Kryptonite

Kryptonite

Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous radiation that can weaken and even kill Kryptonians. Kryptonite radiation can be transmitted through any element except lead. 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, with Lex Luthor incorporating it into weapons, Metallo being powered by it, and Titano able to project Kryptonite radiation from his eyes. Kryptonite has become a byword for an extraordinary exploitable weakness, synonymous with "Achilles' heel".

History

Kryptonite

Superman suffering from green kryptonite poisoning, courtesy of foes Metallo and Titano, in Action Comics Annual #10 (March 2007), art by Art Adams and Alex Sinclair

An unpublished 1940 story titled "The K-Metal from Krypton", written by Superman creator Jerry Siegel, featured a prototype of kryptonite. It is a mineral from the planet Krypton that drains Superman of his strength and gives superhuman powers to humans. This story was rejected because Superman reveals his identity to Lois Lane.

The mineral kryptonite, not to be confused with the real element krypton, was officially introduced in the radio serial The Adventures of Superman, in the story "The Meteor from Krypton", broadcast in June 1943. An apocryphal story claims that kryptonite was introduced to incapacitate Superman, allowing Superman's voice actor Bud Collyer to take time off. This tale was recounted by Julius Schwartz in his memoir. 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. Hayde may 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.

In the radio serial, Krypton is located in the same solar system as Earth, in the same orbit, but on the opposite side of the Sun. This provided an easy explanation for how kryptonite found its way to Earth. In the comics' Silver Age, Krypton is located in a distant solar system and 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 with Superman #61 (November 1949). In a 1993 interview with Florida Today, editor Dorothy Woolfolk stated that she felt Superman's invulnerability was "boring".

Originally depicted as an element in the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age comics, Kryptonite is depicted as a compound in post-Crisis continuity.

Varieties

Kryptonite

Various forms of the fictional material have been created over the years in Superman publications and programs. This table includes forms that have not persisted in canon.

<table><thead><tr><th>Type</th><th>First appearance</th><th>Origin</th><th>Effects by genetic origin</th><th>In other media</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>KryptonDaxam</td><td>Earth</td><td>Bizarro WorldKrypton-3</td></tr><tr><td>Film</td><td>Television</td><td>Video games</td></tr><tr><td>Live-action</td><td>Animated</td><td>Live-action</td><td>Animated</td></tr><tr><td>Green</td><td>The Adventures of Superman radio serial, "The Meteor from Krypton" (June 1943)Comics: Action Comics #161 (August 1951)</td><td>Fragments from Krypton</td><td>Loss of superpowersSevere, intensifying painSevere muscular weaknessFeverGreen blood or skinEventual fatalityNon-accumulativeMitigated by copious yellow sunlight exposureBlocked by leadNeutralized by Kal-El's ship (Smallville)</td><td>With prolonged exposure: carcinogenesisPossible cancer treatmentVaried (Smallville)</td><td>Bizarro: perfect healthBizarro World humans: temporary superpowers (Superman & Lois)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Red</td><td></td><td>Superman #61 (November 1949)</td><td>Traversal through radiated space</td><td>Loss of heroism and inhibitionsUnpredictable effectsCounteracted by green (Smallville)Same as green (prior to Adventure Comics #252, September 1958 only)</td><td>Unpredictable effects (prior to Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #80, October 1964 only)Hair loss (Super-Pets)</td><td></td><td></td><td>Super-Pets</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-green</td><td>Action Comics #275 (April 1961)</td><td>Created by Brainiac</td><td>Unpredictable effectsLoss of superpowers</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-blue</td><td>Superman #162 (July 1963)</td><td>Invented by SupermanGreen charged with "quantum battery" (Justice League Action)</td><td>Splitting into aggressive red being and logical blue being</td><td>Same as on Kryptonians (Justice League Action)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Justice League Action</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bizarro-</td><td>Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #80 (October 1964)</td><td></td><td></td><td>Bizarro humans: Ridding of Bizarro stateHumans: Same as red on Kryptonians</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>-gold</td><td>Superman #178 (July 1965)</td><td></td><td>Temporary memory loss</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>-green -gold</td><td>Superman #192 (January 1967)</td><td></td><td>Permanent superpower lossPermanent memory loss</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>PositivePlatinum</td><td>"All that Glitters," Adventures of Superman TV series (1958)Comics: Batman Secret Files #1 (December 2018)</td><td>Impossible world (dream of Jimmy Olsen, Adventures of Superman TV series/impossible world inside Phantom Zone, comics)</td><td>Source of superpowers (Adventures of Superman TV series)</td><td>Permanent Kryptonian powers</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Adventures of Superman</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>NegativeGold</td><td>"All that Glitters," Adventures of Superman TV series (1958)Comics: Adventure Comics #299 (August 1962)</td><td>Dream of Jimmy Olsen (Adventures of Superman TV series)Green affected by "atomic radiation"</td><td>Permanent loss of superpowersTemporary memory loss (Justice League Action)</td><td></td><td>Ultraman: Scarring (Smallville)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Anti-Fool'sSlowHybrid</td><td>Action Comics #252 (May 1959)</td><td>Created by Metallo (The Brave and the Bold #175, June 1981)Synthesized on Earth (Lois & Clark)</td><td>None</td><td>Same as green on Kryptonians</td><td>Ultraman: Perfect health</td><td></td><td></td><td>Lois & Clark</td><td></td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>X-Orange</td><td>Action Comics #261 (January 1960)</td><td>Experiment by Supergirl to counteract greenFragments from Krypton (Superman & Lois/Super-Pets)</td><td>None</td><td>Temporary superpowers Paranoia (DC Super Hero Girls)Counteracted by green (Superman & Lois, Super-Pets)</td><td>Bizarro: same as green on Kryptonians (Superman & Lois)</td><td></td><td>Super-Pets</td><td>Superman & Lois</td><td></td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>Blue</td><td>Superman #140 (October 1960)</td><td>Green subjected to Professor Dalton's duplicator rayRare fragments among Krypton's remains (Super Friends)</td><td>Harm to soulSuspended superpowers (Smallville)Counteracts red (Super Friends)</td><td>Medical stability (Smallville)</td><td>Bizarro: same as green on KryptoniansBizarro: death through overcharging (Smallville)Bizarro: logical thoughtUltraman: perfect health/same as green on Kryptonians (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths)Blocked by "imperfect" lead</td><td></td><td>Crisis on Two Earths</td><td></td><td>Super Friends</td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>White</td><td></td><td>Adventure Comics #279 (December 1960)</td><td>Green affected by "space cloud"</td><td>Kills microbes and vegetation</td><td>Kills microbes and vegetation</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>Bizarro-</td><td>"The Battle with Bizarro," Superboy TV series (November 18, 1989)</td><td></td><td>Cellular health</td><td></td><td>Cellular normality (Superboy TV series)</td><td></td><td></td><td>Superboy</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Yellow</td><td>Action Comics #277 (June 1961)</td><td>Created by Luthor</td><td>Intimidation (Action Comics #277, June 1961)Unknown (Superman Family Adventures Vol. 12, August 2012)Fear (Lego DC Super Hero Girls)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Lego DC Super Hero Girls</td><td></td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>Silver</td><td>Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #70 (July 1963)</td><td>Hoax by Jimmy OlsenBrainiac technology (Smallville, comics following Superman/Batman #46, April 2008)</td><td>Paranoid delusions</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>JewelPurple</td><td></td><td>Action Comics #310 (March 1964)</td><td>Kryptonian mountains</td><td>Mind control powers</td><td>Vivid dreams (Super-Pets)</td><td></td><td></td><td>Super-Pets</td><td>Smallville</td><td>DC Super Hero Girls</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Purple spotted</td><td>“Streaky's Supercat Tale,” Krypto (April 2005)</td><td></td><td>Self-mind control (Krypto)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Krypto</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Magno-</td><td>Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #92 (April 1966)</td><td>Created by Mr. Nero</td><td>Magnetic attraction</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>Tar-basedBlackHarun-El</td><td>Superman III (1983)Comics: Supergirl (vol. 5) #2 (October 2005)</td><td>Synthesized with tar (Superman III)Superheated green (Smallville)Fragments of KryptonKryptonian religion (Supergirl TV series)</td><td>Empowered evil self and weakened good selfReversion by additional exposure (Smallville/Supergirl TV series)</td><td>Same as on Kryptonians (Smallville/Supergirl TV series)</td><td></td><td>Superman III</td><td></td><td></td><td>Justice League Action</td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>Krimson</td><td>Superman Volume 2 #49 (November 1990)</td><td>Created by Mister Mxyzptlk</td><td>One wish grantedReversion by disclosure of origin</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kryptisium-X</td><td>The Adventures of Superman #511 (April 1994)</td><td>Green filtered by Eradicator</td><td>Excessive superpowers</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Scribblenauts Unmasked</td></tr><tr><td>Pink</td><td>Supergirl (vol. 4) #79 (April 2003)</td><td></td><td>Inversion of gender-stereotyped traitsReversed sex (Justice League Action)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Justice League Action</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Opal</td><td>Earth 2 #0 (November 2012)</td><td>Created by Mr. Terrific</td><td>Severe mental instabilityOne use only</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Periwinkle</td><td>Superman Family Adventures #9 (March 2013)</td><td></td><td>JoyPeriwinkle transmutation</td><td></td><td>Bizarro: anger (DC Super Hero Girls)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>DC Super Hero Girls</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Amber</td><td>Dark Knight: Death Metal - The Last 52: War of the Multiverses #1 (February 2021)</td><td>Dark multiverse</td><td>Loss of superpowers to human</td><td>Gain of superpowers from Kryptonian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Superman and Jimmy Olsen discuss the mineral kryptonite, with the jewel variant making its debut, in Action Comics #310 (March 1964), art by Curt Swan.