Superman Through the Ages! Forum

I apologize if this question has been asked to death, but I tried the Search function and didn't really come up with what I was looking for.

How did Kryptonite get to Earth?  It seems like an awfully long way away for fragments of Krypton to tumble through space at sub-light speeds...

I assume there are probably as many answers to this as there are Superman series, graphic novels, Otherworlds books, animated and live-action television series, and movies.  Still, I'd love to hear a consensus on this question from the people who know the comics.

Thanks!

 - Devin

Welcome! (I'm new here, too)

One or more fragments of Kryptonite were caught on the tail end of baby Kal's ship when he rocketed to earth. Other fragments have been recovered through space exploration, or brought by space-villians, such as Brainiac.

That's the most concise answer I've got, at least.

A lot of Kryptonite got to Earth due to the fact Kal-El ships opened up a hole in hyperspace and it followed the ship evenually finding its way to Earth.

This is from an old postcard I have around somewhere.  It might be useful.  As usual, click to ZOOM in:

(http://superman.nu/a/images/card.jpg)

:s:

Wow - that's a pretty specific postcard!

Thanks for the prompt answers, everybody!

 - Devin

History of the post-Crisis Kryptonite, by Genis-Vell.

A piece of Kryptonite arrived on Earth attached on Kal-El's matrix chamber (see THE MAN OF STEEL limited series # 1). That was the only piece of Kryptonite on earth, and it was used like an heart for Metallo by a scientist that believed Superman was an alien invasor (see SUPERMAN Vol. II # 1). Then, Lex stole Metallo and used his "heart" to create a ring. He used the ring for hold Superman at a security distance, but it caused him cancer (see ACTION COMICS # 600). Indeed, Green K can hurt humans, too, in post-Crisis era. A woman who worked for Lex, Dr. Amanda McCoy, stole the ring for to kill Clark Kent (she discovered his secret identity), but she was killed. The ring was found by Superman and Batman, and Supes decided that Bats was the only man worth to keep it. So, if the Man of Steel will be controlled by someone, his caped colleague will stop him (see the "Dark Knight over Metropolis saga"). Meanwhile, Mxyzptlk created the Red Kryptonite (only a piece). Luthor used it to make Superman lose his power, but at the end of the story they were restored (see the "Krisis of Krimson Kryptonite" saga). Besides, a creep named Conduit can produce Green K radiations because he was born the same day of Kal's arrival (see "The death of Clark Kent" saga if you hate yourself).
Years later, Lex was on trial for his crimes and he said that the real villain was a clone drove mad by Green K radiations. So, Superman and Batman gave him the ring (they weren't so happy of that...), so Lex could use it as a prove (see... Whops, I don't remember the issue; it should be SUPERMAN Vol. II 126 or 127, during the "Electric Superman" saga). Before the Imperiex war the two World's Finest replaced the ring with a fake, so once again they have the only piece of Kryptonite on Earth. Batman used it on Superman when the Kryptonian was controlled by Poison Ivy (see BATMAN # 612).
Recently a giant meteor from Krypton has reached Earth's orbit. Captain Atom destroied it, and a lot of colorful Kryptonite landed on our Planet (see SUPERMAN/BATMAN 6). Now, like in the pre-Crisis days, Kryptonite is everywhere. The Black Mask has robbed a box filled with the alien green rocks (see BATMAN 638) and that Gog guy created a new variety of it: yellow K, that turns skinny creeps on giant creeps (see ACTION COMICS 822).

Phew...!

I have something to add to that...

In Superman/Batman #8, Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) landed on Earth, in the Atlantic Ocean. With her landed a whole dumpster full of Kryptonite, of various colors. Bruce Wayne had it recovered, and contracted it to Kord industries for  safekeeping. (Kord Industries is owned by Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle) However, in DC Countdown #1 it was missing from the Kord warehouse. The JLA was unable to trace it. Blue Beetle suspected that there was a larger plot involved, and that someone was trying to ruin his company. Since the JLA has no respect for the Iron Age Justice Leage, they just kind of ignored him, except for Wonder Woman, who was at least nice to him.

Anyway, it was stolen by Black Mask (probably in league with a lot of other villians, like Luthor) but in Batman #638 it was then re-stolen by Red Hood (a resurrected evil Jason Todd, who was Robin at one time.) In this issue, it showed various colors of kryptonite...I spotted red, green, blue, and even one chunk of gold.

So now you have the complete history of Kryptonite, up until last month.

The current varieties of Kryptonie as of Superman/Batman 19

Green
Red
Blue
Yellow
White
Black


The Kryptonite that can pass as a chunk of ordinary gold(Gold K) has been replaced by Yellow K

No Orange or Purple K yet.  But, we'll see what comes up.

Were those types in SUPERMAN/BATMAN # 6, am I right?

That is awesome --I'd like to send some of those!

Pre-Crisis it was stated in Action #500 that the warp-drive Jor-El developed was flawed and created a sort of 'space-warp' between Earth and Krypton through which Krytonite and about everything Jor-El had shot up into space had been pulled through.

Post-Crisis where was originally one piece of Krytonite which caught ont he tail of the rocket. Then Luthor developed a way manufacture the stuff but artifical K didn't seem as effective as the real stuff. Then Batman fiddled with the piece Superman gave him and came up with Red K which turned Superman's skin transparent and sent his powers throught he roof to the point he could not really do anything. Now we have multicolored K again. Hopefully not with the same powers as before.

Please not multicolored K again.  It's not the trappings of the silver age that made it fun but the spirit IMO.