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Here are Kurt Busiek's answers to questions fans put to him about "Superman #669" and other relevant topics:
Kurt's Answers
Chris Clow (demolitionist@gmail.com) asks:Is the third Kryptonian a character that readers should invest in? Put another way, is she going to be around after the conclusion of this arc? I'd be very disappointed if she was simply a "here and gone" character. BTW, thanks for sticking with us on answering, the interactivity is great and I'm glad you still find time to do this.
Kurt: I don't think we should tell you ahead of time which characters you should invest in or not, Chris -- readers should hook into the characters that interest them, and not bother with the ones that don't. On the creative side, it means that we don't have to give away endings, as we would if we have to tell you ahead of time who's going to still be standing at the end of an arc. Plus, of course, characters that aren't intended to stick around aren't necessarily going to be forgotten -- take Superboy-Prime, for instance. He appeared in something like two comics and the tail end of Crisis, and then inspired a mini-series years and years later (Superman: Secret Identity), and then returned whole-hog and has become a major DC villain. Who knew?
So on the one hand, I want you to read the rest of "The Third Kryptonian" to see if Karsta makes it through. On the other, though, I think it vague and portentous enough to tell you that the story itself sets up a bunch of things you can invest in, in that they're going to play a big role in future events. Whether Karsta is one of 'em or not, though, would be too much of a spoiler.
Martin Salinas (mas_el@yahoo.com) asks:
After reading the Third Kryptonian story I was wondering if you think that there are more Kryptonian around the universe? Also, I was wondering why in one of the panels a hologram of a Byrne-style Kryptonian woman appears? How do you explain that? Thanks and keep up the good work.
Kurt: It's at least possible that there are some other survivors out there, Martin, but Amalak's been pretty industrious. So if there are more Kryptonian refugees somewhere, I don't expect there's a whole lot of them. The Byrne-style hologram is the Firefall's version of a communications-device -- she's a newcaster or TV show or something of that sort. Apparently, someone in Kryptonian history still dresses that way -- and who knows, maybe there are a few headbands out there, too. I don't know about guys with sun-designs on their chest, though...
Zal-Ta/TalOs (talos_rokyian@yahoo.com.au) asks:
Kurt, will Kristen Wells take up the mantle of "Superwoman"?
Kurt: A former space pirate, taking up the "S"? It's not completely out of the realm of possibility -- but first, let's see if she survives this story, at the very least!
Kevin P. (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Hey Kurt, thanks a lot for doing this kind of thing, I think it's pretty cool of you to brave the fans on a regular basis. The question I ask is most likely not the only time you'll hear about this subject, but it's in regards to the many ships (it would seem) at Krypton's disposal. Did they still have this capability when the planet went bye-bye? If not do you have plans to explain what happened to the armada of ships they once had? Thanks again.
Kurt: As shown in this issue, the Eradicator Squads dismantled the fleet -- so that's what happened to the armada (except for the Doomsday, which wound up on Earth in the "Up, Up and Away" arc). And as indicated in Action Comics #850, Jor-El was apparently running afoul of Eradicators as he tried to build a new spaceship, so Krypton's authorities apparently weren't big on people messing with interstellar technology. They did, at least, have the space-travel technology to have a lunar colony, but apparently not much more than that.
Captain Kal (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Hi Kurt, Excellent work per usual, sir. Karsta says that the yellow sun grenade unloosed the energies stored in their cells. Does that mean what they stored from their time under other suns was unloosed? Or does that mean Kryptonians always have this dormant power that only needs yellow sunlight to trigger it? (Good call on triggering things, BTW. I've long campaigned that yellow sunlight is a catalyst/trigger not the actual power source.) Karsta and her fellow Kryptonian exiles lived for centuries after their exile from Krypton. But she both obviously aged and needed at least the occasional rejuvenation treatment. Will Kryptonian natural lifespan be addressed? Did she age due to being in non-powered or orange sun environments where her powers aren't as great? Does having powers have any effect on their lifespan? Byrne's version implied unenhanced Kryptonians on their homeworld lived at least a millenium. Or isn't this interesting enough for one your story ideas?
Kurt: Karsta and all the other renegades from the fleet were all returning to Krypton -- so they'd soaked up plenty of yellow- and orange-sun radiation in their military career, only to have it locked in their cells, unaccessible, by the rays of Krypton's sun Eldirao, once they returned to their home system. It was that energy that was unlocked by the grenade. Kryptonians aren't born with locked-up superpowers -- they have to go outsystem to develop them.
As for Kryptonian lifespan, we'll have to address that sometime, but haven't yet -- your ideas are at least possibilities. As for John's version, whether that's still true or not remains to be seen. Suffice it to say that there are lots of interesting ways to approach telling Superman stories, so it's not a matter of only one idea being "interesting enough" and all others being junk -- for instance, I think Superman being the last survivor and Superman being the "last son," at the center of a community of survivors, are both interesting, but you can only do one of those at a time. Picking one means picking between two good ideas, not that one's "interesting enough" and the other is somehow boring.
BruceV (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Is Daxam a Kryptonian colony? Do you have a storyline about Kandor planned to explain the connection between the bottled city and Krypton's Kandor?
Kurt: In some past continuities, Daxam is a Kryptonian colony, or vice versa. Whether it is in this one or not remains to be seen. As to the relationship between the Bottle City of Kandor and the lunar colony of Kandor... stay tuned!
Captain Kal (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Hi Kurt, Thanks for reviving Amalak in his Post Infinite Crisis form. I see you've included his Kryptonian Killer theme from the late Bronze Age (when the then-writers planned but failed to explain how he changed from a mere space pirate to one with a special vendetta against Kryptonians). I like how you have him with a whole shipload of crew to assist him in his mission. Is this Amalak as straightforward in his vendetta as it might seem? That he and/or his race suffered grievously under the Kryptonian Occupation?
Kurt: You'll learn more about Amalak and why he does what he does next issue, Kal.
Robert Willing (staredcraft@yahoo.com) asks:
Hey Kurt first of all I LOVED this issue, very clever. I was wondering, was Superman, when talking about Kandor, trying to state how it's NOT a Kryptonian city or whatever? (Because I'm still confused on how it fits with the current continuity)
Kurt: Yes, if Superman had been able to finish his sentence, he would have said that Kandor's not Kryptonian.
Sorry for my lateness this time around. We look forward to "Superman #670".
Kurt: I'll make you a deal -- if we can get the books out on a consistent schedule next year, then you can be sorry for being a day or two late. Until then, though, fuggedaboudit! Hope everyone likes what's coming next!
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