Kryptonite Man

Kryptonite Man
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Superboy #83 (September 1960)
Created by	Original: ry Seigel]] George Papp
In-story information
Alter ego	K. Russell Abernathy (2006 version)
Abilities	Enhanced strength and endurance, Kryptonite radiation control

The Kryptonite Man is the name of several supervillains who appears in stories published by DC Comics. The character first appeared as Kryptonite Kid in Superboy #83 (Sep. 1960), and as Kryptonite Man in Superman #299 (May 1976).

Fictional character biographies

Pre-Crisis

The original Kryptonite Man started out as a teen-age alien criminal called the Kryptonite Kid, who flew in space through a green kryptonite cloud and became imbued with the properties of Kryptonite. This incarnation is most well known pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths from his appearance and death in the non-continuity story Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?.

A second Kryptonite Man appeared in Superman #397. He had been the ruler of a race of humanoids who inhabited Krypton eons before Superman's ancestors. When a nearby cosmic body threatens life on Krypton, the second Kryptonite Man, whose real name is never given, sends all of his people into stasis deep underground, while he himself remains on the highest mountain peak, to act as guardian. He is then placed in suspended animation for what is to be 20 years, at which time, he will awaken to determine if the planet is habitable once again. For some reason, the machinery fails, and the unnamed ruler slept for over a thousand years. Unfortunately, the very day he awoke is the day Krypton exploded. The mountain that the unnamed ruler's observatory was on is sent into space. Somehow, the king is able to feed off of the Kryptonite radiation the mountain produced. He eventually became dependent upon these energies to sustain his life at all times, weakening outside of its influence. This second Kryptonite Man blames the pink-skinned humanoid inhabitants (Superman's race) with the death of Krypton, never realizing it was a natural disaster. Eventually, after the Kryptonite radiation of the mountain began to fade, the Kryptonite Man encounters a race known as the Seeders. For unknown reasons, the ships of this race produce radiation similar enough to Kryptonite radiation, that Kryptonite Man could feed off of it, and survive. Kryptonite Man discovers the existence of Kryptonians on Earth, and stealing a Seeder ship, travels there to confront and kill them. Kryptonite Man attacks Superman, but their battle was interrupted by the Seeders, who took offense to Kryptonite Man's theft.

Post-Crisis

In the post-Crisis era, the Kryptonite Man appears in Superman (Vol. 2) #43 as a green-skinned clone of Superman, grown by the scientific spies Simyan and Mokkari.

A character in the ongoing series Superman/Batman also uses the name Kryptonite Man. This version of the character is created when Captain Atom absorbed the explosive energy from Major Force, then went out to destroy the Kryptonite meteor. The Kryptonite energy somehow combined with the remaining energy from Major Force in Captain Atom to create a sentient energy force. After being siphoned from Captain Atom by Toyman, the energy was able to jump from body to body, taking over the personality and causing the body to release Kryptonite radiation.

K. Russell Abernathy

Most recently, soon after DC Comics' One Year Later jump, a scientist named K. Russell Abernathy was working on an experiment to use Kryptonite to develop a new energy source. The experiment explodes, infusing Abernathy's body with radiation. Clark Kent, powerless, summons the current Supergirl. Abernathy, in a misguided attempt to prove his energy theories, goes on a violent rampage; this includes deliberately attempting to injure Kryptonians. He is soon subdued and imprisoned.

He is taken to Stryker's Island, Metropolis' local prison. Lex Luthor sends insectile warriors who free Abernathy. The man is used in conjunction with large amounts of Kryptonite to free an ancient Kryptonian spaceship.

He later resurfaced in Action Comics #853, having Superman on the ropes until the timely intervention of Jimmy Olsen and Krypto.

Powers and abilities

The original Kryptonite Man was an alien with natural powers of telepathy. After passing through the Kryptonite cloud, he gained enhanced strength and endurance.

The second Kryptonite Man could absorb Kryptonite energy, which gave him increased strength and abilities.

The third Kryptonite Man was a duplicate of Superman, with all the basic Kryptonian powers.

The fourth Kryptonite Man was a living cloud of kryptonite radiation that could possess others and could also heal the injuries of those it possessed (as evidenced when it took over a wounded Batman).

The fifth Kryptonite Man possesses a Kryptonite-enhanced physiology, the ability to see radiation spectrums, and the power to fire Kryptonite beams from his eyes. When he becomes angry, however, he loses his ability to think rationally, becoming a raging maniac.

In other media

Television

The Kryptonite Kid appeared in the fourth season of the TV series Superboy, in the episode entitled "Kryptonite Kid," played by Jay Underwood. A young man named Mike Walker, working at a military research base, was caught in a Kryptonite explosion while trying to find a way to make Superboy immune to Kryptonite radiation. The Kryptonite entered his bloodstream, as well as his nervous system, turning his skin green and affecting his mind in vicious ways. Walker became "living, breathing Kryptonite," able to fire Kryptonite radiation from his hands. Superboy was able to defeat him through enlisting the aid of a human man who had been arrested for fraud in taking advantage of his resemblance to Superboy in order to make money and attract girls. In exchange for getting the charges dropped, Superboy convinced the man to stand up to Walker, whereby Walker's Kryptonite beams had no effect on him. With Mike Walker distracted as to why he was not harming the Superboy impersonator, Superboy then wrapped up Walker in a lead tarp, where eventually the Kryptonite would be cleansed from Walker's body.

Novels

This elaborate Superman mythology was the background for the novel The Kryptonite Kid.

See also

• List of Superman enemies