What is adamantium, or Marvel's Unique Metal

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Adamantium metal is one of the most famous materials ever featured in Marvel comics. His unique qualities provided the amazing abilities of many superheroes of the universe, and also significantly influenced the outcome of the struggle between the forces of light and the forces of evil.

What is adamantium?

Adamantium (English adamantium) is a non-existent substance belonging to the category of metal alloys. He became widely known after the creators of the Wolverine character decided that the hero's claws would be made of adamantium. The material itself, as well as its chemical composition and useful properties, was invented by writer Roy Thomas, from whose notes artists Barry Windsor-Smith and Sid Shores created an original concept for the appearance of adamantium, the most durable metal in the world.

The material did not immediately become popular in the superhero comic series, but after the appearance of such a character as Wolverine, the "demand" of the material increased significantly.

Also, thanks to the advent of adamantium, the developers of the Marvel Universe began to pay much more attention to varioustypes of metal, resulting in the metal vibranium, which was popularized by the legendary shield of Captain America.

However, it still remains a mystery - which is stronger - adamantium or vibranium?

Etymology

For the very term "adamantium" by Marvel Comics, a philological legend was invented, demonstrating the origin of the concept from the supposedly ancient Latin word adamant, which denoted a particularly hard type of diamond. Later, the term received a new pseudo-Latin pronunciation - adamans / adamantiem, from which the English analogue was formed.

In this case, the phenomenon of a language game is observed, since in English there is a real adjective adamantine, which means "hardness of a diamond" in translation into Russian. From this adjective, the adverb adamantly is formed, which means "resolutely firm, unshakable." In a sense, the forerunners of the appearance of adamantium and its prototypes can be called the metal “mitrill” (mitrill) from the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien “The Lord of the Rings”, as well as a material called “adamantine steel” (adamantine steel) from the movie “Forbidden Planet.”

Mining and production

Adamantium is one of the most valuable metals in the Marvel comics universe. It is mined in special mines, where it is contained in the rock in extremely small quantities. The collected and purified material is placed in special blocks made of solid resin. Each such block can hold a limited amount of metal.

To make any product from a large amount of adamantium, blocksmelted into a single mass. In the process of mixing, the resin evaporates, and the adamantium acquires a uniform consistency. The alloy retains a liquid state for eight minutes, after which it solidifies forever in the form given to it.

Properties

The molecular structure and state of aggregation of the metal have one important feature - the impossibility of changing the formation or deformation after the adoption of the final final form.

In its consistency, the solid form of adamantium is similar to titanium or steel, the color range of the metal varies from dark gray to silver gray depending on the type of alloy.

In its solid state of aggregation, adamantium is practically not subject to deformation or destruction.

The alloy has an incredibly high density and strength, and under strong pressure does not go into an elastic state, withstanding absolutely any load.

Use area

Throughout the history of the Marvel comics universe, adamantium has repeatedly become a key material, the basis for the manufacture of a hero's supersuit or the reason for this or that character to gain superpowers.

For example, the outer shell of the electronic mind - Ultron - was made of a hard adamantium alloy. Superhero Logan received a new skeleton and claws made from the original adamantium alloy. Wolverine-like mutant Lady Deathstrike also received adamantium skeleton and claws, although a weaker alloy was used to make them.metal.

Wolverine

James "Logan" Howlett, also known as Wolverine, became one of the main "popularizers" of adamantium as a metal, as well as the "discoverer on himself" of its wonderful properties in comic book series. By joining the X-Men and becoming a member of their organization, Wolverine received an adamantium skeleton and new adamantium claws, which made him almost invulnerable. He learned about adamantium through tragic circumstances in his personal life.

The adamantium blades of his claws easily cut through the cold weapons of enemies, household items, elements of military equipment and industrial buildings, which greatly facilitated Logan's existence, as well as the conduct of hostilities.

Adamantium Bullet

According to one theory, an organism containing adamantium can be destroyed with adamantium weapons, specifically an adamantium bullet. However, in practice, this theory was refuted by Logan, who received severe injuries and took several adamantium bullets into himself, but not only survived, but also fully recovered in the shortest possible time. That's what adamantium really is! This metal also has incredible resistance to foreign bodies, even if made from alloys similar to itself.

Ultimate Marvel

The version of adamantium featured in the Ultimate Marvel comics is a thinner and weaker alloy based on the original adamantium alloy. A significant difference between the new version of the metal is its ability to protect the brain from telepathic influence and foreign penetration into the mental structure.

The Ultimate Marvel version of adamantium is more brittle, and there are many moments in the series where objects or body parts made from adamantium break.

Strong examples of such situations are episodes in which the superhero Hulk breaks a needle made of adamantium, or a situation in which a character named Sabretooth, having learned what a new type of adamantium is, breaks Wolverine's claw.