Vibe (character)

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

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'."

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.

Publication history

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

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.

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. Vibe soon proves his mettle during the League's battles against Cadre, Anton Allegro, and Amazo. He stays with the League through the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, when his powers play a vital role in defeating Despero.

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.

In Trinity, Cisco is resurrected and rejoins the Justice League. 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.

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. On August 26, 2012, DC announced a new Justice League of America title which would feature Vibe. On November 5, 2012, DC announced that Vibe would star in his own ongoing monthly title. It was written by Andrew Kreisberg and drawn by Pete Woods and debuted in February 2013. 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.

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. For this reason, Steve Trevor recruits him into the JLA, which exists to guard against the threat of the main Justice League going rogue.

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." He is also undetectable by security cameras.

In other media

Television

• Vibe makes non-speaking appearances in Justice League Unlimited as a member of the Justice League.
• Vibe appears in the DC Nation Shorts two-part short "Enter: Extremo", voiced by Carlos Alazraqui.
• Vibe appears in Teen Titans Go!, voiced by Peter Rida Michail.
• Cisco Ramon appears in Young Justice, voiced by Jacob Vargas. This version is a high school student at Hayward High School and classmate of Victor Stone.
• Vibe makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Harley Quinn episode "Something Borrowed, Something Green" as a member of the Justice League.

Arrowverse

File:Cisco Ramon (Carlo Valdes).jpg

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

Template:See also Cisco Ramon appears in media set in the Arrowverse, portrayed by Carlos Valdes.

• First appearing in the live-action TV series Arrow episode "The Man Under the Hood" and primarily appearing in the live-action TV series The Flash, this version is a mechanical engineer at S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City who assists Barry Allen / Flash in his crime-fighting efforts alongside Dr. Caitlin Snow. Following the explosion of Harrison Wells' particle accelerator, Ramon suffers a delayed reaction and eventually becomes a metahuman with sonic manipulation capabilities, tactile remote viewing, and the ability to detect anomalies within reality. As the series progresses, he hones his powers, developing the ability to create portals, and becomes Vibe.
  • Additionally, Valdes portrays villainous doppelgangers of Ramon throughout The Flash, such as Reverb of Earth-2 and Echo of Earth-19.
• Ramon also appears in the live-action TV series Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, the live-action web series Chronicles of Cisco: Entry 0419, and the animated web series Vixen.
• Ramon and his Earth-X doppelganger appear in the animated web series Freedom Fighters: The Ray.

Film

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

Video games

• Vibe appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
• Vibe appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
• The Arrowverse incarnation of Vibe appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains as part of the "DC TV Super-Heroes" DLC pack.

Miscellaneous

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

External links

• DCU Guide: Vibe (Cisco Ramone) Template:Webarchive
• DCU Guide: Hardline (Armando Ramone) Template:Webarchive,