The first ever discovered substance of Kryptonite
- "This isn't easy to explain but when the planet Krypton exploded, fragments from that planet crashed into Earth. We call that Kryptonite."
- —Superman
Kryptonite is a meteorite rock commonly used in the series.
It is mainly used as a weapon against Superman either to kill him or alter his personality and powers.
When Superman's home planet Krypton exploded, fragments of the radioactive world came to Earth and scattered around the planet. After finding out that these meteorites came from Krypton, Clark Kent and Lois Lane named it "Kryptonite".
It first started off in a glowing crystal form but later changed to glowing chunks.
Two varieties of the substance were found, both had different side effects on the Man of Steel, but were still deadly:
Green Kryptonite[]
Green Kryptonite
The most common variety that can painfully weaken Superman or even kill him when he is exposed to it.
It was first discovered by Wayne Irig, a friend of the Kents who gave it to them to keep safe, but when they showed it to Clark, it had painful effects on him, making them discover how deadly it was and vowed never to expose their son to it again.
The first villain to know about it was Jason Trask who stole the substance and used it to kill Superman, but failed. (The Green, Green Glow of Home)
Many other villains have tried, some using the traditional meteorite method, while others used a far more creative way, one of which was more harmful to humans than the Man of Steel. Some very well nearly succeeded, but Superman always found a way to save himself:
However it once even helped him be cured of a Kryptonian virus (Home Is Where the Hurt Is) and can possibly counteract an exposure to another substance of the meteorite.
Red Kryptonite[]
Red Kryptonite
This variety was different in colour but still deadly, it made Superman apathetic and also made him unable to control his powers.
It was first discovered by scientist Gene Newtrich who told the new head of Intergang, Bill Church, Jr. about it and tried to use it against the Man of Steel but failed. (Individual Responsibility)
Later, Gene's two sisters Lucille and Nell built a laser to make Superman permanently apathetic, but only succeeded in transferring his powers to Lois, however he got his powers back and disposed of the device. (Ultra Woman)
It was used again by electronics madman Mr. Gadget who used Perry White's own son Jerry to expose Superman to it and make him unable to control his powers. But eventually Superman got control of his powers again especially when a green Kryptonite bullet grazed him counteracting his exposure to the red variety. (Lethal Weapon)