Kryptonite - Forms of Kryptonite - Variations

Green Kryptonite is typically shown to have no short-term effects on humans or non-superpowered Kryptonians. However, in post-Crisis continuity, long-term exposure can cause radiation poisoning in Humans, similar to long-term exposure to Uranium.

In Smallville, high levels of green Kryptonite radiation can cause normal Humans to mutate and acquire superhuman abilities (these mutants are usually called "meteor freaks"), although an outside catalyst (such as a strong electrical charge or a meteor shower) is usually required. In the episode "Leech," shows that if an electrical current combined with green Kryptonite radiation can cause transference of a Kryptonian's powers to a human. In the episode "Void," Kryptonite injections cause near-death experiences in Humans. After Clark is injected with Kryptonite and apparently dies, Chloe reports "actually dying neutralizes the Kryptonite in your system".

Green Kryptonite does have beneficial uses to Kryptonians, however. In Smallville, Green Kryptonite is used to counter the effects of any other form of Kryptonite that may enter a Kryptonian's system, for example a kiss with red Kryptonite laced lipstick or Gem Kryptonite dust in the eyes. In Lois and Clark, a green Kryptonite bullet is also used to bring Superman back in control when his powers become over-amped by red Kryptonite and a sample of Kryptonite was used to starve out a Kryptonian virus Superman was introduced to by Mrs. Church.

Green Kryptonite, being radioactive, has been used as an energy source to power reactors in power stations. The supervillain Metallo uses green kryptonite to power his cyborg body.

In both the post Crisis comics and the cartoon series Justice League Unlimited it is shown that prolonged exposure to Kryptonite causes Humans to contract cancer. Lex Luthor gets cancer due to his constant exposure.

Pre-Crisis red kryptonite was created from a "flock" of green kryptonite which passed through a (red-hued) "strange cosmic cloud," some of which arrived on Earth. In this continuity, each piece of red Kryptonite causes a different effect on Superman when he comes into contact with it. However, red kryptonite effects usually last for only 24 hours. Any given piece of red kryptonite could usually affect Superman only once. Effects included hallucinations, changing form, paralysis and, when combined with green kryptonite radiation, even the growing of a third eye at the back of Superman's head, which caused him to disguise the true effect by pretending that the kryptonite caused him to compulsively wear hats at all times.

In post-Crisis continuity, Mister Mxyzptlk creates what he calls red kryptonite in the "Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite" story arc but it has no radioactive properties at all; Superman's depowering is all the result of Mxyzptlk's magic until Luthor unknowingly breaks the rules of his agreement with Mxyzptlk. The first appearance of actual red kryptonite is as a synthetic variant created by Ra's al Ghul, using notes stolen from Batman. This version of the Red Kryptonite causes Superman intense pain—but not to the lethal levels of Green Kryptonite. This is due to the fact that his skin turns transparent allowing the sun to directly charge his cells, this while it supercharges his powers "he can hear a grasshopper's heart beating in Brazil", the process is extremely painful. However, it is not explicitly stated whether his powers become greater or he is simply unable to control it, e.g. hearing a grasshopper's heartbeat from the Watchtower. In The Brave and the Bold series, the cloud was drawn to Earth by the deranged alchemist Megistus to shield humanity against the effects of the Final Crisis by warping it into something totally different; the villain Doctor Alchemy also proved capable of transmuting the Fortress of Solitude in its entirety into red kryptonite using his philosopher's stone.

In Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, red kryptonite again has varying effects. Initially it causes Superman to become apathetic. It was hypothesized that, given enough exposure to red kryptonite, Clark's condition would become permanent. However, after talking to a psychiatrist, Clark is able to resist the effects of the red kryptonite, and he picks up the rock and throws it out of a window. Its later appearances included a red kryptonite laser which caused Superman's powers to transfer to Lois, and exposure causing Superman to lose fine control of his powers.

On the TV series Smallville, red kryptonite has a drug-like effect, causing severe changes in Clark Kent's personality. Clark first encounters this effect when he puts on his Smallville High class ring which has a stone of red kryptonite rather than a ruby. Under its influence, Clark loses his inhibitions, becoming unpredictable and acting purely on erotic and selfish emotions. Once he ran away to Metropolis and became a criminal who broke into automated-teller machines to impress girls with expensive toys such as sports cars. He also stole his father's credit card to buy large screen TVs and high-end audio equipment. Smallville red kryptonite requires close contact with skin to be effective, such as being worn in a ring or necklace.

In Krypto the Superdog, effects on Krypto include temporary amnesia, loss of all his super-canine powers, causing Krypto's tail to detach from his body and come to life, turning into a fish, and body-swapping.

In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Batman describes the effect of red kryptonite as being similar to the pre-Crisis variety, affecting Superman differently every time. In the episode, it is shown in that instance to affect Superman in much the same way it does in Smallville. Superman begins to engage in petty antics, such as sticking a young girl's cat in a tree and humiliating Lois by going on a date with Lana Lang while right in front of her. He also develops megalomaniacal tendencies, which result in him attempting take over Metropolis and declare himself the city's "king". It is discovered by Batman that the effects of red kryptonite eventually wear off 24 hours after the initial exposure.

Post-Crisis, gold kryptonite has appeared in Adventures of Superman #444 and Superman (vol. 2) #22. In the Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #293, during "The Great Darkness Saga", it is shown that Element Lad can transmute matter into gold kryptonite. In Superfriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, Darkseid buys a quantity of gold kryptonite in an auction, but thanks to the Superfriends, he accidentally uses it on Batman, and Firestorm transmutes it into a bowling ball before he can try again.

In the Season 10 Smallville episode "Luthor", an alternate-universe Clark bears a scar "L" on his wrist to Tess Mercer. The explanation given is a passing comment, "There's no take-backs with gold K". Gold Kryptonite is further alluded in future episodes. A desperate Jonathan Kent from Earth-2 sought to buy his farm back using it, but it was worthless. A chunk of Gold K is later discovered by a possessed Oliver Queen, and is later presented as a "wedding ring" by the Unholy Trinity (Godfrey, Granny and Desaad) for him to strip Clark of his powers permanently. Chloe Sullivan later notices this and stops it, but a fight happens between Oliver and Clark. Clark talks some sense into him and he crushes the ring, releasing his hold from Darkseid.

In Action Comics Annual #11, Metallo mentions that the modern age gold kryptonite in his chest only temporarily removes a Kryptonian's powers. The effect wears off after fifteen seconds.

Pre-Crisis, blue kryptonite is the result of using Professor Potter's "duplicator ray" on some green kryptonite. Here, blue kryptonite affects Bizarros like green kryptonite affects Kryptonians. Blue kryptonite radiation is not blocked by normal lead, but by imperfectly duplicated lead. Bizarro World had animated blue-kryptonite golems underground that surfaced and attacked the superpowered Bizarros while the delighted non-powered Bizarros cheered them on. In the Super Friends episode "Terror from the Phantom Zone," blue kryptonite heals Superman from the effects of red kryptonite. Post-Crisis, its origin is unknown. Here, blue kryptonite makes Bizarros become polite, goodhearted, coherent, and intelligent.

In the television series Smallville, blue kryptonite suppresses Kryptonians' powers and removes their sensitivity to green kryptonite. Blue kryptonite was first introduced as a Victory Ring given to Clark by a replicant of his mother Lara in "Blue". Also in Smallville, Bizarro's powers were increased exponentially by blue kryptonite (this version of Bizarro being an 'inverted' Clark, weakened by sunlight and strengthened by green kryptonite) which overloaded his body with power and killed him, much like "a light bulb being powered by a nuclear reactor," in the episode "Persona".

In episode 7 of season 9, titled "Kandor", Jor-El is shown using blue kryptonite to remove the powers bestowed by Earth's yellow sun upon the Kandorian soldiers led by Zod as he prepares an orb which will carry to Earth the DNA clones of several of the Kryptonian capital's finest soldiers.

In the season 9 finale, titled "Salvation", blue kryptonite is used in the form of a dagger by Zod to rid himself of his powers, thus sparing him the trip to whatever planet the Kandorians were going to after Clark used the Book of Rao to save Earth from the coming war. A fight between Clark and Zod ensued whereupon Clark sacrificed himself: he allowed the dagger to be plunged into his gut and then fell from a rooftop, sending Zod to the planet and leaving Clark on Earth. The now powerless Clark is seen falling to the streets below. The aftermath of these events was not expected to be seen till the first episode of season 10, as it was a cliff-hanger.

In Episode 6 of Season 10, titled "Harvest", Blue Kryptonite is shown to purify water to the extent that humans drinking it do not become sick from common viruses. It also can be linked to improving crop production. Clark is unable to use his powers around people who have been drinking water contaminated by the blue kryptonite.

In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, blue kryptonite has the same weakening effect on Ultraman that green kryptonite has on Superman.

In the 1996 series episode "Monkey Business", black kryptonite caused Titano the monkey and several strains of bacteria to grow uncontrollably.

It later made its first appearance in a DC comic in September 2005's Supergirl #2, where it apparently possessed the ability to split a person or a person's personality into two separate entities. In Supergirl #3, Luthor used black kryptonite on Supergirl, which caused her to split into two separate people, one wearing Supergirl's traditional costume, and another wearing a black-and-white version. Luthor claimed that he was given the black kryptonite by Darkseid, which had similar effects on Superman, creating an evil Superman. In All-Star Superman, which takes place outside of DC Universe continuity, black kryptonite makes Superman evil. In an issue of Superman/Batman, while remembering the abilities of the different forms of kryptonite, he exclaimed, "Black and I'm robbed of my sanity," accompanied by a broken wedding picture of Lois and Clark covered in blood. This suggests that in some form or another black kryptonite can negatively impact Superman's morals and behavior, twisting his normal state of mind.

In the TV show Superboy (renamed "The Adventures of Superboy" in its third season) White Kryptonite is referred to as "Bizarro Kryptonite". It had no effect on Superboy but when used on Bizarro Superboy, it made him become stable, and calmed his mind.

In a storyline in the ongoing series Superman/Batman entitled "The Search for Kryptonite," a piece of silver kryptonite causes Superman to act like a hyperactive child and for his vision to depict everyone around him as strange, chibi versions of themselves drawn in a very cartoony style. The only way to restore him to normal was to use another piece of the material located in a volcanic region and expose him to it. The two shards of silver kryptonite are currently located in the Batcave.