Why does kryptonite make Superman weak?

Classic heroes, even those who seem invincible, must have one weakness. We call this the Achilles’ Heel, because a clear example of the hero’s weakness is found in the Iliad. Mythology says that the warrior Achilles’ mother, Thetis, dipped him in the River Styx to make him invincible, but missed the heel she was holding. When an arrow is shot at Achilles’ heel, the arrow pierces his flesh and kills him.

Kryptonite is Superman’s weak heel – not only is it as ubiquitous as his “Achilles’ heel,” but “kryptonite” has also become synonymous with “individual weakness” in the popular cultural lexicon. (Take the rock song “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down.)

Superman needs the weakness that kryptonite provides, because a completely invincible hero isn’t fun or exciting to watch (Nobody tells Mark Grayson). In an action story, if there is nothing that can defeat the protagonist, there is no tension. Don’t believe me? Take, for example, the late “Superman” editor Dorothy Woolfolkwho is widely credited with introducing Kryptonite into comics. She said that without weakness, Superman would be “boring.”

Kryptonite would be a particularly effective storytelling tool for a radio series; You could end one episode on a cliffhanger with Superman falling into a kryptonite trap and weakening him, ensuring that people will tune in next time to find out how he escapes. When she was brought into the comics, she made sure that an ordinary man like Lex Luthor could be Superman’s archenemy; All Lex needs is a piece of kryptonite to level the playing field.

Many other Superman villains use Kryptonite tricks. Metallo is a cyborg powered by kryptonite. Titano, a King Kong-like ape, can shoot kryptonite beams from his eyes. Bloodsport, played by Idris Elba in The Suicide Squad. He uses ammunition forged from kryptonite to make Superman less bulletproof. These villains can hurt Superman, so he in turn has to put care and energy into fighting them, making his victories over them seem all the more worthy.

The TV series “Smallville,” which followed young Clark Kent (Tom Welling), mixed “Superboy” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” This week’s “Smallville” villains weren’t demons, but rather regular people who got powers from the Kryptonite meteorites found around Smallville; These one-time villains were called “Meteor Freaks.”

“Smallville,” which leaned heavily on Kryptonite as a MacGuffin and superpower, showed the same problem that existed in the Silver Age “Superman” comics (1950s-1960s) – use too much Kryptonite or make it versatile, and it goes from easy thrills to… Narrative crutch.