Thanos was a supervillain who gave the Avengers trouble in Infinity War and Endgame. One of the most powerful characters in the Infinity Saga, Thanos was capable of breaking vibranium, something he showed when he fought Captain America.
Because Thanos showed us that he could bust one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU’s) strongest metals, you may be wondering how he pulled this off.
Thanos destroyed Captain America’s shield with his sword, a weapon that could endure powerful repulsor blasts and even lightning blasts from Mjolnir. This showed that the sword was made from something more powerful than Uru (Mjolnir) or vibranium (shield).
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What is Vibranium?
A meteor first brought vibranium to Earth 10,000 years before the events seen in the MCU.
The metal, while rare, has made several appearances in the Marvel Comics and the MCU. Captain America’s (Steve Rogers) shield is derived from vibranium, as is the Black Panther’s (T’Challa’s) suit.
It can absorb kinetic energy and soundwaves, and we saw this occur repeatedly in Captain America: The First Avenger. During the movie, Rogers routinely used the shield to absorb bullets’ energy, rendering them harmless as he pursued Dr. Arnim Zola.
In the MCU, you could only find the rare metal in Wakanda, a fictional nation in East Africa regarded as the most technologically-advanced in the world.
Vibranium’s strength and durability go almost unmatched in the MCU. However, in rare cases, one can destroy it. The Mind Stone, in combination with lightning, for example, can melt the metal.
The Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff), often regarded as Marvel’s strongest Avenger, can also overpower vibranium via telekinesis.
Because vibranium isn’t completely indestructible, it’s easy to believe that other characters in the MCU can also destroy it. One character in question is the Mad Titan, Thanos.
How Could Thanos Destroy Vibranium?
In Avengers: Endgame, Thanos’ double-edged sword proved to be superior to Captain America’s vibranium shield.
This shows us that the sword probably came from a special metal ore, with Uru being a strong candidate.
One implication is that Uru was the metal used to make the Infinity Gauntlet. While Uru looks like stone, magical properties can also infuse it.
However, while the Dwarf King Eitri forged the Gauntlet, Thanos killed the Dwarves of Nidavellir shortly after the Gauntlet’s completion.
This indicates that Uru may not have been the metal after all, as another theory points to the possibility the sword could come from the Celestials.
Whether the double-bladed sword is derived from Uru or the Celestials created it, we saw its sheer strength in Avengers: Endgame. With the weapon, Thanos easily defeated Thor and Iron Man, two of the MCU’s strongest Avengers.
Lightning that Mjolnir (forged from Uru) summoned and repulsor blasts had zero effect on the sword, indicating that neither magic nor anything scientifically-advanced could defeat it. It also endured Stormbreaker, one of the strongest weapons in the MCU’s Infinity Saga.
Since the Uru-forged Mjolnir and Stormbreaker also posed no match for it, this further indicates that the sword is Celestial. One reason backing this claim is that Celestials can transform matter into anything they choose, and at any strength, besting vibranium and Uru.
Regardless of its properties, we know Thanos can break vibranium thanks to this sword. And since vibranium is one of the MCU’s strongest metals, Thanos, when paired with this sword, is almost unbeatable.
What is Adamantium?
Adamantium is in a different ballfield than Uru and vibranium because its origins are not out of this world. Instead, adamantium is manufactured on Earth.
This steel is practically indestructible, and it traces its origins back to World War II, when the US government tasked metallurgist Dr. Myron MacLain to conduct research on advanced metals.
By mistake, MacLain created the vibranium alloy that was later used for Captain America’s shield. But when the metallurgist tried to recreate the process, he was unsuccessful and, instead, created True Adamantium.
This compound was not as indestructible nor as hard as vibranium or the alloy MacLain mistakenly created during World War II.
Did Thanos Destroy Adamantium?
Adamantium is a curious case, because the metal has not been used in the MCU as vibranium and Uru have. Therefore, Thanos did not destroy adamantium during the Infinity Saga.
However, this does not mean the Mad Titan did not break the metal in the comics. In the comic Infinity Gauntlet, we saw Thanos break proto-adamantium when he fought Captain America and destroyed the hero’s proto-adamantium shield in the process.
During the comic, Thanos collected all the Infinity Gems, allowing him to carry out his desire to destroy half of all life in the universe.
Cap was one of the surviving heroes, and he teamed up with the remaining Avengers so the Silver Surfer could steal the Infinity Gauntlet and reverse the Mad Titan’s actions.
In the ensuing fight, Cap was the only Avenger left standing besides the Silver Surfer, and he decided to engage Thanos in a hand-to-hand fight. The Mad Titan, however, destroyed the shield and ultimately killed Cap.
Despite this, and the Silver Surfer being unable to retrieve the gauntlet, Adam Warlock managed to get his hands on it, leading to the heroes’ improbable win and Cap’s resurrection.
Conclusion
Thanos is one of the most powerful villains in the MCU, and his ultra-strong double-edged sword proved itself capable of destroying Cap’s shield.
Several theories exist as to why Thanos’ sword destroyed the vibranium shield, but prevailing ones state that the sword was made with Uru, or that the sword was even Celestial in origin. Nonetheless, Cap’s shield was no match for it.
While we haven’t yet seen adamantium in the MCU, several versions of it exist in the comics. One version is proto-adamantium, and Thanos managed to destroy it on one occasion.
In the comics, proto-adamantium, as opposed to vibranium, comprises Cap’s shield. When Thanos fought Cap, he destroyed the shield, much as he did in the MCU.
Sion Fawkes has been covering Star Wars since January 2022, expanding his expertise in Star Wars Canon, Legends, and MCU. When not writing, you can find Sion in the gym or running trails. He also likes watching sports and listening to audiobooks.