| Krypton | |
 | |
| Official name | Krypton |
| Appeared in | Superman: The Last Son of Krypton Superman: Blasts From The Past |
| Galaxy | Corvus |
| Star System | Rao |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Points of Interest | Kandor |
Krypton was the birth planet of Superman. Krypton's atmosphere caused its populace to develop a molecular density that caused them to have great strength and speed on planets like Earth. The planet was destroyed when Krypton's sun, Rao, went supernova.
History[]
Superman: The Last Son of Krypton[]
Krypton orbited a red star named Rao, which also seemed to be an object of worship for the Kryptonian culture. It shared its solar system with at least one other inhabited planet, Argo, whose inhabitants shared many physiological characteristics with Kryptonians.
Its climate included both temperate regions, where the majority of the population lived, and sub-freezing temperatures at its polar ice caps.
Shortly before its destruction, the planet was administered by the Science Council, with the aid of Brainiac, an artificial intelligence with planet-wide oversight and control of Krypton.
Jor-El also conducted geological surveys of the planet's subterranean layers, and concluded that the planet was unstable and on the verge of a catastrophic explosion. The Science Council found his conclusions outlandish, and considered the matter settled when Brainiac discounted Jor-El's findings.
Unknown to the Council, Brainiac had secretly concurred with Jor-El, but had refrained from informing the Council so that it could successfully download its data into a satellite, rather than be tasked to organize an evacuation of the planet. In creating Brainiac, the Council had programmed it too well: the artificial intelligence considered the survival of Krypton's history and knowledge of ultimately more importance than that of its people.
Mere minutes before the planet exploded, Jor-El and his wife, Lara, launched their infant son, Kal-El, into space, bound for Earth. Kal-El would grow up to be known as Superman, one of Earth's greatest heroes.
The explosion culminated in a chemical/geological reaction that imbued the remaining fragments of the planet with a specific radiation level that proved harmful and ultimately fatal to Kryptonians. Several of these fragments found their way to Earth, where they would be known as Kryptonite.
The shock waves from Krypton's explosion also ravaged the surface of Argo and tore the planet from its orbit, causing it and its inhabitants to slowly freeze over.
Superman: Blasts From The Past[]
The planet's government seemed to have been peaceful, though a small military force was maintained for defense against outside enemies. This force attempted to seize control of the planet under the leadership of High General Jax-Ur, but the attempt failed, thanks to the efforts of Jor-El.
Residents[]
Points of Interest[]
- Kandor