The first Super-Sword was brandished by Perry White, A.K.A. The Black Knight. The second Super-Sword of Krypton was used by the Mystery Knight, and could cut through anything, including Superman.
History
"The Super-Sword"
Superman freed the Black Knight from an iceberg, and with him came a sword which was supposedly created by Merlin and had mystical powers which could overcome even Superman's invulnerability. It was seen to cut through the steel door of a safe and when the knight was challenged, the sword appeared to wound Superman.[1]
Gangster "Bull" Mathews rented the Super-Sword for $30,000; and confidently swung for Superman with it; not having realized that it was all a scam to get a hold of the marked money from his last heist and arrest him.
The Super-Sword was actually a telescoping prop sword with fluorescent paint on it. The police and the doctors who treated Superman's injuries were in on the hoax; and the safe had been a breakaway prop.
The Super-Sword of Krypton
The Mystery Knight appeared in Metropolis, cutting open bank vaults and armored cars with his incredible sword. Superman challenged the Knight, only to find that the blade of the Super-Sword could cut through not only his indestructible costume, but his flesh as well.[2]
The Knight was actually robotic; and both the Robot and the sword were forged out of Kryptonian super-metal Kryptium by Earth gadget-criminal Jon Smatten, after tracking its meteoric fall to Earth.[2]
Using his power of Total Recall, Superman remembered learning as a child on Krypton how to cut Kryptium.[2] He dismantled the robot knight, and gained the Super-Sword. He had several scientists study it, but due to its indestructibity, they were not able to analyze its composition. Petty criminal Tom Vance forced his way into the lab and threatened Superman with the sword; until Lex Luthor remotely saved Superman's life. Whether for self-preservation or as a result of Luthor's mind-games; Superman retired the Super-Sword and it was not heard of again.[3]
Properties
While the first sword was a telescoping hoax;[1] the Super-Sword was made of Kryptium, which was the strongest, hardest and most durable material on Krypton. Both Smatten's robotic knight, and the Earth scientists who studied it, could find nothing that it could not cut. It cleaved a steel beam; a ridiculously large diamond[3]; and an engaged rebar-reinforced concrete column[2]—all without buckling or dulling. Finally, it could cut Superman's otherwise indestructible costume. The Super-Sword was unprecedented in its thinness, sharpness and rigidity.
Notes
- Another Super-Sword is wielded by Superman in Superman Annual #10.
See Also
- Appearances of Super-Sword of Krypton
- Item Gallery: Super-Sword of Krypton
- Images featuring Super-Sword of Krypton