Who is Vibe?

JLA #39 featured the return of Paco Ramone, Vibe, as a Black Lantern. He was distinguished by being the first serving biological (non-android) Justice Leaguer to die whilst a member of the group (Barry Allen wasn’t a member when he died). He’s one of those characters who really divides the fans. There are people who genuinely like the cheesiness of a break-dancing superhero, but there are many more who hate the clichéd Hispanic stereotype.

One of the hooks for the character was that he was the local superhero in the district where the Justice League choose to make their headquarters – foreshadowing the Parisian Crimson Fox in Justice League Europe. Vibe’s link to his neighbourhood gave the Detroit League an instant supporting cast. For me, Vibe lost a lot of his interest as a character when he was removed from that neighbourhood. What I find interested is that Vibe was aware of his League’s inadequacies and was increasingly critical of it in the months before his death.

Stats

• Codename: Vibe
• Alter Ego: Paco Ramone
• Occupation: Gang member, crime fighter
• Known Relatives: Armando Ramone (brother, the hero Reverb/Hardline), Rosita “Rosa” Ramone (sister), unnamed mother, father, step-father, and younger siblings (two brothers, two sisters).
• Base of Operations: Cameron Street, Detroit, later New York City.

Background

Vibe was a young hispanic superhero introduced in “The End of the Justice League!” written by Gerry Conway, illustrated by Chuck Patton and Dave Hunt for JLA Annual #2 (1984). Conway had destroyed the JLA Satellite and had down-graded the JLA to an inner-city Bunker in Detroit. The Bunker’s secret entrance opened out on Cameron Street and the local community was an important part of the JLA’s supporting cast. Vibe was Cameron Street’s resident superhero and was inducted into the JLA with little fanfare or audition.

Fan reaction to Vibe’s inclusion was mixed. The first reaction in the letter columns to Vibe was positive, “I’ve been waiting for some one to introduce a breakdancing super-hero, and I applaud the person with guts enough to do something that intrepid.” One writer compared Vibe to a the latter-day Snapper Carr and another simply said “I think I can put up with Vibe.” One letter writer in JLA #237 even sent in a his own dictionary of street slang to aid the writers.

While some fans warmed to breakdancing hero, others were less than impressed with a character they saw as a horrible racial stereotype. Even Chuck Patton, his first illustrator, wasn’t that enamored with Vibe:

And for the record—I’ve always HATED Vibe and wished I had spoke up then and refused to design that idiot! LOL

But I was young and…..well that’s a story for another time…..

–Chuck Patton, blog comment the Justice League Detroit blog’s profile of him

When George Tuska took over as JLA artist in JLA #241 he updated and tone downed Vibe’s costume.

Vibe was killed off by J.M. DeMatteis in the last arc of the first Justice League series, a death that was mandated by the power’s that be. A group of blogger’s staging an April Fool’s gang of a Geoff Johns written Vibe: Rebirth series.

James Robinson commented on Vibe’s problems when he revived him as a Black Lantern,

It’s certainly a challenge to make him cool and a malevolent force – because that’s what the Black Lanterns are – when he was treated with such disdain at the time he came out. He was really the first populist choice for a hero’s death. He preceded Jason Todd being killed by The Joker. Everyone seemed more excited for him dying than for the heroes succeeding at the time, so it’s nice to try and make him cool and scary and everything that a Black Lantern should be.

– James Robinson, CBR interview by Jeffrey Renault

The idea of a street level Detroit character has a lot of potential and would be revisited for the origin of the second Firestorm. Remember that the rapper Eminem grew up as part of the Detroit Hip-Hop landscape – 8 Mile was a fictionalised account of that. So the pathos and drama is there, it is the realisation of the character that makes the difference. Vibe was created at a time in the 1980s when the most visible extension of Hip Hop was the breakdancing craze. It’s the cultural hook that underpinned the character’s high-concept and played to the popularity of groups like the Rock Steady Crew. Unfortunately that breakdancing-hook, like late era-disco, is horribly dated. Strip that away and there is still a lot of potential in the character, but it has to have a level of seriousness to it.

Biography

Cameron Street, Detroit

The Cameron Street area of Detroit suffered from almost endemic gang violence, but supported a strong community led by the elderly Mother Windam. The Hispanic Ramone family lived between Cameron Street and the disused Heywood factory. The two eldest Ramone boys, Armando and Paco, were members of the Los Lobos Negros street gang and their sister Rosita was a student teacher. The gang’s name has changed between El Lobos, to the Los Lobos, to Los Lobos Negros – variously The Wolves or the Black Wolves. They lived with their mother and step-father and at least four younger brothers and sisters. Paco’s step-father was not too impressed with his stepson’s antics and was not afraid to tell him so. Their relationship wasn’t helped by Paco’s temper, but he would try to endure the criticisms for his mother’s sake.

A little bit of supposition here: In the first few issues we’re introduced to Paco, his sister Rosita and brother Armando. There seems to be a distinct difference in ages between these three siblings and their younger brothers and sisters. We’re also told that Paco’s living with his step-father. It’s not too great a leap to suggest that Armando, Rosita, and Paco have the same father. He died or divorced their mother and she then remarried. The younger siblings would then be Paco’s half-brothers and sisters. Paco and then Armando have revealed to have vibration based powers. If Rosita is their full-sister she too may have superpowers. The origin of their powers hasn’t been explained, but it could relate to their missing father.

Armando and Paco had been born with the meta-human ability to generate and solidify sound waves – they could shake a person’s fillings out or to knock an entire crowd to the floor. It was only after they’d passed through adolescence that they learnt to control their abilities. Armando hid his powers and immersed himself in gang life. However, the younger Paco relished his new abilities. The nineteen-year-old combined his powers with a natural gymnastic flare and a love of break-dancing to create an effective, if flamboyant personal fighting style. He became Vibe, a superhero of sorts for Cameron Street, who would break up gang fights and generally help people. He never bothered to hide his identity as nobody beyond Cameron Street cared who he was. Paco was proud of his heritage and heavily used hispanic slang, but his friends would occasionally notice his accent slip (Justice League of America vol. 1 Annual #2, 1984). Steel remarked on Paco’s accent wavering in their first appearance, but it doesn’t seem that anything was ever made of that plot seed.

Justice League Detroit

Meanwhile, the Justice League was at its lowest ebb. A series of personal crises had reduced participation to the point that Aquaman, the current chairman, considered its continued existence untenable. He shocked the world by publically announcing that he was dissolving the current League and that he would reform it with a new membership who were able to dedicate themselves fully to its activities. It was Aquaman’s grand experiment. Two young heroes, Vixen (Mari Jiwe McCabe) and Steel (Hank Heywood), volunteered for the Justice League immediately. The League had access to a new headquarters through Steel’s membership, a Bunker built beneath the Heywood Industries factory in Detroit. The factory that was two-blocks away from the Ramone’s Cameron Street home.

Vibe first came to the JLA’s notice when Steel and Vixen saw him stop a gang fight, but he spotted their Bunker and introduced himself before they could approach him. Aquaman had his misgivings about the young hero, but he was impressed by how Vibe used his powers. Nevertheless, Paco made sure the locals embraced their new neighbours and he organised an impromptu street party outside the Bunker’s “secret” entrance (Justice League of America vol. 1 Annual #2, 1984).

Paco’s decision to join the Justice League wasn’t without its consequences. One of the local gangs, the Skulls, were threatening the Los Lobos and weren’t concerned that Paco was no longer a member. They attacked him on the street and then on a roof top when he was talking to Armando. Paco’s pride was wounded when the League intervened to help him and the Los Lobos. Crowbar, the Skull’s leader, resurfaced during the new League’s first significant case as part of the Overmaster’s Cadre (“Rebirth”, Justice League of America vol. 1 #233-236, Dec 1984-Mar 1985).

Vibe made friends with the other young heroes in the League, but his temper was tested when Hank (Steel) started dating Rosita (Justice League of America vol. 1 #234, Jan 1985). It was Rosita who alerted the League when one of Vixen’s enemies kidnapped Mother Windom (Justice League of America vol. 1 #239, June 1985). Things between Hank and Paco finally came to blows forcing Sue and Ralph Dibny to separate them. Hank managed to smooth Paco’s ego by formally asking his permission to date Rosita (Justice League of America vol. 1 #241, Aug 1985).

Vibe wanted people to treat him more seriously so he changed his costume from his original yellow-pants to a darker black version. However, during his first adventure in the new outfit Paco discovered that he suffered from the hay fever and spent most of the adventure sneezing (Justice League of America vol. 1 #241-243, Aug-Oct 1985). The Martian Manhunter brought Vibe, Vixen, Steel, and Gypsy into the wilderness for a training session away from the distractions of Detroit. However, they found themselves caught in a battle between two incarnations of the Royal Flush Gang. They managed to survive that, but Gypsy had a premonition of Vibe’s impending death (JLA Classified #22-25, Early July-Sept 2006).

Vibe’s fast mouth got him into trouble during the Crisis when Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) punched him to the ground for his cavalier attitude (Justice League of America vol. Annual #3, 1985). Also during the Crisis, the Monitor’s Tuning Forks that prevented multiple time-periods from blurring into each other were beginning to fail. A future incarnation of Gypsy explained how Vibe could use his powers to strengthen the Tower’s vibrations. Vibe managed to do as she suggested, despite Batman’s reservations (JLA Incarnations #5, Nov 2001).

Death in New York

Vibe had to leave the Cameron Street community when Steel’s grandfather chucked the JLA out of the Bunker. He and the League had to try and find a place for himself in the harsher, less supportive New York City. The older, richer Leaguers managed to find jobs and homes fairly easily, but the inexperienced Paco found it hard – particularly with his unimposing stature. He found that he had to work hard to establishing the same level of respect that he’d enjoyed from the community in Detroit. He wasn’t too impressed with the JLA’s original headquarters and referred to it as a “dump”. (Justice League of America vol. 1 #246-248, Jan-Mar 1986). Vibe nearly died of old age when the Junior creature almost defeated the JLA (Justice League of America vol. 1 #250, May 1986). That adventure brought the Batman back into the Justice League, but the Dark Knight was not impressed with Vibe’s combat skills and lent on him heavily to improve his training (Justice League of America vol. 1 #251, June 86).

Vibe had been an enthusiastic recruit to the Justice League in Detroit, but he had become increasingly disillusioned with the group. The Vibe’s League’s greatest challenge came when Despero returned to Earth after channeling an alien source of power called the Flame of Py’tar. Despero laid waste to central New York and scattered the Justice League. Vibe began to agree with the League’s detractors that they were “strictly second string” and almost walked away from the team during the battle with Despero. Nevertheless, it was Vibe who snuffed out the Flame of Py’tar causing Depero to implode (Justice League of America vol. 1 #251-254, June-Sept 1986).

Vibe’s opinion of the League didn’t improved after Brimestone buried them under tons of rubble (Legends #1, Nov 86). He railed at his team-mates for their failure, but it was Ralph Dibny who diagnosed Vibe’s real point,

Is that the best that you can do, Paco? I’ve seen vibrators that can do better! And maybe that’s why you’ve been tearing into us — because, deep down, you know what a liability you’re been to this team.

Ralph Dibny to Vibe, JLA #258 (Jan 87).

Vibe actually agreed with Ralph, but his ego wouldn’t let him admit it publically.

Professor Ivo, old JLA foe, had gone insane and had constructed an army of androids duplicates of himself. They imprisoned their creator and sought to continue his prime directive – destroying the Justice League. Paco rejected his team-mates attempts to brighten his spirits and was the last one to leave their last tense meeting. On his way home, he was attacked by one of Professor Ivo’s androids. He managed to save a little boy – his first real fan – but he let his guard slip and Ivo’s android strangled him to death. J’onn and Vixen eventually freed Ivo and shut down his androids, but not before Vibe and Steel were killed. Their deaths brought a conclusion to Aquaman’s grand experiment and opened the way for the formation of a new international Justice League (Justice League of America vol. 1 #258-261, Jan-April 1987).

Afterlife

Armando Ramone (Reverb)

Vibe was survived by his older brother Armando, who also shared his ability to project and solidify sound waves. Paco’s example caused Armando to reconsider his place as leader of the Los Lobos. He tried to honour his brother’s memory by becoming the hero Reverb as part of Booster Gold’s Conglomerate (Justice League Quarterly #1, Winter 1990). Reverb quit the Conglomerate because of the machinations of Maxwell Lord (Justice League Quarterly #8, Autumn 1992), but returned with the new codename Hardline when briefly reformed (Justice League Quarterly #12, Autumn 93). Sometime after the Conglomerate finally disbanded, Armando moved to Metropolis and opened a night club called “Reverb” (Superman Annual #14, 2009).

Vibe’s rest has been disturbed a several times since his death. When Felix Faust tried to blackmail the Justice League into retrieving a mystical artefact he unwittingly awakened echoes or spirits of scores of dead heroes. Aquaman briefly glimpsed Vibe’s ghost and the living heroes where haunted by music somehow produced by him. His ghost appeared once more to lead the spectral assault on Faust and then vanished (JLA Annual #2 1998).

More unsettling was the return of Vibe’s corpse. It first returned with other undead Leaguers to fight the Martian Manhunter during Neron’s attempt to wrestle control of the Spectre’s power. That time the Martian Manhunter used his telepathy to force the animated corpses to realise what they actually were. The conflict between their infernal programming and their memories of life caused them to erupt into flames (Martian Manhunter #12, Nov 1999). Vibe’s remains were returned to his grave, but arose as a Black Lantern when Nekron attempted to purge the universe of life. Black Lantern Vibe ripped out Plastic Man’s heart and shattered the Red Tornado before he and Black Lantern Steel turned on the still living Vixen and Gypsy (JLA #39, Jan 2010).

Abilities

Paco and Armando had the ability to solidify and generate sound waves. They were able to generate pressure waves so dense that they could be used to knock people over or to shatter a gun.

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