The Planet Krypton in Other Known Medias

Krypton is a Kal's Biological-Home Planet. Krypton is also the native world of Supergirl, Krypto the Superdog, Beppo the Super-Monkey, Power Girl (in her case, an alternate-universe version designated "Krypton-Two"), and the supervillain General Zod. It has been consistently described as having been destroyed shortly after Superman's escape from the planet, although the exact details of its destruction vary by time period and writers. Kryptonians were the dominant species on Krypton. Krypton also makes an appearance in several television series such as Superman: The Animated Series. Krypton appears in the 1978 film Superman, the 2006 film Superman Returns
Krypton (technically, Rao Prime) is a planet which orbits the red supergiant Rao. Before its destruction, it was home to a great civilization which boasted advanced science and technology. In many versions of the story, it was either barren or icy, and often the home to huge crystals and crystalline structures. Krypton had many strange creatures (such as glass-eaters) and beautiful landscapes that simply don't exist on other worlds. The planet was destroyed late in its life due to internal pressures (In most versions). Krypton appears, or is at least mentioned, in almost every version of the Superman mythos. It has changed completely over the years while retaining many elements from its past. It is the homeworld of Superman, but also to Supergirl, Krypto and other Kryptonians. Unfortunately, the destruction of the planet also created Kryptonite, radioactive chunks of the planet which are deadly to all Kryptonians. Jor-El told Louise McCallum, that Krypton has colors that humans couldn't even dream of.
== Biography/Info ==
=== Film ===
==== Superman ====
In the first feature-length Superman film in 1978, a vastly less idyllic image of Krypton was presented. Whereas in the comics Krypton was colorful and bright, the film depicted the planet with stark bluish-white terrain of jagged frozen plateaus under heavy, dark skies. The planet was threatened by their sun turning into a supernova. Jor-El unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the council of elders to immediately evacuate the planet. Kryptonians themselves were portrayed as coolly cerebral and morally enlightened, clad in stark white bodysuits emblazoned with each family's house symbol. The architecture featured halls of white crystal under crystalline arches. The crystalline motif was employed not only in the architecture, but in the landscape and technology as well, suggesting that the entire planet had been adapted and altered by Kryptonian influence. In 1948, Krypton was ultimately destroyed when its red sun began to collapse; the planet was pulled into the sun and steadily crushed, then exploded in the ensuing supernova. When Krypton was destroyed, fragments from the planet were launched into space, resulting in the creation of a harmful radioactive substance known as kryptonite. Both Jor-El and Lara preserved some part of their "essence" (in the form of virtual copies of themselves) in the starship that took three years to bring their child to Earth. On Clark Kent's eighteenth birthday, a glowing crystal revealed itself in the ship and compelled Clark to take it north. He eventually reached the Arctic, where the crystal constructed the massive crystalline Fortress of Solitude. Inside, an artificially intelligent hologram of Jor-El appeared to him and initiated twelve years of Kryptonian education. These virtual versions of Jor-El and Lara remained as constructs within the Fortress throughout the series. Superman's symbol was given a Kryptonian origin in the film. Male Kryptonians were shown wearing unique symbols on the chests of their robes, similar to a family crest; Jor-El and Kal-El wore the familiar S-shield, which Lois Lane later assumed to be the letter S from the familiar Latin alphabet, and thus dubs him "Superman".
With the release of the first feature-length Superman movie in 1978, a vastly less idyllic image of Krypton, compared to the previous comics' versions, was presented. Whereas in the comics, Krypton was colorful and bright, in Superman: The Movie, the planet was envisioned as having stark white terrain of jagged frozen plateaus, stretching broadly under heavy, dark skies. Kryptonians themselves were portrayed as being a coolly cerebral society, clad in stark white, and treading halls of jet black under crystalline arches. The crystalline motif was employed not only in the architecture, but in the landscape and technology as well, suggesting that the entire planet had been adapted and altered by Kryptonian influence. Krypton was ultimately destroyed when its sun destabilized and then burst, ripping the planet apart. Contact with cosmic dust and radioactive clouds, ultimately, transformed the fragments of Krypton into the element known as Kryptonite. This version of Krypton was to have a strong influence on John Byrne's 1986 re-imagining of the world. However, the film's Krypton was still presented as having a society "better" than Earth's, unlike the Krypton that Byrne envisioned. For instance, there was no death penalty on Krypton because almost all criminals were rehabilitated (the ones that were not or were beyond rehabilitation such as General Zod were banished to the Phantom Zone). Superman himself thought very highly of the planet and was proud to have come from there. Also, in this version of the story, both Jor-El and Lara preserve some part of their essence in the starship that brings their child to Earth, so that on Clark Kent's eighteenth birthday, Jor-El appears to him within the Fortress of Solitude and initiates twelve years of Kryptonian education for the youth, and both remain as constructs within the Fortress until it is ransacked by Lex Luthor (see below). The origin of Superman's symbol is given a Kryptonian origin in the film (as Mark Waid's Superman: Birthright would years later). Male Kryptonians are shown wearing unique symbols on the chests of their robes, similar to a family crest; Jor-El and Kal-El after him wear the familiar S-shield, which Lois Lane later assumes to be the letter 'S' from the familiar Latin alphabet, and thus dubs him 'Superman'. The idea for Jor-El to have the symbol was suggested by actor Marlon Brando, who portrayed Jor-El in the movie, and eventually was retconned into the comics continuity as being the crest of the House of El, which both Superman and Kara Zor-El are part of. In more recent years it has been adapted by comics writers to be an actual letter/glyph in the Kryptonian alphabet, with the standard version of the shield meaning 'hope', and the inverted (upside-down) version meaning 'resurrection'.
==== Superman Returns ====
The 2006 film Superman Returns presents a version of Krypton almost identical to Superman. In the beginning of the film, scientists discover remains of Krypton, and Superman leaves Earth for five years to look for it. His ship is seen leaving the dead planet. The planet is destroyed when the red supergiant Rao becomes a supernova.
The 2006 movie Superman Returns presents a version of Krypton almost identical to Superman: The Movie (since Superman Returns is more or less set in the same continuity as Superman: The Movie). In the beginning of the film, scientists discover remains of Krypton, and Superman leaves Earth for five years to look for it. His ship is seen leaving the dead planet. In the shooting script for the film (under the production title "Red Son", Lex Luthor reveals to a weakened Superman that his henchman actually set Superman up to space by sending false signals. During the beginning, we see the city where Kal-El was born (including the famous white dome that housed the trial of General Zod, Ursa, and Non), then as to replicate the lift-off, other cities can be seen on the night side and then finally the planet's destruction by a supernova of its red supergiant sun.
=== Television ===
==== Animation ====
In Superman: The Animated Series, "The Last Son of Krypton", the first part of a three-part pilot episode, depicts Krypton as being basically similar to the pre-Crisis version (it was scientifically advanced, Kal-El appeared to be about two-years-old as in the Silver Age comics, there are depictions of peculiar animals) although with elements of the John Byrne version (such as the appearance of the characters' wardrobe). Krypton's climate is shown to have both temperate and Arctic conditions. According to commentary on the DVD collection for the show's first season, part of Krypton's appearance was influenced by the artistic style of American comic book artist Jack Kirby. This version depicted the villain Brainiac indirectly destroying Krypton through a massive sin of omission (and even deception), as the care taking program for the planet. Later episodes have dealt with this issue.
* In the Superman: The Animated Series three-part premiere episode, "The Last Son of Krypton", Krypton's climate is shown to have both temperate and Arctic conditions. According to commentary on the DVD collection of the show's first season, part of Krypton's appearance was influenced by the art style of Jack Kirby.
** In this version, Krypton was destroyed by its core destabilizing, with Brainiac choosing to save himself by transferring his consciousness into a satellite rather than save Krypton's people. The rest of Kryptonian civilization (save for Jor-El and his family) remained unaware of the danger until it was too late to evacuate.
** Krypton had a "sister planet" named Argo (named after Argo City), colonized by Kryptonians many centuries before the destruction of Krypton. Krypton's destruction pushed Argo out of orbit, causing it to gradually cool. Its people went into cryostasis to survive, but their pods malfunctioned and shut down over time, leaving Supergirl the only survivor.
== See also ==
* Kryptonians
* Krypton glossary