Kryptonite is a concept I really dig. And not just because it’s the only thing that can kill Superman. (Not that I’m advocating the death of Superman.) I know that other things can kill him, but let’s just keep it simple for the sake of the squirrel.
Everyone has some sort of weakness…be it a person, place, thing, substance whatever. To think one is completely devoid of weakness is foolish at best and completely stupid at worst. People smarter than me (including Frank, but don’t tell him I said that) have thought and wrote long and hard about the notion of weakness. I think that by Superman knowing he has a weakness makes him more compassionate, makes him think just a little bit harder. Not that he wasn’t a compassionate character before… the “big blue boy scout” could be considered even too sweet. Frank touches upon this in this week’s strips about bullying… specifically today’s strip really bring this concept home.
Superman is an alien from another world living on our planet. He could easily slip into a God-like mentality, but doesn’t. The values taught to him by his adopted parents make sure that doesn’t happen. But the mere existence of kryptonite drives that idea even further. We see it all the time, someone coming up from nothing and making good for themselves in the world, only to forget where they came from… shunning the roots that bore them in the first place. Kryptonite is there to make sure Superman NEVER forgets where he came from…to be humble, to not be a jerk.
Don’t forget where you came from… Don’t be a jerk. Bob says so.
