Krypton: Glossary
- All, The
- Bertron
- Birthing Matrix
- Black Zero
- Cleric, The
- Clone Rights Movement
- Clone War
- Great Purge, The
- Green Death, The
- Jewelled Mountains and Flamebirds
- Jor-El
- Kandor
- Kem-L
- Kryptonian Criminals (Pocket Dimension)
- Kryptonite, Green
- Kryptonite, Red
- Kryptonium
- Lara
- Nyra
- Phantom Zone
- Ran-Z
- Rao and Raoism
- Register of Citizens
- Sen-M and Syra
- Seyg-El
- Torquasm-Vao
- Van-L
- Warsuit
- Zon-Em
All, The
The All are a collection of artifacts created by the Cleric's people. They served as links to colonists on hundreds of different worlds by imprinting the memories and goals of each colonist that it came in contact with.
Bertron
The scientist who taught the Kryptonians the science of genetic engineering. He was the creator of Doomsday and was eventually killed by his own creation.
Birthing Matrix
The Birthing Matrix was a technology developed by the Kryptonians that allowed gestation of a foetus outside of the womb. Highly resilient and radiation proof, the Matrix is capable of surviving a journey through hyperspace. The Matrix sent by Jor-El to Earth contained his son Kal-El. It crash landed on the Kent farm and opened revealing the infant inside. Kal-El's Matrix contained a holographic memory bank which contained all of Jor-El teachings on his planet's culture and history which played itself back into Kal-El's mind teaching him instantly about Krypton. That Matrix is currently stored in the Fortress of Solitude.
Black Zero
A radical off-shoot of the Kryptonian Clone Rights Movement. They were responsible for the destruction of Kandor and the start of the Clone War. Led by Ran-Z it was their doomsday bomb that caused the eventual destruction of Krypton.
Cleric, The
The mysterious Cleric belonged to a race of aliens that visited Krypton approximately two hundred thousand years ago. He preached the teachings of the Divine Deity and was responsible for the genesis of the Clone Rights Movement on Krypton. He established a ministry there, but left with a number of his supporters after the Great Purge. However the genetic flaw introduced by Kem-L killed his followers. For thousands of years the Cleric wandered the galaxy acting as guardian of the Eradicator. He was eventually captured by the slavers of Warworld and imprisoned on one of their prison asteroids.
The Cleric remained on his prison until he encountered Kal-El, the last Kryptonian, who was on an extended exile from Earth. The Cleric handed over the Eradicator to Kal-El and then died, his mission done. He was buried on that prison asteroid. A projection of the Cleric from the mind Eradicator (now humanoid) in the Phantom Zone, revealed the true origin of the All and the Eradicator.
Clone Rights Movement
The Clone Rights Movement began with the teachings of Sem-M on Krypton. It started as a pacifist movement, but developed over time into a major political force. Off branches of the Movement preferred to picket the Clone Banks and hospitals where Clones were used. Supporters of the Movement were often referred to as "Clonies". Eventually the Clone Rights Movement formed such a large force that they rebelled against the ruling authority and started the civil war called the Clone War. During this time radical groups split off of the main Movement, these included Black Zero.
Clone War
One of the deciding periods in Kryptonian history, it saw the end of the age of art and culture and saw in the start of the age of pure emotionless science. The war between the Science Council and the Clone Rights Movement destroyed almost the total eco-system and left the planet a scared ruin until its death.
Great Purge, The
When Kem-L wanted to eradicate alien influence from Krypton he lead a series of roundups and executions collectively known as the Great Purge. During this period (some two hundred thousand years ago) all alien life was eradicated from Krypton. The only being to survive the Purge was the Cleric. All evidence of the killings was concealed by hurling the bodies into the Phantom Zone.
Green Death, The
Name given to the characteristic radiation poisoning caused by Kryptonium to inhabitants of the planet Krypton. The fusion of the native elements of Krypton into Kryptonium had began long before its eventual explosion causing many people to die from radiation. The full extent was not publicly known, it was only the independent research of Jor-El that alerted him to the cause.
Jewelled Mountains and Flamebirds
The Golden and Jewelled Mountains along with the Crimson Forests are thought to be places from early Kryptonian myth, possibly their version of paradise. These lands were populated by such beings as Flamebirds and Thought Beasts.
Jor-El
Jor-El, son of Seyg-El, son of Ter-El, son of Don-EL, twenty-second generation of the House of El, was one of the foremost independent scientists on the planet Krypton. A fascination with his planet's history and a youthful disrespect for his culture's dead society meant that he was something of a rebel. His position within one of Krypton's most prominent Houses allowed him the freedom to conduct his own research across the face of his home planet. While barely past the age of adulthood he had already begun preliminary designs for a hyperdrive. He also learned the location of the planet Earth from a time travelling Jack Knight.
When it was announced that there was an opening in the Register of Citizens Jor-El and the librarian Lara were selected by computer to be the best genetic match. DNA samples were taken mixed and placed inside a Birthing Matrix. Curious about Lara Jor-El hacked the security systems for a picture of her and instantly fell in love with the woman he saw, yet Kryptonian protocol would stop him acting on his love. It was about this time that Jor-El began to suspect something was amiss within Kryptonian society. His investigations led him to discover the "Green Death," something that the Kryptonian elders had kept quite about.
Jor-El's independent research led him to discover that the Green Death had being caused by a chain reaction within Krypton, set off long ago by the terrorist group Black Zero, which was creating a new radioactive element called Kryptonium. Knowing that Krypton had little time left he was determined so save his son Kal-El, who was safely shielded from the radiation within his Matrix. Jor-El had long ago secretly altered his son's DNA to remove the genetic tie to Krypton that was introduced by Kem-L generations ago. Jor-El attached his son's Matrix to his own proto-type hyperdrive and programmed it was the co-ordinates of Earth.
Jor-El was interrupted by Lara who had learned about Jor-El's removal of the Matrix from the traditional Gestation Chambers. She challenged him over his actions and he revealed to her the true extent of Krypton's doom and his hope to save their son. Reluctantly she agreed and together they launched the unborn Kal-El into the void. Shortly after in fire and flames Krypton died with Jor-El finally free to tell Lara of his love for her.
Kandor
The capital city of Krypton prior to the Clone War. It was destroyed by Black Zero in a terrorist attack killing forty million.
Kem-L
An ancestor of Jor-El and Kal-El. Kem-L was a member of his eras ruling council and one of Krypton's most famous scientists. Despite his brilliance Kem-L was a bigoted person who saw the Cleric and his followers as contaminants in Kryptonian life. To this extent he created the Eradicator from the All and was responsible for the Great Purge. Furthermore to ensure that Kryptonians could not leave the planet and then return with further contaminants Kem-L introduced a flaw into Kryptonian DNA that would kill any person leaving the planet. The accounts and history of Kem-L were hushed up on Krypton with our main source of information being the Cleric.
Kem-L died long ago, but something resembling his intelligence and personality was encoded into the Eradicator and served as the foundation for its Kryptonian software. When the Eradicator later imprinted the David Conner personality it jettisoned the Kem-L based personality. That Kem-L attained a life of its own independent of the Eradicator within the Phantom Zone and even helped Superman escape from the Zone at one stage. However it has grown more malevolent and has reached out to battle Superman using Torquasm-Vao. He/it seemingly left this planet when it bonded with the Eradicator.
Kryptonian Criminals (Pocket Dimension)
General Zod, Quex-Ul and Zaora are Kryptonian criminals from an alternate Pocket Universe created by the Time Trapper in his dealings with the 30th century Legion of Superheroes. He created a universe devoid of all heroes except a Superboy patterned after the Superboy of Earth-One. After that Superboy vanished an unwitting Lex Luthor (who had not yet developed a hatred for Superboy) accidentally set free the criminals form their Phantom Zone. The three Kryptonians set out to conquer that Earth, forcing Luthor to create Matrix, an artificial shape shifting lifeform, who took up the identity of Supergirl. She was sent to Earth-Zero to contact Superman for help.
When Superman and Supergirl returned to the Pocket-Earth they found that General-Zod and co. had buried deep into the mantle of the Earth releasing volcanic forces that stripped the planet of its oceans and atmosphere. The only remnant of resistance was a high-tech fortress built by Luthor in Smallville. While Superman and Supergirl fought bravely the much more powerful criminals were able to exterminate all remaining human life. They then threatened to find a way to Earth-Zero. With no way to stop them Kal-El was forced to use Green Kryptonite to execute them. It was a decision that still shapes his personality today and his total conviction never to take another sentient life.
Kryptonite, Green
The destruction of Krypton was caused by the native elements fusing together into a new radioactive element called Kryptonium. Kryptonium decays with an unknown half-life into iron giving off unique form of radiation. Kryptonium radiation is relatively harmless to most life forms (through extended exposure can cause death), but is deadly to Kryptonians. It starts by blocking super-powered Kryptonians from using solar energy to power their abilities, it then causes blood poisoning with advance symptoms of hallucinations and eventual death.
Kryptonite is the ore of Kryptonium and is the most widespread form of the element. On Earth the only known fragments of Kryptonite arrived here embedded in the Rocket Ship which brought Kal-El to Earth. The main chunk was used as the fuel source for Metallo before falling into the hands of Lex Luthor. Luthor wore a signet ring set with a sliver of Kryptonite for a time to keep Superman at bay and at other times he has had assassins use Kryptonite bullets against superman.
More recently Lex Luthor has managed to synthesise Green Kryptonite. Luthor produced his version in conjunction with the DEO as a "fail-safe" against Superman. Whether samples survived that battler are unknown.
Kryptonite, Red
Red Kryptonite is a variation on the normal Kryptonite created by Mister Mxyzptlk for Lex Luthor to use against Superman when the Imp was otherwise too busy to create havoc himself. The sole effect of this new Kryptonite was to remove Superman's powers leaving him a normal human until such time that Luthor admitted to him that Mxyzpltk was behind the scheme. The plan was foiled when Luthor boasted to Clark Kent (Superman civilian alter ego) that the imp was behind the plan. In pre-Crisis continuity Red Kryptonite was a type of Kryptonite that had passed through an interstellar radiation field. The affect of this Kryptonite was to generate a unique mutation of change in the Man of Steel that lasted usually twenty-four hours.
More recently Batman created an artificial isotope of Kryptonite (his work would indicate that there are others). That Kryptonite was coloured red and was designed as a non-lethal fail safe against Superman. Unfortunately it was stolen by Ra's Al Ghul and used against Superman and the Justice League. It has an accelerated decay rate and is relatively unstable. Its effects on Kryptonians however are not fully understood. The Batman sample turned Superman's skin transparent and flooded his cells with solar radiation - overloading his powers and temporally incapacitating him. [JLA #43-46, JLA SECRET FILES AND ORGINS #3]
Kryptonium
This is the radioactive element that was formed during the destruction of Krypton. Its common ore Green Kryptonite is how it is usually found.
Lara
Granddaughter of Nara, mother of Kal-El. As one of Krypton's leading historians and librarians she was selected as the perfect genetic match for the scientist Jor-El. While it is known that Jor-El was in love with her, not much is actually known about her feelings or background. However she would seem to more of a traditional Kryptonian that Jor-El was. She was killed in the destruction of Krypton.
Nyra
Nyra was the mother of Ran-Z. She allowed her number one clone to gain sentience and to be surgically altered. She planned to use the clone as what she considered was the perfect wife for her son. When he found out he killed Nyra and her clone. Her actions were instrumental in starting the Clone War.
Phantom Zone
The exact nature of the Phantom Zone is basically unknown, its relation to the Still Zone and Stasis Zone is also unknown through it is conjectured that they are one and the same. The Phantom Zone in the region of Krypton is a graveyard for the bodies of aliens killed during the Great Purge and for unwanted machines and materials. When the Eradicator created the Fortress of Solitude it drew on the material within the Zone to construct it. The Phantom Zone was also where Dominus imprisoned the souls of his former friends.
The more recent experiments of Professor Hamilton and Dr Irons seem to indicate that the zone is more that previous thought. It is certainly not part of our universe or any other space/time continuum and seems to exist "between" dimensions. Existence with the Zone is complex where people and objects exist a phantom like state. Normal matter acts like a beacon in the Zone to any number of monsters or parasites. However extended survival within the Zone is possible, but the survivor never comes back quite the same. [SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #107]
Ran-Z
Son of Nyra and leader of the last remaining Black Zero cell. It was his plan to use a doomsday bomb to destroy Krypton that eventually resulted in the planet's destruction one hundred thousand years later.
Rao and Raoism
The Kryptonian name for the red dwarf star that their planet orbited. Raoism was the official religion of the planet for hundreds of thousands of years. It can be conjectured that Raoism started as a simple solar religion, but later developed into a complex pantheon - there might be evidence for other lesser Kryptonian gods. When the establishment clashed with the Clone Rights Movement Raoism, which had never really taken a stance on the Clone issue, brought in teachings that backed the use of Clones. It is thought that Raoism mainly died out after the Clone War.
Register of Citizens
The census of Kryptonian citizens. Set at a fixed population - when one person died a search was conducted for the most perfect genetic match on the planet and to create a new life to fill the gap.
Sen-M and Syra
Sen-M was the main disciple of the Cleric. While records of the Cleric faded from Kryptonian history, the teachings of Sen-M revealed him as the spiritual founder of the Clone Rights Movement. He was a pacifist and would have no doubt disagreed with the actions of Black Zero and their supporters. Syra was almost Sen-M's equal amongst the followers of the Cleric and it was she who revealed the creation of the Eradicator. She was far more militant than Sen-M and died in clashes with the authorities.
Seyg-El
Father of Jor-El and grandfather of Kal-El. Twenty-first generation of the House of El and Head of it at the time of Krypton's destruction.
Torquasm-Vao
An ancient Kryptonian warrior art based on mental exercises. It relies on the participant attaining a mental state called the Theta State. It is a consciousness control discipline that lets the adept control his own mind and dreams. It is also used for mental combat if two minds are linked. Kal-El has some training and has even begun teaching it to Lois Lane. [SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #96]
Van-L
Leader of the World Council during the period after the Clone War and ancestor of Jor-El. He was largely responsible for the defeat of Black Zero and the shift towards other technologies rather than cloning to prolong life.
Warsuit
Massive colossal tank-like battlesuits that were the main armament of the Kryptonian soldiers during the Clone War. The suits can withstand bombardment of extreme extents and can even survive a nuclear explosion. The rider/wearer of the suit sits inside in a womb like environment physically unmoving, controlling the suit by telepathic probes. It was possible for a soldier to remain in the suit for hundreds of years and when they finally exited they would suffer physical side-effects due to lack of use of their motor functions. The life supporting technology of the Warsuit would eventually evolve into the black bio-sheaths that all Kryptonians of the Final Age wore to extend their lives. It is assumed that all original Warsuits were destroyed with Krypton. A replica was created by the Eradicator in the Fortress of Solitude and has been used from time to time by Superman to protect himself from Kryptonite radiation or as transportation when he has lost his powers.
Zon-Em
The Kryptonian that died and left an opening in the Register of Citizens that allowed for the conception of Kal-El.
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