Vibe (character)

Last updated
Vibe
Vibe (Paco Ramone).png
Vibe (Paco Ramone) in Who's Who: Update '87 #5 (December 1987)
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Justice League of America Annual #2 (October 1984) [1]
Created by Gerry Conway (writer), Chuck Patton (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoFrancisco "Cisco" Ramon
Paco Ramone
Species Metahuman
Place of originEarth
Team affiliations Justice League Detroit
Los Lobos
Justice League
Black Lantern Corps
Justice League United
AbilitiesAbove average agility
Skilled hand to hand combatant
Sonic vibration manipulation
Seismic powers
(New 52)
Molecular vibration
Induced image distortion
Justice League of America's Vibe
Publication information
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing
GenreSuperhero
Publication dateFebruary 2013  – December 2013
No. of issues10 (as of February 2014 cover date)
Creative team
Written byAndrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns, Sterling Gates
Artist(s)Pete Woods, Sean Parsons

Vibe (real name Paco Ramone or Francisco "Cisco" Ramon) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Contents

He has the metahuman ability to emit powerful vibratory shock waves. Introduced in 1984, he joined the new Justice League formed in Detroit and became the first member to be killed in action. In DC's New 52 continuity, his powers were redefined to involve interdimensional physics, posing a significant threat to characters like the Flash.

Carlos Valdes portrays Cisco Ramon in The CW's Arrowverse, where he develops from a supporting engineer to a superhero. Vibe also makes lesser appearances in the animated series Justice League Unlimited and a self-titled DC Nation Shorts episode.

Creation

Co creator Chuck Patton discussed the characters creation stating,

"We threw ideas back and forth, but the most important one that stuck out for me was Gerry really wanted to tap into breakdancing, BIG TIME, lol. And all joking aside, he wasn’t wrong, the time was right, break dancing was all over the media, from music to movies and television. I wanted whomever we came up with to have a strong, urban ethnic, "Down to Earth" feel that would reflect my own background.

However, Gerry's inspiration was definitely more 'West Coast' oriented, so he, tapped into the spirit of the movie Electric Boogaloo and our first hero came from out of the gang element of '80s LA.

I went along to get along, because I really disliked that movie and was unsure about the West Side Story gang influence, lol. But I did like the potential, so I suggested that his powers would be from what all Angelenos feared most out here—earthquakes. We later changed them into super-vibrational waves he would project thru his dance moves, hence the name 'Vibe'." [2]

Vibe was one of the first US Latino superheroes, and possibly the first Mexican-American superhero (if the character is Mexican-American, which is implied but not made explicit). However, the character has been described as stereotypical, and the well-known comic artist George Pérez, a Puerto Rican, refused to draw him in his entirety. [3]

Publication history

Vibe first appeared in Justice League of America Annual #2 (October 1984), [1] and was created by Gerry Conway and Chuck Patton. [4]

Fictional character biography

Cisco Ramon is a metahuman from Detroit with the ability to generate powerful vibratory shock waves and the leader of the street gang Los Lobos. He has two brothers, Armando and Dante, with the former possessing similar abilities. When he learns that a new Justice League is forming in Detroit, Cisco gives up his position to join them. [1] [5]

Vibe's presence on the team causes Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter to harbor some strong doubts about the new JLA, particularly after he got the League involves in a battle with a rival gang. [6] Vibe soon proves his mettle during the League's battles against Cadre, [7] Anton Allegro, [8] and Amazo. [9] He stays with the League through the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, when his powers play a vital role in defeating Despero. [10]

During Darkseid's assault on Earth in Legends , Vibe leaves the Justice League after it disbands and is killed by one of Professor Ivo's androids. [11] [12] [13]

In Trinity , Cisco is resurrected and rejoins the Justice League. [14] Soon after Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman return, his head is disintegrated by an energy blast, killing him again.

In Blackest Night , Vibe is temporarily resurrected as a member of the Black Lantern Corps before Doctor Light kills him. [15] [16]

The New 52

In DC's Free Comic Book Day 2012 sample during The New 52 , a gatefold revealed various characters who would make an appearance in Justice League over the coming year, one of which was Vibe. Geoff Johns revealed that Vibe's return would be explored in greater detail in the third story arc of Justice League. [17] On August 26, 2012, DC announced a new Justice League of America title which would feature Vibe. [18] On November 5, 2012, DC announced that Vibe would star in his own ongoing monthly title. [19] It was written by Andrew Kreisberg and drawn by Pete Woods and debuted in February 2013. [20] In new continuity, Vibe's powers derive from being "caught in the event horizon of a Boom Tube", in which "interdimensional forces rewrote his DNA". Justice League of America's Vibe lasted for ten issues, with the final issue released on December 18, 2013. [21]

Powers and abilities

As his name suggests, Vibe's powers revolve around vibration, frequency, and resonance. His powers enable him to create shock waves of considerable strength that could shatter concrete or steel as well as affect the physical world as seismic vibrations (and even earth manipulation) or the fabric of spacetime (interdimensional, transdimensional and extradimensional portals).

Vibe's reintroduction in 2013 redefined his powers as having to do with interdimensional physics. Vibe's waves have the power to disrupt the Speed Force, making him one of the few characters who poses a serious threat to the Flash. [22] For this reason, Steve Trevor recruits him into the JLA, which exists to guard against the threat of the main Justice League going rogue. [23]

Amanda Waller says that "Cisco Ramon might be one of the most powerful super-humans on the planet. He wields vibrational powers that could in theory shake the Earth apart. And he's the only person we know of who can find and track inter-dimensional breaches." [24] He is also undetectable by security cameras. [23]

In other media

Television

Arrowverse

Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon / Vibe as he appears in the CW series The Flash. Cisco Ramon (Carlo Valdes).jpg
Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon / Vibe as he appears in the CW series The Flash.

Cisco Ramon appears in media set in the Arrowverse, portrayed by Carlos Valdes. [26]

Film

A villainous, alternate universe incarnation of Vibe named Breakdance appears in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths , voiced by Carlos Alazraqui. [31] He is a member of the Crime Syndicate serving under Owlman.

Video games

Miscellaneous

Vibe makes background appearances in DC Super Hero Girls as a student of Super Hero High.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "GCD :: Issue :: Justice League of America Annual #2 [newsstand]". comics.org.
  2. "Chuck Patton talks Justice League Detroit".
  3. Frederick Luis Aldama, Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics, University of Arizona Press, 2017, p. 27.
  4. Manning, Matthew K. (2010). "1980s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 209. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9. The prestigious Justice League of America got a bit easier to join, thanks to writer Gerry Conway and artist Chuck Ryan Patton. Marking the debut of camouflaging hero Gypsy, the shockwave-casting Vibe, and the second generation hero Steel, this landmark comic saw many of the more famous League members step down in order to make way for a younger roster to carry on their legacy.
  5. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 319. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.
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  24. Gates, Sterling. Justice League of America's Vibe #3 (2013)
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