In DC Comics lore, few events are as iconic as the destruction of Krypton – the birthplace of Supergirl and Superman. A highly advanced civilization of scientists and explorers, Krypton’s technology may have far surpassed Earth, but it was unable to save the lives of its people. And the one and only Supergirl ultimately explained why.

With Superman’s father Jor-El being just one of countless brilliant minds on the planet Krypton, the Kryptonian species as a whole should have had a far better chance for survival. But from a linguistic sense, the Kryptonians’ escape is all but inconceivable. And it was this figurative blindspot that caused their extinction.

Related: DC Officially Settles Its Most Intelligent Character In One Sentence

Infinite Crisis #2 by Geoff Johns, Phil Jimenez and more changes the perspective on Krypton’s demise with only a brief interaction. As part of a team of Earth heroes dispatched to aid in relief efforts for the Rann-Thanagar War, Supergirl traverses the cosmos with heroes like Cyborg and Starfire. When she catches the newbie Firestorm seemingly talking to himself – but in reality, talking to his invisible other half – Kara strikes up a friendly conversation in an attempt to comfort him. Reassuring Firestorm that she too talks to herself, usually in Kryptonese, Kara offhandedly asks her comrade, “Did you know there’s no word for ‘escape’ in my language?

Supergirl Confirms There’s No Word For "Escape" on Krypton.

Supergirl Escape

This statement is ominous enough in and of itself, but the ramifications it holds for Krypton’s decimation make it all the more heartbreaking. As a society, Krypton was indescribably advanced, with technology thousands of years ahead of anything on Earth. Despite their fair share of conflicts against beings like Brainiac or insurrectionists like General Zod, Krypton was by and large a peaceful, even blissful, world – seemingly to the point where they’d never even developed the concept of escaping.

Kara and Kal-El Beat the Odds By Surviving Krypton's Destruction.

Superman as baby in Kryptonian Rocket

As far as science-fiction concepts go, this paints the people of Supergirl and Superman in an even more alien light than fans may have initially realized. And by that same token, it makes the escape of Kara Zor-El and her baby cousin Kal-El even more miraculous as their parents not only discovered how to help their children escape, but the very idea of escape as well. In that sense, the odds against the young Kryptonians’ survival were even more astronomical than anyone truly understood.

The planet Krypton may have been one of the most advanced worlds the DC Universe ever saw. But unfortunately, that very same advancement was to its detriment. And although Supergirl and Superman may have escaped the destruction of their homeworld, it’s now clear that those who died on DC Comics' Krypton never even understood how.

Next: Supergirl's Forgotten Alter Ego Was a Batman Ripoff