# Between a chunk of kryptonite and a hard place **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106 "2005-05-30T16:36:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/21 "2005-05-31T14:32:24Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Red Kryptonite-- Unexpected results on Superman and other Kryptonians, once only. Created by Green Kryptonite that passed through a Mysterious Space Cloud. Supes kept lead-wrapped samples of klnown effect Around in case he needed that effect Given that a given bit of Red-K only worked on the same Kryptonian once… \ Hey, Kara, come here! I got something for you! _tosses her a lead-wrapped ball and ducks behind a shield_ ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/22 "2005-05-31T14:46:05Z")
> [@FlyingDragonFan](#): > > What kinds of kryptonite have actually been shown on _Smallville_? I know there’s green and red, and I seem to remember black, but not what it’s effect was. Are there more that I’ve forgotten? Are the Stones considered kryptonite? Okay, here’s what I’ve got for ‘smallville’, though I don’t follow the series that closely: Green kyrptonite… pretty much the old standard. Radiation is toxic to Kryptonians (and sometimes people with kryptonian powers,) to the point of probable death after prolonged exposure. Has also been given the property of causing mutagenic powers in humans and other earth life forms after prolonged exposure. Red kryptonite… psychological effects on superman, including mild sensation of intoxication, greatly reduced inhibitions, and a nearly total supression of ethical or moral faculties. Samples of red K do not seem to differ much in their effect or to build up any kind of tolerance. Black kryptonite… effects are unclear, but it apparently allowed Clark to overcome his indoctrinated automaton personality of ‘kal-el’ in the season premiere this past fall. Further explanations are welcome. 😃 Am I missing anything? ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/23 "2005-05-31T17:00:33Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > \ > White Kryptonite – killed plant life. Don’t know _where_ this one came from, in continuity or in real life. It actually was a plot point in a Superman story once, well after it was created. > \ First appeared in a Superboy story set in the future. A decendent of Lana Lang had it in her rock collection when a strange alien plant life started overwhelming earth. Superboy figures out that the rock is a form a kryptonite that kills plants. As far as I know, there’s no origin for it. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > \ > Gold Kryptonite – took away a Kryptonian’s super-powers permanently. I don’t know how they found out its capabilities, or how they knew it was permanent. Apparently you needed a sort of critical mass, though, because a few grains didn’t affect Supergirl, while they took away the powers of a Kandorian villainess. I have no idea how it was created. > \ Gold K is formed when green or red K is hit with nuclear radiation. I once read a story told from the point of view of a piece of kryptonite that went through green, red and gold stages. I remember at the end, the gold K was happy because it helped Superman somehow, but I don’t remember how. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/24 "2005-05-31T17:04:58Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > Gold K is formed when green or red K is hit with nuclear radiation. I once read a story told from the point of view of a piece of kryptonite that went through green, red and gold stages. > > I remember at the end, the gold K was happy because it helped Superman somehow, but I don’t remember how. The Gold K was in the Fortress of Solitude, exposed - the Kandorians realized that when Superman came back, he’d be exposed and lose his powers. They couldn’t let that happen, to a pair of Kandorians in a tiny rocket flew out of Kandor and used the Phantom Zone projector to send the Gold K to the Phantom Zone, where it robbed the Kryptonian Criminals of their powers, making the Gold K a happy hunk of rock indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/25 "2005-05-31T17:44:41Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > The Gold K was in the Fortress of Solitude, exposed - the Kandorians realized that when Superman came back, he’d be exposed and lose his powers. They couldn’t let that happen, to a pair of Kandorians in a tiny rocket flew out of Kandor and used the Phantom Zone projector to send the Gold K to the Phantom Zone, where it robbed the Kryptonian Criminals of their powers, making the Gold K a happy hunk of rock indeed. What’s sad is that the reason I know these things is because I actually paid for a collection of stories about Kryptonite back in my mispent youth. And to tie it into the OP Green Paper Kryptonite-Makes Superman want to trade it in return for badly written comics. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/26 "2005-05-31T18:34:19Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > What’s sad is that the reason I know these things is because I actually paid for a collection of stories about Kryptonite back in my mispent youth. Was it the digest edition, with an unconscious Superman sprawled across green glowing letters spelling the word ‘Kryptonite’? ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/27 "2005-05-31T18:46:41Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Was it the digest edition, with an unconscious Superman sprawled across green glowing letters spelling the word ‘Kryptonite’? Yep, I got about a million of them digest scattered around my parents’ house. ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/28 "2005-05-31T23:10:47Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Chartreuse. It makes him _faaaabulous!_ Having followed **CalMeachem** ’s link, I now know the colour you’re looking for is pink :D: > [@](#): > > Pink Kryptonite: From an alternate timeline in a 2003 Supergirl storyline, this variety of kryptonite apparently turned heterosexual Kryptonians into homosexuals. However, this version of kryptonite has not been used in mainstream comics continuity. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/29 "2005-06-01T21:21:02Z")
Yellow Kryptonite - turns him into a coward. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/30 "2005-06-01T22:00:10Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Damn. Hit the wrong button. Okay… embarrassing personal revelations about Superman. “I’m not circumsized!” “I read Batman/Superman slash, and it’s true. I am the bottom!” and “When Lois’ human vagina just isn’t doing it for me… I get serviced by Wonder Wpman. Why do you think she carries that rope and wears heels?”" Wonder Woman hasn’t worn heels since her reboot in 1987. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/31 "2005-06-02T00:35:33Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Black kryptonite… effects are unclear, but it apparently allowed Clark to overcome his indoctrinated automaton personality of ‘kal-el’ in the season premiere this past fall. Further explanations are welcome. It’s my impression that black Kryptonite is involved in splitting and re-joining parts of the subject’s personality, whether human or Kryptonian. Martha used it to split the Clark half from Kal-El so he could fight and regain control, and Lex got split in two (evil Lex and indifferent Lex? ;)) and then re-joined by the black Kryptonite he created by superheating, IIRC, green Kryptonite. What I want to know is, how come red Kryptonite “makes Clark reckless and without morals,” yet he has to marry Alicia before boning her? I demand hot, steamy, naked - er, better continuity! ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/32 "2005-06-02T01:06:10Z")
> [@AerynSun](#): > > What I want to know is, how come red Kryptonite “makes Clark reckless and without morals,” yet he has to marry Alicia before boning her? I demand hot, steamy, naked - er, better continuity! It’s my impression that the red K merely lets Clark out of his self-imposed repression regarding his powers and heritage. Instead of being all angsty and worried about what he is, he can live without that holding him back. But he’s still Martha’s good little boy, and so he won’t do the thing without the sanctity of marriage. Anybody buying that? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/33 "2005-06-02T02:04:17Z")
> [@FlyingDragonFan](#): > > It’s my impression that the red K merely lets Clark out of his self-imposed repression regarding his powers and heritage. Instead of being all angsty and worried about what he is, he can live without that holding him back. But he’s still Martha’s good little boy, and so he won’t do the thing without the sanctity of marriage. Anybody buying that? Umm… no, not considering what he was like some of the other times he was on red K… mama’s good little boy doesn’t really cut it. I’d say that the wedding in vegas thing wasn’t really about ‘doing the right thing’ or notions of morality in R Clark’s mind… he thought Alicia would get a kick out of getting married and it was kinduv a game to him. (Little like britney spears’.) The fact that it fit the concerns of the WB censors is ENTIRELY coincidental… okay, maybe not entirely. 😃 Maybe I need to go back and review that episode. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/34 "2005-06-02T02:28:12Z")
Paisley kryptonite: Makes Superman incredibly groovy and mellow. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/35 "2005-06-02T05:35:11Z")
Down Kryptonite: Makes Superman go crazy. Symptoms include cosmic-level hallucinations, and very “clingy” behavior. Portable Hole Kryptonite: This Kryptonite is so ultra-dense that it collapses into a microsingularity that is not only two-dimentional, but one-sided as well. Not especially dangerous, but you can easily fall into it if you’re not looking. Krazny Kryptonite: Turns Superman into a dirty bolshevik. Yakov Kryptonite: Superman makes _Kryptonite_ sick! Heh-heh-heh! Wood Kryptonite: Formerly from the Kandor County Petrified Forest. The only known substance in the universe than can give Superman a splinter. (Which could…like…really hurt. Maybe get infected. Or something.) ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/36 "2005-06-02T05:46:47Z")
> [@Monstre](#): > > **Orange kryptonite.** > > It makes Superman rise out of the pumpkin patch on Halloween night and deliver toys to good boys and girls. That’s just what it wants you to think. Notice how noone has never seen the great pumpkin? Because those who have don’t live to tell about it, or are locked in a madhouse somewhere, raving about “Non-eculidian carvings” IA! IA! Pumpkin f’taghn! ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/37 "2005-06-02T09:03:06Z")
I only hope the pumpkin will eat me first. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/38 "2005-06-02T11:18:05Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > Paisley kryptonite: Makes Superman incredibly groovy and mellow. Been there! Done that! ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/39 "2005-06-02T12:48:42Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Umm… no, not considering what he was like some of the other times he was on red K… mama’s good little boy doesn’t really cut it. Yeah, now that I think about it more you’re right. He didn’t have any qualms about busting open an ATM the summer he was in Metropolis and on red K. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106/40 "2005-06-02T13:30:34Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > Paisley kryptonite: Makes Superman incredibly groovy and mellow. Kinda like some sort of Sunshine Superman, then? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/between-a-chunk-of-kryptonite-and-a-hard-place/306106.md?page=3)