0

How would kryptonite affect a Kryptonian on Krypton?

I understand it affects Superman on earth as he is a more powerful being in a yellow sun planet and it makes him weaker to a point that all his abilities are gone, and it could also kill him.

How does it work on Krypton itself, or on a planet with a white or blue sun?

3
  • 1
    I'm going with, Earth rocks to an Earthling.
    – Firebat
    Sep 7, 2015 at 13:12
  • As Thaddeus' answer explains, the Kryptonite he encounters has been altered by radiation. It's not just plain chunks of Krypton.
    – phantom42
    Sep 7, 2015 at 13:30
  • @phantom42 it had little to do with Superman and more to do with Kryptonite affecting Kryptonians on Krypton. Superman is just an example.
    – Aasim Azam
    Sep 7, 2015 at 15:06

1 Answer 1

3

The best answer I can give you is, it depends on which Universe you refer to. Classically, kryptonite was an element formed when Krypton exploded, and that's the sole source of the mineral. So that version of the mineral would affect those Kryptonians.

However! Quoting here from Wikipedia on Superboy Prime "As his reality's Krypton never exploded, there never existed any Kryptonite that affects him..." Which implies therefore that yes, kryptonite would have affected Kryptonians except that the only way for it to be made in such a way as to match their particular makeup is for their planet to have exploded. Folks on Krypton Prime managed to artificially create kryptonite, however, which did affect them. Therefore, yes, there can exist kryptonite which affects Kryptonians even without Krypton exploding, but it takes superpowers/superscience to make it.

As an aside, given how much kryptonite falls to Earth, Larry Niven once calculated that the size of Krypton was about that of Earth's orbit around the Sun.

1
  • Niven was obviously unaware that the Kryptonite was dragged along in the wake of Superman's pod.
    – Valorum
    Nov 8, 2015 at 8:03

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.