Kryptonite is a fictional element in the DC Comics universe, and one of the few items that is capable of harming Kryptonians. It is particularly presented as the main weakness of Superman.
It is able to kill the Man of Steel should he stay in contact for a long period of time. Some of its notable users are Lex Luthor and Metalllo.
Kryptonite comes in many different forms, though the most infamous is Green Kryptonite. Each Kryptonite variant has vastly different properties but are in general harmful to Kryptonians.
However, Kryptonite is unique to each universe, meaning Kryptonite from Earth-1 will not work on Earth-3, Superman, or vice-versa. This came into especially great effect with Superboy-Prime, whose universe lacked Kryptonite, and thus made him one of the few Kryptonians in existence with a complete immunity to Kryptonite.
Types of Kryptonite[]
Green Kryptonite[]
Green Kryptonite is the most common and iconic state of Kryptonite. It causes great discomfort and weakness in Kryptonians, as well as radiation poisoning in other life-forms. For example, Lex Luthor contracted cancer from prolonged exposure to Green Kryptonite.
Red Kryptonite[]
Red Kryptonite changes Kryptonians personality into evil which makes them lose all inhibitions and become unpredictable of their actions.
Gold Kryptonite[]
Gold Kryptonite has the ability to instantly depower Kryptonians. Unlike Green Kryptonite, prolonged exposure to Gold Kryptonite will permanently depower Kryptonians, and deny them the ability to gain superhuman powers. In effect, this turns them into ordinary humans.
White Kryptonite[]
White Kryptonite is lethal to all kinds of plant life, regardless of origin.
Platinum Kryptonite[]
Platinum Kryptonite has the ability to permanently bestow the full range of Kryptonian superpowers onto non-powered humanoids.
Black Kryptonite[]
Black Kryptonite causes Kryptonians to split into two different entities, one embodying the "evil" side of the personality.
Silver Kryptonite[]
Silver Kryptonite does not possess any powers nor abilities, and was used as a prop in a joke, played by Jimmy Olsen. However, in Smallville, Silver Kryptonite induces paranoid delusions and hallucinations. Finally, in Post-Crisis Continuity, Silver Kryptonite possesses certain magical properties that are greatly valued by the mystic and supernatural community.
Pink Kryptonite[]
Pink Kryptonite induces homosexual tendencies and feelings in Kryptonians.
Purple Kryptonite[]
Purple Kryptonite acts much like Green Kryptonite, inducing great discomfort and weakness in Kryptonians.
Prominent Uses[]
- Metallo's Heart is usually made from Green Kyptonite.
- Reactron has had a Kryptonite Heart, similar to Metallo, for some time, however his is usually of the more dangerous Gold Kryptonite.
- Green Kryptonite has been fashioned into Kryptonite Bullets and Kryptonite Knives.
- The Laughing Dragon was a statue made out of Green Kryptonite.
- In most of his iterations, Batman is shown to possess samples of Kryptonite with him (usually provided by Superman himself) as a contingency plan against Superman if he ever turns rogue.
- In the DC Animated Universe, Batman carries a sample of Kryptonite on his belt for emergency. He uses said sample against Amazo after he copied Superman's powers and, with them, his weakness to the metal.
- Injustice Batman utilized a Gold Kryptonite Dagger to try and stop Injustice Superman.
- Firestorm is shown to be capable of creating Kryptonite via molecular manipulation.
- In most Superman or Supergirl boss encounters in DC Online, the player-villain will use Green Kryptonite to weaken the heroes, and allow them to be fought.
- Almost all Superman villains (Lex Luthor, Kryptonite Man, Kryptonite Woman, etc.) have this as their motive, which is due to it being one of the few things capable of harming Superman.
- In the canon-adjacent story Superman Smashes the Klan, Kryptonite was discovered by Nazi scientists and dubbed "Der Grünstein" (Lit. "The Greenstone" in german). The mineral was utilized in the creation of the Third Reich supervillain Atom Man, granting him superhuman powers similar to Superman's abilities. Upon finding out the rock's radiation could weaken Superman, Segret Wilson, the Grand Imperial Mogul of the Klan of the Fiery Kross and former nazi scientist, utilized it to create several kryptonite-based weapons in order to kill Superman for good.
Trivia[]
- The Kryptonite concept was first developed by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel for an unpublished Superman story. In Siegel's original vision, the deadly mineral was known as "K-Metal".
- The first use of Kryptonite was actually in an unaired episode of the radio dramatization The Adventures of Superman titled "The Meteor from Krypton". The first comic book appearance of Kryptonite was in Superman #61.