Orichalcum (also spelled Orachulum) is a fabled mineral with magical properties.
History
New Earth
It was created by ancient Atlantean alchemists sometime before 45,000 BCE.[1] The mineral was a commonly known one during the time of ancient Atlantis, having been used to trap sorcerers.[1] After the sinking of Atlantis, it would later be commonly employed among the Thierna Na Oge.[2]
Prime Earth
On Prime Earth, Orichalcum was created by the Deserters.[3] Prior to this being discovered the metal had been speculated to have either originated from ancient Atlantis or deep under the mountains of Tibet. Though the Greeks and Romans were able to handle such a metal, medieval alchemists tried duplicating this special mineral to no avail.[4]
Black Manta was drawn to seek it out.[5] One of his Manta Men, the man who would later be known as Devil Ray, discovered a huge boulder of Orichalcum under the sea and was able to hear the recorded voices of the Deserters from it. He took a small sample to Black Manta, claiming that was all he found.[6] Torrid somehow obtained a necklace made of Orichalcum in the distant past.[3]
Devil Ray began cutting and reshaping his Orichalcum to allow him to manipulate its energies. This caused the other descendants of the Deserter tribe around the world to experience extremely painful, potentially fatal aneurysms, and also awoke Torrid's spirit in the Underworld.[7] Their search for answers put both Torrid and Black Manta on the trail of the Deserters.[3]
Their search eventually lead them to Doctor Mist, who had been working on a cure for the attacks the Deserters had been having. After he cured them, Manta was kidnapped by Devil Ray, who forced him to help him forge a powerful trident from the metal.[6] They completed the trident, but Black Manta stole it.[8]
The brain implants given to Atlantean sleeper agents on the surface were made of Orichalcum.[9] The Aquaman Family were able to use the Orichalcum trident to deactivate them.[10]
Properties
When made into metal, Orichalcum has a high resistance to magic, making it suitable for trapping powerful sorcerers.[1] It is also physically resistant against force, able to hold modern Atlanteans[2] and Kryptonians in place.[11] It's mystic origins also enable arms fashioned from it to wound a Kryptonian.[12]
Despite it's resistance, however, it is possible for a very potent source of magic (such as a god) to be able to break through it's resistance.[13]
It's energy levels are comparable to Nth Metal.[5]
The dreamscape hero Sandman also stated that when properly fashioned, i.e. in the shape of a whistle or otherwise, said metal can materialize a persons innermost wants and desires making them a thing of reality.[4] Devil Ray successfully forged a trident from Orichalcum which he claimed rivalled the Trident of Neptune in power,[3] and would be able to raise Atlantis back above the waves.[6] The trident was capable of firing powerful energy blasts, controlling the minds of sentient beings and fusing Torrid and Gruff back together into Charybdis.[8]
When heated to 3000 degrees Kelvin Orichalcum becomes highly radioactive. This radiation is instantly fatal to humans, except those with Deserter ancestry, meaning they are the only people who can safely work the metal.[3][6]
Orichalcum is able to activate latent Atlantean DNA in humans with Atlantean ancestry, which has the effect of causing them immense pain.[14]
It is capable of influencing both sentient beings and unintelligent beasts, either drawing them to it or driving them to specific places.[5][14] The Deserters were able to record their knowledge and memories on a large boulder of it.[6]
Devil Ray was able to use Orichalcum to astral project into duplicates made of water anywhere in the world. Meanwhile Gentleman Ghost could use it to project the consciousness of himself and others into the distant past. Using Orichalcum for extended periods is extremely mentally and physically taxing for the user.[15]
Notes
- In DC Universe Online, magic-themed armor and weapons is made of orichalcum and is, instead, considered to be a mystic mineral native to Thierna Na Oge. Felix Faust wears an Orichalcum helmet.
See Also
External Links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Arion Lord of Atlantis #4
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aquaman (Volume 2) #2
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Black Manta #4
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bug! The Adventures of Forager #1
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Black Manta #5
- ↑ Black Manta #1
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Black Manta #6
- ↑ Aquamen #4
- ↑ Aquamen #6
- ↑ Supergirl (Volume 7) #17
- ↑ Supergirl (Volume 7) #15
- ↑ Arion Lord of Atlantis #5
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Black Manta #2
- ↑ Black Manta #3