Remember me
Man, am I glad to see that DC Comics is finally discounting one of the most unbelievable kryptonite variants in Superman history. Now, everyone who’s ever heard of him knows that the Man of Steel is vulnerable to kryptonite. But something only more seasoned fans are aware of is that the irradiated rocks come in a variety of different colors, each with its own unique power. Gold, for example, can rob Kryptonians of their powers, while blue is only harmful to Bizarros. And sadly, there’s no short supply of multicolored kryptonite, each with its own strange effect on Superman.
The numerous varieties of kryptonite were actually the subject of a new series, Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum. This miniseries follows Clark as he discovers four new types of kryptonite and tests out what each one does to him. Unfortunately, all this really does is provide adequate testing for Lex Luthor, who uses the information to construct a new Kryptonite Man, who has the powers of every single kryptonite variant. And wouldn’t you know it, DC Comics also used this series to discount one of the most controversial kryptonites ever to pop up in Superman’s mythos?
In Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #5 by W. Maxwell Prince and Martin Morazzo, the final battle begins in earnest. Lex’s cloned Kryptonite Man is powerful, and he doesn’t hold back as he bombards Superman with the full array of kryptonite variants. Superman does his best to get one over on Kryptonite Man, but the villain has too great an advantage over Clark, poisoning him with green kryptonite or skewing his perception of time with purple kryptonite. Things are looking grim, and even Batman is struggling to make headway against Luthor’s Bizarrro robots.
Things just keep getting worse for Superman as he’s hit with cobalt kryptonite, which makes him grow to the size of a kaiju. Superman is hit over and over again. By Kryptonite Man, by the Bizarro Robots, and, of course, by Lex Luthor. Clark is in a bad way as the villains continue to gang up on him. Thankfully, though, he’s not alone. To help turn the tide, an army of Superman robots arrives, along with Superman’s dog, Krypto. It’s an inspiring sight to Superman, who realizes that the people in his life aren’t just allies or friends, but home.
Just as he reaches his epiphany, Lex shoots Superman with a rocket containing a mist of pink kryptonite. But according to Superman, there isn’t any pink kryptonite, just a dud creation made by Lex. That doesn’t stop Superman from complimenting Jimmy on how good he looks in bow ties. But this isn’t a pink kryptonite-influenced come on or anything. This is just Superman taking the time to appreciate someone in his life. Overwhelmed with love for those in his community, Superman heads out to tell everyone how much they all mean to him.
If you’re as terminally online as I am, you’ve probably seen the panel of Superman after he’s been hit by pink kryptonite (from Supergirl #79, if you’re curious). Instead of poisoning him or causing a mutation, pink kryptonite causes Superman to act…well, like a gay stereotype. To be fair, the original comic was lampooning Silver Age storytelling conventions, and I don’t think it was ever meant to be taken as gospel. But as they so often do, people ran with this, and to many fans, pink kryptonite is a variant just as valid as red or gold.
I’ll go ahead and say I’ve never particularly liked the idea of pink kryptonite. Even if it was made as a satire, it’s one of those things that relies on harmful stereotypes to work. Thankfully, it’s an idea that has only been referenced a handful of times since this issue. Hell, when pink kryptonite was featured in Justice League Action, its effects were changed completely. But I’m really happy with the way that Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum handled this. It could have easily gone for the low-hanging fruit, but instead it chose to do something smarter and more positive.
It’s not just that the final issue discounted pink kryptonite as a failed invention of Luthor’s; it also subverted what we were expecting. Much like the original panel from two decades ago, Superman still tells Jimmy how good he looks in bow ties. But it’s not treated like a joke (okay, maybe there’s a bit of meta humor there). It’s Superman feeling free and secure in himself enough to be vulnerable and compliment his friend. There are no harmful stereotypes. Just a genuine connection that uplifts, not punches down.
Instead of retreading a moment in history that’s built on mocking, this series chose to eschew that in favor of something more honest and human. Pink kryponite might have made some people laugh once, but what Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum did with the idea here is much better. It’s an amazing reframing of masculinity and a solid reminder that when it comes to the people we love, we should all take the time to let them know how we feel.
How do you feel about pink kryptonite? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!