Warning: contains spoilers for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #2!
DC's Supergirl has revealed a new use for Red Kryptonite. A rare strain of Kryptonite, the red space mineral induces bizarre transformations in Kryptonians, but in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #2, on sale now in print and digital, it is revealed this variant has a different effect on non-Kryptonians.
Green Kryptonite is famously Superman's biggest weakness, sapping his powers and quickly killing him with its radiation. Many other colors of Kryptonite have appeared in the comics - including Gold Kryptonite, which can permanently remove Kal-El's powers - but Red Kryptonite was introduced in 1958’s Adventure Comics #255. This curious strain of Kryptonite changes Kryptonians like Supergirl and the Man of Steel into some truly bizarre forms; in one instance, it even gave Superman a devilish look, complete with red skin and horns. But in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #2 - from writer Tom King, artist Bilquis Evely, colorist Matheus Lopes and letterer by Clayton Cowles - it turns out that for every other species in the galaxy, Red Kryptonite has a more recreational use.
Supergirl is set on tracking down the criminal who poisoned Krypto the Superdog, and takes her first steps on a space-liner soaring through the cosmos with young ward Ruthye. All is well until a large Karpane dragon shows up, threatening the ship. Supergirl is still powerless thanks to the red sun of Ruthye's homeworld, so she must find another way to beat the dragon. She asks if anyone on the bus has "reds," but no one speaks up. Eventually, a young woman in the back admits she has one and gives it to Supergirl. Supergirl reveals "reds" are actually chunks of Red Kryptonite encased in dissolvable lead. When most beings take it, it acts as a psychedelic, granting visions of impossible transformations - it's just that for Kryptonians, those visions come true. Supergirl admits the change can take any form, but trying for one that could save the ship is preferable to getting devoured by a dragon. She takes the Red Kryptonite pill, and it grants her cosmic powers to defeat the monster outright.
Silver Age Superman stories were replete with goofy, campy gimmicks, and Red Kryptonite was one of them; the transformations it induced in the Man of Steel provided the basis for some of his silliest stories. Here, the concept is given a modern twist. Repurposing Red Kryptonite as a hallucinogenic substance is a stroke of genius as an evolution of the concept. Supergirl’s admission that the effects can be unpredictable is a nice nod to the original Silver Age Red Kryptonite stories, while its existence as an illicit substance works well with the series' grittier vision of of a universe full of people just going about their everyday lives.
Supergirl's knowledge of Red Kryptonite paints her as a woman of the world, and continues the theme of her moving into true adulthood that began in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1, which showed her enjoying her first drink on turning 21. It's clear that while the driven alien child Ruthye may not know much about the galaxy, Supergirl has a deep understanding of the universe that will hopefully keep them safe as their adventure continues.