Dumb Superman Question
Call me stupid but why does Kryptonite hurt superman if he's from Krypton?
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I'm sure you'll get an answer from an expert, but I would think that as Kryptonite fell to Earth, it became radioactive only to him.
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I think a better question is if a human went to Krypton, would they have superpowers?
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I'm more puzzled why magic is also a weakness. Has that ever been explained?
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Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema
I'm more puzzled why magic is also a weakness. Has that ever been explained?
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From supermanhomepage.com:
"Surviving fragments of Superman's home world of Krypton are known as kryptonite. In the last days of Krypton, a chain reaction with the planet's core caused a build-up of enormous pressures. These pressures fused the minerals inside Krypton into the new, radioactive, super-actinide element kryptonium. Furthermore, the pressure grew to be too much for the planet's mantle to contain, and Krypton exploded in a violent eruption. The resulting kryptonite is the ore of kryptonium, and it is best known for its green hue. Even if the planet Krypton had not exploded, the radiation from the kryptonite would have eventually killed all the inhabitants in what the Kryptonians called the Green Death. Though the radiation from kryptonite is harmful to all life, it is especially harmful to Kryptonians (notably Superman). Kryptonite radiation rapidly fills Superman's cells and drives out the solar energy stored therein. Prolonged exposure to kryptonite would be fatal to Superman. There is no relationship between kryptonite and the chemical element krypton, though Superman's home world was probably named after the element." Though for some reason I recall another explanation where Krypton's various genetic experiments somehow bound Kryptonians to the planet, meaning they could not travel offworld without dying. Jor-El reversed this effect for Kal-El, meaning he could leave in the rocket, but that planet fragments would now be fatal for him instead of necessary to live. |
Interesting. Is there any explanation about the red and black kryptonite from the Smallville series?
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Well red Kryptonite seems to affect his brain chemistry. Different shows and comics have it affect him in slightly different ways. In the early comics and in Smallville red Kryptonite makes him go "bad". His emotions are unchecked and therefor he does what he wants without any consideration of consequences to keep him in check. In Lois & Clark he just didn't seem to care about anything outside of relaxing and having fun when he was exposed to red Kryptonite. As for black Kryptonite, I believe it was fake in Smallville. Or rather, it was a part of Brainiac and not actually a result of the explosion of Krypton. But, as of issue 3 of the Supergirl comics, exposure to black Kryptonite seems to create and equally powerful doppelganger of the affected Kryptonian.
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Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema
I'm more puzzled why magic is also a weakness. Has that ever been explained?
This has been widely misinterpreted though. In one John Byrne-written and drawn comic, Supes is imprisoned inside a magical cage. He basically realizes, "Hey magic might have *created* this cage, but in the end it's still just metal bars" and *SMASH* hasta solonga one metal cage... |
Originally Posted by uberjoe
From supermanhomepage.com:
"Surviving fragments of Superman's home world of Krypton are known as kryptonite. In the last days of Krypton, a chain reaction with the planet's core caused a build-up of enormous pressures. These pressures fused the minerals inside Krypton into the new, radioactive, super-actinide element kryptonium. Furthermore, the pressure grew to be too much for the planet's mantle to contain, and Krypton exploded in a violent eruption. The resulting kryptonite is the ore of kryptonium, and it is best known for its green hue. Even if the planet Krypton had not exploded, the radiation from the kryptonite would have eventually killed all the inhabitants in what the Kryptonians called the Green Death. Though the radiation from kryptonite is harmful to all life, it is especially harmful to Kryptonians (notably Superman). Kryptonite radiation rapidly fills Superman's cells and drives out the solar energy stored therein. Prolonged exposure to kryptonite would be fatal to Superman. There is no relationship between kryptonite and the chemical element krypton, though Superman's home world was probably named after the element." Though for some reason I recall another explanation where Krypton's various genetic experiments somehow bound Kryptonians to the planet, meaning they could not travel offworld without dying. Jor-El reversed this effect for Kal-El, meaning he could leave in the rocket, but that planet fragments would now be fatal for him instead of necessary to live. |
So does Superman gradually become weaker with every exposure to kryptonite, or is it once the Kryptonite is removed from his presence, he goes back to being 100%?
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He goes back to 100%, but how long it takes to get there depends on how long he was exposed to kryptonite.
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And how long his body has time to charge up with the yellow suns rays. Remember that he is a living battery. He doesn't have the power on krypton because krypton has a red son. So if we were to go to this dead planet we wouldn't get much effect by the red suns rays.
As for black Kryptonite, I believe it was fake in Smallville. Or rather, it was a part of Brainiac and not actually a result of the explosion of Krypton. But, as of issue 3 of the Supergirl comics, exposure to black Kryptonite seems to create and equally powerful doppelganger of the affected Kryptonian. |
As far as Kal's ability to fly, Kryptonians are denser than humans due to their heavier gravity. It's like how real life Astronauts from Earth can LEAP over long distances on the Moon.
The have been some cool studies on the Physics of Superman's powers. There have a been a few books trying to explain Superhero Physics over the years. |
Maybe it's radioactive in a way that it would only hurt a native of Krypton, but not someone from Earth.
Actually, I believe that prolonged exposure to Kryptonite did cause the Post-Crisis Lex Luthor to become mortally ill (he wore a Kryptonite ring). Fortunately for him, they were able to clone a new body and transplant his brain into it where he masqueraded as his own son for a while before the truth was discovered. |
The Post-Crisis Lex developed cancer and lost his hand due to wearing a Kryptonite ring. The first season of Smallville references this, when a future image of Lex has him wearing a single black glove.
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Originally Posted by Giantrobo
As far as Kal's ability to fly, Kryptonians are denser than humans due to their heavier gravity. It's like how real life Astronauts from Earth can LEAP over long distances on the Moon.
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Originally Posted by RocShemp
Well red Kryptonite seems to affect his brain chemistry. Different shows and comics have it affect him in slightly different ways. In the early comics and in Smallville red Kryptonite makes him go "bad". His emotions are unchecked and therefor he does what he wants without any consideration of consequences to keep him in check. In Lois & Clark he just didn't seem to care about anything outside of relaxing and having fun when he was exposed to red Kryptonite. As for black Kryptonite, I believe it was fake in Smallville. Or rather, it was a part of Brainiac and not actually a result of the explosion of Krypton. But, as of issue 3 of the Supergirl comics, exposure to black Kryptonite seems to create and equally powerful doppelganger of the affected Kryptonian.
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Originally Posted by Numanoid
Except that is not the reason astronauts can leap on the Moon. They can leap because the Moon has 1/6th the gravity of Earth (due to the Moon's smaller mass). Superman's density would actually work against his being able to fly, as he would be heavier (more dense=more mass=weighs more).
You're right. I was mixing up two things when I posted. His bullet proof body is due to his density and the lighter gravity of Earth is why he can fly. Buy, nothing sucks worse than being corrected by Numanoid. :D |
Originally Posted by uberjoe
The Post-Crisis Lex developed cancer and lost his hand due to wearing a Kryptonite ring. The first season of Smallville references this, when a future image of Lex has him wearing a single black glove.
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