Superman Officially Introduces The Greatest Kryptonite Weapon Of All Time, Bar None

Published Aug 30, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Sign in to your ScreenRant account When it comes to finding new, resourceful, and violent ways to knock Superman down a peg, the common equalizer in most discussions is always going to be Kryptonite, barring magic or other, less memorable alternatives. A cruel reminder of Kal-El's homeworld, the radioactive debris from his destroyed homeworld is utterly devastating to Superman and other Kryptonians upon mere exposure. Naturally, plenty of DC's heroes and villains have come to understand this both as a way of subduing Superman and others like him should they go out of control, or in most cases for his enemies, simply to depower, subdue, or outright kill him. This has led to the creation of multiple memorable Kryptonite-based weapons, from bullets, to Lex Luthor's Warsuit, to the Kryptonite Ring. Some go on to become broadly memorable weapons in the proverbial DC museum in fans' minds, while others are bound to be forgotten. But in an instance of the Rule of Cool ranking above all else, one of the greatest Kryptonite creations is a simple one, and takes some stylistic cues from rival publisher Marvel Comics in doing so. Thus, in the Kingdom of Zod storyline, the greatest new Kryptonite weapon just made its debut: Kryptonite Claws akin to those of Wolverine. Kingdom Of Zod Debuted A New Kryptonite Nod To Wolverine As seen first in Superman Unlimited #16 and in greater detail in Superman #41, Zod's big showdown against Superman resulted in both donning heavy Kryptonian war suits, with Zod's having Kryptonite Claw extensions on each arm. Deadly and sharp, these are able to counteract even Superman's fortified defenses, although Zod stops short of using them to lay down the killing blow, wishing instead to prolong his vengeance for what happened to his home and wife, Ursa. As his own damaged suit exposes him to the raws of the Yellow Sun, Zod feels the power returning to him, using his abilities to grievously wound Superman with a certain poetic flair. That being said, a Kryptonite Claw weapon, while attached to a protective suit, is an imposing and innately appealing design for close combat and armor-piercing capabilities. It's almost a shame they weren't used more, but as what seemed like the main climactic battle between the Last Son of Krypton and its ruthless general Dru-Zod, the Kingdom of Zod storyline threw in one new twist to spice up the crisis factor. In what should have been an emotional moment of triumph as Zod powers up the Regeneration Matrix to bring his wife back, Ursa responds very differently, kicking off the next phase of the storyline. Movie(s) Superman, Superman II, Superman III, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Superman Returns, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Superman, Man of Tomorrow TV Show(s) Adventures of Superman, Superman, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, Superman: The Animated Series, My Adventures With Superman Comic Superman (2023) First Film Superman Genres Superhero, Action Cast Christopher Reeve, David Corenswet, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, Tom Welling, Tyler Hoechlin, Margot Kidder, Rachel Brosnahan, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, Gene Hackman, Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Spacey, Jesse Eisenberg