The last installment of this tour guided us through all the red kryptonite stories published in 1966 and 1967. Here's a link in case you missed it!
The Red Kryptonite Tour - Part 6 (1966 and 1967)
As always, we pick up with numbering from the previous Red Kryptonite tours.
98)
A story in Superman #203 (January 1968) kicks off with Superman doing something pretty low-key for him—digging irrigation trenches on an alien world to help manage their water. On his way back to Earth, he spots a meteor headed straight for the planet and smashes it to pieces. Job done… or so he thinks. What he doesn’t notice is that a tiny organism from the meteor latches onto the “S” emblem on his suit.
Back on Earth, things get weird fast. The organism makes his symbol show right through Clark Kent’s clothes, basically blowing his secret identity. He heads to the Fortress of Solitude to deal with it, then even flies into the Sun, figuring the heat will burn it off. No luck. When he returns, Perry, Lois, and Jimmy decide they’ll keep his secret safe—but the organism suddenly lashes out, killing all three with some kind of energy blast. And just like that, Superman is pulled away.
He wakes up on an alien ship, face-to-face with a being named Knarf, who explains that the organism is a dangerous entity he once had locked up. Before much else can happen, the creature kills Knarf too and turns its attention to Superman, announcing it’s about to drain his life.
Then—snap—Superman wakes up again. This time for real. He’s back on the original planet, realizing he’d been knocked out by red kryptonite and everything that just happened was a dream… except it didn’t feel like just a dream. It felt like a warning. The meteor is real, so instead of waiting for things to go wrong, Superman heads out to find Knarf first—hoping to stop the whole nightmare before it even starts.
Then comes the real twist. Superman learns that Jor-El may have been wrong—Krypton might not have been doomed after all. Instead, it was Black Zero who actually caused the planet’s destruction.
Desperate, Superman is contacted by prisoners in the Phantom Zone and decides to take a risk. He frees Jax-Ur, hoping he can help stop Black Zero. But that backfires in a strange way—Black Zero exposes Jax-Ur to red kryptonite, triggering a series of bizarre transformations. Jax-Ur turns into a serpent, then a rattlesnake, and finally into a kind of super-Medusa, with snakes for hair.
In that final form, Jax-Ur manages to turn Black Zero into stone. Superman insists Black Zero should stand trial, but Jax-Ur doesn’t take chances—he destroys the statue completely, making sure there’s no way Black Zero ever comes back.
101) Action Comics #367 is a doozy—closing out 1968’s run of everyone’s favorite chaotic plot device, red kryptonite, with all the logic you’d expect (read: none).
So apparently, every year Metropolis hands out something called The Superman Award—an honor we have never heard of until this exact moment—to the citizen who’s helped Superman the most. No nomination process, no notification, no RSVP… winners are just expected to be there. Sure, why not.
This year’s winner? Clark Kent.
Yes. That Clark Kent.
Which immediately raises the small logistical issue of: how does Superman publicly hand an award to himself without finally giving Lois Lane the aneurysm she’s been earning for years? Lois, doing more legwork than anyone else in this story, runs off to find Clark while Superman just… stands there and vibes anxiously. Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner fills time by explaining the finalists in excruciating detail.
We’ll skip finalist #1, because the story basically does too. Finalist #2, though, is where things get properly unhinged: an old man stranded on a deserted island whom Superman meets while under the influence of red kryptonite. The Red K transforms Superman three separate times (as it does), strips him of his ability to fly (because sure), and drops him right into the sights of the Superman Revenge Squad.
Luckily, the old man has turned his island into Home Alone: Apocalypse Edition, and the Squad gets wrecked by his traps. The Red K wears off—this time after a neat, convenient 24 hours—and Superman wraps things up like this was all perfectly normal. The old man, who had never even heard of Superman before this, gets recognized for his service. As one does.
Now, back to the main event: Superman still needs a Clark.
Bruce Wayne is already in attendance (because of course he is), and Clark’s apartment is being painted, so no robot double this time. With ten minutes on the clock, Superman does not zip off to Kandor to grab Van-Zee, his established lookalike. No, instead he flips through a conveniently stocked missing persons file he apparently keeps around but never uses… until now.
Enter Jonas Crowther: same height, same build, close enough face, and—miraculously—the exact same voice and speech patterns as Clark Kent. He’s missing because of amnesia, which Superman solves in the most ethical way possible: by slapping on a wig, applying makeup, and hypnotizing the man into believing he is Clark Kent.
Problem solved.
They appear together just long enough for Superman to hand “Clark” the award, publicly debunk Lois’s (correct) suspicions, and call it a day. Afterwards, Superman removes the hypnosis, which conveniently restores Jonas’s real memories too. So hey—free therapy with your identity fraud.
And just like that, everything wraps up neatly, with no one questioning the fact that Superman absolutely hijacked a vulnerable amnesiac to cover his secret identity. Totally fine. Totally heroic.
Honestly, the whole thing hits a little too close to Wonder Woman 1984 for comfort... only here it’s played with a straight face and zero self-awareness. Which somehow makes it even funnier.
102)
Superboy #154 (March 1969) features a tale so convoluted that even the antagonist admits halfway through that he’s gone overboard on the subterfuge!
Superboy rescues an old fisherman who is furious about being saved and tells Supes he should’ve just left him alone. Cut to the next morning: Clark wakes up to find his heat vision is completely uncontrollable. He burns several items in his room before forcing his eyes shut. This new malady even extends to his Superboy robots!!
(Side note: This story takes place after the Kents were de-aged in Superboy #145. Can I just say how weird it is that hip, youthful Martha is banging on her son’s door, calling him “Superboy”?)
Clark Kent is soon sporting lead-lined glasses to deal with a “temporary blindness” caused by a “chemical accident.” He’s using a white cane with zero training and somehow has a seeing-eye dog. Meanwhile, Superboy is using Krypto to guide him around, apparently hoping no one notices that he’s blind, too.
We eventually learn the fisherman was really Dr. Dento, a villain out to get Superboy. During the rescue, he managed to place a perfectly sized “photo-electric foil transmitter S-shield” on top of Superboy’s actual emblem (and Superboy doesn’t find it odd that this guy is just rubbing all over his chest?). This transmitter acts like a camera, and every time Superboy opens his eyes, Dr. Dento fires a “thermal ray” at whatever the transmitter sees.
You following this? Because wow.
There’s nothing wrong with Superboy’s eyes at all. And we’ll just skip right past the fact that this thing would’ve had a clear view of Jonathan and Martha Kent. Nope—nothing to see there!
Instead, Dr. Dento focuses on creating synthetic red kryptonite inside a fake bone to stop Krypto from helping. He uses a sexy female dog (yes, really) to distract Krypto and slip him the hollow, Red-K-laced bone, which puts Krypto into a trance.
Eventually, Superboy gets the bone away from Krypto, and the Red K effect instantly wears off—no 24- or 48-hour nonsense here! Krypto then immediately smells the photo-electric transmitter and rips it off Superboy’s costume. So I guess his super-smell doesn’t work on fake Red-K bones? Ugh. Seriously… this one was rough.
Superboy figures out there’s nothing wrong with his eyes, apprehends Dr. Dento, and then—because why not—continues pretending to be blind as Clark Kent for a bit longer.
What an absolutely absurd adventure!
103) In World’s Finest Comics #183 (March 1969), Batman and Robin set out to capture Superman with green kryptonite so he can be held accountable for crimes he supposedly hasn’t committed yet. Yes—pre-crime Superman. We’re doing that now.
Superman’s trial is conducted before a United Nations council, alongside a pair of representatives from the Time Patrol. These “future authorities” claim that, under the influence of red kryptonite, Superman will turn evil, wreak havoc in the present, and then send a satellite into the future that somehow devolves humanity back into a bunch of cavemen. It’s a lot. Even by Silver Age standards, it’s a lot.
Naturally, it’s eventually revealed that the two Time Patrol agents are actually Lex Luthor and Brainiac in disguise, because of course they are. Their whole scheme is to maneuver Superman into a position where they can permanently turn him evil and recruit him as their villainous third. Subtle!
Fortunately, Superman pieces it all together when “future man” Luthor can’t resist adding salt to a meal—because apparently, even in the distant future, Lex is still that guy. Honestly, that might be the most believable part of the story.
With the ruse exposed, Superman is cleared of all charges, and the U.N. honors the World’s Finest team by raising flags for Superman and Batman. And Robin? Standing right there, having helped with the whole thing? Absolutely nothing. Not even a courtesy nod. Tough scene, kid.
(For the record, no actual red kryptonite appears in this story—just the threat of it. But our tour guide is clearly taking a “close enough counts” approach to inclusion.)
104)
Superman #215 (April 1969) gives us a full-length “imaginary tale,” which is usually code for “brace yourself.”
Superman and Lois Lane are married with a young daughter named Laney. One day, while the happy couple is relaxing at home (Superman lounging in full costume, because of course, and Lois casually doing some darning), a villain called the Dimension Master just sticks his head—and a ray gun—through their open window. No dramatic entrance, no buildup… just hello, I’m here to kill you. In the chaos, he misses Superman and kills Lois instead. So, we’re off to a cheerful start.
Laney, who has inherited her father’s powers, spends much of her time at the Fortress of Solitude under Krypto’s supervision. Fortunately, she’s old enough to avoid the classic Silver Age toddler trope of referring to herself in the third person, so at least we’re spared that.
One day, Laney accidentally exposes herself to a chunk of multi-sample red kryptonite (because apparently the Fortress just has that lying around), turns transparent, and promptly disintegrates. Sure, why not?
After consulting his super-computer, Superman learns that Laney isn’t dead—she’s been transported to an alternate Earth. So off he goes, tracks her down, and in the process meets that world’s Lois Lane. Naturally… he falls in love with her. Because this story wasn’t messy enough already.
It gets better. The Superman of that parallel Earth isn’t quite ready to settle down, but he’s totally fine swapping places with our Superman. No big deal—just a casual life exchange between identical demigods. The alternate Lois meets Laney, agrees to help raise her, and everything turns aggressively saccharine from there.
Oh, and the best part? Our Superman never tells this new Lois that he’s not the Superman she knows. That’s right—this marriage starts with a lie of cosmic proportions. What could possibly go wrong?
And with everyone smiling and the moral implications thoroughly ignored, our imaginary tale comes to a close!
105) Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane #93 (July 1969) serves up one of those classic bait-and-switch jobs that you can see coming from a mile away—but you still have to sit through it anyway.
Most of the issue is devoted to the “new,” mod-era, powerless Wonder Woman aggressively courting Superman, while Lois Lane fumes and spars with her over his affections. It’s a whole lot of manufactured romantic rivalry, with Lois predictably getting the short end of the stick for most of the ride.
Then, right near the end—surprise!—we learn that this isn’t Wonder Woman at all. It’s actually an escaped Phantom Zone criminal named Ar-Ual, who’s been running around in a Wonder Woman disguise the entire time. Because apparently that’s a thing you can just do.
Ar-Ual captures both the real Wonder Woman and Lois, and as she’s gearing up to finish them off, Superman swoops in at the last possible second with… red kryptonite dust. Yes, red kryptonite dust. In a single panel, it conveniently strips Ar-Ual of her powers long enough for Superman to wrap things up. Blink, and you’ll miss the most important plot device in the story.
Superman sends Ar-Ual back to the Phantom Zone, reassures Lois that she’s still his one and only (don’t worry, all that flirting meant nothing, apparently), and we’re done.
Formulaic, convenient, and just a little ridiculous—business as usual.
106) Our next red kryptonite tale unfolds across a two-part story in Action Comics #380–381 (Sept/Oct 1969), and it kicks off with the Superman Revenge Squad apparently deciding that assassination attempts should be… gamified.
Two members of the Squad win a contest to be the next ones to try to kill Superman—yes, an actual contest, complete with “prove your worth” energy that feels weirdly like a supervillain pageant. The twist? They’re a couple. Nothing says romance like a joint murder mission.
On their way to Earth, they pass the time reminiscing about all the bizarre ways red kryptonite has affected Superman in the past (honestly, fair—there’s a lot to choose from). Their big plan is to expose him to a brand-new synthetic combo Red K, and see what kind of chaos shakes out.
And chaos does indeed shake out. A series of destructive incidents starts piling up, and Superman begins to suspect that he himself might be responsible. Naturally, red kryptonite is the prime suspect. Supergirl shows up to help him through the crisis… except, of course, she’s not actually Supergirl.
Nope. This “Supergirl” is the female member of the Revenge Squad in disguise. And Superman, brilliant Kryptonian that he is, is completely fooled by a wig and a costume, despite the fact that she apparently doesn’t match Kara’s voice, mannerisms, or, you know, basic personality. Sigh.
Eventually, Superman catches on, but instead of immediately shutting things down, he plays along, continuing to act like he’s under the influence and committing crimes to convince the villains their plan is working. It’s actually a pretty solid bit of counterplay… buried in a story that requires him to first be fooled by Supergirl cosplay.
In the end, the red kryptonite does make him behave criminally, but the effects are surprisingly mild and short-lived, especially given all the buildup. So after all that scheming, disguising, and villain couple bonding, the grand experiment kind of fizzles.
107) A backup tale in Adventure Comics #384 (September 1969) puts Linda (Supergirl) Danvers in the wholesome role of camp counselor for a troop of young girls.
While at camp, Linda keeps stumbling upon Supergirl-related items in the most inconvenient places. Naturally, she starts to panic, convinced that someone has figured out her secret identity and is toying with her. Paranoia level: justified.
Trying to get to the bottom of it, she heads to the Fortress of Solitude and discovers the culprit: red kryptonite dust. She deduces it must have been on the camp flag that all the girls saluted upon arrival, which is a sentence that only makes sense in a Silver Age comic.
This particular brand of Red K gives her a split personality. And here’s where it gets very on-brand: because of an earlier moment where she didn’t exactly go all-in protecting Clark Kent’s secret identity, the Red K essentially manifests her guilt. Under its influence, she’s been the one planting all those Supergirl clues herself—subconsciously taunting and punishing herself for slipping up.
So instead of an external threat, the big bad is… Supergirl’s own guilty conscience, weaponized by space rock dust from a camp flag.
Honestly? Absurd, yes—but at least this one has a weirdly psychological twist to it.
108)
Superman #226 (May 1970) opens with Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane heading out for a night at the movies to catch a King Kong flick. Clark, playing the good date/friend, grabs some Cracker Jacks for Lois and Jimmy—and wouldn’t you know it, the prize inside Jimmy’s box is a tiny “gem” of red kryptonite. Because of course it is. Exposure to the Red K transforms Superman into a giant, inarticulate being, very much in the mold of King Kong. He lumbers around Metropolis, carrying Lois in his hand, scaling buildings, and generally causing chaos while trying—unsuccessfully—to communicate that he’s not in control of his actions. Authorities, not exactly in a listening mood, respond the only way they know how: green kryptonite. Superman is subdued, but before things go too far, Jimmy pieces together what’s actually happening and manages to free him.
109)
It’s time for DC to fully embrace its Bronze Age.
Around late 1968, Princess Diana lost her Amazonian powers and pivoted into international espionage, trading in her mythic roots for some decidedly hip, groovy mod fashion and spy adventures.
Over in the Batman titles, Dick (Robin) Grayson moved out of Wayne Manor (circa late 1969) to attend college. Bruce and Alfred relocated to a penthouse in the Wayne Foundation building, and Batman himself shifted back toward the darker, grittier tone of his early days. The extended Bat-family was quietly shown the door, as DC made a concerted effort to scrub away the lingering camp of the ’66 TV era.
And Superman? He got his own update. In the early 1970s, the Daily Planet was purchased by Galaxy Communications, and Clark Kent transitioned into a television news anchor because print journalism just wasn’t futuristic enough anymore.
But the biggest change arrived in Superman #233 (January 1971). An experimental explosion conveniently transformed all kryptonite on Earth, including red kryptonite, into iron.
Just like that, kryptonite was gone.
Now, never mind that Superboy stories were set in the past before this event, or that a good chunk of kryptonite had previously been floating around in space (and presumably untouched by this Earth-bound explosion transformation). Details, details! Effective January 1971, all kryptonite ceased being a plot device. At least… for a while.
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