Superman has existed for nearly 90 years, and for the majority of that time, he’s had a defining weakness. Kryptonite, i.e. the irradiated remnants of Krypton, was introduced in an episode of The Adventures of Superman radio program, then brought into the comics in 1949’s Superman #61. While Kryptonite comes in a variety of colors that produce different effects, it’s the main green form that’s best known to the public, capable of weakening and killing Kryptonians.
Granted, Kryptonite isn’t Superman’s only weakness, though. He’s also especially vulnerable to magic, and being exposed to red sunlight will suppress his powers. Still, there’s a reason why Lex Luthor never spares any expense keeping some Kryptonite on hand, and Metallo is best known for using one of these green rocks as the power source for his robotic body. Kryptonite has even become shorthand for an individual’s specific weakness in the real-life lexicon.
However, after all these years, Kryptonite is no longer Superman’s best weakness. A better one has been introduced in the pages of Superman Annual: Year One Thousand #1, because it inflicts a fate worse than death on the Man of Steel.
Warning: SPOILERS for Superman Annual: Year One Thousand #1 are ahead!
Superman Faces A Threat That Could Torture Him For Eternity
Superman Annual: Year One Thousand (2026) #1, Written By Joshua Williamson, Art By Eddy Barrows And Yasmine Putri
Although Mark Waid’s Action Comics run follows along with Clark Kent in his Superboy days, the present day Superman has been MIA since the DC K.O. event. At the end of the crossover, Clark quickly succeeded Luthor as King Omega and used both the Alpha and Omega energies to defeat Darkseid, resurrect everyone who died during the fighting tournament, and heal the universe. Afterward, Superman gave up the Heart of Apokolips and disappeared.
Superman Annual: Year One Thousand #1 reveals that Superman embarked on a mission using the Time Trapper’s powers to undo the damage Darkseid inflicted on the future. In turn, that would prevent the Legion of Super-Heroes’ erasure, as a dark alternate version of the team from the Absolute Universe’s 31st century called the Omega Legion has been getting the spotlight lately. Superman’s mission brought him into contact with Matthew Tyler, a.k.a. the Hourman android from the 853rd century.
With Time Trapper’s powers fading from him, the immortal Superman is left with no choice but to fly into a time anomaly to try and fix the future. However, Hourman warns Clark that if he gets swept up in the time current, he runs the risk of losing his memories and his core being. He would experience all eternity and “go beyond all understanding of time.” It’s also indicated that a mysterious character named The Infinite Man is a version of Clark who went through this, but the main Clark nonetheless accepts these risks.
This Time Anomaly Is Far Worse Than Dying From Kryptonite
The good news is that not only does Clark make it out of the time anomaly intact, but also saves both the Legion of Super-Heroes and the now-uncorrupted Omega Legion. Nevertheless, Superman Annual: Year One Thousand #1 has already accomplished its job of giving Superman his most devastating weakness yet. As horrific as Kryptonite poisoning is, at least it’s inevitable that any Kryptonian exposed to it long enough will die and be freed of their suffering.
With this time anomaly, Superman wouldn’t be afforded shuffling off this mortal coil. He would be stuck in an endless existence of torture with his identity erased and lacking any awareness of time. Even if The Infinite Man isn’t a corrupted future version of Clark who fell into the anomaly, this is still a fate worse than death. That’s not even accounting for how Lois Lane, Jon Kent, and the rest of his family would never get any resolution regarding his fate.
If Superman ever finds himself time traveling again, he’d better hope he doesn’t run into this kind of phenomenon again. It may be rarer than Kryptonite, but this anomaly has become the character’s worst nightmare. The only silver lining is that his new #1 weakness provides a fascinating new challenge to incorporate into future Superman stories for readers to enjoy.
Superman Annual: Year One Thousand #1 is now available from DC Comics.
- Created By
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Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
- First Appearance
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Action Comics
- Alias
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Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent
- Alliance
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Justice League, Superman Family
- Race
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Kryptonian
- Franchise
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D.C.