Kryptonite is a radioactive substance poisonous to Kryptonians that greatly weakens them and affects their technology, but has no immediate short-term effects on other species, such as Humans. It was first used against Superman by the League of Lois Lanes.
History[]
Kryptonite was known to the Kryptonians, who referred to it as the "poison gem" in their native tongue[1], they later developed shields to protect themselves and their technology from its effects,[2] though large enough amounts of it could overwhelm their shields.Brainiac also managed to synthesize some of it which he kept on Kandor for the Black Zero protocol.[3]
When the League of Lois Lanes chased Mr. Mxyzptlk to Earth-12, they brought with them Kryptonite-powered rifles in the event Earth-12's Superman turned out to be hostile. After Mxyzptlk brought Lois Lane to the League's headquarters, she accessed the restricted file on evil variants of Superman, which came with a sample of Kryptonite, though Mxyzptlk denied to explain exactly what it was.[4]
After Superman was abducted by Task Force X, Lois regarded the file, Jimmy Olsen learning of Superman's variants and the Kryptonite.[5]
On Thanksgiving, Superman found the file and accidentally opened it. When his spacecraft detected the Kryptonite, it deployed 0MACs to destroy it and opened a portal to the Kryptonian fleet. After Jimmy found that the Kryptonite could hurt Kryptonian technology, Superman injected it into his ship's power core, shutting down the portal and the drones.[1]
Damaged by the Kryptonite, the ship crashed in Antarctica, continually cycling in and out of dimensional space as it tried to quarantine the contamination. When Task Force X saw the effects it had on Superman and Kryptonian technology, Amanda Waller ordered Slade Wilson to retrieve the Kryptonite. While he failed, enough of it remained on his blades for Lex Luthor to synthesize.[6]
After Kara abducted Superman, Jimmy and Lois stole Task Force X's spaceship to rescue their friend. As insurance against Kara, Lois brought the Kryptonite sample, though Jimmy protested using it against Kara unless she was given a chance to speak.[7]
When on Kandor, Jimmy unleashed the Kryptonite against a Brainiac-possessed Superman. Though it caused pain to Kara, Brainiac was immune to the effects, mocking that he could simply upload to another body. When he then vented the organics into space, he took the Kryptonite for himself.[8]
By the time that Brainiac invaded Earth, Luthor synthesized enough Kryptonite to power a legion of Metallos. Amanda Waller first used a chunk of it in concert with a Red Sun Omega Field to subdue Supergirl. When Kandor arrived on Earth, the new power cores allowed the Metallos to hurt Superman and Supergirl, before Brainiac simply activated his shields against Kryptonite and hacked into the Metallos, turning them against Earth.[2]
After Superman and Supergirl pushed Kandor off Earth and sent it into the Sun's gravity well, a defiant Brainiac activated the Black Zero protocol, infusing Kandor with Kryptonite, intending to kill the El children. After Kara sacrificially took the first blast and fell into the Sun, its energies supercharged her and her cousin, allowing them overpower a second Kryptonite beam and defeat Brainiac.[3]
Usage[]
- Kryptonian Weakening: Since the planet Krypton was destroyed, the radiation from its explosion has caused pieces of it to become toxic and deadly to its inhabitants. In addition, it can even sap a Kryptonian's powers, rendering them completely helpless. It is possible that further Kryptonite exposure can become fatal to a Kryptonian.
- Weapon Enhancement: In "Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal", the League of Lois Lanes used Kryptonite to augment their rifles.
Gallery[]
Kryptonite/Gallery
Apperances[]
Trivia[]
- Kryptonite was first conceived for the 1940 radio show The Adventures of Superman, debuting in the 1945 serial "The Meteor of Kryptonite" to give Superman a believable challenge. Earlier in 1940, Jerry Siegel conceptualized "K-Metal" as a weakness to keep Superman from seeming overpowered that later served as part of the basis for Kryptonite.
- Kryptonite causing Kryptonian veins and blood vessels to glow green was previously seen in the Arrowverse, starting in the 2015 Supergirl show. This show adds the effect of causing crystalline growths to painfully burst out of the affected Kryptonian's skin, akin to tumors.
- Another aspect to the show's interpretation is that Kryptonite also affects Kryptonian technology, this was previously seen in the live-action Superman series, Smallville.
- Unlike the other versions of the Superman franchise, Earth in the Earth-12 universe did not seem to possess Kryptonite in any form until the League of Lois Lanes' sample was claimed by Lois and Jimmy. Though Jor-El's recognition of the substance, and Brainiac's later synthesis of it, confirms that it does exist in this universe.
- As hinted by Jor-El and Brainiac recognizing the substance, and confirmed by the flashback in My Adventures with Supergirl showing several ships suffering from its effects, Kryptonite on Earth-12 existed before Krypton's destruction, suggesting that, unlike most incarnations, it is not formed from irradiated remnants of Krypton. This concept was previously seen in the DC Extended Universe film Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Kryptonite formed part of a landscape that had been terraformed into Krypton's image, and the television show Young Justice, where a sample of Kryptonite was part of Krypton's technology exchange with the New God Metron. The 2015 Supergirl show also had Black Kryptonite existing prior to Krypton's destruction.
- It is unknown yet if Kryptonite, unlike the previously established incarnations, such as Smallville, is truly harmless to humans.
- Whenever Kryptonite is exposed, the sound effect of a geiger counter is used.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hearts of the Fathers, My Adventures with Superman. Adult Swim (September 1, 2023)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pierce the Heavens, Superman!, My Adventures with Superman. Adult Swim (July 14, 2024)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 My Adventures with Supergirl, My Adventures with Superman. Adult Swim (July 21, 2024)
- ↑ Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal, My Adventures with Superman. Adult Swim (August 11, 2023)
- ↑ Zero Day Part 1, My Adventures with Superman. Adult Swim (August 18, 2023)
- ↑ More Things in Heaven And Earth, My Adventures with Superman. Adult Swim (May 26, 2024)
- ↑ Olsen's Eleven, My Adventures with Superman. Adult Swim (June 30, 2024)
- ↑ The Death of Clark Kent, My Adventures with Superman. Adult Swim (July 7, 2024)
