Kryptonite

Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in the Superman stories. With genuine origin in the fusion of uranium. In its best known form, it is a green crystalline material originating from Superman's homeworld of Krypton, which emits a peculiar radiation that weakens Superman, but is generally harmless to humans when exposed to it in the short term. There are other varieties of Kryptonite, such as yellow, blue, crimson, gold, slow, silver, synthetic, and X that also have negative effects on Superman; and other colors such as white, black, red and pink, with effects that are not necessarily negative. Due to Superman's popularity, Kryptonite has become synonymous with an extraordinary exploitable weakness, synonymous with "Achilles heel".

Features

It would be a green radioactive compound formed by the fusion of some minerals present in the core of Krypton. This merger was possible due to the enormous internal pressure of the planet (it would eventually cause the Kryptonians' home to explode). Transformed into a radioactive material, its effects began to be felt in a catastrophic way, causing what Jor-El called "the green plague"; who killed, in a short period of time, over twenty million Kryptonians. This pandemic is what makes Superman's father realize the imminent destruction of his world and decides to send his son to earth to save him ( The adventures of Superman N. 1, John Byrne, 1987).

Its radiation, depending on the color, causes different effects on the survivors of Krypton, but the most common is green, which weakens them and can even kill them. Kryptonite radiation, like any other radiation, can be contained by isolating the mineral in a lead container.

In the movie Superman Returns, the son of Superman and Lois Lane is not affected by Kryptonite, although he suffers from asthma. It is likely that he will become Superboy, since he inherited some powers from his father, but in said movie he only manages to use them when he is nervous or scared.

Several Superman villains have or use kryptonite in some form, for example Metallo, an enemy android possesses kryptonite instead of a heart that acts as a power source, a situation that facilitates his encounters with the man of steel where Lex was Luthor who gave it to him, is also looking for or manufacturing the kryptonite with the purpose of defeating the man of steel, where he always fails.

Characteristics of common Kryptonite (green)

When one speaks of kryptonite without specifying the color, it is understood that it refers to this variety, the green one, since it is the most common. It is the first kryptonite that appeared and its origin corresponds to fragments from the Kryptonian explosion.

• Originally red, the material debuted on Superman # 61 (November 1949) and did not adopt its characteristic green tone until Action Comics # 161 (August 1951). The green kryptonite weakens Superman and other Kryptonians. He can kill them and kill them with a prolonged exposure. Kryptonians under the effects of kryptonite experience severe muscle weakness, usually to the point of collapse, and unbearable pain, with both conditions gradually intensifying. They often develop fever and eventually lose consciousness before they die. The mineral will also gradually turn green the skin and the kryptonian blood.

• It weakens Superman, totally immobilizes and annuls his powers, and if he remains exposed for too long, he can cause death. It is also dangerous for long-term humans. Lex Luthor lost his right hand because of the radiation poisoning that produced him the kryptonite ring he wore to keep Superman away.
• In the beginning, there was very little of this element on Earth. During the saga "Black Knight on Metropolis", Superman gives the existing fragment of kryptonite to the most suitable person to keep it, Batman. However, during Luthor's governance as president of the United States, a giant kryptonite meteorite is approaching, which manages to be destroyed by Superman, Batman and Captain Atomo, falling into many tiny fragments on the earth and increasing the amount of kryptonite on the planet.
• In the Smallville series the green kryptonite causes mutations in humans, these vary enormously depending on the circumstances in which they were exposed to radiation; these mutants are called "meteroid freaks" as the population of Smallville calls the kryptonite simply as "foot meteorite".
• This kryptonite appears as a cameo in the episode the He-Man Dragon Alba and the Masters of the Universe when Orko is juggling four meteorites
• This kryptonite has magical properties in the Superman/Thundercats crossover making Mumm-Ra mutants invisible
• This kryptonite increases Raiden's powers in the crossover Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe

Other Types of Kryptonite

Other forms of the material have been created over the years in Superman publications, where they are given by specific chemical and physical conditions:

Yellow

• In Justice League Action, Firestorm turns Metallo's red kryptonite into yellow causing Superman amnesia.

Blue

• Artificial Variety created by Superman to beat Bizarro, for whom he can be mortal. In some stories it is said to counteract the effects of kryptonite and make it stronger.
• In the series the superamigos is the antidote of the red.
• In Justice League: Crisis in Two Earths, Ultraman (like Superman in a parallel world) weakens when Lex Luthor exposes him to the last piece of blue kryptonite in his world.
• In Smallville it shows having the effect of annuling the powers of the Kryptonians if they remain in the radius of action of their radiation. This also causes the loss of his status as Kryptonians, as shown in season 7 chapter 8, when Lara (Clark's biological mother) gives him a ring that belonged to his father Jor El; and in season 9, Chapter 21, End of Season, where Clark uses a blue kryptonite dagger against himself to lose his Kryptonian quality. With this he manages to move Zod to another planet, who wanted to use the dagger to stay on earth. In contrast, in the 7 season Clark uses a fragment against Bizarro, because contact overloads his powers to the point of causing his body to self-destruct; on the other hand, the blue kryptonite overrides the effects of the green kryptonite. Also, the blue stone has positive effects on organic life by drastically improving the health of living beings as crops; water including humans either by prolonged contact or by ingesting foods that were in direct exposure with kryptonite so much that they enjoy a perfect condition of diseaseless health.

White

• Lethal for the plant life of any planet.

Crimson

• Created by the naughty Mr. Mxyzptlk that deprives Superman of his superpower.

Gold

• It appears in the season ten of Smalville; it can strip the Kryptonians of their powers and abilities forever, and in large quantities, it can kill them, but it is also seen that it can cause permanent wounds like Clark Luthor. Unlike the green kryptonite, there has to be physical contact to make effect.
• It appears in the game Injustice 2 with which Batman strips Superman of his powers and sends him to the ghost zone.

Slow

• Slow kryptonite is a modification of green kryptonite. It was created by a scientist and reduces the speed of nervous impulses and movements of both kryptonians and terrestrials.

Black

• It is shown for the first time in the first episode of the fourth season of Smallville (Cruzada; Crusade). Divide Superman in two individuals, let's say it would be Kal-El and Clark (bad and good); however it can affect humans the same way, as happened to Lex (bad and good) in episode 17 of season 4 (Onyx); likewise separated Doomsday from Davis Bloome at the end of season 8. This kind of kryptonite is the result of research around the green kryptonite; it was discovered in the laboratory that this material, being subjected to an approximate temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit, can transform its molecular structure, changing its chemical properties. However, due to the risks posed by the transformation method, some use different from that of green kryptonite has been discarded.
• In the Supergirl comic series, she is exposed to this kryptonite by Lex Luthor, also dividing it into a good Supergirl (with her usual suit) and a bad Supergirl (with black suit).
• In Justice League Action, Firestorm in another attempt turns the yellow metallo kryptonite black separating Superman into two: the good in white suit and the bad in black suit, both with the grey symbol.

Silver

• In the seventh chapter of Smallville's fifth season, such an astilla is introduced into Clark's body and gives him hallucinations that make him believe that his friends and even his parents conspire against him. Clark's about to kill Lana when his university professor Milton Fine intervenes and uses a device to remove his astilla, taking care of the hallucinations. At the end of the episode it is revealed that the silver kryptonite is actually a piece of the same Milton Fine (whose real identity is that of the villain Brainiac), who planned everything as a farce to gain Clark's trust.

Red

• It's a rarer variant of kryptonite. Originally it was normal green kryptonite and sometimes makes the same effects. However, on the way to the earth, he entered an unknown red cloud that changed its properties (it is presumed to be cosmic radiation). It causes unpredictable but temporary effects to Superman, such as being divided into two twins, growing to gigantic proportions, etc.
• In the television series, Smallville and Lois & Clark, this kind of kryptonite perverts the mind of Clark Kent, which took away the senses of justice and truth and even be apathetic to emergency situations, doing the things he never does for the sake of others but he wants or dreams of doing in dreams or in the interior transforming him into a criminal with superpowers. In the Smallville series it appears from season 2; it has similar effects, although rather it releases Clark's most bestial and impulsive side, it has been mentioned to be similar to being under the effects of alcohol or narcotics, it could also affect normal people (Lois) but it had to enter directly into the bloodstream. In the first appearance of Superman in the Batman series: The Brave and the Bold, Superman is exposed to this type of kryptonite, generating a similar reaction to view in Smallville. In the Supergirl series, it is shown that the red Kryptonite retains this same effect, when Kara is accidentally infected, but instead of being immediate, the effect is gradual, slowly destroying the inhibitions of the kryptonian to leave only malice and aggression.
• Also in chapter 7 of the third season of Lois & Clark this kryptonite is used in a laser that causes Superman to lose his powers and transfer them to the person he is touching.
• In the silver age of Superman's comics (60s and 70s) it was very common to Superman's exposure to this Kryptonite, resulting in most of the time a Superman with more pleasant features than threatening.
• In Justice League Action, Firestorm instead of turning Metallo's kryptonite into lead, transforms it into red inducing Superman's anger.

Pink

• Debuted on Supergirl (vol. 4) #79 (April 2003). The pink kryptonite apparently makes the kryptonians gay. This type of kryptonite was mentioned in a single panel in a story that was a satire of the plots of many comic stories of the Silver Age (such as those listed above) that presented a strange new variety of kryptonite.
• In the short "True Colors" Justice League ActionIt changes the genus of a kryptonian. Firestorm in another attempt turns black kryptonite into pink making Superman become a woman until Firestorm finally changes her to lead, defeating Metallo.

Synthetics

• Synthetic versions of green created in laboratories. In the Superman III film, a synthetic version of kryptonite is used with effects similar to red and black with the saving of being green.

X

• Created by Supergirl when she experimented on a piece of green kryptonite trying to find an antidote for it. After experimenting with several unsuccessful chemicals, he left the fragment in a forest; the chemicals alter the kryptonite causing the radiation to give powers to the Supergirl cat, Streaky. For a while these powers were temporary, but the continued exposure to radiation caused the cat to get superpowers permanently.

Orange

• It gives super-animal powers, stronger than Krypto, exactly 24 hours for any animal that touches it; ineffective in humans. It can be repeated immediately after 24 hours making the super-animal powers quasi-continuous.

Other variants

• Anti-kryptonite: Unlike normal kryptonite, this variety killed kryptonians without superpowers.
• K-Metal: A prototype kryptonite of the age of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster called "Krypton's K-Metal!" It has the same weakening effect in kryptonians as the green kryptonite, with the temporary additional effect of granting enormous strength and possibly other superpowers to the common people.
• Magno-kryptonite: Part of the arsenal that the alien Truff of planet Pyron brought with him in his attempt to conquer the Earth. He had the ability to stick to anything coming from Krypton.
• Ultra-kryptonite: It is a superpowerful isotope of green kryptonite that acts more quickly than normal. He appeared in a Supergirl comic.

Jadarite: kryptonite in real life

In 2006 a mineral was discovered in Serbia whose composition corresponds almost exactly to that of kryptonite: sodium-lithium-boron hydroxysilicate with fluorine. Named jaradite after the place where it was discovered, this mineral is whitish, earthy and does not emit any radiation.

Dr. Chris Stanley of the Museum of Natural History and one of the discoverers of this new mineral, explained that by scouring the Internet and looking for substances that contained the aforementioned chemical elements, he discovered that kryptonite has an almost identical composition, with the only difference from fluoride. It was found naturally in some rocks in Serbia, which coincidentally is not that far from the first place where Lex Luthor found the first Kryptonite mine in the first Superman movie.

As of May 9, 2007, the Belgrade Museum exhibited the jaradite for public view. To further attract people's attention, the mineral is displayed under a greenish light to more closely resemble the fictional stone that causes Superman's death.

In other media

Television

Live Action

• The Adventures of Superman (1952-1958) included kryptonite in the episodes "Pananic in the Sky", "The defeat of Superman", "Semana de Superman", "The mortal rock", "The Magic Secret", "The Gentile Monster". and "All that shines."
• Superboy (1988-1992) presented green kryptonite in the episodes: "Kryptonite Kills" and "Metallo", "Bride of Bizarro", "Kryptonite Kid" and "Obituary of a superhero". The red variety appeared in the Super Menace episode. A variant of Bizarro White appeared in the episode "The Battle with Bizarro", which cures the main character.
• Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997) included green kryptonite in the episodes "The green, green glow of the home", "Bárbaros on the planet", "The house of Luthor", "Metallo", "Arriba Copy"," Tempus Fugitive "y" Battleground Earth." The red variety appeared in the episodes "Individual accountability", "Ultrawoman" and "Lethal Armour".
• Smallville (2001-2011) submitted kryptonite on a regular basis. A lot of the green variety descends to Earth in a meteor shower, reaching the city of Smallville, Kansas with the spaceship that contains the baby Kal-El. Smallville residents refer colloquially to the material as "temporary thread", but Clark Kent finally calls it "kryptonite" once he discovers its origins in the episode of the second season "Visitor" (in real life, the area near Brenham, Kansas is known as the site of a great meteor impact between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago). In addition to being harmful to Clark Kent, the mineral produces strange changes in flora and fauna. Occasionally it also grants metahuman abilities in humans depending on the circumstances of its exposure to it, as a child treated by a rare bone disease that acquires powers of change shape. These people are commonly known to the inhabitants of Smallville as "Meteor Freaks". The green variety of the mineral appears in several episodes each season, although other varieties appear, including: red in "Red" (2002), "Exodus", "Exile", "Phoenix" (2003), "Unsafe" (2005), "Crimson" (2007) and "Upgrade" (2010); black, formed by overheating the green kryptonite in "Crusade" (2004) and "Doomsinter" (2009); silver in "Sun Smallville was the first appearance of a black kryptonite that would divide a person on their good and bad sides, before being brought to the comic canon Supergirl (vol. 5) #2 (October 2005).
• The Kryptonite has made several appearances Arrowverso:
  • Supergirl (2015-2021) presents green kryptonite in the episodes "Pilot", "Stronger Together", "Hostile Takeover", "For the girl who has it all", "Distant Sun" and "Immortal Kombat". The DEO manages to synthesize and create blue kryptonite that appears in the "Bizarro" episode. The red kryptonite appears in the Falling episode as a failed attempt to recreate Maxwell Lord's green kryptonite. The silver kryptonite appears in the episode "However, she persisted." In season 3, the black kryptonite is fundamental in its arch, appearing for the first time in the episode "The Fanatical", in which the kryptonians refer to it as Harun-El. Krypton's Coven Worldkiller, led by the dark priestess Selena, plans to use the Harun-El to terraform the Earth on a planet similar to Krypton so that the Kryptonians can inhabit it. The protagonists use the Harun-El to separate the servant from the Coven Worldkiller, Reign, from his human alter-ego Samantha Arias. at the end of the season, it is revealed that Supergirl's being is also divided after his exposure during his final battle with Reign. In season 4, Lena Luthor develops a serum derived from Harun-El, and Lex Luthor, Agent Liberty and James Olsen develop metahuman skills after being injected with it, such as higher speed, durability, strength and a healing factor.
  • The green Kryptonite appears briefly at the cross-event "Crisis on Earth-X". During a confrontation with Overgirl, Supergirl's Earth-X counterpart, Oliver Queen shoots an arrow that contains a kryptonite arrowhead, packing Overgirl's shoulder. An astonished Supergirl asks Oliver why he has a kryptonite arrow, to what Oliver says: "In case you ever appeared a bad!"
  • The Kryptonite also appears at the cross-event "Crisis in the Infinite Lands": in the second part, the Bruce Wayne of the Earth-99 maintains the kryptonite in the Batcave and used it to kill the Superman of his Earth. He uses it in Supergirl, but he's killed by Kate Kane from Earth-1 before he can kill her. Kate then picks up the kryptonite in her power. In the third part, Batwoman intended to use the kryptonite in Supergirl to stop a dangerous plan of his, but instead he reveals it as an act of faith. Supergirl tells him to keep it, saying "[it] has the courage" that Kate will never have to use it.
  • In the episode of Batwoman"A secret kept by all others," Lucius Fox says in his diary that Green Kryptonite is the only thing capable of penetrating the Batsuit. In the final episode of season 1 "O, Mouse!", When Alice tries to locate the kryptonite, Luke finds her and manages to destroy her. But Kate reveals to the two that she has another kryptonite stone that Crisis gave her.
  • In the Batwoman episode, Season 02 Episode 01, "What happened to Kate Kane?" Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) is infected by the effects of green kryptonite.

Animation

• The Brady Kids (1972-1973) presented green kryptonite in the episode "Cindy's Super Friend", which shows Clark Kent trying to become Superman in the kids' club house, just to be disabled by a piece of green kryptonite as part of a collection of rocks.
• Super friends (1973-1986) presents kryptonite in the episodes "Super Friends: Rest in peace" ("Krypton steel"); "The Golden Trap of Darkseid" (gold); "Terror From the Phantom Zone" (blue, green and red); "Return of the ghosts" (green); "Rok: Enemy of space" (verdeath); "Blowered Revenge"
• Superman (1988) presents a kryptonite ring used by Lex Luthor.
• Superman: the animated series (1996-2000) offers an explanation of the effect of the material on Superman. This series and Batman's new adventures (1997-1999) a showcase of a three-part arch crossing of history called the finest in the world that demonstrates the effect of kryptonite poisoning on humans.
  • Justice League (2001-2004) explores the same subject.
• In Batman of the Future (1999-2001), the two-part episode "The Call" reveals that the kryptonite has been kept safe in a distant future as a deterrent against Superman because of the hero's past as a dishonest agent under Darkseid's mental manipulation.
• Krypto, the Superperro (2005-2006) has a green, red and purple variation.
• Legion of Super Heroes (2006-2008) presents green kryptonite.
• Young Justice (2010-2013, 2018) presents green kryptonite in the episode "Auld Acquaintance".
• In The Batman (2007-2008), episode "The Batman/Superman Story", Metallo was hired by Lex Luthor, using green kryptonite to kill Superman, before being defeated by Batman and Robin. Batman keeps the green kryptonite for emergencies. In the final episode, "Lost Heroes, Part Two", Superman uses the green kryptonite against a The Joining android, who got his powers.
• In Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "The Battle of the Superheroes!", Superman is infected with a red kryptonite necklace that Lex Luthor secretly gave Lois Lane, which makes Superman become evil. Now Batman should work with Krypto the Superperro to keep Superman in line until the effects of the red kryptonite disappear.
• In DC Super Hero Girls (2015-2018), Lena Luthor developed a series of kryptonites with one of six different colors each, affecting all those who approach them by changing their emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, mistrust and oblivion, while greens only act as normal kryptonite that only affects Supergirl. It is usually seen by helping the Feminine Furies and Eclipso, although Lena always hinders her plans in the end, hindering her own plans in the process.
• The Kryptonite appears in the short episode Justice League Action, "True Colors" (2017), used by Metallo against Superman. Firestorm arrives and tries to neutralize the effects of kryptonite by changing it to lead, but initially it is not successful and changes it to other colors (red, golden, black and pink) before finally succeeding.
• In DC Super Hero Girls (2019-2021), Catwoman used green kryptonite to weaken Supergirl and the same Lex Luthor to catch both Superman and Supergirl in capsules, while Ra's al Ghul once used red kryptonite to mentally control Supergirl and destroy some guys from the band concert. The episode "#DoubleDanvers" presents Bulgarian kryptonite, which makes the Kryptonians mare (and makes Bizzaros furious).

Movies

• In Superman (1978) Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) deduces that a meteorite found in Abeba is actually a radioactive piece of the planet Krypton that exploded. Luthor uses the mineral to weaken Superman (Christopher Reeve), who is saved by Luthor's lover, Eve Teschmacher (Valerie Perrine).
• In Superman III (1983) the billionaire Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn) orders the creation of synthetic kryptonite. The computer programmer Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) uses tar to compensate for an unknown component of kryptonite, which makes the newly created ore eventually convert Superman into evil and divide the hero into two beings. Gorman's "supercomputer" then fights Superman and uses a kryptonite beam.
• In Superman Returns (2006) Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) steals Adis Abeba's Pallasita L9 Meteorite and uses kryptonite to create a new Kryptonian Earth mass and a fragment to use against Superman. The film describes the kryptonite formula as "sodium silicate hydroxide, lithium and fluoride embroidery". A year after the premiere of the film, a substance was discovered with a similar formula, the jadarita, a coincidence that attracted the attention of the media. The new mineral, unlike the fictitious material of the film, does not contain fluoride and does not illuminate in green.
• In Justice League: The New Frontier (2008), Batman mentions he has some kryptonite in case he needs to fight Superman.
• In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010), a version of the alternative universe of Lex Luthor uses blue kryptonite against the villain Ultraman.
• In Justice League: Doom (2012), the villain Metallo wounds Superman with a kryptonite bullet, but the JLA saves him.
• In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), the green kryptonite is discovered by men working for Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) at the bottom of the Indian Ocean (after the Superman battle with World Engine in The Man of Steel) and experienced by Luthor, who finds out its harmful effect on the Kryptonians when General Zod's body is exposed to him. Then Batman (Ben Affleck) steals the kryptonite from Luthor, who uses it to create kryptonite gas balls and a spear with kryptonite tip, which then uses in the battle with Superman (Henry Cavill). Doomsday is also shown to be weakened by kryptonite, allowing Superman to use the spear to kill him in the climax of the film.
• In DC League of Super-Pets (2022), Lex Luthor brings an orange kryptonite meteorite to Earth, hoping to use it to get superpowers. He fails, but a fragment of the meteorite lands in an animal shelter, giving powers to the pets there. One of these pets, an old Lexcorp guinea pig named Lulu, decides to use their new powers to conquer the world. Lulu also uses green kryptonite pieces against Superman and Krypto, and flashbacks show that he is exposed to red kryptonite (which causes the fur to fall) and purple kryptonite (which causes him terrible nightmares).

Video Games

• In Superman: Atari 2600 (1978), Luthor has created kryptonite satellites and has spread them through Metropolis that take away the ability to fly Superman when he touches. Superman must walk through Metropolis until he finds and meets Lois Lane to regain his powers.
• Superman 64 (1999) appears as a kryptonite fog, coined as an excuse for the little distance of drawing of the game.
• In the crossover fighting game Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe (2008), the kryptonite weakens Superman when exposed, while strengthening his counterpart of the Mortal Kombat universe, the god of Thunder Raiden.
• In Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (2012), kryptonite is used to fuel Lex Luthor's weapon, the "Deconstructor".
• Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (2013) shows the material in different forms.
• Kryptonite is one of the fundamental elements of Lego Dimensions.
• Injustice: Gods among us (2013) presents a kryptonite laser designed to prevent Superman from turning against humanity.
• The green and golden kryptonite appears in the history mode Injustice 2.

Serials

Columbia Pictures produced two 15-part film series using Kryptonite as a plot device: Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950).

Composition

In the movie Superman Returns, it is written that it is made up of sodium, lithium, boron and silicon.

Kryptonite in music

• In 1991 the music band Spin Doctors presented their new album "Pocket Full of Kryptonite", which had a theme called "Jimmy Olsen's Blues".

• In 1991 the Argentine musician Miguel Mateos released his album called Kryptonitawhich includes a subject of the same name.

• Rock group 3 Doors Down pulled a name song at the end of the '90s Kryptonite which refers to Superman. The song was written by the vocalist of the group, Brad Arnold, a fan of Superman, while studying at the institute.
• In 2004 this word is mentioned in a theme of the album Barrio Fino del rapro Daddy Yankee.

• In 2006, the Madrid singer Javier Krahe on his album Black karaoke belt, sings a song entitled kryptonite.

• The rapper Rapsusklei made a song called Dame Kryptonita.

• The dancers Bella Thorne and Zendaya made a song called Fashion Is My Kryptonite, which is the first single of the soundtrack Shake It Up: Made In Japan.

• In a single boyband called One Direction (One Thing) this word is named.

• This word is named in the simple Ready Or Not by Bridgit Mendler.