Kryptonians are a critically endangered humanoid species from the now-destroyed planet Krypton. Superman is the last of the Kryptonians. They are the natural enemies of the Dheronian species as every 20 years they were at war for each other's treasures.
Kryptonians are indistinguishable from humans.
Powers & AbilitiesEdit
Kryptonians, once outside their star system, acquire new abilities determined by the frequency of each sun's light and internal radiation. White stars, dwarf stars, and blue stars all give them different properties. Their cells are natural organic solar batteries that absorb and metabolize solar energy, giving them their various abilities.
Yellow Sun AbilitiesEdit
- Superhuman Strength - Under a yellow sun, Kryptonians experience a dramatic increase in physical strength that far exceeds the limits of what is humanly or even physically possible for a creature of comparable size and build. By age 3, a Kryptonian can easily lift pickup trucks over his head. Their strength increases to a degree as they get older. During adolescence, their strength increases; they are able to bend steel in their bare hands, stop a speeding locomotive, hold with an unbreakable grip, smash through steel doors, and send grown humans across a room with the slightest touch. By age 30 and beyond, a Kryptonian's strength has reached the point where they can lift well over a million tons and they can punch through mountains and crush diamonds in their hands.
- Superhuman Speed - Kryptonians can move, react, and fly so incredibly fast that they appear as nearly-invisible blurs. They are faster than any Earth projectile; bullets, arrows, missiles, etc. Kryptonians also possess accelerated vision which, combined with their superhuman reflexes and accelerated brain-activity, allows them to perceive fast-moving objects and people to be moving in slow motion or at a normal human speed.
- Superhuman Stamina - Kryptonians rarely get tired or back down from a fight. It takes them five days of tiresome beyond-human labor to even begin to sweat. They can remain awake for over five days straight.
- Heightened Senses - Kryptonians have powerful senses; able to hear far-off and/or faint sounds and see across countries on the other side of the world as well as at the molecular level.
- Superhuman Mentality - Kryptonians have a limited form of photographic memory; able to form complex mathematical formulas in just moments. Kryptonians also have accelerated brain-activity with allows them to process sensory information so fast that everything and seems to be moving in slow motion while they move at superhuman speed (which they experience as normal Human speed while in this state).
- Superhuman Agility - Kryptonians can leap tall buildings in a single bound. They can jump across miles.
- Near-Invulnerability - Kryptonian bodily tissue is stronger than titanium while still maintaining the look and feel of normal human tissue. They are impervious to trauma and injuries. Gunfire, explosions, falling from extreme heights, extreme temperatures, and extreme pressure have no effect on them.
- Accelerated Healing - Kryptonians heal from wounds such as cuts in less than moments. They are immune to ailments and illnesses as well, unless exposed to green, blue or silver Kryptonite.
- Heat Vision - Kryptonians can burn objects with their gaze.
- X-Ray Vision - Kryptonians can see through solid objects such as walls. They can also see into bodily tissue. They cannot see through lead.
- Vortex Breath - Kryptonians can stop rivers with the massive tornado-like force of their breath.
- Freeze Breath - Kryptonians can lower the temperature of their breath to freezing sub-zero.
- Flight - Kryptonians can fly.
Pulsar & Quasar AbilitiesEdit
- Nigh-Omnipotence - Kryptonians are said to be given "power beyond imagining" by pulsars and quasars.
Weaknesses & LimitationsEdit
- Kryptonite: Fragments of Krypton's core made radioactive by the explosion. Green Kryptonite causes severe illness in Kryptonians as well as loss of their powers; prolonged exposure can cause death. Silver Kryptonite causes mental illness, delusions, and paranoia; making Kryptonians angry and dangerous. Red Kryptonite is an addictive drug which brings out Kryptonians' wild sides and makes them lose their inhibitions; making them headstrong, dangerous, reckless, over-sexual, and violent. Gold Kryptonite can cause wounds on Kryptonians that heal at a human rate and can leave scars depending on the severity of the wound; it can also prove fatal if the wound is terminal.
- Solar Radiation Overload: Kryptonians can overload on solar radiation if they are in close contact with a star for prolonged periods of time; causing their cells to slowly burst and saturate with power.
- Black Holes: Black holes consume Kryptonians completely.
- Magic: Magical spells, powers, curses, creatures, and afflictions affect Kryptonians just as they do humans.
- Red Stars: The frequency of Kryptons red sun, real or synthetic, takes away a Kryptonian's powers.
- Lead: Kryptonians cannot see through lead.
- Dheronian Metal: Weapons made from Dheronian metal can injure Kryptonians to a limited degree.
- Kryptonian Metal: Weapons made from Kryptonian metal can injure Kryptonians as easily as Humans.
- Alien Organisms: Certain alien species can cause injury to Kryptonians.
Kryptonian technology and architecture was mostly based on giant self-grown crystals which were very common on their planet and could be used to store information. These structures might have been natural or artificial, or a combination of both. Kryptonian technology was so advanced, that they had the potential to download inscriptions (including all of their knowledge) onto the very electrons of their ships and metals, which would in turn download into the cerebral cortex of any said creature. Superman's ship is the last of Krypton's technology.
The Kryptonians were a very culturally advanced race; with two primary culture traits: science and warrior-like mentality. The political powers on the planet were governed by a council of scientists and warriors (but mostly scientists). Each noble Kryptonian family (or "House") was symbolized by particular symbols which resemble Earth's Indo-European alphabetical letters (such as "S" for El or "Z" for Zod). The red dwarf star, Rao of Krypton's planetary system was worshiped as a God, but in a more scientific manner than Earth's spiritual religions. Kryptonian Dogs were kept as pets by the Kryptonian people, much like Earth Dogs are kept as pets by Humans.
The Kryptonian people were a very xenophobic race that hardly ever left their home-world, making Kal-El (a.k.a. Superman) the only Kryptonian left when the planet exploded.
Kryptonians and Superman have a few enemies of note:
- Dheron: Kryptonians were somewhat of a self-promoting and indulging race and were willing to utilize lethal force to take valuables from other worlds.The planet Dheron, the fifth planet from Krypton's red sun, was one such planet. Every twenty years, the planets were at war over each other's treasures. In an act of revenge, the two races disabled each other's star travel abilities. The Dheronians view themselves as the natural enemies of Kryptonians and are partially responsible both for the destruction of Krypton and the near-extermination of the Kryptonian race.
- Apokolips: Superman is a great opponent of the Apokoliptian warlord Darkseid.
Kryptonians had relationships a various forms with many planets across the 28 known inhabited galaxies.
- Dheron: Kryptonians had an antagonistic relationship with the Dheronians; every 20 years they were after each other's treasures and would wage wars to take what they wanted, and vice versa.
- Almerac: Kryptonians had a fairly benevolent relationship with the Almeracians. Many Kryptonian males were requested as mates by Almeracian women.
- Earth: Kryptonian relations to Earth go back centuries. A Kryptonian of the El bloodline once came to Earth over 500 years ago and helped found the Kawatche Native American Werewolf tribe, forging the legend of Naman (Superman) as well as leaving behind Palak (The Starblade); a powerful Kryptonian knife with mystical powers within the Kawatche caves. In the 16th century, a Witch in France, Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreau, and her followers held a book of magical spells and Kryptonian glyphs which she intended to use to find The Stones of Power; three Kryptonian elements holding the knowledge of Krypton which would later be used to create Superman's Fortress of Solitude.
- Mars: Kryptonians were on good terms with the Green Martians and would assist them in containing the White Martians.
Kryptonian-Like BeingsEditThere are 8 Kryptonian-like beings with powers and weaknesses similar to that of Kryptonians that have encountered Superman on many occasions:
- Bizarro: Bizarro is a flawed superhuman life form created from genetic/magical experimentation funded by both Lex Luthor and other wealthy criminals with the intent of creating a being strong enough to stop Superman. He possesses all of Superman's abilities (albeit with a childish reverse sense of logic) which are independent of any source; though he possesses heat breath, freeze vision, and vacuum breath as apposed to heat vision, freeze breath, and vortex breath. He is nourished when exposed to green Kryptonite while yellow sunlight and blue Kryptonite have the same weakening affects on Bizarro as green Kryptonite has on Superman. Superman was able to imprison Bizarro in the Phantom Zone.
- Ultraman: Clark Kent was a suicidal human megalomaniac with a troubled past who worked as an Italian-American astronaut. During a mission into space; Kent's ship suffered an engine malfunction which caused the ship to explode; killing Kent and destroying most of his body and vital organs. His corpse was found by an unknown alien race who took him in and subjected his remains to genetic and mystical experimentation which not only brought him back to life; it made him reborn and endowed him with flight, superhuman strength and speed, heightened senses, accelerated healing, heat vision, and invulnerability. With his new powers he escaped his captors and made his way back to Earth where he founded the Crime Syndicate of America, becoming one of the most notorious superhuman criminals.
- Power Girl: A few years after Superman made his debut in Metropolis, a mysterious spaceship crashed a couple of miles from the Kansas capital containing a nude young adult female with blue eyes and blonde hair. Superman found and took her in. She stayed at his fortress for a while; during which time Superman discovered that she had no memory as she was placed in the ship as an infant and remained within the ship traveling through space for 20 years. He found that she was not human as she possessed superhuman strength and speed, healing factor, invulnerability, and flight. He also discovered that she was not Kryptonian when she was exposed to green Kryptonite and was unaffected. He got her a job at The Daily Planet and gave her the identity Kara Starr. She remains a close friend and ally of Superman. Her origins remain unknown.
- Nuclear Man: Nuclear Man was created from Superman's DNA taken from a sample of his hair and that of nuclear organic matter. The union of these two genes created Nuclear Man. Nuclear Man possesses all of Superman's powers as well as his own ability to create and manipulate nuclear energy and the ability to grow razor-sharp claws capable of piercing and infecting Superman's skin. Nuclear Man is vulnerable to Kryptonite and red sunlight, but he is also rendered weak and powerless if exposed to shadows for prolonged periods of time, separating him from yellow sunlight. Superman was able to imprison Nuclear Man in The Phantom Zone.
- Supergirl: Lex Luthor, in his obsessive desire to kill Superman, yet again used his genius to create a superhuman life form to kill The Man of Steel. Unlike his first attempt with Bizarro, Luthor succeeded in creating a shapeless, gender-less Humanoid being which he called "The Matrix". The Matrix possessed superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman hearing, healing factor, shapeshifting, flight, x-ray vision, and heat vision. Loyal to its creator and with no sense of right and wrong, The Matrix went on a crime spree killing hundreds in order to attract Superman so it could kill him. Superman managed to defeat The Matrix with moderate effort, forcing it to retreat back to Luthor. Luthor sent the Matrix to Smallville, Kansas in order to learn more about Superman's origins. During its stay, its was hit by a powerful beam of energy from an unknown source that was of such intensity that its invulnerability was only able to save the majority of its body mass. After the blast, it began to regenerate though its mind was mostly damaged and much of its memories were shattered. Superman went to investigate and found the newly regenerated Matrix standing whole in a cornfield. The Matrix sees Superman and begins to remember vague flashes from its past. Superman takes The Matrix to his childhood home The Kent Farm. During its stay, The Matrix begins to learn about Superman and his origins as well as about Human culture, particularly in women's fashion and beauty. Out of respect and affection for its savior The Matrix took on the feminine form of a young blonde girl with blue eyes. She began wearing Superman's shield and took on the name Supergirl.
- Superboy: After Superman's epic battle with Doomsday, a group of scientists from Cadmus Labs took a sample of his blood from the scene and attempted to replicate it. Unsuccessful with natural genes, the team began to synthesize his DNA and combine it with that of Lex Luthor which resulted in 15 failed clones. Only the 16th clone, Kr, survived and fully developed until he burst from his tube a fully developed 16 year old. He escaped from Cabmus Labs and made his way to Metropolis. He possesses Kryptonian-like powers which are nourished by Earth's yellow sun thanks to his synthetic Kryptonian DNA; superhuman strength, heightened senses, accelerated healing, and tactile-telekinesis (an ability exclusive to him alone that endows him with the powers of flight and increases his strength and resistance to injury). Superman met and took him under his wing. Superboy later joined The Teen Titans under the name of Conner Kent, during which time he began attending Smallville High School and came into possession of special indestructible round glasses capable of x-ray vision and heat vision.
- The Eradicator: The Eradicator is a sentient super-weapon android with the powers of flight, superhuman strength, superhuman speed, invulnerability, heat vision, and energy manipulation. He was built by an unknown race with the intent of wiping out alien races on Krypton and altering the genetic structures of Kryptonians to prevent them from leaving the planet. He was unsuccessful and the Kryptonians managed to send him to the Phantom Zone.
- Doomsday: A humanoid baby who lived in Krypton until a scientist named Berton killed and revived him countless times until the baby became a 7-foot tall monster that could cheat death. Most famous as the one who killed Superman.
- ↑ Superman: Earth One
- Superman: Earth One
- Superman: Birthright