Origin
Francisco “Cisco” Ramon was the youngest of three brothers, during a game between the brothers, Cisco stepped into a boom tube created by Darkseid. Without thinking, his oldest brother, Armando pulled his brother out of the boom tube at the cost of his own life making him the first civilian killed by the Darkseid invasion while their middle brother, Dante couldn’t help but watch. The process left Cisco’s body altered, allowing him to create not only seismic vibrations but also to be able to sense beings from other dimensions, even as small as an insect. He kept his powers a secret over the next five years helping people as he could. Thanks to his powers there wasn’t any type of recording device digital or photographic that could capture his face or identity. He was eventually followed by a member of A.R.G.U.S., Agent Dale Gunn under the orders of Amanda Waller, who offered him the chance to kill the same Parademon that took his brother’s life. Although he kills it and agrees to cooperate as to becoming Vibe and a founding member of the Justice League of America, it is later revealed neither Gunn nor his superior were sure of whether this Parademon was the same Parademon that attacked and killed Armando Ramon. He later begins to question his role after a fight with Kid Flash.
Creation
At the time when Vibe was created, the comics industry was being dominated primarily by titles featuring teenage superheroes (such as the X-Men or the Teen Titans.) It was thus decided to redesign the Justice League of America and to give them a similar roster. Vibe was one of three new teenage characters introduced to the team in the same single issue which served as the first origin of all three (the other two were Steel and Gypsy). His Break-dancing motif was also influenced by the popularity of the fad at the time.
Character Evolution
Post-Crisis
Paco Ramone or Cisco Ramon began his career as Vibe shortly after Aquaman disbanded the original Justice League. When young Cisco heard that a new Justice League was forming in his own hometown of Detroit, he decided to give up his position as the leader of a local street gang, Los Lobos, to join. What made Ramon a candidate was his metahuman ability to emit powerful vibratory shock waves.
Vibe’s presence on the team caused Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter to harbor some strong doubts about the new JLA, particularly after he got the League involved in a rumble with a rival gang. Vibe soon proved his mettle during the League’s battles against Cadre, Anton Allegro, and Amazo. He stayed with the League through the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, when his powers played a vital role in defeating Despero.
During Darkseid’s assault on Earth during the Legends mini-series, the Justice League of America was disbanded and Paco left his JLA comrades to seek the familiar solace of the streets. Vibe was attacked by one of Professor Ivo‘s androids and became the first Justice League member to be killed in the line of duty. The Martian Manhunter brought Vibe’s body back to the League’s mountain sanctuary, where Vibe was laid to rest in a cryogenic chamber.
New 52
Cisco Ramon was caught in the event horizon of a boom tube during Darkseid’s first invasion of Earth. The exposure to the interdimensional forces rewrote his DNA, and now Cisco uses his vibrational powers to help A.R.G.U.S. find and restrain dangerous fugitives from other realities. The second-youngest member of the Justice League of America, he is the hero known as Vibe.
Major Story Arcs
Justice League Detroit
Although a young and relatively inexperienced hero, Vibe and the rest of the Justice League at the time (which was mostly filled with similarly inexperienced characters) did manage to gain a degree of respectability in defeating certain supervillains, including the Cadre and Despero. However, Vibe was not with the Justice League of America long before he was killed by one of Professor Ivo‘s androids, becoming the first Justice League member to be killed in battle. Paco had left behind many extended family members, along with a little brother by the name of Armando with similar powers who goes by the names Reverb and Hardline, even working for Booster Gold ‘s onetime super team the Conglomerate.
He was resurrected as a Black Lantern in James Robinson’s JLA Blackest Night story arc.
Vibe!
Cisco was approached by Dale Gunn who took him to the location of a Parademon and told him it was the same one that had killed his brother. In a fit of rage, he blew up the house the Parademon was in and accidentally killed it. Agent Gunn later convinced him to take the role of Vibe and a founding member of the Justice League of America to fight Barry Allen if the team ever needed to take on the Justice League.
Vibe was later sent to battle Bart Allen as training for his expected battle with Barry Allen. He was briefly able to deprive Bart of his connection to the Speed Force, showing that he would actually be able to affect Flash if they fought. After noticing Bart wasn’t as bad as he’d expected Cisco began to doubt the role he played with A.R.G.U.S.
On his third mission, Vibe was sent in after Gypsy. Gypsy was able to use her powers to convince the other A.R.G.U.S members that she was Batman and that Superman was dealing with Gypsy inside a building. Vibe, however, saw through her illusion and attacked her. After, Amanda Waller ordered A.R.G.U.S soldier’s to fire at will on Gypsy after she’d already been surrounded. Vibe attacked them. In retaliation, Waller ordered the Suicide Squad to capture him and Gypsy. Gypsy turned herself and Vibe invisible in attempt to escape from them, however, Deadshot had been informed of this ability and turned his lens to a specific spectrum that allowed him to see them and shoot Gypsy in the shoulder. Cisco blasted Deadshot and Harley Quinn and attempt to stop King Shark from eating Gypsy. Vibe was attacked by Crowbar who had been specifically assigned by Amanda Waller. However, Vibe used so much energy against him that his crowbar couldn’t contain it and he disappeared. Due to the amount of energy he used, Cisco was weakened and easily knocked out by Deadshot. He was then put in The Circus. Like a savage.
Dante, Cisco’s older brother, alongside Agent Gunn, was able to enter A.R.G.U.S and break Vibe out. However, before they could escape Dante was shot in the back. In retaliation, Vibe released all the other prisoners in The Circus. His energy eventually broke the walls of reality allowing Rupture to enter their dimension. A battle ensued between Rupture and Vibe. Rupture is revealed to be Vibe’s dead brother Armando. Gypsy revealed how Hardline, also known as Rupture, was known by her people. Rupture then took Vibe and Gypsy back to Gypsy’s dimension.
Justice League of America
An unlikely assortment of heroes who have been brought together to defend America from superhuman threats of all kinds, but unknown even to them, they are secretly in training to take down the Justice League. These men and women are the world’s most dangerous heroes. They are the Justice League of America!
The Justice League of America was founded by Steve Trevor and Amanda Waller. Waller’s original plan is for each member of the Justice League of America to serve as a counterpart to a member of the main Justice League team and be able to engage them in case they were to go rogue. Vibe was paired with The Flash and was chosen as the hero to take him out should the speedster ever go rogue.
Personal Data
Characteristics
- Height: 5′ 10″
- Weight: 157 lbs
- Eye Color: Brown
- Hair Color: Black
Status
- Identity: Secret
- Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan, U. S. A.
- Citizenship: American
- Occupation: Salesman
- Known Relatives: Unnamed father, Armando Ramon (brother, deceased), Dante Ramon (brother).
Powers and Abilities
Vibe had the ability to create vibrations, often displayed as powerful enough to cause significant structural damage as well as to injure or incapacitate people. Although not demonstrated, as a member of the Black Lantern Corps he presumably had the equivalent abilities granted by the black power ring.
Vibe was also a gifted breakdancer, and his abilities transferred to his heroics in terms of agility.
In the New 52, Cisco’s body is altered, allowing him to not only create seismic vibrations but also to be able to sense beings from other dimensions, and his constant vibration keeps him from being captured by cameras. He can also see and even walk into other dimensions/worlds in the multiverse. Amanda Waller picked him to be a member of the JLA in case they one day needed to use him against Flash. Vibe’s powers can cut off the extra-dimensional Speed Force, rendering The Flash power-less.
Other Media
Film
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
The Earth-3 version of Vibe appears as a member of the Crime Syndicate of America. Known as Breakdance, he and his teammates battle the Justice League before being knocked unconscious. He was voiced by Carlos Alrazraqui.
Television
Justice League Unlimited
Vibe was a member of the Justice League in the Justice League Unlimited animated series. He never had a speaking role but he is seen in many episodes either fighting in battles, on the satellite base or helping in relief efforts. He has also appeared in the Justice League Unlimited comic spin-off.
DC Nation
Vibe appeared in his own series of DC Nation shorts on Cartoon Network. Carlos Alazraqui reprised his role from Crisis On Two Earths. The shorts were done in an intentionally cheesy manner evocative of 80’s cartoons, providing tongue-in-cheek commentary on Vibe’s original incarnation.
Arrow
Cisco Ramon appears in the Season 2 episode “The Man Under The Hood,” portrayed by Carlos Valdes. In the show, he and Caitlin Snow are a pair of young S.T.A.R. Labs scientists who are attacked by Deathstroke but manage to fight him off by using a piece of archived weaponry created by Arthur Light. Cisco is not initially shown to possess any superhuman powers, but he does reference his comic incarnation by claiming that Deathstroke is giving off “bad vibes” during their confrontation.
The Flash
Carlos Valdes reprises his role as a major recurring character. He and Caitlin are seen as employees of “Harrison Wells” in Central City, and the three scientists work to help Barry Allen in his war on crime. Cisco is the one who ends up giving Barry the reinforced suit he wears as the Flash, as well as the one responsible for naming most of the members of the Flash’s Rogues Gallery.
Cisco is shown to be enthusiastic and intelligent, in addition to being genre-savvy and having a fondness for all manner of things nerdy. In at least one episode, he admits to his estranged older brother Dante that he always felt second-best in their family.
During the latter half of season one, it is revealed that he was affected by the particle accelerator explosion responsible for the creation of Central City’s Metahumans. As of Episode 8 of Season Two, Cisco now possesses the ability of “Vibe-ing”âa form of psychometry allowing him to see visions of past or current events in different dimensions. Interestingly, after the Earth-2 version of Harrison wells “outs” Cisco’s Metahuman abilities to Barry and Caitlin it is Barry who comes up with the moniker “Vibe”.
DC Super Hero Girls
Cisco “Paco” Ramon aka Vibe appears in a series of reoccurring cameos throughout the show’s history. He has yet to have a speaking role.
Chronicles of Cisco
Cisco Ramon is the main character in the web series Chronicles of Cisco, reprised by Carlos Valdes, which details Cisco Ramon being alone at S.T.A.R. Labs at night, where he encounters an intruder, Peek-a-Boo.
Vixen
Ramon appears in the animated web series Vixen, voiced by Carlos Valdes. In episode 3, Cisco has been running a modified facial recognition algorithm created by Felicity Smoak at S.T.A.R. Labs in an attempt to locate Meta-humans outside Central City. The software picks up Mari McCabe’s encounter with the thugs from episode 1, and Cisco alerts a distracted Barry Allen attempting to locate a missing USB drive containing crime scene statistics. Cisco gives Mari the name Vixen and tells Barry that she’s currently in Detroit before asking him to check out the situation.