Every MCU Character Who Uses Vibranium Ranked By Power

Vibranium is a remarkably powerful and versatile resource that’s been central to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the beginning. Arriving on Earth thousands of years ago via meteorites, it’s one of the strongest materials around and highly sought after. While other powerful materials like adamantium may eventually become more prominent, vibranium has already played a key role in making many of Marvel’s most famous heroes and villains even stronger.

Vibranium was first introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2011 film, *Captain America: The First Avenger*. Since then, this powerful metal has been a key source of strength for many characters, though not everyone has fully utilized its potential. Characters like Captain America, Ultron, and the various Black Panthers have all benefited from vibranium, and it has played a major role in making them iconic figures within the MCU.

15) Ulysses Klaue

Ulysses Klaue was a criminal who dealt in illegal weapons. In the 1990s, he discovered Wakanda while working for N’Jobu, tasked with sneaking into the nation and stealing vibranium. Though we haven’t seen how he did it, Klaue successfully stole vibranium, which he later sold to another Marvel villain. He eventually got more vibranium and used it to build a powerful, weaponized prosthetic arm. Ultimately, he was killed by Killmonger. Despite being an international criminal, Klaue lacked real power, even with the vibranium at his disposal.

14) Everett K. Ross

As a huge fan of the MCU, I’ve always found Everett K. Ross to be a really interesting character. He’s clearly a seasoned intelligence operative, and he’s got a knack for being one step ahead. Remember in *Black Panther*? He ended up in Wakanda after getting shot by Ulysses Klaue, and that’s when he discovered just how much vibranium was hidden beneath the city! He wasn’t just a bystander, though. He actually used Wakandan tech to remotely control a vehicle and cut off Killmonger’s attempts to smuggle vibranium out of the country. Honestly, it was his intelligence and skills that really helped stop Killmonger, and it looks like he earned the Wakandans’ trust while doing it.

13) Howard Stark

When it comes to intelligence and influence, Howard Stark was a major force. In the 1940s, he obtained vibranium from Wakanda and used it to create Captain America’s iconic shield. Though Stark himself didn’t utilize vibranium’s power directly, he did experiment with the shield before giving it to Steve Rogers. As one of the smartest people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stark remained incredibly powerful and influential long after his death.

12) Nick Fury

While the TV show *Agents of SHIELD* isn’t officially part of the main Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, it’s likely Nick Fury, the former head of SHIELD, did use vibranium. In the show, Fury gives a special vibranium toolkit to Phil Coulson when Coulson becomes the new director, providing him with everything needed to lead the organization. The existence of this toolkit suggests that a new version of SHIELD could appear in the main MCU. Considering Fury’s influence and abilities, he remains one of the most important and powerful figures in the MCU.

11) Sam Wilson’s Captain America

As a huge MCU fan, I’ve noticed vibranium is key to every Captain America’s power. Steve Rogers and John Walker mainly used it in their shields, but Sam Wilson needed a bigger upgrade. Since he doesn’t have the super-soldier serum, the Wakandans built him a full vibranium suit. It gives him amazing strength, lets him fly, and makes him incredibly durable. He’s still not quite on the level of Rogers or Walker when it comes to natural superpowers, but that suit definitely helps close the gap!

10) John Walker’s US Agent

John Walker’s strength comes from the super-soldier serum in his system. He took over as Captain America after Sam Wilson stepped down and gave the shield to a museum, but Walker started without the serum. He struggled with the job and the lack of enhanced abilities, so he took the same serum the Flag Smashers used, which eventually led to him becoming US Agent. Even though he’s a key member of the New Avengers, John Walker no longer uses vibranium.

9) Peggy Carter’s Captain Carter

Although Captain Carter hasn’t appeared extensively in live-action films, the animated series *What If…?* featured a version of Peggy Carter who received the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers. This animated Captain Carter became a remarkably powerful hero and ultimately saved her universe. While the live-action version isn’t as strong as Steve Rogers, the *What If…?* version was among the most powerful characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before her eventual sacrifice. The Captain Carter from Earth 838 was unfortunately killed by the Scarlet Witch in *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*.

8) Steve Rogers’ Captain America

Steve Rogers is considered the most powerful Captain America due to his long life and proven track record against formidable enemies like Red Skull, Loki, Ultron, and Thanos. He’s demonstrated greater strength than other Captain Americas, including Sam Wilson, John Walker, and the super-soldier version of Peggy Carter. For decades, Rogers fought with a vibranium shield designed by Howard Stark in the 1940s. He initially gave up the shield after a conflict with Tony Stark in *Captain America: Civil War*, but Stark later returned it, allowing Rogers to ultimately pass it on to Sam Wilson in *Avengers: Endgame*.

7) Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier

Many fans assume Captain America is the most powerful hero with vibranium technology, but Bucky Barnes actually surpasses him. While Captain America uses a basic vibranium shield, Bucky was transformed into the Winter Soldier by HYDRA and eventually received a vibranium arm made in Wakanda. This advanced prosthetic significantly boosted his abilities, making him more powerful than most other super-soldiers and a key asset to the New Avengers.

6) Ultron

Ultron, a ruthless artificial intelligence, didn’t get the full vibranium body he desired, but he did enhance himself with some vibranium, losing any sense of compassion in the process. He then used vibranium to raise a large part of Sokovia into the sky, planning to crash it down on Earth and wipe out humanity. While incredibly powerful, Ultron wasn’t strong enough to overcome the Avengers as a team, though he could easily defeat individual super-soldiers.

5) Dora Milaje & The Wakandans

Wakanda is built upon a massive deposit of vibranium, a powerful resource its people have expertly learned to use. They’ve integrated it into everyday life – their clothing is actually armor, their vehicles are vibranium-powered, and they’ve made incredible technological leaps. They’ve also created some of the world’s most formidable weapons, especially for the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s all-female warrior force. The Dora Milaje are incredibly powerful, even surpassing super-soldiers as seen in *The Falcon and the Winter Soldier*, but they weren’t able to defeat the Talokanil on their own.

4) Namor & The Talokanil

Two vibranium meteorites crashed to Earth long ago – one in what is now Wakanda, and another in the ocean near the Yucatán Peninsula. This second meteorite affected the underwater plant life, which was eaten by the ancestors of Namor, giving them the ability to breathe underwater and allowing them to build the hidden city of Talokan. While Namor’s powers come from being both a mutant and a Talokanil, all of his people have vibranium in their systems, making them exceptionally strong, much like the Wakandans. In the movie *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*, the Talokanil demonstrated that they were even more powerful than the Wakandans.

3) Riri Williams’ Ironheart

Riri Williams first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a young inventor who had created a vibranium tracker. Soon after, she found herself in Wakanda and used vibranium to build her own powerful Ironheart suit. This armor allowed her to fight against the forces from Talokan. While her new suit, featured in the *Ironheart* series, seems even more advanced, Riri still isn’t as skilled with vibranium as those who have been using it for much longer.

2) Black Panther

Throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its many alternate realities, we’ve encountered various Black Panthers. Each one is a highly skilled Wakandan warrior who gains superhuman abilities by consuming a special herb enriched with vibranium. They also wear a vibranium suit for added protection. Marvel Studios has showcased Black Panthers like Bashenga, Azzuri, T’Chaka, T’Challa, N’Jadaka, Shuri, and even those from other universes, such as the one featured in *Eyes of Wakanda*. Each new Black Panther has been more powerful than the last.

Bashenga

Bashenga hasn’t had a significant appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet, only appearing briefly in an animated sequence showing Wakanda’s history. He was the one who brought Wakanda’s five tribes together and was the first person to take the heart-shaped herb, granting him power. This made him Wakanda’s first king and the original Black Panther. He gained his abilities by connecting with the panther goddess, Bast, becoming a powerful warrior, though later Black Panthers would become even stronger.

T’Chaka

T’Chaka, the former king of Wakanda and father of T’Challa and Shuri, was a powerful and dedicated leader. Both John Kani and his son, Atandwa Kani, have portrayed him. He was willing to make difficult choices, even killing his own brother to protect Wakanda. He was ultimately killed by Baron Zemo in *Captain America: Civil War*. In another reality, a version of T’Chaka joined the Avengers in 1988 to fight against Ego and his son, demonstrating his lasting influence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

T’Challa

After the death of T’Chaka, his son T’Challa – played by the late Chadwick Boseman – became the new King of Wakanda. T’Challa was already the Black Panther, and quickly became known as one of the most capable and determined heroes to take on the role. He was also open-minded and compassionate, especially when considering whether to share Wakanda’s resources with the world. T’Challa was a fan favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making both his and Chadwick Boseman’s passing incredibly sad. Thankfully, his inspiring story continues to live on.

Erik “Killmonger” Stevens

Erik Stevens, also known as Killmonger, was a highly trained warrior. After his father—T’Chaka’s brother—died in 1992, Erik became an elite Navy SEAL. He eventually challenged and defeated T’Challa in Wakandan ritual combat, claiming the throne and the title of Black Panther, initially proving to be the stronger of the two. However, T’Challa later defeated Erik, fatally stabbing him when their vibranium suits were damaged by a passing train carrying more vibranium. Different versions of Killmonger have also found new and dangerous ways to use vibranium.

Shuri

Following her brother’s death from an unknown illness in *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*, Shuri stepped up to become Wakanda’s new Black Panther. She proved to be a formidable warrior, even defeating Namor in a direct fight after luring him onto land. Empowered by a synthetic heart-shaped herb, Shuri is already a super-strong character, but her incredible intelligence and technological skills make her an even more powerful Black Panther than those we’ve seen before – though one past Black Panther stands out as even more impressive.

The Last Black Panther

The newest Black Panther, featured in the animated series *Eyes of Wakanda* and voiced by Anika Noni Rose (known from *Them* and *The Lion King*), uses vibranium in a completely new way. Set in the 24th century, the story reveals that after Wakanda was attacked by aliens, the Queen Mother and the Black Panther built a time machine using vibranium. They traveled back to 1896 and persuaded Tafari and Kuda to return a vibranium ax – one that would eventually fall into Killmonger’s hands. By doing so, they corrected a crucial event in history and secured the future of Wakanda.

1) Vision

Vision was originally created as a body for Ultron, and is entirely made of vibranium. This incredibly strong material allows him to contain the Mind Stone and gives him powers beyond those of most other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s proven himself a major and powerful character, defeating enemies like Ultron and even battling alternate versions of himself, though he was ultimately destroyed. Now, Vision has been rebuilt and will return in the upcoming *Vision Quest* series, potentially becoming even more powerful and bringing vibranium back into focus within the MCU.

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2025-10-08 17:46