Kryptonite
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Real Identity: Not Applicable
Appearances (STAS): The Last Son of Krypton Part One, Part Two, A Little Piece of Home, Feeding Time, The Way of All Flesh, Blasts From The Past Part Two, Action Figures, Mxyzpixilated, Brave New Metropolis, World's Finest Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Bizarro's World, Heavy Metal, Little Girl Lost Part One, Superman's Pal, Legacy Part One and Part Two
Appearances (BB): The Call Part One and Part Two
Appearances (JL/U): Injustice For All Part One, Metamorphosis Part Two, Tabula Rasa Part One, Starcrossed Part One, Fearful Symmetry, The Return, The Doomsday Sanction, Chaos at the Earth's Core, and Destroyer
Appearances (SS): Toys in the Hood
Appearances (JLI Comics): The Mirror Crack'd Part Two
Powers/Skills: Induced Radioactivity
Voiced By: Not Applicable
Kryptonite are meteorites that were once made up the planet Krypton. After the planet's unstable core could no longer handle its growing irradiation, it exploded. Several shards of the planet were caught in the hyperspace window opened by Jor-El's lifeboat when it escaped to Earth. One 20 pound sample landed in China where it was carved into the Laughing Dragon statue. It was deemed cursed when all of its owners died prematurely. It was believed to be made of jade, as Kryptonite was undiscovered at the time. In the present, it was a collector's item and was $100,000.
30 years later, it was studied and concluded to be a transuranic element with an atomic number of 126 and discovered to be a weapon against Superman. Superman's Kryptonian physiology absorbs yellow sun electromagnetic radiation and gifts him with the range of super powers. The Kryptonite emits it's own radioactivity that interferes with Superman's solar absorption and painfully forces the energy out of him. As a result, Kryptonite causes extreme pain, loss of powers, and even death with prolonged exposure. Chemically it is found to contain 10.62% Dialium, 3.94% Mercury, 15.08% Plutonium, 24.02% Promethium, 18.06% Tantalum, 27.71% Xenon, and 0.57% of a previously unknown element. Professor Hamilton was given a sample by Lois Lane for analysis and deduced lead could block its radioactivity. He was the first to call it Kryptonite.
While reviewing security tapes of the Lex Luthor Museum, Luthor discovered Superman's weakness and proceeded to funnel millions into acquiring as much Kryptonite as he could. As a precautionary measure, he kept a piece of it on his person at all times. He then invested an equal amount to weaponize it and destroy Superman through LexCorp Research despite the potential to help mankind. His first attempt was outfitting a robot dinosaur with it. Although Lois Lane aided Superman, much of his genetic material was extracted in the battle and allowed Luthor to attempt cloning Superman. Another project was using the mineral to power Metallo alloy. Luthor manipulated John Corben to accepting an alternative surgery that turned him into a living robot. The power source, a Kryptonite core, could also be channeled into energy blasts, and years later as eye lasers. S.T.A.R. Labs also analyzed their sample and several of their creations were an Anti-Kryptonite Suit for Superman, weapons grade Kryptonite, and an implement rigged to perform surgery on Supergirl.
It proved just as effective against other Kryptonians and Parasite, when he absorbed Superman's powers. Superman's clone, Bizarro, was immune. Since his degenerated cell structure wasn't completely Kryptonian, an immunity was created by chance. Kryptonite proved to be successfully duplicated through both synthetic and mystical means. Mr. Mxyzptlk turned himself into Kryptonite during a battle against Superman, which proved just as deadly. Years later, Metamorpho also was able to transmutate himself into Kryptonite. Besides his Rogues Gallery, the Joker also once tried to kill Superman with the Laughing Dragon after stealing it from Gotham Antiques and contracting a deal with Luthor. However, Batman followed and with time running out, he used a cannister of hydrocholoric acid to dissolve half of the Kryptonite. The other half was later destroyed by Superman when he used a large lead-lined door to smash it and the robot it was attached to.
As part of his involvement with the federal government's Project Cadmus, Luthor supplied them with several liquefied Kryptonite syringes and warheads. They came of use when a brainwashed Superman led Darkseid's forces against Earth and years later when General Eiling attempted to kill Superman and Doomsday as they fought on the erupting drug-ridden San Baquero Island. In the latter, Batman reversed the polarity of a Javelin to attract the warhead away from its progammed path. The explosion generated a large tidal wave and left Batman bed-ridden.
Another owner of a piece of Kryptonite was Batman. As a justified precaution, Batman's suspicions were confirmed when Superman was brainwashed by Darkseid. He kept a sliver in his utility belt and later, in a special lead-lined room hidden behind the case of costumes in the Batcave. Only Bruce Wayne could access it through a full biometric scan verification. 50 years later, Superman was implicated in attacks on his fellow JLU teammates. At first, Batman hesitated and nearly lost the Kryptonite in the Metrotower's Medical Bay. He later used it to anesthetize the Starro-controlled Superman in the Fortress of Solitude. It was soon destroyed by a clone-controlled Big Barda.
Unlike Wayne, Luthor lacked any protection from his. As a result, he suffered a rare form of terminal blood poisoning. Apparently, it can affect humans over a longer period of time since it emits a low-level radiation. Ultra-Humanite grafted a containment suit to prolong death but it was a duplicate of Brainiac within him that eventually eliminated the disease. Some time later, A.M.A.Z.O. duplicated Superman's power and inherited his weakness. However, as part of an evolution initiative, A.M.A.Z.O. soon developed an immunity to it. When A.M.A.Z.O. returned to Earth, Luthor utilized an old bunker lined with Kryptonite to defend himself.
As part of a ruse to publicly humiliate Superman and the Justice League, Lex Luthor unveiled Lexor City, a community dedicated to low income family housing. He declared it would be powered by cheap alternative energy but kept the fact that its source was Kryptonite secret. When Superman scanned the city, he discovered it and attempted to destroy it. The misunderstanding led to a battle between he and Captain Marvel. After defeating Marvel, he destroyed the device and upon further analysis, the Atom confirmed the Kryptonite fusion generator was a legitimate energy source and not an explosive.
That proved to not be the most surprising use of it. A short time later, Supergirl, Stargirl, Stripe, and Green Lantern teleported to Skartaris and discovered the Monks of the Tabernacle kept the largest known sample of Kryptonite as a healing tool called the Great Stone. It was attributed to faith and magic that healed only those of pure heart. One known to survive and recover due to its exposure was Machiste. Thus, it also served a dual purpose as a symbol of hope for the people of Skartaris. The Legion of Doom learned of its existence and dispatched Metallo and Silver Banshee to take it. In exchange for providing military advise to Deimos, they would be allowed to take the Great Stone. After the JLU unit and Warlord's forces won, it was decided the Great Stone would be left alone as it was one of the few positive applications of Kryptonite. Instead, Green Lantern sealed the entrance to Skartaris to prevent further intrusion.
Upon the resurrection of Darkseid, he rallied his people to a war against Earth and New Genesis. Aware of an impending battle against Superman, Darkseid devised the Agony Matrix to neutralize him and a Kryptonite knife to apply the deathblow. Luckily, Lex Luthor arrived with the Solution to the Anti-Life Equation before he could use the knife.