WARNING: Contains Spoilers for SUPERMAN UNLIMITED #3 (2025)!
Superman’sgreatest weakness, Kryptonite, first appeared 82 years ago inThe Adventures of Supermanradio serial before making its comic book debut inSuperman#61 (1949). Since then, it has played an iconic role in the Man of Steel’s lore as the one thing capable of bringing the world’s greatest hero to his knees. Now, however, DC is flipping the script on this glowing green rock and giving it a brand-new purpose within the DC Universe.
… Kryptonite is now being reimagined as a potential force for good.
Dan Slott, Rafael Albuquerque, and Marcelo Maiolo’sSuperman Unlimited#3 continues the storyof theMan of Steel and the Super-Family as they struggle to adapt to a world now saturated in Kryptonite, following the events of issue one where a Kryptonite asteroid bombarded the planet.
This issue focuses on Superman and his loyal companion, Krypto, as they confront what appears to be a hostile robot created by Toyman. During the battle,Krypto is nearly killed when he’s exposed to the machine’s radioactive Kryptonite core. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.
DC Just Gave Kryptonite a Shocking New Purpose
Cover D Ryan Benjamin Variant forSuperman Unlimited#3 (2025)
Superman and Krypto rush to save the daywhen a massive robot appears at a science expo. Both Kryptonians perceive it as a threat and unleash their full strength against it. However, unbeknownst to them, the robot is powered by a Kryptonite core.When Krypto exposes this core, he is hit with a blast of debilitating“green K energy.”
Clark immediately catches the critically injured pup, butwhen he holds Krypto, he can’t feel a heartbeat.At a loss for what to do,Superman is left helpless as he cradleshis dying friend. Help then arrives in an unlikely form: Toyman. This is not Winslow Schott, the human villain, but rather one of his toy creations.
Toyman explains that, unlike his creator, he has a conscience and is not the villain in this scenario, despite how the giant robot may have appeared.What he truly built was a“Kryptonite generator,”a compact and stable device capable of powering something on a massive scale. In other words, he has discovered a way to convert Kryptonite into a safe energy source.
DC Just Turned Kryptonite Into a Clean Energy Source (And It Could Save the World)
Cover B Leinil Francis Yu Variant forSuperman Unlimited#3 (2025)
Toyman further explains that the device was never meant to be a weapon against Kryptonians, but rather a clean method of generating energy. To make it safe, he uses a special sealant to cover the Kryptonite and neutralize its harmful effects.This sealant is key to his invention, as it makes the generators harmless to Kryptonians.
Kryptonite could even be the solution to a crisis that not even Superman can solve: climate change and global resource depletion.
Unfortunately, when Krypto tore through the casing during the fight, the sealant was damaged, which exposed the Superdog to raw Kryptonite. This was never Toyman’s intention. The story then explores the larger implications of Toyman’s invention, suggesting thatKryptonite generators could one day provide clean energy to entire cities.
This revelation redefines Kryptonite’s role in DC lore. Traditionally seen only as a threat to Superman and his people, Kryptonite is now being reimagined as a potential force for good. It could even be the solution to a crisis that not evenSupermancan solve: climate change and global resource depletion.
