Contains spoilers for Superman and the Authority #4!
For years, fans assumed that Kryptonite, the one substance in the universe capable of affecting Superman, was simply remnants of Krypton, his homeworld. While Kryptonite can still harm or even kill Superman, there is seemingly more to its origin than fans have been told.
Kryptonite, and all its various strains, have been an integral part of the Superman mythos for many years. Oddly enough, the substance did not debut in the comics, but instead in 1943’s The Adventures of Superman radio drama; it would make it first comic appearance six years later in Superman #61. There are several variants of Kryptonite, Green being the most common; this particular strain can kill him, and has been a popular with his many adversaries. There is also Gold Kryptonite, which can rob him of his powers and Red Kryptonite, which affected the Man of Steel in a variety of unexpected ways. These chunks of Kryptonite were believed to be fragments of Krypton after it exploded, but in Superman and the Authority #4, on sale now in print and digital, readers learn that may not be the case. The issue is written by Grant Morrison, with art by Mikel Janin, colors by Jordie Bellaire and letters by Tom Napolitano.
The issue opens with Superman caught in the clutches of the Ultra-Humanite, one of his oldest foes. The Humanite believes he has Superman, but the Man of Steel is able to escape. The two fight, trading blows, until Lois zaps the Humanite with a white Kryptonite ray. As he lays on the ground, defeated, the Humanite declares that Kryptonite is “the greatest lie of all.” Later, Superman gathers the new Authority team for their first mission; as he says his goodbye to Lois, he tells her he must leave, especially in light of what he and Supergirl recently discovered about Kryptonite—but he does not clarify. The issue ends on a cliffhanger, with Superman and the Authority heading to WarWorld.
What did the Ultra-Humanite mean by Kryptonite being a “lie”? Is he suggesting that it is not from Krypton, and that its origin lies elsewhere? Probably not, but what did Superman and Supergirl discover about the substance that necessitated Superman leaving Earth? The answer may lie in revelations about Red Kryptonite in recent issues of Supergirl; it has been revealed the substance not only can trigger odd transformations in Kryptonians, it has hallucinogenic properties for many others. Are Gold, Green and the various other strains heading for a similar retooling? If Red produces intense visions and transformations, what might Green trigger? Could a new strain of Gold Kryptonite affect his powers in some way? Finally, how does WarWorld play into all of this?
Over the past few months, there have been a number of revisions to key parts of the Superman mythos, including the Phantom Zone. Now, Kryptonite is receiving a similar treatment, potentially upending everything fans know about the substance.
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