| Kryptonite | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance |
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| In story information | |
| Type | Element/compound |
| Element of stories featuring | |
Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily inSuperman stories published byDC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world ofKrypton that emits a unique, poisonous radiation that can weaken and even killKryptonians. Kryptonite radiation can be transmitted through any element exceptlead. There are other varieties, such as red kryptonite and gold kryptonite, which have different but still generally negative effects.
Adversaries of Superman and other characters are frequently depicted using kryptonite against Superman,[1] withLex Luthor incorporating it into weapons,Metallo being powered by it, andTitano able to project its radiation from his eyes. Kryptonite has become a byword for an extraordinary exploitable weakness, synonymous with "Achilles' heel".
An unpublished 1940 story titled "The K-Metal from Krypton", written by Superman creatorJerry Siegel, featured a prototype of kryptonite. It is a mineral from the planetKrypton that drains Superman of his strength and gives superhuman powers to humans. This story was rejected because Superman reveals his identity toLois Lane.[2]
The mineral kryptonite, not to be confused with the real elementkrypton, was officially introduced in the radio serialThe Adventures of Superman, in the story "The Meteor from Krypton", broadcast in June 1943.[3] An apocryphal story claims that kryptonite was introduced to give Superman's voice actorBud Collyer time off. This tale was recounted byJulius Schwartz in his memoir.[4] However, historian Michael J. Hayde disputes this. In "The Meteor from Krypton", Superman is never exposed to kryptonite. If kryptonite allowed Collyer to take vacations, that was a fringe benefit discovered later. More likely, kryptonite was introduced as a plot device for Superman to discover his origin.[5] On the other hand, Hayde might have mistaken 1943's "The Meteor from Krypton" for 1945's "The Meteor of Kryptonite", as Superman was exposed in the latter but not in the former.[6]
In the radio serial, Krypton is located in the same solar system as Earth, in the same orbit, but on theopposite side of the Sun. This provided an easy explanation for how kryptonite found its way to Earth. In the comics'Silver Age, which places Krypton in a distant solar system, much of the kryptonite that came to Earth was transported by the same "space warp" that baby Kal-El's rocket traversed.
Kryptonite was incorporated into the comic mythos withSuperman #61 (November 1949).[7] In a 1993 interview withFlorida Today, editorDorothy Woolfolk stated that she felt Superman's invulnerability was "boring".[8]
Originally depicted as anelement in theGolden, Silver, andBronze Age comics, Kryptonite is depicted as acompound in post-Crisis continuity.[9]
Various forms of the fictional material have been created over the years inSuperman publications and programs.[10] This table includes forms that have not persisted in canon.
| Type | First appearance | Origin | Effects by genetic origin | In other media | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krypton Daxam | Earth | Bizarro World Krypton-3 | |||||||||
| Film | Television | Video games | |||||||||
| Live-action | Animated | Live-action | Animated | ||||||||
| Green | The Adventures of Superman radio serial, "The Meteor from Krypton" (June 1943)[3] Comics:Action Comics #161 (August 1951) | Fragments from Krypton | Loss of superpowers[11] Severe, intensifying pain Severe muscular weakness Fever Green blood or skin Eventual fatality[12] Non-accumulative[13] Mitigation by copious yellow sunlight exposure[14][15] Blocked by lead Neutralized by Kal-El's ship (Smallville[16]) | With prolonged exposure:carcinogenesis Possible cancer treatment[17] Varied (Smallville) | Bizarro: perfect health Bizarro World humans: temporary superpowers (Superman & Lois) |
| |||||
| Red | Superman #61 (November 1949) | Traversal through radiated space | Loss of heroism and inhibitions Unpredictable effects[22] Counteracted by green (Smallville[23][24]) Same as green (prior toAdventure Comics #252, September 1958 only) | Unpredictable effects (prior toSuperman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #80, October 1964 only) Hair loss (Super-Pets) | Super-Pets |
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| -green | Action Comics #275 (April 1961) | Created by Brainiac | Unpredictable effects Loss of superpowers[25] | ||||||||
| -blue | Superman #162 (July 1963) | Invented by Superman Green charged with "quantum battery" (Justice League Action) | Splitting into aggressive red being and logical blue being | Same as on Kryptonians (Justice League Action) | Justice League Action[26] | ||||||
| Bizarro- | Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #80 (October 1964) | Bizarro humans: Ridding of Bizarro state[27] Humans: Same as red on Kryptonians[28] | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | ||||||||
| -gold | Superman #178 (July 1965) | Temporary memory loss | |||||||||
| -green -gold | Superman #192 (January 1967) | Permanent superpower loss Permanent memory loss | |||||||||
| Modified Amber | "Ultra Woman,"Lois & Clark (November 1995) Comics:Dark Knight: Death Metal - The Last 52: War of the Multiverses #1 (February 2021) | Red-powered laser (Lois & Clark) Dark multiverse | Loss of superpowers to human | Gain of superpowers from Kryptonian | Lois & Clark | ||||||
| Positive Platinum | "All that Glitters,"Adventures of Superman TV series (1958) Comics:Batman Secret Files #1 (December 2018) | Impossible world (dream of Jimmy Olsen,Adventures of Superman TV series/impossible world insidePhantom Zone, comics) | Source of superpowers (Adventures of Superman TV series) | Permanent Kryptonian powers | Adventures of Superman | ||||||
| Negative Gold | "All that Glitters,"Adventures of Superman TV series (1958) Comics:Adventure Comics #299 (August 1962) | Dream of Jimmy Olsen (Adventures of Superman TV series) Green affected by "atomic radiation" | Permanent loss of superpowers Temporary memory loss (Justice League Action) | Ultraman: Scarring (Smallville) |
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| Anti- Fool's Slow Hybrid | Action Comics #252 (May 1959) | Created by Metallo (The Brave and the Bold #175, June 1981) Synthesized on Earth (Lois & Clark) | None | Same as green on Kryptonians | Ultraman: Perfect health[29] | Lois & Clark | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | ||||
| X- Orange | Action Comics #261 (January 1960) | Experiment by Supergirl to counteract green Fragments from Krypton (Superman & Lois/Super-Pets) | None | Temporary superpowers[30] Paranoia (DC Super Hero Girls) Counteracted by green (Superman & Lois,Super-Pets) | Bizarro: same as green on Kryptonians (Superman & Lois) | Super-Pets[19] | Superman & Lois | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | |||
| Blue | Superman #140 (October 1960) | Green subjected to Professor Dalton's duplicator ray Rare fragments among Krypton's remains (Super Friends) | Harm to soul[31][30] Suspended superpowers (Smallville) Counteracts red (Super Friends) | Medical stability (Smallville) | Bizarro: harms imperfections Bizarro: death through overcharging (Smallville) Bizarro: logical thought[30] Ultraman: perfect health[32]/same as green on Kryptonians (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) Blocked by "imperfect" lead | Crisis on Two Earths |
| Super Friends | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | ||
| White | Adventure Comics #279 (December 1960) | Green affected by "space cloud"[33] | Attacking microorganisms | Attacking microorganisms | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | ||||||
| Bizarro- | "The Battle with Bizarro,"Superboy TV series (November 18, 1989) | Cellular health | Cellular normality (Superboy TV series) | Superboy | |||||||
| Yellow | Action Comics #277 (June 1961) | Created by Luthor | Intimidation (Action Comics #277, June 1961) Unknown (Superman Family Adventures Vol. 12, August 2012) Fear (Lego DC Super Hero Girls) | Lego DC Super Hero Girls | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | ||||||
| Silver | Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #70 (July 1963) | Hoax by Jimmy Olsen Brainiac technology (Smallville, comics followingSuperman/Batman #46, April 2008) | Paranoid delusions |
| Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | ||||||
| Jewel Purple | Action Comics #310 (March 1964) | Kryptonian mountains | Mind control powers | Vivid dreams (Super-Pets) | Super-Pets | Smallville[34][35] | DC Super Hero Girls | ||||
| Purple spotted | “Streaky’s Supercat Tale,”Krypto (April 2005) | Self-mind control (Krypto) | Krypto | ||||||||
| Magno- | Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #92 (April 1966) | Created by Mr. Nero | Magnetic attraction | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | |||||||
| Tar-based Black Harun-El | Superman III (1983) Comics:Supergirl (vol. 5) #2 (October 2005) | Synthesized with tar (Superman III) Superheated green (Smallville) Fragments of Krypton Kryptonian religion (Supergirl TV series) | Empowered evil self and weakened good self Reversion by additional exposure (Smallville/Supergirl TV series) | Same as on Kryptonians (Smallville/Supergirl TV series) | Superman III |
| Justice League Action | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | |||
| Krimson | Superman Volume 2 #49 (November 1990) | Created by Mister Mxyzptlk | One wish granted Reversion by disclosure of origin | ||||||||
| Kryptisium -X | The Adventures of Superman #511 (April 1994) | Green filtered by Eradicator | Excessive superpowers | Scribblenauts Unmasked[21] | |||||||
| Pink | Supergirl (vol. 4) #79 (April 2003) | Inversion of gender-stereotyped traits Reversed sex (Justice League Action) | Justice League Action | ||||||||
| Opal | Earth 2 #0 (November 2012) | Created by Mr. Terrific | Severe mental instability One use only | ||||||||
| Periwinkle | Superman Family Adventures #9 (March 2013) | Joy Periwinkle transmutation | Bizarro: anger (DC Super Hero Girls) | DC Super Hero Girls | |||||||
Sometimes called "Orange Kryptonite," X-Kryptonite was originally an invention of Supergirl, whose experimentation gifted Streaky the Supercat with his powers.
It's like you and Lois are doing whatever I say but then I can't undo it. Normally kryptonite only affects me, not other people.
