Super Heroes

[Dr.Bedlam]

Some thoughts:

1. Lex Luthor, archenemy of Superman, spent the first 50 years of his existence as a mad scientist. Only after the first great DC Reboot, the Crisis on Infinite Earths, was Luthor retconned into an evil megalomaniac businessman. The new Supergirl TV series has set up another character, Maxwell Lord, in pretty much the exact same role.

I find it disturbing that we pit our fictional heroes against egotistical self absorbed businessmen, while in the real world, a hell of a lot of us seem prepared to vote one into national office.

2. Since Superman's inception in 1938, he has featured in the mass media, first with a radio show, and later, several different TV shows. In those shows, sometimes, Kryptonite is used as a plot device to explain why evil businessmen or ordinary bank robbers could pose a threat to a guy who can juggle Buicks. However, in the comics and the media, kryptonite didn't appear in every single episode. Superman was allowed to juggle Buicks, so to speak, most of the time; it's why we tuned in, after all.

However, in most episodes of the new Supergirl TV series, kryptonite is seen nearly every episode, usually weaponized in the form of handcuffs or darts intended to subdue or kill Kryptonians, engineered by the government. In most of these episodes, they are used by the government agents against Supergirl, for one reason or another. I find this irritating. There are two Kryptonians in the whole universe that are on our side, and once a week, we slap one of them around with Kryptonite? Is this a good idea? Or can we just not stand to have a strong female protagonist in the TV series? Does Superman have to put up with this nonsense?

 

Or am I just talkin' thru my hat or what?

 

[dsmiles]

There are two Kryptonians in the whole universe that are on our side, and once a week, we slap one of them around with Kryptonite? Is this a good idea? Or can we just not stand to have a strong female protagonist in the TV series? Does Superman have to put up with this nonsense?

 

Or am I just talkin' thru my hat or what?

 

 

A. Yes, we do. See B.

B. Apparently, someone in TV Land thinks this is an excellent idea, and will boost ratings.

C. This is the most likely culprit.

D. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say "probably not."

E. Nice hat.

[Werkrobotwerk]

Max is badly wasted as a knock off Luthor. He's so much more fun as a self absorbed unreliable ally.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the old kryptonite nerf for anyone. It tends to lead to really lazy writing, and the more it gets used the more it drags a book or series down. Superman seems to get it in waves, usually just about when it is time to change writers.

[Dilvish the Deliverer]

Max is badly wasted as a knock off Luthor. He's so much more fun as a self absorbed unreliable ally.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the old kryptonite nerf for anyone. It tends to lead to really lazy writing, and the more it gets used the more it drags a book or series down. Superman seems to get it in waves, usually just about when it is time to change writers.

The only time I actually felt that kryptonite actually helped advance the story was in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.

 

As a matter of fact, I think it's time to pull it down from the shelf and give it a re-read.

[Dr.Bedlam]

I am inclined to agree.

It just struck me as weird. I used to watch every Superman show ever made, and kryptonite was THERE, but it was never as EVERYWHERE as it seems to be for Supergirl. Jeez, how's she supposed to be a hero when every Tom, Dick, and Zod has a shiny green nugget up his sleeve?

[Werkrobotwerk]

I am inclined to agree.

 

It just struck me as weird. I used to watch every Superman show ever made, and kryptonite was THERE, but it was never as EVERYWHERE as it seems to be for Supergirl. Jeez, how's she supposed to be a hero when every Tom, Dick, and Zod has a shiny green nugget up his sleeve?

Though it would be pretty funny if we got an episode where she started lugging around a big lead tower shield after getting zapped for the 7th time in one week.

[Glitterwolf]

I am inclined to agree.

 

It just struck me as weird. I used to watch every Superman show ever made, and kryptonite was THERE, but it was never as EVERYWHERE as it seems to be for Supergirl. Jeez, how's she supposed to be a hero when every Tom, Dick, and Zod has a shiny green nugget up his sleeve?

 

Kryptonite is supposed to be kinda rare.

 

It's like everyone has a big valuable diamond in his pocket...

 

So no, it kills the storyline for me if everyone can get his/her hands on kryptonite.

[Qwyksilver]

 

I am inclined to agree.

 

It just struck me as weird. I used to watch every Superman show ever made, and kryptonite was THERE, but it was never as EVERYWHERE as it seems to be for Supergirl. Jeez, how's she supposed to be a hero when every Tom, Dick, and Zod has a shiny green nugget up his sleeve?

It was featured pretty predominantly in Smallville.

 

Supergirl is working for a government agency that is designed to defend earth against aliens. The big blue boy scout while not a threat, should still have a contingency plan, just in case of mind control or something. And she's still new. I'd want to have something to keep her in check, as an ace in the hole, just in case. Plus, there are several other Kryptonians in play on Earth that escaped from the Phantom Zone, that have proven hostile. So, trying to develop an armory would make sense.

 

Lex off screen likely has his fingers in Defense planning and contracting like he has in the comics and animated series/movies. Pretty safe bet he would be encouraging the development of Kryptonite armament as a foil for Superman.

 

My biggest complaint is less that it is used, but the fact that it is so prevalent. I thought the stuff was supposed to be ultra rare and insanely expensive. Thus why only Lex and Bruce could afford it.

 

I'm just waiting for the inevitable episode of naughty super girl with the red kryptonite.

 

 

Some thoughts:

 

1. Lex Luthor, archenemy of Superman, spent the first 50 years of his existence as a mad scientist. Only after the first great DC Reboot, the Crisis on Infinite Earths, was Luthor retconned into an evil megalomaniac businessman. The new Supergirl TV series has set up another character, Maxwell Lord, in pretty much the exact same role.

 

I find it disturbing that we pit our fictional heroes against egotistical self absorbed businessmen, while in the real world, a hell of a lot of us seem prepared to vote one into national office.

Maybe that means Superman will finally reveal himself to the world. It's about the only positive spin I could put on that situation that won't knock this into Beekeepers.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Qwyksilver

[Chaoswolf]

I haven't seen any of the relevant shows, but I agree with the kryptonite is supposed to be rare part.

[Cranky Dog]

 

I am inclined to agree.

 

It just struck me as weird. I used to watch every Superman show ever made, and kryptonite was THERE, but it was never as EVERYWHERE as it seems to be for Supergirl. Jeez, how's she supposed to be a hero when every Tom, Dick, and Zod has a shiny green nugget up his sleeve?

 

Kryptonite is supposed to be kinda rare.

 

It's like everyone has a big valuable diamond in his pocket...

 

So no, it kills the storyline for me if everyone can get his/her hands on kryptonite.

 

It *was* rare.

 

But today villains have access to Craigslist!

 

Or an equivalent to Silk Road.

[Glitterwolf]

**** Kryptonite get it here...now on sale!!!***

 

***Red, green and yellow now in a bundle!!!***

 

Oh hey, rare? nah. We sent  a sample to the pharmacy and now you can duplicate it in fahsends..

The stuff is hardly worth anything nowadays.

 

Helps to get those two pests out of your hair though when comitting crimes.

 

So you want a box?

That's five dollar, and here let me throw in this candybar.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Xherman1964

[Dr.Bedlam]

The well known Kryptonian expert, Larry Niven, noted that Kryptonite was actually chunks of the planet Krypton, and noted that the planet must have massed as much as our whole solar system, simply extrapolating from the amount that fell on Earth during Superman's lifetime. Post Crisis, the only Kryptonite on Earth was a chunk that came along with Kal-El's rocket.

 

Last night's episode of Supergirl noted that the government can synthesize the stuff, so there's that. We also know that Bruce Wayne has the formula.

 

Still think it's kinda lame that Superman hardly ever had to deal with it, where Supergirl gets slapped with it every fifteen minutes.

[Glitterwolf]

The well known Kryptonian expert, Larry Niven, noted that Kryptonite was actually chunks of the planet Krypton, and noted that the planet must have massed as much as our whole solar system, simply extrapolating from the amount that fell on Earth during Superman's lifetime. Post Crisis, the only Kryptonite on Earth was a chunk that came along with Kal-El's rocket.

 

Last night's episode of Supergirl noted that the government can synthesize the stuff, so there's that. We also know that Bruce Wayne has the formula.

 

Still think it's kinda lame that Superman hardly ever had to deal with it, where Supergirl gets slapped with it every fifteen minutes.

 

True!

 

Maybe Supergirl is more frightening so enemies are willing to use this sooner?

 

Or do we just like to see a (super)girl in distress?

 

Aside from this, I can understand that the government want's an insurance in case the all-powerfull alien goes wild. As does Bruce...

It still means it shouldn't show up that often.

 

There aren't many people who can get their hands on a nuke either..

[Dr.Bedlam]

Note that I'm talking about the TV shows, not the comics. I never watched Smallville, although I understand that kryptonite did weird things on that show.

 

In the Silver Age, Superman's storytelling went in some weird directions. I can think of several occasions where Superman was cruising around, minding his superbusiness, when a Kryptonite meteor would suddenly plunk down not twenty feet from him out of nowhere...

 

"GASP! It's a KRYPTONITE METEOR, a radioactive piece of my exploded home world Krypton, my one weakness, the only thing that could (choke) KILL ME... ohh... getting weaker..."

 

You'd think this was a form of lazy storytelling. I'm not so sure. On all those occasions, about half the time the meteor was dealt with via Deus Ex Machina, and about half the time, Superman dealt with it himself via some ingenious method or other... in particular, one time he used his fading heat vision to melt the lead in the nearby rock strata so it'd drip over the meteor and block the radiation.

 

Which also makes me wonder why billionaire Lex Luthor was smart enough to build a financial empire, but dumb enough to wear a ring with a radioactive rock as a stone just to bait Superman....

[Werkrobotwerk]

Now that I think about it, is there anything stopping supergirl or superman from just building a lead lined suit? I mean they lift cars without much effort so weight wouldn't be an issue. Can kryptonians get lead poisoning? I guess it would just make it look too much like the day was saved by homer simpson?