Kryptonian Powers

Kryptonian Powers refers to the powers and abilities held by Kryptonians beyond those of normal humans. Most of these powers are gained from exposure to a Yellow or Blue Star through a process known as the Photonucleic Effect, in which the cells of a Kryptonian creature are altered by certain types of electromagnetic radiation.

Though all versions of Kryptonians are much more powerful than a mere human, their power level has fluctuated over the decades. When first introduced, Kryptonians couldn't even fly but only leap and didn't have many powers besides superhuman physicality. This changed towards the end of the Golden Age and by the Silver Age, Kryptonians were virtually unbeatable, being living Gods in our solar system. By 1986, Kryptonians were still a force to be reckoned with but they were much weaker in terms of power.

However, in certain versions, Kryptonian powers are explained as being gained due to Earth's lighter gravity, or centuries of evolution and genetic alterations on Krypton.

This article also pertains to Daxamites' powers, as they share the same abilities as Kryptonians.

Pre-Krypton version[]

Originally, in 1936 concept by Siegel, baby was supposed to arrive from the future Earth , rather than Krypton. On "present" (as of 1910-30s period) baby possessed at least incredible strenght.

Original Siegel and Shuster's Krypton/definitive Earth-2[]

Original Superman parents names 1939 newspaper Strip Krypton by Siegel and Shuster — In original version people of Krypton could jump high, run fast and survive buildings falling them even on their home planet. Also it is stated that Kryptonian can easily bruise another

As depicted in Action Comics #1 and Superman (comic book) #1, as well as in Superman newspaper comic strips , people of Krypton ("race of supermen") possessed incredible strenght to jump high into the air and run very fast even on their own home planet, also they could survive buildings crumbling on them without much of a scratch. In unreleased The-K Metal from Planet Krypton it was stated by Superman himself that planet charged its inhabitans with (at least physical) power. It is unclear whether Kryptonians also possessed x-ray vision in this version, but Kal develops x-ray and super hearing gradually during his life time on Earth, as well as ability to fly. Metalo's device was capable to reverting Superman's physical capabilities to their original form of leaping 1/8 of a mile and being as fast as cars or a train, without affecting his x-ray power. It was depicted that even a baby Kryptonian could bruise another (fully grown) Kryptonian with a punch.

In this version Kal-L was barely a newborn when his rocket left Krypton.

Bill Finger's Krypton[]

Superman 53 Bill Finger Kryptonians posses X ray vision on Krypton still

Kryptonians (or "Kryptonites" how they are sometimes called during this period in comics) aren't portrayed to be high jumping anymore, but it is said they have x-ray vision "unlike primitives from planet Earth". Physical strenght on Earth (up to the point of running so fast Superman could easily travel through time, but without being able of making any significant changes to the story or create time paradox) was explained as lower gravity. Unlike previous version powered up Kryptonian can't harm another powered up Kryptonian, they could only deal damage to the world during their fights.

In this version Kal-L was barely a newborn when his rocket left Krypton.

Otto Binder's version/definitive Earth-1[]

Kryptonians don't possess any powers on their home planet Krypton (although sometimes it was stated that they were capable of flying but lost this power due to overrelliance on their advanced technology), due to its red sun and natural higher gravity. On Earth ,due to yellow sun and lower gravity, Kryptonians are smarter, faster, stronger, able to defy gravity and move fast enough for time travel, virtually indestructible so much so even nuclear blast only was capable of removing their kryptonite scars. A Kryptonian charged with yellow sun rays is capable of traveling through space for indefinite time, unless will be depowered with nearby red stars (or other stars, as in earlier stories there was not rainbow spectrum relation with effects of different colored suns, a blue star could power Superman in one story and depower him in another, later on definitive relation between colors was established and therefore red sun depowered and blue sun overpowered him), without need of any ship or even special mask to breathe. Different sunlight also affected all objects from Krypton, what was hardly though under red one is now virtually indestructible under yellow sunlight or its simulation.

Sometimes completely new and uncommon powers were discovered for duration of at least one story, such as power to shoot miniature and mute version of self (even covered in same clothes). Or passive hypnotism abilities which helped Superman to appear much different from his Clark Kent appearance in the mind's eye of all people that were faimiliar with both. Or ability to eliminate particular set of memory via kiss on the lips. Or telekinesis.

Now Kryptonians' direct weakness is fragment of their home planet that became irradiated while traveling through space (unlike prototype version seen in "K-Metal" which was just a fragment which gained its depowering abilities on Superman through his prolonged stay on Earth, similarly to different poles on batteries or magnets), also known as Kryptonite (which was a name for inhabitans of Krypton in some of the early stories), there are different colors of kryptonites with different effect with most common being the green one (K-metal also had a green glow). Because without radiation Krypton's land possessed no threat Superman could safely time-travel back and visit his home planet before its eventual destruction.

In this version Kal-El was a toddler when his rocket left Krypton.

Due to growing under Krypton's more natural enviroment than Superman the Kara Zor-El Supergirl of Earth-1 is said to be more powerful than Superman of the same Earth, especially as she matures into a woman, in the Post-Crisis that notion is reversed with Superman being (marginally) more powerful than any other Kryptonian due to his body sipping Yellow sun's radiation much longer than any other Kryptonian. Also after some time Supergirl acquired total immunity against Kryptonite. Making her even more capable than her cousin Kal.

John Byrne's version/Post-Crisis #1[]

Due to being artifically born on their planet all Kryptonians can't leave Krypton without special tampering with their DNA or they will simply collapse and die upon the arrival. Kryptonite was also a radioactive green substance spurging from the panet's core that caused mass scale death toll like a plague even before Krypton blew up. Kryptonians possessed on powers on their planet due to its red sun, and in general new version of the planet was a decadent ecological catastrophy in its very last moments until Kal-El's egg-rocket left its orbit. In this version Kal-El wasn't fully formed until his rocket reached United States of America's ground, making him legally and fully an Amrtican citizen.

On the Earth Kal-El, The Last Son of Krypton, possessed great strenght and speed, ability to completely defy gravity and fly, as well as super hearing , x-ray vision, heat-vision and nigh-invincibility as long as he had enough of yellow sun charge inside of his body. However, he didn't posses agumented intellect anymore, nor could easily move so fast in order to travel through time. Bio-electric aura was established as an invisible field emanating in couple of milimiteres from Kal's body and making everything under it as invincible as he is, aura can also be spread upon the touch with other people or structures making them bypass laws of physics and preventing Superman from killing people while catching them at super-speed or structures from crumbling via their own weight. Aura also can be an explanation of Earth-1's instances of telekinesis and other instances things that didn't obey conventional laws of phyisics or biology, like normal people being able to be/breathe or even talk in space while being carried by Superman or people with similar set of power. In early years Kal-El couldn't travel in space for a prolonged period of time.

Later on after getting killed by Doomsday and revived via bio-matrixof his rocket-egg as well as Eradicator's help, initially had only little bit of super strength and limited invincibility, slowly regaining his full power set. Sometime later after being completely restored Superman became more powerful than before, and capable of space travel using special bio-mask to breathe.

While kryptonian materials were shown to be advanced they weren't affected by yellow sun radiation.

Krypton-human clone Superboy (Kon-El) shown to be possessing "tactile telekinesis" via his bio-electric aura, which could disrupt, explode and destroy anything non-living upon a single touch.

For quite some time Superman became entirely electric in his biological structure, as well as in all of his powers, being contained as a gust of energy in a specially made suit. Gaining proper telekinesis like power.

Mark Waid's version/Post-Crisis #2[]

Relatively same as before. Except in this version Kal-El was barely a newborn when his rocket left Krypton. It is also unclear whether bio-electric aura notion still present same way it was before. Also since this revision Superman is not the last living Kryptonian, once again.

Geoff John's version/Post-Crisis #3[]

Kal-El now was portrayed to be able to fly even in his teenager years as well as was using his powers as superhero. Everything else remained relatively the same as before.

New52 Grant Morrison's version[]

Possessing initially only limited amount of invincibility (now Kal-El is shown to have much more bruises and nosal bleedings than ever before), strenght, being able to only jump high (but still very high, was able to completely leave the gravity pull of the planet Earth and reach its orbit with a single bound) and run at less than invisible (to a human eye) speed, as well as perfect mastery of x-ray vision, heat-vision and super hearing. Later on his high jumps slowly evolved into flying via manuevering and then into an iconic (since late 60's and early 70's ) "standing"/floating in the air later on.

However this version is shown to be much smarter thna previous, capable of reading and memorizing entire library about surgery within mere minutes and then successfully perform and operation using his thumbnail against human skin as a scalpel. Kal-El also was shown to be able to read a flash drive just by looking at it. Whether it was intellectual agumentation via yellow sunlight or just natural much more advanced Kryptonian intellect simply aided with physical augmentations is unclear.

During Superman's fight with Collector of the Worlds/Brainiac/Internet the later mentioned that Superman can't murder him due to moral imprint. Although such detail wasn't followed through by other writers as this continuity Superman did willingly kill a Kryptonian dragon, although perhaps moral imprint wasn't extended on the dragons.