Red Kryptonite! A variation of the green kryptonite that typically fell to Earth... remnants of Superman's home planet of Krypton. Red kryptonite's origins and effects have changed dramatically since its introduction in 1949!
Because red kryptonite became rather prolific as a plot device in the 1950s and 1960s, this tour will be broken down into several smaller trips, each covering a specific length of time.
On our first tour, we'll examine red kryptonite from its first appearance through the end of the 1950s.
This tour, in its entirety, will only cover stories where red kryptonite plays some factor in the overall storyline. Instances when Red K is seen in a display case, or simply talked about but irrelevant to a storyline, will not be included.
Do you think you know all about red kryptonite? Let's see! Strap in and get ready to tour red kryptonite's initial 13 appearances!
(All DC titles are "volume 1" unless noted otherwise)
I)
In one of my previous tours (The Originated in Other Media Tour), we learned that kryptonite originated on the Adventures of Superman radio program in 1943. It first appeared in comic books in Superman #61 (Nov. 1949). It is with this issue we start our tour.
In Superman #61, kryptonite was originally colored as red. In this story, the kryptonite robbed Superman of his powers. It was his first printed exposure to the substance. In the months that follow this tale, standard kryptonite was portrayed in several different colors (including purple), until finally settling in as green.
I won't be covering the many times that "standard kryptonite" was originally portrayed as red in this tour. But, I thought this initial outing of the mineral was worth including. "Standard" kryptonite was officially established as being green in 1951. Our next stop on this tour will be after that!
(An interesting sidenote from this tale, "Kryptonites" was originally used by Superman as a word referring to inhabitants of the planet Krypton, rather than as chunks of terra debris that resulted from that planet's explosive demise.)
II)
Standard kryptonite officially settled into being represented as green in 1951. In Adventure Comics #175 (April 1952), Superboy encounters a red version of the mineral.
When deflecting a meteor that seemingly contains this red kryptonite, Superboy experiences temporary amnesia. For a short time, he operates under the guise of a hero named Prince Power.
III)
In Adventure Comics #252 (September 1958) red kryptonite is finally recognized as being unique from green kryptonite. What it does to Kryptonians is still being dabbled with though. In this tale, we are told that red kryptonite is a refined version of kryptonite, making it 10 times the radiation of the regular version.
This story relies heavily on Superboy's use of his "oracle computer", an amazing predictive computer that, to my knowledge, is never referenced again!
IV)
In Adventure Comics #255 (December 1958), Superboy encounters a Martian who has landed on Earth. Though the Martian Manhunter had debuted three years earlier, this Martian doesn't look like him!
The Martian, named Kozz, has a Martian form of Red Kryptonite. For no reason, this kryptonite affects creatures from Earth as well as those from Krypton. This Martian red kryptonite splits entities that have two forms, such as a caterpillar and butterfly, a tadpole and frog, and... Clark Kent and Superboy! For no reason other than wanting to prove he knows Supeboy's secret identity, Kozz splits Superboy in two and then leaves Earth!
The non-powered Clark turns out to be evil and dies in an explosion while trying to kill Superboy.
V)
We move into 1959, and Red Kryptonite is still recognized as a version of the mineral different from the green variety. But the red variety remains undefined in its difference.
In Superman #128 (April 1959), Superman encounters beings from the far-flung future of "2000"! LOL!!
Some year-2000 criminals pretend to be future law enforcement and they continually paralyze Superman using Red Kryptonite dust. In this tale, Red K seems more of an immobilizing threat than a mineral of possible death.
Ultimately Superman saves the future Earth from losing all its water and then returns to his own era.
Thank goodness! Because of Superman, and despite red kryptonite, our planet Earth didn't lose all its water by 2000!
VI)
The next appearance of red kryptonite appears in Superboy #74 (July 1959), thought it's actually "red kryptonite flames"!
In a single page, Superboy encounters a strange creature that made its way from Krypton in suspended animation, gets reanimated due to Earth's warm air, spits red kryptonite flames onto Superboy, Superboy uses his mighty strength to grab the creature by the tail, flings it onto a frozen meteorite, and claims that being out in space will force the creature into suspended animation again! This all happens in a single page! No explanation is given as to why a Kryptonian creature, now under a yellow sun, couldn't just fly off the meteorite! But, that's not important!! This was all a giant bit of exposition to set up a lovely three-chapter full-issue story!
This is the first time Superboy notes that red kryptonite can do "unpredictable things" to him and his powers. In this issue, it sends him into a feverish delirium where he dreams that his Kryptonian parents survived and come to take him back from the Kents.
VII)
1959's final issue to feature red kryptonite, Action Comics #259 (Dec. 1959), finally provides this specific mineral with an origin. Red kryptonite is green kryptonite that was altered after passing through a "strange cosmic cloud".
In this tale, red kryptonite somehow makes Superman and Superboy exist at the same time. They do a lot of squabbling, and then Lex Luthor makes them choose who will die... Lana (Superboy's love), or Lois (Superman's love)?
In the end, the actual effect of the red kryptonite was that it caused Superman to fall into a delirium, just like the previous entry on this tour!
VIII)
IX)
VIII)
Our next red kryptonite story begins when a youngster tosses his "lucky stone" to an ostrich! I mean, how can you not be fully intrigued about what will happen next?!!
He's shot out of a cannon, goes over a cliff, lands on a boat, falls overboard, fights some sharks, forgets how to swim, and forgets the English language! He wanders to shore speaking Kryptonese as he, fortunately, encounters Edwin Merritt, an encyclopedia editor! Merritt helps him quickly learn English ("Cat, Chicken, Cow!").
Clark wanders around for a while until Krypto finally finds him and rams into him, causing his memory to return. When Clark changes into his Superboy costume, he thinks his identity may have been seen by some nearby picnickers. As fate would have it... they are all blind! Superboy's secret is safe!
This tale was printed in Adventure Comics #268 (January 1960).
IX)
In Adventure Comics #270 (March 1960) we finally start getting closer to the zany Red K we've all come to love! We also learn in this story that the effects of red kryptonite wear off naturally after a few hours (though this was not the case in previous stories).
Superboy's adoptive parents are abducted and transported to the sub-atomic world of Xelthu. Two citizens from Xelthu disguise themselves as the Kents and eventually try to transport Superboy to their world. But the ray they use doesn't have regular kryptonite, instead it has red kryptonite. They expose Superboy to its rays three different times, each time producing a different result. First, his body expands, second, his body shrinks, and finally, his body grows to a giant size.
Eventually, Superboy helps the Xelthunians and they return his foster parents to Earth.
X)
Superboy #81 (June 1960) starts with our young hero out in space, counting stars for astronomers! He eventually finds another rocket that his father had sent into space from Krypton. While inside, he's suddenly drawn into the gravitational field of Xenon. Almost all the Xenonites have superpowers... but on this planet, it turns out that Superboy has none. He's now trapped on this alien world. Soon he's adopted by a sweet older couple who take him in and promise to cover for his lack of powers. How fortunate!
In an ironic twist, Superboy is exposed to a chunk of red kryptonite, and fortuitously... the freakish effect is one of giving him superpowers!! (Wouldn't it be interesting to know what impact it would have had, had he been on Earth?!)
With his powers restored he leads a revolt against Zozz, the evil tyrant who rules the planet. After an atomic weapon goes off, a ring of radiated rock is formed around Xenon, and this ring negates the superpowers of its citizens. These citizens then decide to establish a democratic government and Superboy quickly returns to Earth.
XI)
XI)
A backup tale in Action Comics #267 (Aug. 1960) is the first time we see red kryptonite affect Supergirl. For many Legion of Super-Heroes fans, this story stands out as a tale filled with one-time claims that will eventually be completely abandoned!
Three teens each confront Linda Lee and tell her they know she is Supergirl. They eventually reveal themselves to be Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, and Saturn Girl. BUT, because story writer Jerry Siegel couldn't quite grasp the idea of people from the future visiting different periods in the past, he has these three heroes claim they are the children of the original Legion members who met Superboy, in Linda's past. (This claim is never reverenced again and swept under the rug of LSH inconsistencies!)
Supergirl travels to the future to try out for the team. She meets some of the other Legion members. She meets Invisible Kid, Chameleon Boy, and Colossal Boy. This is the first appearance of all three characters. Cosmic Boy (Jr.!) claims that all three of these heroes inherited powers from their parents. This was another claim that would later need to be ignored by longtime LSH fans.
After completing her competitive task, Supergirl is sure she will be granted membership, but, it turns out that during her task she encountered some red kryptonite and its effect on her turned her into an adult. This made her ineligible for Legion membership since the team only accepts teenagers.
A pretty silly tale considering that the Legion members are from the future and would have known that Red K's effects are temporary. But no worries, Supergirl would eventually earn her place on the team!
Another notable oddity in this tale is that Supergirl is seen lamenting that she doesn't know if it will be "months, years, or ever" before the Red K wears off. Yet it was only a few months earlier that it was established that the effects of red kryptonite only lasted a few hours. This wouldn't be the last of the Red K inconsistencies! Fortunately for Kara in this story, the effects wore off a few hours after her denial from the Legion!!
XII)
XII)
Superman #139 (Aug 1960) finally gives us a somewhat firm establishment of Red Kryptonite in the DC/Superman universe.
A backup tale in this issue (The Untold Story of Red Kryptonite) has a giant meteor of Red K preventing Superman from rescuing some deep sea divers. The story makes it evident (twice) that the general public knows about the existence of Red Kryptonite and what a danger the mineral presents to Superman.
The story pays homage to two previously published tales featuring Red K, and then adds to the mythos by saying that Red K has previously caused Superman to hallucinate, not be able to turn off his x-ray vision, and caused him to sleep-walk. The latter sleep-walking example of Red K also establishes that lead isn't a deterrent to Red K as it is to Green K. (This "fact" would not hold up!)
Superman's memories of previous exposures to red kryptonite end, and our hero submits himself to the exposure of red kryptonite to rescue the deep sea divers. This current Red K exposure causes Superman's hair and fingernails to grow beyond his ability to control them with his own Kryptonian x-ray powers. (His toenails were never referenced BTW!) But thankfully, his Kryptonian cousin and pet dog can give him a shave and haircut!
XIII)
XIII)
In Superboy #85 we get two stories, both featuring red kryptonite... sort of!
In the first tale, "The Secret of Mighty Boy", Superboy meets Mighty Boy, the hero of Zumoor. Zumoor is a world much smaller than Earth, and Mighty Boy is actually an Earthling who was rocketed to Zumoor when he was a child. Mighty Boy's life pretty much mirrors Superboy's. As the two get to know each other, Mighty Boy (and his pet super dog Rovo) begin experiencing bizarre transformations. It turns out that Superboy is somehow a human form of Red K, and that any physical contact with him would cause further chaos for Mighty Boy. Superboy leaves Zumoor and laments losing his new friend.
In the second story, "The Impossible Mission", Superboy decides he is going to travel back in time and prevent Abraham Lincoln from being assassinated. When he arrives in 1865, he runs into an adult Lex Luthor. Lex too had decided to travel back in time (creating a time travel device... as evil scientists so often do!) to escape from Superman! Lex brought a chunk of red kryptonite with him. When he exposes Superboy to it, it completely paralyzes the lad of steel. Because of this, Superboy is unable to save Abraham Lincoln, and Lex Luthor must accept the fact that it is now his fault that Lincoln was killed`2.
So there you have it. Our look at the history of red kryptonite through 13 entries of its first appearances.
Did you know that "standard" kryptonite started out on radio and not in comic books? Did you know that "standard" kryptonite started out red... not green? Did you know that red kryptonite took over a decade to settle into being its own unique problem for our Superman Family of characters?
Hopefully, you enjoyed this kick-off tour and will return for the next red kryptonite history installment. This red remnant of Krypton has appeared over 130 times since its debut in 1949. We will cover more of these encounters in the months ahead. But for now, you've seen the progression of red kryptonite from 1949 through 1960. Let me know your thoughts!
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