Adamantium Vs. Vibranium: Which 'Unbreakable' Marvel Metal Is Stronger?

Adamantium and vibranium are the two most powerful metals in the Marvel Universe, making them highly sought-after materials by heroes, villains, and governments alike. While both have been used by a range of characters, adamantium is synonymous with Wolverine's claws and Ultron's shell. On the flip side, vibranium can be traced back to Wakanda and is primarily associated with Black Panther's costume. Meanwhile, both metals factor into the history of Captain America's shield. Vibranium and adamantium are both practically unbreakable, but which one is the most powerful? To answer this question, we asked Marvel expert Devin Meenan of SlashFilm for details.

In short, Marvel lore indicates that adamantium is the strongest of the pair, but don't count out vibranium just yet. Mark Gruenwald and Mike Zeck's "Captain America Annual" #8 describes it as the most impervious metal in the universe, but Meenan notes that each metal boasts qualities that make them indestructible in unique ways. "If someone hits a piece of vibranium with a hammer, it'll be undamaged because the metal's cells absorb the kinetic energy of the hit and neutralize the force. If someone hit adamantium with a hammer, it wouldn't break because the adamantium is too durable to break."

When it comes to adamantium and vibranium, it isn't a clear-cut case of one being better than the other. While adamantium might be physically stronger, vibranium has some notable advantages over its metallic counterpart, and vice versa.

Adamantium is practically impossible to crack, and its power shouldn't be understated. However, vibranium is the favored metal of Marvel characters who like to be crafty and creative with their materials. "Adamantium is just a really, really hard metal," Devin Meenan noted. "It basically does what steel does, but better. That makes it excellent for defensive purposes, like building a shield or giving someone a bullet-deflecting skull. Vibranium, owing to its energy absorbing properties, has a wider variety of uses."

The Marvel aficionado also listed some examples where vibranium has been used creatively, including Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's "Fantastic Four" #53. In this story, Ulysses Klaw invades Wakanda and uses sonic energy to convert the metal into physical constructs, which he uses to do his bidding. Meanwhile, Disney XD's "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" cartoon sees Black Panther mold the metal into a range of different weapons throughout the series.

In some ways, vibranium is arguably the most favorable metal, as it can be reshaped while also absorbing destruction. Still, which metal has come out on top the most during fights between their users?

Broadly speaking, adamantium and vibranium are both unbreakable. That being said, how have they fared when pitted against each other in the heat of battle? As is always the case when it comes to war, it isn't a black-and-white situation. Some surprises that betray everything we've ever thought about the metals have occasionally been thrown into the mix, leading to some interesting outcomes.

As documented by Devin Meenan, "Captain America Annual" #8 shows that both materials are as unbreakable as each other; the scene in question sees Wolverine's claws clash with the titular star-spangled hero's shield, and neither weapon is damaged. This is the standard reaction to both metals clashing, but history has proven that there are outliers.

Kurt Busiek and George Perez's "Avengers" #22 sees vibranium come out on top in a battle between the eponymous super team and Ultron, but not in the traditional sense. Ultron's shell is destroyed by a variant known as Antarctic vibranium, which is capable of melting adamantium. While the Antarctic version isn't common vibranium, its powers expose how Marvel's so-called indestructible materials aren't always perfect.

If the rules governing adamantium and vibranium were both set in stone, the Marvel Universe would be a less interesting place. Part of the fun is finding ways to manipulate the metals' properties so that characters have obstacles to overcome — like when Wolverine's adamantium claws were found to be poisoning the X-Man. However, being prone to poisoning someone isn't the only downside associated with adamantium, as Devin Meenan points out.

"Adamantium's strength is a double-edged sword; once it sets into a solid form, it can't be reshaped. It takes impossibly high temperatures to melt adamantium back to a liquid state for reforging." Conversely, while vibranium can be more easily repurposed, adamantium has a distinct advantage over its Wakandan counterpart, as the latter is exclusive to the sub-Saharan kingdom, making it more difficult to obtain. Adamantium, meanwhile, is less difficult to produce as it's a man-made phenomenon — and a very powerful one at that.

With Wolverine set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and most assuredly bringing adamantium with him, fans could see both metals on the screen sooner than later. Perhaps that will shed more light on their advantages and disadvantages, in turn giving us more to ponder.