The Planet Krypton (DC Animated Universe)

**Krypton** was, before its destruction, The Biological-Home Planet of The Regular-Kryptonian Race, including Kal-El, the future Superman. When Krypton was destroyed, however, fragments from the planet went into outer space, resulting in the creation of a harmful, radioactive substance known as Kryptonite.

## Krypton Of DCAU

The Planet Krypton before It's Permanently Destroyed

The Planet Krypton during Its' Permanently Destroyed

The Planet Krypton after Its' Permanently Destroyed

## Physical Appearance Characteristics

### During Physical Appearance

The Planet Krypton: **Black And-White-Including .**

### Status

**Become Permanently Destroyed:**  ***.***

## History

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. 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. **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 and Argoans. 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.**

### Aftermath of Destruction

Apart from Kal-El, the only known survivors of Krypton's destruction were Jax-Ur and his lieutenant, Mala, both of whom had been imprisoned in the Phantom Zone prior to the planet's destruction. However, because of the Zone's use as a penal dimension, other Kryptonian criminals may have likewise survived. **A more unfortunate legacy than Kal-El/Superman was Brainiac, which installed itself into an android body, in control of a massive warship, and traveled through the galaxy, "fulfilling" its programming by destroying countless worlds after absorbing their history into its library of knowledge. Thanks to the first meeting of Superman and Brainiac, Superman managed to save an orb containing the history of Krypton and its scientific accomplishments, which he preserved in the Fortress of Solitude.** The inhabitants of Argo likewise died out, with the sole exception of Kara In-Ze, the daughter of the planet's chief physician, Kala In-Ze. Years later, Superman traveled back to Krypton's solar system and found no remains of the planet except an asteroid belt of Kryptonite fragments. He followed a faint distress signal to Argo, and managed to rescue Kara from cryonic stasis, bringing her back to Earth. **As the sole survivor of Krypton, Superman was sought out by the Preserver, an alien conservationist fixated on saving the last members of endangered species.** Bizarro became so carried away by the idea that he was himself Superman that he tried to re-mold Earth's environment to mimic Krypton's appearance.

## Information

**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 artistic style of American comic book artist Jack Kirby.** This version depicted Brainiac as responsible via inaction for the destruction of Krypton's people (though not the planet itself). Brainiac was the planet's essential A.I. system; he discovered that the planet would explode after several weeks of intense seismic activity. Brainiac knew that if the Kryptonian elders learned of it, he would be tasked with formulating an evacuation plan, but he believed, given the time Krypton had left, that any personal evacuation was pointless, and it would leave him with no time to escape, so he told the elders that Jor-El was mistaken and that the quakes were the result of a polar shift. He secretly uploaded himself and all of Krypton's culture and knowledge onto a satellite, jettisoning him out of Krypton's orbit before the planet's destruction, while the rest of Kryptonian civilization (save for Jor-El and his family) remained unaware of the grave danger they were in until it was too late to evacuate. **Krypton had a "sister planet" named Argo, colonized by Kryptonians many centuries before the destruction of Krypton. Its people had a greater resistance to kryptonite under a yellow sun. On a journey into space, Superman found that the explosion of Krypton pushed the planet from its orbit away from its sun, causing the planet to gradually cool. Its people went into cryostasis to survive, but an accident left Supergirl the only survivor. The remains of Krypton settled into an asteroid belt of kryptonite.**

## Known Origin-Of Supes

**An Three-Part-Episode titled "The Last Son of Krypton". The series creators felt that focusing on the alien civilization of Krypton in the premiere episode would help differentiate the series from their earlier work *Batman: The Animated Series*. They intended to mirror the structure of the origin presented in the 1978 film, but they felt that it would seem stale unless they added some new dimension to it.** This version's major difference is Brainiac's role in Krypton's destruction. Brainiac is portrayed as the supercomputer that monitors Krypton and advises the planetary council on scientific matters. He senses the imminent destruction of the planet, but denies it so he can avoid the council's order to organize the planet's evacuation and instead focus on saving himself. Brainiac reasons that the loss of the planet itself and all its living inhabitants is part of the natural order, but his own survival would ensure the preservation of Krypton's history and achievements. Because he goes against Brainiac and the Kryptonian Council, Jor-El becomes an outlaw in their eyes as he works to save his son. After the destruction of Krypton and Kal-El's arrival on Earth, Brainiac eventually becomes an enemy of Superman.

## Notable Kryptonians

* Jax-Ur
* Jor-El
* Kal-El
* Lara-El
* Mala
* Sul-Van
* Superman (Justice Lord)