| KRYPTON | ATLAS |
| Created by Joe Siegel and Jerry Shuster |
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Krypton
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PLANETARY INFORMATION
Name: Krypton
Location: Krypton has been listed as the fourth of seven planets from the sun, but alternately listed as the only world circling its sun.
Space Sector: 2813
Sun(s): Rao (red giant star)
Moon(s): Koron;
Mithen;
Wegthor (destroyed)
Xenon (missing);
Size: Exact size not documented, might be considered Super-Earth classification
Environment: Earthlike with higher gravity
Atmosphere: Oxygen, nitrogen (presumed)
Dominant Lifeform: Kryptonians
Kvorns (an earlier species)
Population: Estimated in millions (formerly);
virtually extinct (currently)
Capital City: Kandor, later Kryptonopolis
Type of Government: Technocracy
Known Cities: Urrika: Erkol; Jerat; Strau; Surrus; Urrika City; Xan
Lurvan: Argo City, Atomic Town; The Floating City; Jaxonopolis; Kandor; Kryptonopolis; Zaro City
Antarctic continent: Antarctic City
Other/Unconfirmed: Glacial City; Wizard City
Points of Interest: Urrika: Boiling Sea; Flame Forests; Fungus Caverns, Glass Forest, Striped River, Vathlo Island
Lurvan:Ansom, Bokos, Fire Falls, Gold Volcano, Jewel Mountains, Lightning Valley, Magnetic Mountain; Meteor Valley, Rainbow Canyon; Red Tower; Scarlet Jungle, Valley of Juru
Twenx:Mount Mundru
Unspecified:Colossus of Hadrad; Lake Trom; Lava Valley; Pestilence Valley; Shrinkwater Lake; Stuvar; Three Sisters of Krypton; Undersea Palace
Prominent Inhabitants: Kal-El; Jor-El; Lara Jor-El; Zor-El; Alura Zor-El
First Appearance: Action Comics #1 (June 1938)
Creators: Joe Siegel and Jerry Shuster
OVERVIEW
Krypton, the doomed planet best known as the birth world of Superman has been present in virtually all iterations of reality across the multiverse. Numerous alterations to the timeline have occurred, from the First Crisis to the Flashpoint event and beyond. These changes have altered Krypton's history, geography, even its location in the stars themselves, whether as part of Earth's solar system or in the far off Andromeda Galaxy. Some stories chronicled are fables in certain realities but may be fact in others. Despite these upheavals, some similar attributes still resonate across the various versions of the planet.
An ancient world, Krypton was home to advanced civilization known as Kryptonians. In one reality they possessed superhuman strength among other abilities far beyond those of Earth humans. In the majority of realities, these powers would not appear unless the Kryptonian was offworld or under the light of an alien sun.
HISTORY
Krypton had a sidereal revolution of 474 days and a rotation period ("day") of 26 hours 59 minutes, compared to Earth standard. For Kryptonians, their amzet (year) was six loraxo (months) or 483 zetyaro (days).
The two major continents were Urrika (considered the "Old World") which featured the ancient cities of Erkol and Xan and the continent of Lurvan (the "New World") with the cities Kandor, Kryptonopolis and Argo City. Twenx was a smaller continent off the western coast of Lurvan, and an arctic and antarctic continent were located at either of Krypton's poles.
The advanced civilization of Krypton perished when the planet exploded. For long, the sole survivor was believed to be the boy Kal-El, who was saved by his father, the scientist Jor-El, and rocketed off the planet. Kal-El's ship landed on Earth, where was raised by a human couple and grew up to become the superhero known as Clark Kent. Since then, it has been revealed that there are other survivors too, among them Superman's cousin Supergirl, the denizens of the bottled city Kandor and the criminals imprisoned in the Phantom Zone.
Some notable species on Krypton included Crystal Birds, Drangs, Metal-Eaters, Rondors, Snagriffs and Telepathic Hounds.
COMMENTS
A number of maps of Krypton have been published over the years, listed below with some sites named by me to help track down their first appearances:
- Superman Annual Vol. 1 #1 ([August] 1960) by Jerry Siegel and Al Plastino. Reprinted in Superboy Vol. 1 #100 (October 1962), Superman in the Sixties ([September] 1999), Showcase Presents Superman #2 (2006) and Giant Superman Annual #1 Replica Edition (1998). More like a restaurant placemat with the sites of Krypton than an actual map. Includes Fort Rozz, Anti-Gravity Sky Palace and the Robot Factory.
- Superman Vol. 1 #239 (June-July 1971) by E. Nelson Bridwell and Sal Amendola. Reprinted in The Amazing World of Superman, Metropolis Edition (1973). This map gave a numeric key to sites on Krypton. Includes the Valley of Juru, Glass Forest, Jerat, Mt. Mundru, Vathlo Island, Bokos, Antarctic City, Fungus Caverns, Striped River, Boiling Sea, Undersea Palace, Flame Forests of Bolenth, Magnetic Mountain, Surrus. Continents are named.
- Krypton Chronicles #2 (October 1981) by E. Nelson Bridwell and Albert De Guzman. Map of both hemispheres with (mostly) sites mentioned within the mini-series. An updated version of the prior map. Some sites not mentioned, but nothing contradicting.
Map of Krypton. From Krypton Chronicles #2 (1981)
- Best of DC #40 (September 1983) by ?. Back cover of the reprint digest. The Krypton Chronicles map, but some details removed.
Map of Krypton. From Best of DC #40
Krypton's flag was introduced in Action Comics #246 (November 1958): "Krypton on Earth" by Otto Binder? and Wayne Boring.
Superman Vol. 1 #238 (June 1971): "A Name Is Born" by Cary Bates and Gray Morrow. Reprinted in The Best of DC #40 (September 1983) and Superman: The World of Krypton ([May] 2008), told the story of two space explorers (Kryp and Tonn) stranded on ancient Krypton who began the Kryptonian race.
The number of planets in the Rao system has also varied; Boron, Phalon, Thalon and Haron have been named, references to be added. Thoron was appeared in Superman Vol. 1 #80 (January-February 1953): "Superman's Big Brother" which is relegated to the Golden Age Superman's history.
Other cities / regions to be confirmed are Ansom (Lurvan), Borga City, Orvai, Ankar
PROFILE REFERENCES
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #13 (March 1986)
Who's Who: Update '87 #3 (October 1987)
Who's Who in the DC Universe #16 (February 1992)