While Marvel Studios’ Black Panther took three out of seven Oscars back to Wakanda last night, the CIA took to social media with a series of bizarre tweets about vibranium, the fictional metal from the movie that contributes to the nation being the most technologically advanced on Earth.
In #BlackPanther, a unique metal called #vibranium helped the fictional African nation of #Wakanda become the most technologically advanced country on the planet.#ReelvsRealCIA #Oscars
— CIA (@CIA) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Do you think vibranium is:
The #vibranium in Black Panther’s suit protects him from kinetic damage, & vibranium sneakers are both super-quiet & amazing shock absorbers for jumping. Those would be great for spies, right?
— CIA (@CIA) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Too bad vibranium isn’t real.#ReelvsRealCIA #BlackPanther
The magic metal from #Wakanda might not exist, but there are real-life materials that possess some similar qualities to those of the fictional Wakandan isotope, #vibranium.
— CIA (@CIA) 25 февраля 2019 г.
To learn more, see: https://t.co/B0iV7cufqA#ReelvsRealCIA #BlackPanther
The spy agency, which was either campaigning for the movie, or was really impressed by Wakanda's extraordinary technical arsenal, started another poll, wondering which fictional technology its 2.5 million-strong following would like to see made real in the future:
Which fictional Wakandan technology would you most like to see made real in the future?#ReelvsRealCIA #BlackPanther #Oscars
— CIA (@CIA) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Holograms:
— CIA (@CIA) 25 февраля 2019 г.
They’re real-life hot tech right now & as they improve, intel practitioners in the future could incorporate holographic displays for operations or holographic projections to illustrate situations to the President or other policymakers.#ReelvsRealCIA #BlackPanther
Lesotho Blankets:
— CIA (@CIA) 25 февраля 2019 г.
One of the least plausible technologies in #BlackPanther, but if you could weave carbon nanotubes into a cloak & add in some hologram effects, you’d have a shield that would be the envy of any intel service operating in a warzone.#ReelvsRealCIA #BlackPanther
Panther Habit:
— CIA (@CIA) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Rather than suits for superheroes, in the real world people are interested in nanoparticles for biotech & medicine, but the world’s spy agencies might like outfits that could reform on the fly in order to foil surveillance.#ReelvsRealCIA #BlackPanther
Sand Tables:
— CIA (@CIA) 25 февраля 2019 г.
The ability to remotely manipulate objects from a distance & physically interact w/data or temporary items would allow people, including intelligence officers, to get hands-on w/information & work together from different locations.#ReelvsRealCIA #BlackPanther
The tweets were part of a series the CIA is doing called Reel vs Real, a theme that seeks to highlight the links between what happens in movies and the real world.
READ MORE: Twitterstorm as Trevor Noah Roasts Mel Gibson With Black Panther Joke at Oscars
Picking up the “vibranium” part, many social media users couldn’t help but mock the CIA poll, which was made to check whether people were aware that the Wakandan metal was fictional:
It’s found next to unobtainium on the periodic table
— Tommy D (@dadagorgon) 25 февраля 2019 г.
and right below insanatanium
— Resting Kail Face (@andreakail) 25 февраля 2019 г.
That got renamed to Trumpanium
— Brew Noser (@brewnoser) 25 февраля 2019 г.
And will eventually be nullified by Muellerium
— Queens Blvd Express👨🏾💻🇨🇺 (@NYCBEARDO) 25 февраля 2019 г.
The lion’s share of netizens didn’t mince words while replying to the agency’s tweet and suggested that if vibranium was real, the CIA would likely invade Wakanda and topple the government to get control of the magic metal:
Why you wanna know? You wanna invade that too? @cia
— zellie (@zellieimani) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Where’s the option for “if it was real the cia would have already engaged in assasinations or regime change to get control of it?”
— Will Urquhart (@Urquwill) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Sure glad #Wakanda isn't real or I'm sure they'd be at the top of the list for needing "Democracy " #Venezuela #Syria #Libya
— Chris Hay (@ChrisHay1299) 25 февраля 2019 г.
I think if vibranium was real you guys would have orchestrated an overthrow of the democratically elected government of Wakanda so the US could steal all of it.
— The Royal Bard (@The_Royal_Bard) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Another netizen launched his own poll, based on a widespread conspiracy theory that AIDS had been created and disseminated by the CIA:
Freddie Mercury, the main character in #BohemianRhapsody, died of complications from AIDS.#ReelvsRealCIA #Oscars
— Pete Beetlejuice (@UpdogDemocrat) 25 февраля 2019 г.
In the real world, AIDS was:
Others were simply confused and couldn’t understand what was going on:
I can’t believe my tax dollars fund this account…
— Roy Berryman (@RoyBerryman) 25 февраля 2019 г.
What…….what are you doing?
— BB (@BrandonLBradfor) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Wait. Ya'll got time to do this??? #dafuq pic.twitter.com/LAgwWWqYJ4
— GRAY (@GrayRizzy) 25 февраля 2019 г.
Glad the government reopened for this
— Nathaniel Schmidt (@nathanschmidt99) 25 февраля 2019 г.
“Black Panther” made history Sunday night, becoming Marvel Studios’ first movie to ever win an Oscar. Heading into the ceremony with a total of seven nominations, the superhero blockbuster nabbed three awards: Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score.
