What is kryptonite? Why is it dangerous?
Surviving fragments of Superman’s home world of Krypton are known as kryptonite. In the last days of Krypton, a chain reaction with the planet’s core caused a build-up of enormous pressures. These pressures fused the minerals inside Krypton into the new, radioactive, super-actinide element kryptonium. Furthermore, the pressure grew to be too much for the planet’s mantle to contain, and Krypton exploded in a violent eruption. The resulting kryptonite is the ore of kryptonium, and it is best known for its green hue. Even if the planet Krypton had not exploded, the radiation from the kryptonite would have eventually killed all the inhabitants in what the Kryptonians called the Green Death. Though the radiation from kryptonite is harmful to all life, it is especially harmful to Kryptonians (notably Superman). Kryptonite radiation rapidly fills Superman’s cells and drives out the solar energy stored therein. Prolonged exposure to kryptonite would be fatal to Superman. There is no relationsh
