Kryptonians are common figures in DC Comics. You are probably aware of the great powers of Kryptonians like Superman and Supergirl. Have you ever wondered where their powers came from?
After all, it’s obvious that Kryptonians only have powers on Earth; on their own planet, Krypton, they are as powerless as regular humans. But why?
Kryptonians on Earth experience different environmental factors than those on their own planet. Earth’s yellow sun, decreased gravity, and other atmospheric conditions are the source of their powers; their own red sun and other environmental factors diminish their abilities.
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Who Are Kryptonians?
In the DC Comics, the Kryptonians are people from the planet Krypton–Superman’s homeworld. Superman is the most well-known Kryptonian, but others include Supergirl, General Zod, and Doomsday.
Throughout their long history, the Kryptonians became one of the most technologically-advanced peoples in the universe. They even developed technologies to help them extend their own lives for hundreds or thousands of years, making them nearly immortal.
They also forbade sexual reproduction, instead creating new beings in Genesis Chambers using genetic material from two donors.
Superman was the first natural-born Kryptonian in centuries, shortly before Krypton exploded. Seeing their homeworld’s coming destruction, his parents, Jor-el and Lara, sent the infant to Earth.
Adopted and given the name Clark Kent, Superman spent his childhood thriving in the ideal environmental conditions presented on Earth.
These ideal conditions provided the source of his great power.
Where Do Kryptonians Get Their Powers?
Superman is not the only powerful Kryptonian. Most Kryptonians who survived their planet’s destruction and ended up on Earth had many of the same powers as Superman.
Where do these powers come from?
The most common explanation given throughout the comics and movies is that Kryptonians get their powers from yellow sun radiation.
They absorb and metabolize the sunlight available on Earth. It feeds their cells and grants them superhuman abilities.
These enhanced abilities include flight, super strength and durability, quick healing, heat vision, and near-immortality.
Because Earth has a yellow sun, and the sun is relatively close to the planet, Kryptonians on Earth develop godlike abilities by absorbing the light and radiation from the sun.
However, there are other possible explanations.
A Kryptonian’s power on Earth may also be due to the lower levels of gravity. Earth is a much smaller planet than Krypton, and it orbits a much smaller star; therefore the pull of gravity is not as great.
Meanwhile, Kryptonians have a denser body structure. So, it is possible that since gravity isn’t pulling as hard on them when they are on Earth, it increases some of their abilities–for example, the ability to jump high and have exceptional strength.
Yet another explanation is a bit more generic and suggests that overall atmospheric conditions on Earth change a Kryptonian’s metabolism and give them enhanced abilities.
Regardless of whether these abilities come from the sun, the lower gravity, or other environmental conditions, it’s clear that Kryptonians gain great powers on Earth.
Superman is the most powerful of all because he has been on Earth since he was a baby, and so he was exposed to environmental conditions for his entire life, including during his formative years.
Why Don’t Kryptonians Have Powers on Krypton?
Despite their powers on Earth, Kryptonians appear as powerless as humans when they are on their own planet. Why is this?
Once again, there may be several explanations.
The reason most often given for their lack of powers is Krypton’s red sun, Rao. This sun is larger and denser than Earth’s yellow sun, and it produces a different kind of radiation.
It is generally accepted in most versions of the comics that red sunlight weakens Kryptonians and strips them of their powers, doing the opposite of a yellow sun.
This begs the question: would the Kryptonians have had powers if they had any other sun? Were their powers inherent, supported or suppressed by the radiation of whatever sun they were exposed to?
It’s hard to say. It’s possible that the Kryptonians knew their sun weakened them, but they chose to remain on Krypton to keep their powers under control.
Or it’s possible that they only had powers when exposed to a yellow sun–in which case, the red sun didn’t weaken them, but returned them to their natural state.
Other explanations for why they had no powers on Krypton include the fact that the pull of gravity on the planet was stronger and that environmental conditions weren’t conducive to their powers.
Another factor to consider is Kryptonite, which was created when Krypton exploded. The remaining pieces of the planet became radioactive and caused any Kryptonian exposed to it to become weak and sick.
Though Kryptonite itself wasn’t created until the planet’s destruction, it is a byproduct of Krypton.
So, it’s possible that before Krypton exploded, the planet itself had some of the properties of Kryptonite–not enough to make the Kryptonians sick, but enough to keep them from having powers.
Conclusion
Kryptonians’ power may come from various environmental sources, but the likeliest explanation is that their bodies metabolize radiation from our yellow sun in a way to increase their physical abilities.
On Krypton, where Kryptonians originated, they did not have access to a yellow sun’s radiation. Instead, their red sun kept their powers at bay–either by directly weakening them or by preventing them from developing enhanced powers.
Sarah Hood is a freelance content writer and editor with a love for all things Star Wars. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, singing, and spending time in the great outdoors.