would a weapon like Psylocke's energy blade be able to penetrate Vibranium? Are there any examples of said contact, such as Psylocke fighting Captain America?

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  • I think this relies on physics. Even electricity and photons/light have kinetic energy.
    – user16696
    Jun 25, 2015 at 20:49
  • I would argue that energy-based weapons DO have kinetic energy, of some kind. That's how they do damage, or cut things. Picture a blowtorch or laser: they seem to be of "pure energy", but there's plenty of measurable force being transferred. Psionic attacks draw their strength from the mind, but they must exert some kind of kinetic energy in order to have impact force.
    – Nerrolken
    Jun 25, 2015 at 21:27
  • Of course, psionic attacks don't do physical damage. But short of calling it magic...
    – user16696
    Jun 25, 2015 at 21:46
  • Also relevant, img402.imageshack.us/img402/8443/capagainstthorue6.jpg cap blocking a pure energy attack, thor magic lightning.
    – user16696
    Jun 25, 2015 at 21:49
  • Random, completely off topic question... Have you been playing Poptropica, by any chance? Or maybe your username has nothing to do with it... If so, ignore me completely. ;-P
    – AJL
    Jun 26, 2015 at 16:59

2 Answers 2

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It would depend completely on the type of energy and how it delivered its damage to the target. Vibranium is keyed to vibration and kinetic energy transfer. It is much less durable against attacks of pure energy without an accompanying physical effect.

For example: Psylocke's powers indicated she had the ability to vary the settings.

  • Psylocke could use her telepathy to project a focused beam of directed psionic energy called a "psycho-blast" that could incapacitate or kill a living being instantly.

  • This attack was powerful enough to pierce the Juggernaut's psi-proof helmet (ignoring the helmet's physical and psychic protections).

  • The psycho-blast was able to affect inorganic material as well as living targets (when directing a psycho-blast at Sabretooth the energy destroyed the metal Cerebro helmet she was wearing).

This means:

  • Her powers are telepathic and she could project mental blasts directly into a target's mind.

  • At its highest settings it was accompanied by a telekinetic/physical effect capable of destroying actual matter.

  • Given this knowledge, if her psychic knife (later psychic katana) were capable of affecting matter, then armor created of vibranium would offer a physical defense against the physical aspect of the attack, but would be blind to any psychic protection unless the armor was treated with additional layers of technological defense.

Psylocke slices dinos

PLEASE NOTE:

  • In the case of Earth-616's Captain America and his corresponding adamantium/vibranium/Ur alloy shield, the shield would be able to stop Psylocke's attack because it was designed to deflect both physical and energy based attacks.

  • Even though her attack is psionic energy, the shield will deflect it because its alloy is capable of deflecting attacks of pure energy of any known kind.

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According to this, vibranium can absorbs all the energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Wakandan vibranium has the ability to absorb all forms of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, making it impervious to all radiation bombardments.

encyclopedia of the above text

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  • 2
    And "this" being? The Marvel guide/encyclopedia whatever it's called? Something else? Please edit your answer to include the source. :)
    – Jenayah
    May 26, 2019 at 23:37
  • That is from the official handbook of the marvel universe
    – Hunter Strickland
    Jul 9, 2019 at 15:11

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