Kryptonopolis, as it would have appeared in Superman Lives.
Kryptonopolis is a city on Krypton. It became the planet's new capital, shortly after the city of Kandor was shrunken and stolen by Brainiac.
History[]
Kryptonopolis is a fictional city in the DC Comics universe. Located on the planet Krypton, it is the birthplace of Superman.
Fictional history[]
Kryptonopolis was the largest city on Krypton after the capital, Kandor. After Kandor was stolen by the alien criminal Brainiac, Kryptonopolis became the new capital. The history of the city is tied to the history of the El family, the ancestors of Superman, as the original layout was designed by Superman's ancestor, Gam-El.[1] Kryptonopolis is also the home of Jor-El and Lara, the parents of Kal-El. When Jor-El's researches discover that Krypton is fated to explode, Jor-El constructs an escape rocket for his young son. Jor-El launches Kal-El (the future Superman) into space shortly before the destruction of Krypton. Kryptonopolis is also destroyed in the explosion.Kryptonopolis became the capital city of Krypton following the abduction of Krypton's former capital, Kandor, after it had been stolen by Brainiac. Superman's birth-parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van lived in Kryptonopolis.
Its famous Red Tower was one of Krypton's great architectural landmarks.
When Krypton exploded, Kryptonopolis perished with it, but Superman once photographed the city by overtaking and photographing light rays that had left Krypton before it exploded. He has since donated the photos to a museum.
The city of the planet Krypton where Superman was born and where, in the home of his parents, Jor-El and Lara, he spent his infancy until the day when Jor-El launched him into outer space in an experimental rocket ship to enable him to escape the impending doom of their planet (Act No. 325, Jun 1965: "The Skyscraper Superman!"; and others). Designed by Superman's "distinguished ancestor" Gam-El, the father of modern Kryptonian architecture (SF No. 172, Aug/Sep 1975; and others), Kryptonopolis became Krypton's capital city following the theft of its first capital, Kandor, by the space villain Brainiac. Its famous Red Tower was one of Krypton's great architectural landmarks (WF No. 146, Dec 1964: "Batman, Son of Krypton!" pts. I-II—no title; "The Destroyer of Krypton!"). When Krypton exploded, Kryptonopolis perished with it, but Superman once photographed the city "by overtaking and photographing light rays that had left Krypton before it exploded," and has since "donated the photos to a museum!" (S No. 132, Oct 1959: "Superman's Other Life!" pts. 1-3—"Krypton Lives On!"; "Futuro, Super-Hero of Krypton!"; "The Superman of Two Worlds!"). In November 1958, after swindler Jonas Smith has been apprehended by Superman, the Krypton Island real-estate development founded by Smith on an island off Metropolis is taken over by an honest developer and renamed Kryptonopolis (Act No. 246: "Krypton on Earth!").
True name[]
Unlike the cities of Kandor and Argo, which are Kryptonian words, "Kryptonopolis" is an anglicisation. The suffix "opolis" comes from the Greek word "polis", meaning city, and can be seen in the names of modern Earth cities such as Annapolis, Minneapolis, Indianapolis and even Superman's home of Metropolis. How the city was spoken of in the alien language of Krypton has yet to be addressed. Kryptonopolis is a rendering of the name in Earth language, using the Greek "polis" (city). The original Kryptonian 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.
Other versions[]
In Superman #200 (October 1967), an imaginary story has Kryptonopolis, not Kandor, shrunk by Brainiac. This Brainiac is a sympathetic scientist who takes the shrunken city of Kryptonopolis to Earth after the destruction of Krypton. On Earth, it is Kal-El's younger brother Knor-El who becomes Superman; Kal-El instead becomes Hyperman, hero of Canada.
In other media[]
In the 1978 film Superman: The Movie, the city of Kryptonopolis is shown in the first part of the film. While the name of the city is not mentioned in the film, it is named Kryptonopolis in the script. In this appearance, Kryptonopolis is portrayed as being constructed out of a white, crystalline material. As in the comic books, Kryptonopolis is destroyed when the planet Krypton explodes. In the 2007 novel The Last Days of Krypton[2] by Kevin J. Anderson, Kryptonopolis is established on top of the ancient ruins of Xan City built by the Tyrant Jax-Ur centuries before. After the capital city of Kandor is shrunk and taken away by the Brain Interactive Construct, Commissioner Zod takes his followers to the old ruins and announces that he would reestablish the capital city there. While reconstruction of the city is in progress, Zod announces that "Xan City is a mark of the past, a reminder of lost glory". He then proceeds to rechristen the city as Kryptonopolis to "stand for our whole planet, our entire people". When Krypton is destroyed, Kryptonopolis is destroyed along with the rest of the planet, while scientists are trying to make a last minute effort (ineffectual) to create arkships that would allow people to flee from the impending disaster.
Origins[]
Xan City version[]
In The Last Days of Krypton, General Zod rebuilds ancient, abandoned Xan City, renaming it Kryptonopolis.
This contradicts other versions of Kryptonopolis' history.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ Superman Family #172 (Aug/Sep 1975)
- ↑ ISBN 9780061340758