Kryptonite is an iconic part ofSuperman’slore, but it’s almost always the green variant. Tons of differently colored Kryptonite exist, and Red Kryptonite is by far the most underrated - a fact best proven when one story brought back a horrifying redesign of a goofy Red Kryptonite adventure Superman had back in the Silver Age.
The Dark Multiverse is one of the most terrifying parts of DC’s cosmology.It’s where every story goes wrong, no matter how innocent it might start out. One horrifying example of this dark effect is featured inSideways#8 by Dan DiDio and Max Raynor. In this story, the young hero Sideways runs into a group of people who have been displaced from their homes, and one of them is a terrifying version of Superman.
This version ofSuperman was exposed to Red Kryptoniteon his planet and transformed into a terrifying half-man, half-ant creature. This transformation isn’t the first of its kind, as elements of this design were originally seen in a Silver Age Superman story - but the Dark Multiverse gave it a horrifying twist.
Red Kryptonite Has Tons Of Untapped Potential
Panels fromSideways#8 by Dan DiDio, Max Raynor, Trevor Scott, Daniel Brown, and Travis Lanham
Every piece of Kryptonite has its own specific use. Green gives off the iconic deadly radiation, and Gold Kryptonite removes Superman’s powers entirely, butRed Kryptonite is used the least despite having the most potential.Red Kryptonite can have any effect imaginable. In 1962’sAction Comics#296 by Edmond Hamilton and Al Plastino, a colony of giant mutated ants invade Earth, and to communicate with them, Superman mutates himself with Red Kryptonite, giving himself a giant ant head. In 2018, the Dark Multiverse redesign gives this goofy idea a terrifying new form and shows the potential of Red Kryptonite.
Sideways#8 shows that even the original Red Kryptonite stories can be updated for amazing dramatic effect.
Red Kryptonite can do anythingin one’s imagination, and it has quite the penchant for body horror. In the past, Red Kryptonite has turned Superman’s skin translucent, which caused his powers to go out of control, it’s turned Supergirl into a giant cosmic dragon, and it’s transformed Superman into this scary ant-human hybrid. It can do anything the story calls for, and yetDC hasn’t used Red K nearly as much as it should be used, instead falling back on the iconic Green Kryptonite time and time again.Sideways#8 shows that even the original Red Kryptonite stories can be updated for amazing dramatic effect.
Action Comics#296 Cover by Curt Swan, George Klein, and Ira Schnapp
Red Kryptonite deserves to be used more in stories because its potential is limitless. It can fit into any story or plot, it can transform Superman into a different being, and it can alter his personality or how his powers work. Red K’s effects can be used for horror or even humor; there’s really no limit to it, and it’s honestly surprising that past the Silver Age of Comics, DC hasn’t revisited Red Kryptonite all that often. Hopefully, someday, someone will come along and realize thatSupermanhas had the perfect plot device for decades already, and it’s just waiting to be put to use.
Sideways#8andAction Comics#296are available now from DC Comics!
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
