10 Types Of Kryptonite (Other Than Green) That You Need To Know About
Who knew there were so many?
We’ve all poked fun at Superman and his Achilles Heel. The last son of Krypton’s weakness is a piece of green rock from his own planet. Granted that is an oversimplification and it’s the radioactive properties the Kryptonite has after traveling across the solar system to earth that impacts the Man of Steel, but still, it's the quintessential superhero weakness.
Green Kryptonite is the most famous form of the radiated rock. It has shown up in all Superman TV and cartoon shows and has featured in prominently in the classic Christopher Reeves films as well as in the DC Extended Universe. However one glowing ore can only get you so far, and since Kryptonite’s introduction to the comics in 1949 writers have gradually invented new strains of the alien mineral to stir things up.
In 68 years there have been 22 variations of the Kryptonian material. Some have featured more prominently than others, but they all have one thing in common: they all have some pretty amazing qualities.
10. Red Kryptonite
The most commonly known form of Kryptonite after green, Red Kryptonite makes Superman and his alter ego much more interesting. By ‘more interesting’ I mean it makes him more brash, confident, a bigger risk taker, narcissistic and an all round meaner guy and that says a lot about how interesting he actually is.
Red Kryptonite debuted in 1958 in Adventure Comics’ issue #252 and originally weakened Kal El like the green form but to a far more severe level. Over time in the comics, the red mineral began to exert other side effects that altered other aspects of Superman's behaviour.
The TV shows, on the other hand, typically depict the red rock as a solely negative influence on Supes.