Editing Krypton (comics) (section)

==Versions of Krypton==
===Krypton in the [[Golden Age of Comic Books]]===
====History====
{{section OR|date=April 2024}}
[[File:Krypton's apocalyptic ends on Action Comics 1 (June 1938).png|thumb|upright|Krypton's apocalyptic end in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938), art by [[Joe Shuster]].]]
In its first appearance, Krypton was only depicted at the moment of its destruction. Beginning in the ''Superman'' [[comic strip]], Krypton was shown to have been a planet similar to Earth, only older by eons and possessed of all the [[Progress (history)|progress]] that implied. It is suggested that Krypton exploded due mainly to old age and the massive use of electricity Kryptonians used for their technology.

The debut of the ''Superman'' newspaper comic strip in 1939 delved into further details about Krypton, introducing the idea that all Kryptonians possessed a level of heightened physical abilities, including [[Superhuman strength|super-strength]] and super-speed. In the early comics' version of Krypton, [[Superman]]'s parents were named "Jor-L" and "Lora", though their names were changed to the more familiar "[[Jor-El]]" and "[[Lara (comics)|Lara]]" by the end of the 1940s.

The [[Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] Krypton would be revised into another form almost as soon as it was defined, and very few stories were initially written about it. After the introduction of [[DC Comics|DC]]'s [[Multiverse (DC Comics)|multiverse]] in the 1960s, this version of Krypton was declared to be the Krypton of the [[Multiverse (DC Comics)#Catalogued Earths|Earth-Two]] universe; the native dimension of DC's [[Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] characters and its Superman.

After the emergence of Earth-Two as a differentiated alternate universe within the DC Multiverse, [[Power Girl]] (Kara Zor-El) was introduced as Krypton-Two's alternate [[Supergirl]] in 1976. Kal-El and Kara Zor-El were the only known survivors of Krypton-Two, unlike the Silver Age analogue. Earth-Two's universe lacked its own [[Brainiac (character)|Brainiac]], so its Kandor was never abducted from Krypton Two before its destruction, nor did Kal-El have his own version of [[Krypton]] as an infant and toddler on this world.

In the Golden Age, Superman was initially unaware of his true origins; in ''Superman'' #61, Superman discovered the existence of Krypton for the first time and learned of his Kryptonian heritage. He later encountered other survivors prior to Kara's arrival in the form of three criminals, U-Ban, Kizo, and [[Mala (Kryptonian)|Mala]], who were exiled by Superman's father before Krypton's destruction.

====Krypton in transition====
Over the course of the 1940s and 1950s, various alterations and additions to the makeup of Krypton were made in the comics. Among them was an explanation of why the natives of Krypton perished if they had possessed superpowers on their native world (as was the case in the earliest versions of Krypton outlined above, although this only became a problem once Superman &mdash; and by extension anyone from Krypton &mdash; was portrayed as increasingly powerful, able to withstand nuclear explosions, contrasted with his original power level in which a bursting [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] shell could penetrate his skin).

Thus, it was explained by the early 1950s that Kryptonians were powerless on their own planet and would gain superpowers only within a lower [[gravity]] environment. This matched the correct theories being published that humans who traveled to the moon would be able to lift greater masses and leap greater distances than on Earth due to the lesser gravity. In the early 1960s, added to this was the need to be exposed to the rays of a yellow [[sun]] (versus Krypton's red sun, Rao, which was older and cooler, or put out less energy) to gain superpowers, with the yellow sun aspect soon gaining the much greater emphasis. Other changes to the concept of Krypton and its culture were introduced, many of which were stylistic.

===Krypton in the [[Silver Age of Comic Books]]===
By the late 1950s, Krypton played an increasing role in various ''Superman'' stories, with greater detail provided about Krypton's makeup.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fleisher |first1=Michael L. |title=The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman |date=2007 |publisher=DC Comics |isbn=978-1-4012-1389-3 |pages=130–143}}</ref> Superman's Kryptonian heritage was a frequent factor in [[Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] ''Superman'' comic storylines, as he was fully aware of his origins from an early age. Superman would use this knowledge for such tasks as constructing advanced Kryptonian technology or observing some of Krypton's traditions.

====History====
[[File:Krypton map.jpg|thumb|upright|Map of Krypton]]
Kryptonians made use of their advanced science to create a world where scientific inventions and research influenced much of daily life. Robots and [[computers]] were used for many tasks on Krypton, even for determining what career paths young Kryptonians would take as they grew up. Scientific and technological research were highly valued on Krypton, with the ruling body of Krypton named the "Science Council".

Several stories featured characters traveling back in time to visit Krypton before its destruction; one example is the 1960 story "Superman's Return to Krypton", in which Superman is swept back in time to Krypton some years before its destruction. Powerless, he spends some time on the planet, where he meets his future parents-to-be and falls in love with a Kryptonian actress named [[Lyla Lerrol]]. A ''Superman'' "imaginary story" entitled "What If Krypton Had Not Exploded?" (reprinted in the [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperback]] ''The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told'') gave more insight into Krypton's society. This era also established that the [[Guardians of the Universe]], the administrators of the interstellar police force, the [[Green Lantern Corps]], were themselves aware of Krypton's pending destruction and assigned [[Green Lantern]] [[Tomar-Re]] to avert it, but he was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Maggin |first1=Eliot |last2=Dillon |first2=Dick |last3=Giordano |first3=Dick |title=The Greatest Green Lantern of All |journal=Superman |date=October 1972 |volume=1}}</ref>

In 1980, a three-issue [[Limited series (comics)|miniseries]] titled ''[[World of Krypton]]'' was published,<ref>{{cite book|chapter= 1970s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010 |isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 181 |quote = The worldwide success of ''Superman: The Movie'' motivated [DC] to publish more Superman-related titles. With that, editor E. Nelson Bridwell oversaw a project that evolved into comics' first official limited series - ''World of Krypton''...Featuring out-of-this-world artwork from Howard Chaykin, [Paul] Kupperberg's three-issue limited series explored Superman's homeworld.}}</ref> providing a great amount of detail into Krypton's history just before its destruction, along with the life story of [[Jor-El]] himself. A three-issue miniseries entitled ''The Krypton Chronicles'', published in 1981, tells of Superman researching his roots<ref>Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 195: "The Man of Steel took a look at his family tree in this three-issue miniseries by writer E. Nelson Bridwell and longtime ''Superman'' mainstay artist Curt Swan".</ref> when, as [[Clark Kent]], he was assigned to write an article about Superman's family by an assignment editor impressed with the television miniseries [[Roots (1977 miniseries)|''Roots'']]. To do so, he and Supergirl travel to Kandor, where they learn the history of the El family. In 1985, writer [[Alan Moore]] gave a somewhat darker glimpse into the world of Krypton in his story "[[For the Man Who Has Everything]]" (in ''Superman Annual'' #11), the premise being an elaborate dream of Superman's in which Krypton had not exploded and he had grown to adulthood there. Background details are culled from other Krypton stories. This same story was retold in the animated series ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'' in an episode by the same name and several elements were used in the [[Supergirl (TV series)|''Supergirl'' series]] episode "[[For the Girl Who Has Everything (Supergirl)|For the Girl Who Has Everything]]". The story was also an inspiration for ''[[Krypton (TV series)|Krypton]]'' episode "Mercy".

====Flora and fauna====
Krypton has a vast number of flora and fauna, both wild and domesticated. Some of them look very similar to Earth's animals, due to [[parallel evolution]], e.g., [[birds]], [[felids]], [[canids]], [[simians]], etc., as seen in [[Krypto]] and [[Beppo (comics)|Beppo]]; while others look very different, due to [[divergent evolution]], e.g., [[fish]]/[[snake]]/[[Anguilliformes|eel-like]] hybrid creatures called "''fish-snakes''", [[Caprinae|goat-like]] creatures called "''Zuurt''", [[bovinae|bovine-like]] creatures called "''Rondor''", [[rhino]]/[[ceratopsian|ceratopsian-like]] hybrid creatures called "''Thought-Beasts''", [[dragon|dragon-like]] creatures called "''H'Raka''", gigantic, one-horned [[serpentes|snake-like]] creatures called "''Drang''", and [[jellyfish|jellyfish-like]] [[invertebrate]] creatures called "''Shoggoth''".

====Moons====
One of Krypton's moons, Wegthor, was accidentally destroyed by the Kryptonian scientist [[Jax-Ur]], who was experimenting with a nuclear missile that was diverted from its intended destination. The disaster killed 500 inhabitants of the moon and Jax-Ur became the first and only criminal to be banished eternally to the [[Phantom Zone]]. This disaster also prompted the Science Council of Krypton to ban space flight completely.<ref>{{Cite comic
 | writer = [[Paul Kupperberg|Kupperberg, Paul]]
 | artist = [[Howard Chaykin|Chaykin, Howard]], [[Frank Chiaramonte|Chiaramonte, Frank]]
 | story = The Last Days of Krypton
 | title = World of Krypton
 | volume = 1
 | issue = #3
 | date = September 1979
 | publisher = DC Comics
 | location = New York
 | pages = 2–3
 }}</ref>

====Survivors====
A Silver Age Superman was not alone in the survival of Krypton's destruction, being joined by his cousin [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]], the [[Phantom Zone]] criminals, [[Krypto|Krypto the Superdog]], [[Beppo (comics)|Beppo the Super-Monkey]], a juvenile delinquent named [[Dev-Em]], the entire population of the city of [[Kandor (comics)|Kandor]], Supergirl's biological parents, and even Superman's biological parents (in hibernation on a space ship - ''Superboy'' #158 (July 1969)), although it was discovered that they actually died from lethal radiation. When the planet exploded, one entire city of Krypton, Argo City, survived the cataclysm.

Argo City drifted through space on an asteroid-sized fragment of Krypton, which had been transformed into [[kryptonite]] by the explosion. The super-advanced technology of its Kryptonian inhabitants allowed them to construct a life-sustaining dome and a [[lead]] shield that protected their city from the kryptonite radiation of the asteroid. The protective shield was destroyed in a meteor storm, exposing the inhabitants to the deadly radiation.

The sole survivor of Argo City, [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Kara Zor-El]], was sent to Earth by her scientist father to live with her cousin Kal-El, who had become known as Superman. Kara adjusted to her new life on Earth and became known as Supergirl. It was later discovered that Supergirl's parents had survived in the Survival Zone, a parallel dimension similar to the Phantom Zone, from which she released them. When the bottle city of Kandor was finally enlarged on a new planet that was similar to Krypton, Supergirl's parents joined its inhabitants to live there.

====Daxamites====
The people now known as the Daxamites were originally Kryptonians who left their homeworld to explore the universe. In post-''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' continuity, the [[Eradicator (character)|Eradicator]], an artificial lifeform programmed to preserve all Kryptonian culture, altered the birthing matrices ("artificial wombs") that the explorers took with them so that all newborns would be fatally vulnerable to lead and other materials such as greenhouse gases and certain rocks. Thus, if they persisted in their anti-Kryptonian wanderlust, they would all die from it. One Daxamite, [[Mon-El]], was poisoned by lead and preserved in the Phantom Zone until [[Brainiac 5]] found a cure in the 30th century, whereafter Mon-El became a member of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]].

====Vathlo Island====
{{Infobox fictional location
| name        = Vathlo Island
| image       = vathlo.jpg
| image_size  = 
| caption     = Vathlo Island, from map of Krypton in ''Superman'' #239 ([[Sal Amendola]], artist).
| blank_label = [[:Category:Comics publishing companies|Publisher]]
| blank_data  = [[DC Comics]]
| first       = ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' #239<br />(June/July 1971)
| source      = [[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]
| creator     = [[Sal Amendola]]
| genre       = [[Superhero comics]]
| type        = Island continent
| people      = Iph-Ro<ref>[[Mark Schultz (comics)|Mark Schultz]] (2001-04). ''Superman: The Man of Steel'' #111 (April 2001).</ref>
| races       = [[Kryptonian]]s
| locations   = 
}}
'''Vathlo Island''' is a fictional location on Krypton, notable as an early attempt to explain in-universe the seeming non-presence of [[black people]] throughout the universe.<ref name="vathlo"/> Other scholars have called Vathlo Island out more broadly as a stand-in for different non-white diaspora communities, such [[Hispanic and Latino Americans]].<ref>{{cite book| last =Aldama| first =Frederick Luis| title =Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics| publisher =[[University of Arizona Press]]| date =2017| pages =9| language =English| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=R3wzDwAAQBAJ| isbn = 9780816537082| accessdate=2024-04-03}}</ref>

In issue #234 of ''Superman'' (February 1971), the first apparently dark-skinned Kryptonian was featured, and described as being employed at "Vathlo Station", but the origin of this previously unseen Kryptonian ethnicity otherwise went uncommented on.<ref name="vathlo">{{cite book| last=Zeichmann| first=Christopher B.| editor-last=Darowski| editor-first=Joseph J.| title=The Ages of Superman: Essays on the Man of Steel in Changing Times| chapter=Black Like Lois: Confronting Racism, Configuring African American Presence| publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]| date=2012| pages=78–90| language=English| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_86DwAAQBAJ| isbn=9780786463084| access-date=2019-08-31}}</ref>

Half a year later, in ''Superman'' #239 (June 1971), a panel drawn by artist [[Sal Amendola]] described a "Vathlo Island" in the "Old World" hemisphere of Krypton as being populated by a "highly developed [[Black people|black]] race".<ref name="vathlo"/>

DC generally lagged behind its competitor [[Marvel Comics]], and Superman comics generally more so than other DC titles, in depicting characters of color,<ref name="vathlo"/> and there were few previous appearances of black characters in the series, mostly stereotypical "natives".<ref name="bookofpdr">{{cite web| last=Ryall| first=Patrick D.| title=The First Africans In Superman| website=The Book of PDR| date=March 19, 2023| url=http://www.bookofpdr.com/2023/03/19/the-first-africans-in-superman/| access-date=2023-03-19}}</ref> It is unknown who exactly was responsible for introducing these first nonwhite races to Krypton's demographic makeup, but [[Mark Waid]] has speculated that it was [[E. Nelson Bridwell]], editorial assistant on the Superman books at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsarama.com/1890-supermen-of-color-the-non-white-kryptonians.html|title=Supermen of Color: The Non-White Kryptonians|last=Brady|first=Matt|date=2009-01-06|website=newsarama.com|publisher=[[Newsarama]]|access-date=2019-08-31|quote=I cringe to tell you this [says DC writer Mark Waid], but the Kryptonians of Color were all on 'Vathlo Island, Home of a Highly Advanced Black Race'. It wasn't until the mid-70s, when more 'World of Krypton' back-up stories ran more regularly, that we really saw any ethnicity whatsoever on the planet.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722154336/https://www.newsarama.com/1890-supermen-of-color-the-non-white-kryptonians.html
|archive-date=22 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The commentary on the Vathlorians being "highly developed" (as if it were peculiar and noteworthy that people with dark skin might be developed) is generally seen by modern commentators as being well-intended but "cringeworthy".<ref>{{cite news| last=Chamary| first=JV| title=Science Says Superman Should Be Black| newspaper=[[Forbes]]| location=[[Jersey City, New Jersey]]| language=English| date=2016-03-31| url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2016/03/31/black-superman/#529cc7913b18| access-date=2019-08-31}}</ref>

Other commentators have noted that the creation of Vathlo Island inspired a whole host of other questions, such as 'If there are black Kryptonians, why are they so seldom seen, and why do they appear to live only on one island?' ''[[Gizmodo]]'' noted that a Krypton structured this way seems "segregated as hell",<ref>{{cite web| url=https://gizmodo.com/a-brief-history-of-dc-comics-black-supermen-1846654682| title=A Brief History of DC Comics' Black Supermen| last=Pulliam-Moore| first=Charles| date=2021-04-12| website=[[Gizmodo]]| publisher=| access-date=2021-07-20| quote=Unexamined as Vathlo's existence has gone for the bulk of DC Comics' history, its creation immediately raised a number of questions about Kryptonian society that Superman comics, and much of the fandom, have never been particularly keen on asking. By presenting Vathlo as an island full of Black Kryptonians without explaining what they were doing there, Giant Superman made it impossible not to regard it as being a reflection of our reality's history of racial segregation, even if that wasn't DC's express intent.}}</ref> while [[Gene Demby]] observed that this was an example of "segregation in everything".<ref>{{Cite tweet| last=Demby| first=Gene|author-link=Gene Demby|user= GeeDee215|number= 849621436557910016|date= 2017-04-05|title=So yeah. #housingsegregationineverything. Even Krypton.|script-title=|trans-title=|language= English|retweet=|location=|access-date= 2021-07-20|link= https://twitter.com/GeeDee215/status/849621436557910016|ref=}}</ref> DC Comics writer [[Mark Waid]] called this an "error of omission" coming from DC's desire to represent people of darker skin as living on Krypton, but implementing this in a way with unintended implications.<ref>{{cite book| last=Goodrum| first=Michael| title=Superheroes and American Self Image: From War to Watergate| publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]| series=| volume=| date=2017| pages=| language=English| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eggkDwAAQBAJ| isbn=9781317048398| accessdate=2024-04-03}}</ref> However, other writers have pointed out that DC would go on to re-use this as a rationale to explain the non-presence of black skinned characters in other contexts, as with the [[Tyroc]] character.<ref name="circ">{{cite book| last=Schwartz| first=Roy| title=Is Superman Circumcised?: The Complete Jewish History of the World's Greatest Hero| publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]| date=2021| pages=231| language=English| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XIMwEAAAQBAJ| isbn=9781476662909| accessdate=2024-04-03}}</ref>

Vathlo was rarely if ever referenced beyond these few issues, although a black Kryptonian named "Iph-Ro of Vathlo" appeared in the more recent ''[[Superman: The Man of Steel]]'' #111.<ref>[[Mark Schultz (comics)|Mark Schultz]] (2001-04). Superman: The Man of Steel #111 (April 2001).</ref> An offhand reference to the island was made in [[Alan Moore]]'s story "[[For the Man Who Has Everything]]", where "racial trouble with the Vathlo Island immigrants" are mentioned in a dream-world Krypton that had avoided destruction.<ref>{{cite book| last=Reynolds| first=Richard| title=Super Heroes: A Modern Mythology| publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]| date=1994| pages=62| language=English| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rrx-5cn1F8oC| isbn=9780878056941| accessdate=2024-04-03}}</ref> It is believed, based on the appearances of black Kryptonians in recent Superman issues, that the Vathlonians eventually were integrated into Krypton proper, although there has been no canonical statement about this from DC Comics.<ref>{{cite web|author=Brady, Matt|title=Superman's planet is racially diverse-finally|publisher=[[NBC News|MSNBC.com]]|date=January 7, 2009|access-date=2009-01-11|url= http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28543087|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160323165700/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28543087/|url-status= dead|archive-date= March 23, 2016}}</ref>

In ''[[Superman: World of New Krypton]]'' #4, it is established that Vathlo Islanders settled in [[Kandor (comics)|Kandor]] prior to the destruction of Krypton.<ref>''Superman: World of New Krypton'' #4 (August 2009).</ref>

In ''[[Final Crisis]]'' #7 a black version of Superman is shown to reside on the alternate universe of Earth-23. This Superman, whose given name is Kalel but adopts the human alias of Calvin Ellis, is shown to originate from Vathlo Island of his reality's Krypton.<ref name=ACv2iss9>{{cite magazine| last1= Morrison| first1= Grant| author-link1= Grant Morrison| last2= Ha| first2= Gene| author-link2= Gene Ha| last3= Lyon| first3= Art| author-link3= | last4= Brosseau| first4= Pat| date=July 2012| orig-date=| editor1-last= Idelson| editor1-first=Matt| editor2-last= Moss| editor2-first=Wil| title= The Curse of Superman| magazine= [[Action Comics]]| type=Comic| language= English| publisher=[[DC Comics]]| publication-date= 2012-05-02| volume= 2| issue= 9| quote= "Their world was called Krypton, and greatest of all its mighty cities was the science-capital Jandra-La on Valtho Island in the Green Danahu Ocean. It was there, as the planet was ripped apart...that two desperate young scientists named Jorel and Lara performed their last, most daring experiment together. Unable to save themselves from Krypton's apocalypse, they placed their only son, Kalel, in a prototype rocket and shot him across the empty gulfs of space... Now, disguised as United States President Calvin Ellis, Kalel of Krypton fights a never-ending battle for Truth, Justice, Liberty and Equality as... SUPERMAN."
}}</ref>

While the island itself did not appear and was not referenced in the television series ''[[Smallville]]'', [[Ethnic groups of Africa|African]]-looking/dark-skinned Kryptonians have been featured. One was a disciple of [[General Zod|Zod]], who goes by the name Nam-Ek (portrayed by [[Leonard Roberts]]). Another was named Basqat (played by Adrian Holmes).

Dark-skinned Kryptonians have also appeared in the SyFy television series ''[[Krypton (TV series)|Krypton]]'', including Lyta-Zod, one of the series' main characters, and General Zod himself. In this version, Vathlo Island is not mentioned.

Characters in [[Eric Jerome Dickey]]'s novel ''The Son of Mr. Suleman'' discuss Vathlo Island and react with derision to the idea that there was segregation on Krypton.<ref>{{cite book| last=Dickey| first=Eric Jerome| authorlink=Eric Jerome Dickey| title=The Son of Mr. Suleman| publisher=[[E. P. Dutton]]| date=2021| pages=126| language=English| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RKxPEAAAQBAJ| isbn=9781524745233| accessdate=2024-04-03}}</ref>

====''Crisis on Infinite Earths''====
After the 1985 miniseries ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'', the Silver Age version of Krypton was replaced by a newer version. The Silver Age Krypton made a rare Post-''Crisis'' appearance in [[The Sandman (Vertigo)|''The Sandman'']] #48, during a flashback sequence.

===Krypton in the [[Modern Age of Comic Books]]===
[[File:Krypton (post-Crisis version) exploding.png|thumb|upright|The exploding planet Krypton from ''History of the DC Universe'' #1 (1986).]]

====''The Man of Steel''====
Following ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'', which [[reboot (continuity)|rebooted]] the history of the [[DC Universe]] and retroactively eliminated the existence of the Golden and Silver Age versions of Krypton, writer/artist [[John Byrne (comics)|John Byrne]] was given the task of recreating the entire ''Superman'' mythos. This rewrite was started in the 1986 [[The Man of Steel (comic book)|''Man of Steel'']] miniseries, which addressed Krypton in both its opening and closing chapters.

Krypton itself was the main subject of the late 1980s ''The World of Krypton'' miniseries (not to be confused with the 1979 miniseries of the same name). This miniseries was written by Byrne and illustrated by [[Mike Mignola]], and filled in much of Krypton's new history.

====History====
The new Krypton was approximately one-and-a-half times larger than the Earth and orbited a red sun called Rao fifty [[light-years]] from the [[Solar System]]. Krypton's primordial era produced some of the most dangerous organisms in the universe. It was for this reason that 250,000 years ago, Krypton was chosen as the place to create [[Doomsday (comics)|Doomsday]] through forced evolution. Until its destruction, many dangerous animals, including ferrophage moles, still existed on Krypton. Kryptonians had to use their advanced technology to survive.

Over 200,000 years ago, Krypton had developed scientific advancements far beyond those of present-day Earth, and had discovered a way to conquer disease and aging by perfecting [[Clone (genetics)|cloning]]; vast banks of clones, kept in stasis, held multiple copies of each living Kryptonian so that replacement parts were always available in the event of injury. All Kryptonians were now effectively [[Immortality|immortal]], "with all the strength and vigor of youth maintained",<ref>{{Cite comic | writer = [[John Byrne (comics)|Byrne, John]] | penciller = [[Mike Mignola|Mignola, Mike]] | inker = Bryant, Rick | story = Pieces | title = The World of Krypton | volume = 2 | issue = #1 | date = December 1987 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York | page = 15 | panel = 3}}</ref> and for millennia they enjoyed an idyllic, sensual existence in an [[Arcadia (utopia)|Arcadian]] paradise.<ref>{{Cite comic | writer = Byrne, John | penciller = Mignola, Mike | inker = Bryant, Rick | story = Pieces | title = The World of Krypton | volume = 2 | issue = #1 | date = December 1987 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York}}</ref>

100,000 years later Kryptonian society was tipping toward decadence and eventually political strife resulted from the debate about the use of clones (three by each Kryptonian; one child, one teen and one adult, perfectly preserved in stasis in large clone banks) to repair any hurt and avoiding death, if they were sentient beings and should have rights to be awakened to live as any other Kryptonian, sparked in addition by the presence of an alien missionary known as [[the Cleric]], who carried "the Eradicator".<ref name="actionannual2"/> Eventually this disagreement led to open violent conflict. A woman named Nyra, seeking what she considered a suitable mate for her son, Kan-Z, had one of her younger clones removed from stasis. The clone gained full sentience and was presented to society as a normal woman. When Kan-Z discovered that his fiancée was in fact his mother's clone, he killed the clone, then publicly killed his mother and also attempted his own suicide before being stopped. Kan-Z also publicly broadcast the entirety of his discovered findings as to what his mother had done across the entire planet. This key incident ignited the Clone Wars which lasted for 1,000 years, during which Kryptonian science was turned to warfare and several superweapons were developed and used. Among them was the device known as the Destroyer.

Although the Eradicator's effects (altering the [[DNA]] of all Kryptonian lifeforms so that they would instantly die upon leaving the planet) were felt immediately, the Destroyer's effects were possibly more significant: by the time the Kryptonian government admitted defeat and abolished the clone banks, a pro-clone rights terrorist faction known as [[Black Zero (DC Comics)|Black Zero]] had started the Destroyer (activated by Kan-Z himself), a device which functioned as a giant atomic energy gun, projecting massive streams of nuclear energy into the core of Krypton, intended to trigger an explosive chain reaction within Krypton's core almost immediately.

The destruction (by Van-L, an ancestor of [[Jor-El]]) of the Destroyer eliminated the Post-''Crisis'' city of Kandor in a fiery nuclear explosion, but it was believed at the time that the device had been stopped before it could achieve planetary destruction. Centuries later, Jor-El himself would discover that the reaction had only been slowed to a nearly imperceptible rate and it would eventually destroy the planet as intended.

====Destruction====
Though it survived the war, Krypton was scarred deeply by it. The formerly lush garden world was burned and blasted to a desert, and a sterile society—emotionally unlike its predecessor—emerged. The population lived isolated from one another in widely separated technological citadels, shunning all physical and personal contact, to the point that even family members would only interact with each other via communication devices. Procreation became a matter of selecting compatible genetic material to be placed within an artificial womb called a "birthing matrix"; the parents almost never met in person and never touched one another. The planetary government was deeply isolationist and forbade space exploration and communication with other worlds.

The young scientist Jor-El was born into this world. By his adult years, a mysterious "Green Plague" was killing Kryptonians by the thousands, and upon researching the matter, Jor-El discovered that its cause was growing radiation produced by Krypton's increasingly unstable core. This process was going to cause the planet to explode.

Unable to convince his associates to abandon tradition and consider escape, and reasoning that modern Kryptonian society had grown cold, unfeeling and sterile, Jor-El removed the Eradicator's planetary binding genes from his unborn son Kal-El's genetic pattern, took Kal-El's birthing matrix and attached a prototype interstellar propulsion system to the vessel.<ref name="actionannual2"/><ref name="worldofkrypton4">{{Cite comic | writer = Byrne, John | penciller = Mignola, Mike | inker = Bryant, Rick | story = Pieces | title = The World of Krypton | volume = 2 | issue = #4 | date = March 1988 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York}}</ref> Just as the planet began to shake apart and massive, exploding streams of green energy erupted through the surface of Krypton, Jor-El launched the matrix towards Earth, where it would open and give birth to the infant upon landing (the Post-''Crisis'' Superman therefore was considered to be technically "born" on Earth). Jor-El was not only determined that his son would survive the death of his birthworld, but that he would grow up on a world that vibrantly embraced living, as his forebears once did.

====The Last Son of Krypton====
A central theme of this version of the Superman [[Mythology|mythos]] was that the character was to remain the last surviving remnant of Krypton. Thus, Silver Age elements such as [[Supergirl]], [[Krypto]], [[Beppo (comics)|Beppo]], and [[Kandor (comics)|Kandor]] had never existed in this version (though Post-''Crisis'' versions of these elements were eventually reintroduced).

The supervillain [[Doomsday (comics)|Doomsday]] was revealed in the 1990s as a being genetically engineered by Bertron, an alien scientist, on an ancient Krypton. Doomsday left the planet after killing Bertron and Krypton's natives found the remains of Bertron's lab, thus obtaining the knowledge of cloning.

In the newer continuity, Superman also became aware of his alien heritage only sometime after his debut as a [[superhero]] - initially assuming himself to be a human mutated in some manner and launched as part of an Earth space program - when a holographic program encoded into the craft which brought him to Earth uploaded the information into his brain (although Lex Luthor had earlier discovered his alien heritage when his attempts to create a [[Bizarro|clone]] of Superman were complicated by the unexpected x-factor of Superman's alien DNA).

====Revisiting Krypton====
In ''Action Comics'' #600 (May 1988), Krypton was close enough to Earth that the radiation from its explosion (traveling only at light speed) was able to reach Earth.

In a 1988 storyline, Superman traveled to the former site of Krypton to discover that the planet was slowly reforming from the vast sphere of debris remaining. It would take millions of years before the planet would be solid again. This sphere of debris had been turned to [[kryptonite]] by the planet's destruction, and the radiation caused Superman to have a [[hallucination]] in which the entire population of Krypton came to Earth and colonized the already inhabited planet, prompting Jor-El to initiate a Terran-based resistance movement, pitting him against his estranged wife Lara and now-grown son Kal-El, at which point the hallucination ended.<ref>John Byrne: "Return to Krypton", ''Superman'' (vol. 2) #18 (June 1988)</ref>

In ''Superman: The Man of Steel Annual'' #3, "Unforgiven" - an [[Elseworlds]] tale - Jor-El convinces the Science Council to relocate selected Kryptonians to Earth.<ref name="superman18">{{Cite comic | writer = Byrne, John | penciller = Mignola, Mike | inker = [[Karl Kesel|Kesel, Karl]] | story = Return to Krypton | title = [[Superman (vol. 2)|Superman]] | volume = 2 | issue = #18 | date = June 1988 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York}}</ref>

In a 1999 ''[[Starman (Jack Knight)|Starman]]'' storyline, Jack Knight became lost in time and space, and landed on Krypton several years before its destruction, meeting Jor-El as a young man. The story implies that it was this early meeting with a Terran that led Jor-El to study other worlds and eventually choose Earth as the target for his son's spacecraft; at the story's end, Jack gives Jor-El a device with the coordinates and images of Earth.<ref>{{Cite comic | writer = [[James Robinson (comics)|Robinson, James]], [[David Goyer]] | penciller = Snejbjerg, Peter | inker = [[Keith Champagne|Champagne, Keith]] | story = Midnight in the House of El | title = [[Starman (Jack Knight)|Starman]] | volume = 2 | issue = #51 | date = March 1999 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York}}</ref>

In a 2001–2002 storyline, an artificial version of the Pre-''Crisis'' Krypton was created in the Phantom Zone by [[Brainiac 13]], a descendant of the original [[Brainiac (character)|Brainiac]] who had traveled back in time to the present.<ref>{{Cite comic | writer = [[Jeph Loeb|Loeb, Jeph]] | cowriters = [[Joe Casey]], [[Mark Schultz (comics)|Mark Schultz]], ''et al.'' | penciller = [[Ed McGuinness|McGuinness, Ed]] | copencillers = [[Duncan Rouleau]], [[Pasqual Ferry|Pascual Ferry]], ''et al.'' | inker = [[Cam Smith (artist)|Smith, Cam]] | coinkers = Marlo Alquiza, Tom Nguyen, ''et al.'' | title = Superman: Return to Krypton | date = March 2004 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York | id = {{ISBN|1-4012-0194-6}}}}</ref> This version of Krypton was based on Jor-El's favorite Kryptonian historical period.<ref name="action793">{{Cite comic | writer = [[Joe Kelly (comics)|Kelly, Joe]] | penciller = [[Pasqual Ferry|Ferry, Pascual]]<!--spelled "Pascual" in comic's credits--> | inker = [[Cam Smith (artist)|Smith, Cam]] | story = Return to Krypton II Part Four: Dream's End | title = [[Action Comics]] | issue = #793 | date = September 2002 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York | page = 20}}</ref>

====''Superman: Birthright''====
In the 2004 miniseries ''[[Superman: Birthright]]'', a new retelling of Superman's origin and early years, [[Mark Waid]] located Krypton in the [[Andromeda Galaxy]] 2.5 million light-years away, and adopted elements from several previous versions of the planet.<ref name="birthright">{{Cite comic | writer = [[Mark Waid|Waid, Mark]] | penciller = [[Leinil Francis Yu|Yu, Leinil Francis]] | inker = [[Gerry Alanguilan|Alanguilan, Gerry]] | title = Superman: Birthright | date = 2004 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York | id = {{ISBN|1-4012-0252-7}}}}</ref> Although usually depicted as a [[red giant]] or [[red supergiant]], in this story Rao is mentioned by Jor-El to be a [[red dwarf]].

In previous comic versions, it was assumed the "S" shield on Superman's costume simply stood for "Superman"; in ''Birthright'', Waid presented it as a Kryptonian symbol of [[hope]]; he borrowed and modified a concept from [[Superman (1978 film)|''Superman: The Movie'']], wherein the "S" was the symbol of the House of El, Superman's ancestral family.

====Post-''Birthright'' revisions====
Beginning with ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'', writer [[Geoff Johns]] began laying subtle hints to a new origin for Superman. [[Superman: Last Son|''Last Son'']], a storyline co-written by Geoff Johns and ''Superman'' film director [[Richard Donner]], further delves into this version of Krypton which reintroduces [[General Zod]] and the Phantom Zone criminals into mainstream continuity as well as the crystalline technology known as "''Sunstones''". With art by [[Adam Kubert]], the design of Kryptonian society is distinct yet again from ''Birthright'', incorporating elements of both Pre-''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' continuity and Donner's work on the first two [[Christopher Reeve]] films, in particular the notion of Krypton's Council threatening Jor-El with harsh punishment if he were to make public his predictions of their planet's imminent doom.<ref name="lastson">{{Cite comic | writer = [[Geoff Johns|Johns, Geoff]], [[Richard Donner]] | artist = [[Adam Kubert|Kubert, Adam]] | story = Last Son | title = [[Action Comics]] | issue = #844–846, #851, ''Annual'' #11 | date = December 2006–July 2008 | publisher = DC Comics | location = New York}}</ref> This variation of Krypton's past was again seen in flashbacks during Johns' ''[[Brainiac (story arc)|Brainiac]]'' and ''[[New Krypton]]'' story arcs. The very different depictions of Kryptonian clothing in the Golden and Silver Age comics, in the Christopher Reeve films, and in John Byrne's ''The Man of Steel'' all appeared in Johns' ''[[Superman: Secret Origin]]'' (which superseded ''[[The Man of Steel (comics)|The Man of Steel]]'' and ''[[Superman: Birthright]]'').

Multi-ethnic versions of Kryptonians that resemble [[Ethnic groups of Africa|Africans]], [[Indigenous Australians]], [[Pacific Islanders]], [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous Americans]], and [[Asians]] have also made appearances in the stories. Previously, "black" Kryptonians were mainly confined within the Kryptonian continent of [[Vathlo Island]], but a 2011 storyline depicted Kryptonians resembling black and Asian humans who were more integrated into Kryptonian society than they were in the Silver and pre-Modern Age DC Universe.<ref>Brady, Matt (January 7, 2009). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160323165700/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28543087/ "Superman's planet is racially diverse - finally"]. [[NBC News]].</ref>

====''The New 52''====
Following Grant Morrison's run on ''Action Comics'' during ''[[The New 52]]'', Krypton is again a scientific and cultural utopia, and Kryptonians themselves are highly intelligent, even from infancy; Morrison describes Krypton as "the planet of your dreams. A scientific utopia. I wanted to explore Krypton as the world of super people. What would happen if they worked it all out, if they lived for 500 years with amazing technology?" Cody Walker elaborates on this, saying that "Kal-El is the next step in evolution physically, but he comes from a planet that is the next stage in evolution as well. If his strength makes him the Man of Steel, then the ideologies that rule his planet make Superman the Man of Tomorrow".<ref>Walker, Cody (April 2013)[http://sequart.org/magazine/19610/humanity-heroism-and-action-grant-morrisons-action-comics-3/] "Humanity, Heroism, and Hope: Grant Morrison's ''Action Comics'' #3"</ref> In ''Action Comics'' #14 (January 2013 cover date, published November 7, 2012) astrophysicist [[Neil deGrasse Tyson]] appears as a character in the story. He determines that Krypton orbited the [[red dwarf]] [[LHS 2520]] in the [[Corvus (constellation)|constellation Corvus]] 27.1 [[light-years]] from [[Earth]]. Tyson assisted DC Comics in selecting a real-life star that would be an appropriate parent star to Krypton. He picked Corvus, which is Latin for "crow",<ref>Wall, Mike (November 7, 2012). [http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=supermans-home-planet-krypton "Superman's Home Planet Krypton 'Found'"]. ''[[Scientific American]]''</ref><ref>Potter, Ned (November 5, 2012). [https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/11/superman-home-planet-krypton-found-in-sky/ "Superman Home: Planet Krypton 'Found' in Sky"]. [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]].</ref> because Superman's high school mascot is a [[crow]].<ref>Gregorian, Dareh (November 5, 2012). [http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/nyer_is_super_smart_seMJnvJaXju74neeqHgM2M "NYER is 'super' smart"]. ''[[New York Post]]''.</ref><ref>Henderson, David (November 5, 2012). [http://multiversitycomics.com/news/neil-degrasse-tyson-consults-on-action-comics-14-finds-krypton-in-real-life/ "Neil deGrasse Tyson Consults On ''Action Comics'' #14, Finds Krypton In Real Life"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630025422/http://multiversitycomics.com/news/neil-degrasse-tyson-consults-on-action-comics-14-finds-krypton-in-real-life/ |date=2013-06-30}}. Multiversity Comics.</ref> In a 2012 round-table discussion, Tyson stated that he chose to use real science when finding Krypton's location. He explained that many artists may only use bits and pieces of science, allowing for greater latitude in their creativity, but he wanted to show that using real science, particularly astrophysics, allows for just as much creativity.<ref>American Museum of Natural History (2012, November 14). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZYLN_Ouu5U?t=5m33s Neil deGrasse Tyson on Finding Krypton]</ref>