Superman has one of the most expansive casts of characters among superheroes in comics. Many of these supporting characters are fellow heroes, such as Supergirl, Superboy, and Steel, who use their gifts to join the Man of Steel in protecting Metropolis and the universe. And just like any superhero, they’re prone to sometimes receiving significant power upgrades that increase their already potent abilities, such as Supergirl obtaining a Red Lantern Ring or Jon Kent’s electric blue form. Even some of Superman’s most iconic civilian allies, like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, have occasionally been known to receive power-ups and become heroes. However, Superman Unlimited #15 has one of the Man of Steel’s closest allies receiving a deadly ability that makes her a threat to the entire Superman Family.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Lana Lang started as the kind-hearted childhood friend and love interest of Superman and a rival to Lois Lane. In recent years, Lana has transformed into a superhero in her own right. When an alternate version of Superman blew up, Lana absorbed the Man of Tomorrow’s solar flare energy and was imbued with incredible abilities. Now, on a whim, she can transform herself into Superwoman, with the powers of super-strength, flight, invincibility, enhanced senses, heat-vision, elektrokinesis, and energy absorption. However, in Superman Unlimited #14, Lana absorbed the wrong kind of energy, and the following issue delves into her new form.
From Superwoman to Kryptonite Woman
To say that the Superman Family is dealing with a lot right now is the understatement of the century. Not only is the Man of Tomorrow missing, but a supposed younger version of Jon Kent revealed himself to be the son of Earth-3 villains Ultraman and Superman. While all of this is going on, Steel had been studying a dangerous new type of Kryptonite called El Calderan Green K. This new substance quickly reveals itself to be far deadlier than the regular glowing green rock because it can grow. Green K soon absorbs Steel’s entire lab and several people into its ever-expanding mass. And unfortunately, while in her Superwoman form saving Lois, Lana gets caught in the crossfire of the Green K.
Instead of killing Lana like it would have done to any other normal human or Kryptonian, her Superwoman form allows her to survive by absorbing the Green K’s deadly radiation. With Green K coursing through her veins, Lana transforms into the emerald Kryptonite Woman. Lana’s new form gives her the ability to manipulate the alien crystal’s radiation emanations and absorb it into her body to slow down the spread of Green K. Unfortunately, the radiation is still painful and harmful to Lana, but she perseveres to try and prevent the Green K wave from reaching Kansas. While the Green K is eventually collected and disposed of, Lana remains infected and seems stuck as Kryptonite Woman.
Lana Lang Is Now the Deadliest Member of the Superman Family
Lana’s Kryptonite Woman form may have been useful in the short term against the Green K threat, but in the long term, it could have dire consequences for her and her connection to the Superman Family. Kryptonite is the most iconic weakness of any character in fiction, with its radiation capable of causing even the strongest of Kryptonians agonizing pain within seconds of exposure. No member of the Superman family has ever been able to harness Kryptonite’s power before, making Lana both an invaluable ally and an unpredictable threat to her friends and herself.
Kryptonite is the go-to weapon of many of Superman’s strongest enemies, including Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Metallo, and Kryptonite Man. As Kryptonite Woman, not only would Lana be able to resist their use of the glowing green space rock, but she could also absorb the radiation to render it harmless. She would also be the perfect weapon to defeat evil Kryptonians like General Zod and his followers. Unfortunately, Lana’s new nature as a Kryptonite-infused being is a double-edged sword. This new form will undoubtedly bring about a great deal of tension, as Lana can’t even get close to most of the Superman Family without hurting them. Even worse, the longer that Lana’s stuck as Kryptonite Woman, the greater chance that she’ll succumb to radiation poisoning.
Lana’s husband, Steel, and the rest of the Superman Family will undoubtedly do their best to find a cure for Lana’s Kryptonite poisoning, but for now, she’s a risk to herself and her closest friends. And as the days go on, she’ll undoubtedly begin experiencing more pain from the Kryptonite infused into her body. There’s also the very real risk that a villain will catch wind of Lana’s Kryptonite Woman form and try to weaponize her against the Superman Family. With luck, Lana will find a way to avoid succumbing to its ill effects and learn to control her Kryptonite Woman form. This would allow her to use her new powers to become the Superman Family’s most useful member against all Kryptonite-related threats.
What do you think? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
