Superman Symbolism: What 10 Most Famous Villains Really Mean

8. Kryptonite Man - His Weakness

The Kryptonite Man is literally an anthropomorphic, humanoid embodiment of Superman's weakness and, as such, he epitomises the fact that Superman isn't quite as invulnerable and unbeatable as some people seem to think he is. A number of characters have had the moniker, but the most famous is K. Russell Abernathy. He was a scientist who, whilst working out of a research laboratory on the Avenue of Tomorrow in Metropolis, developed a Kryptonite isotope enhancer, which would enable him to harness Kryptonite radiation and convert it into energy. Unfortunately for him, the isotope enhancer overloaded, which caused a massive explosion of Kryptonite radiation in his laboratory. Not protected by lead shielding, Abernathy took the full brunt of the blast. However, instead of killing him, the massive blast of green radiation mutated him into a living Kryptonite Man. Superman is, therefore, completely vulnerable to his touch and his mere presence. That said, Superman has defeated him before, so he also represents the fact that Superman can overcome even the most difficult of challenges.