Krypton glossary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a glossary of terms related to the fictional planet Krypton, the birthplace of Superman:
- All, The (Post-Crisis) — A collection of artifacts created by the Cleric's people. The All 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.
- Ampar — A Kryptonian term for a commander, captain, or chief officer.
- Bertron (Post-Crisis) — An alien scientist who taught Kryptonians the science of genetic engineering. He was the creator of Doomsday and was eventually killed by his own creation.
- Bethgar — A Kryptonian term for a ruler.
- Birthing matrix (Post-Crisis) — A technology developed by Kryptonians that allowed gestation of a fetus 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's 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 (Pre-Crisis) — A villain responsible for destroying Krypton; (Post-Crisis) — 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.
- Bokos — An island populated by thieves who outlawed honesty and legalized what were deemed crimes elsewhere. Bokos did not join the Kryptonian federation, but remained independent until Krypton died.
- Brenn-Bir (Pre-Crisis) — A criminal who joined with two friends, Vas-Quor and Kyl-lbo, to terrorize Kandor when they acquired superpowers from contact with an old crony, Ak-Var. Ak-Var had just been released from the Phantom Zone, and had been affected by Red Kryptonite, which always has unpredictable effects on Kryptonians. Ak-Var helped Superman defeat his former pals.
- Bythgar — The feminine form of "Bethgar"; a Kryptonian term equivalent to queen or empress.
- Cleric, The (Post-Crisis) — 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. The Cleric 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 Superman, 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 Eradicator (now humanoid) in the Phantom Zone, revealed the true origin of the All and the Eradicator.
- Clone Rights Movement, The (Post-Crisis) — A movement that 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 a civil war called the Clone War. During this time, radical groups split off of the main movement; these included Black Zero.
- Clone War, The (Post-Crisis) — A war between the Science Council and the Clone Rights Movement. The war was one of the deciding periods in Kryptonian history; it saw the end of the age of art and culture and the start of the age of pure, emotionless science. The war destroyed almost the total ecosystem and left the planet a scarred ruin until its death.
- Dandahu Ocean — Krypton's largest ocean; east of Urrika and west of Lurvan.
- Dendaro — Plural form of "Dendar," this is a Kryptonian "minute" consisting of 100 thribo, the equivalent of Earth seconds.
- Dev-Em (Pre-Crisis) — A juvenile delinquent who was sentenced to orbit Krypton in a suspended animation capsule. His capsule was blasted out of orbit and eventually landed on Earth, where he plagued Superboy and later the Legion of Super-Heroes.
- Drotho — Plural form of Droth, a type of large Kryptonian sea-bird that fed chiefly on Silten.
- Drygur — Leader; the Kryptonian equivalent of an Earth governor or president.
- Drygur Molium — The leader of the Science Council.
- Flamebird - a native Kryptonian bird and the name of various superheroes
- Great Purge, The (Post-Crisis) — When Kem-L wanted to eradicate alien influence from Krypton, he led 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. It was during this time that Kem-L created the Eradicator.
- Green Death, The (Post-Crisis) — 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 begun 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.
- Jeweled Mountains - Pre-Crisis, a scenic location on Krypton.
- Jor-El I (Pre-Crisis) — Grandfather of Kal-El and father of Jor-El II, also a famous scientist.
- Kandor — The former capital of Krypton. In pre-Crisis continuity, Kandor was stolen and shrunk to miniature size by Brainiac; post-Crisis, the city was destroyed prior to the Clone War by Black Zero in a terrorist attack, killing forty million people.
- Kara Zor-El — Supergirl's Kryptonian name. Since women took their fathers' full names as last names, her complete Kryptonian name is Kara Zor-El.
- Kem-L - Inventor of the Eradicator. A fanatical xenophobe.
- Kryptonite - the deadly radioactive remains of the shattered planet
- Kryptonopolis — The city of Superman's birth. Actually, this is a rendering of the name in Earth language, using the Greek suffix "-polis" (meaning "city"). The original Kryptonese name is very difficult to pronounce. The city was founded by outcasts from Erkol, mutated by radiation during the Erkol-Xan war. Although they were strange in appearance and had telekinetic powers, their offspring were normal. Kryptonopolis became Krypton's capital after the disappearance/destruction of Kandor.
- Lara Lor-Van — Mother of Kal-El.
- Nightwing (Pre-Crisis) — An alternate superheroic identity adopted by Superman in Kandor, the mantle was later assumed by his cousin Van-Zee. (Post-Crisis) — A Kryptonian hero who existed on Krypton several hundred years before the planet's destruction. Cast out of his family as a young man, he created the superheroic persona of Nightwing and dedicated his life to protecting the weak. Superman related this legend to Dick Grayson after Dick's mentor, Batman, fired him from being Robin, and Dick was inspired to create his own Nightwing identity.
- Nyra
- Ran-Z
- Rao and Raoism — Rao was the Kryptonian name for the red dwarf star that Krypton 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 of other lesser Kryptonian gods. In pre-Crisis continuity, Raoism stood as the dominant religion of Krypton until the destruction of the planet. Post-Crisis, 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
- Sen-M and Syra
- Seyg-El (Post-Crisis) — Father of Jor-El, and grandfather of Kal-El. This is likely a tribute to Jerry Siegel.
- Torquasm-Rao — An ancient Kryptonian meditation technique.
- Torquasm-Vo — An ancient Kryptonian martial art.
- Van-L
- Van-Zee
- Warsuit - A suit of Kryptonian powered armor from the post-Clone War period. One is stored in the Fortress of Solitude.
- Zon-Em
- Zor-El — The younger brother of Jor-El II, and uncle of Kal-El. Zor-El lived in Argo City, which survived Krypton's doom. When Argo City was destroyed by Kryptonite, he sent his daughter, Kara, to Earth, and managed to project himself and his wife, Alura, into another dimension. Supergirl later freed them, and they then went to live in Kandor.
