Kryl-Ux (Prime Earth)

I was a Phaelosian once. We had an elegant, sustainable ecosystem that should have lasted forever. I had a wife and three daughters, and a round-faced little boy who smiled only for me. I built them a fine house. Then Warworld came. Now my family's home is ashes... There is no one left to smile for me... and this chain is my only legacy.

— Kryl-Ux ^src

Kryl-Ux is a Phaelosian warlord and former gladiator.

History

Origins

When Kryl-Ux was a young man, the Phaelosians' world was attacked by Warworld. His home was destroyed and his family were killed. The Phaelosians begged a Durlan senator named Thaaros of Elliosha to shelter them from Mongul MDCCXCI, but Thaaros betrayed them and handed them over to Mongul to curry favour with the despot. Kryl-Ux swore vengeance on Mongul and Thaaros.^[1]

Kryl-Ux and the few other surviving Phaelosians were put in the arenas with the other "strays", and forced to fight for their lives. He battled and survived in the arena for years, accumulating a long chain of victories.^[2] Kryl-Ux learned to pick the lock on his cell and spent the nights exploring Warworld and learning its secrets, including its most precious treasure, the Fire of Olgrun; an ancient source of power which Kryl-Ux coveted but knew he would not be deemed "worthy" of.^[1] During this time the Mongul who had destroyed New Phaelosia was killed and replaced by his son Mongul MDCCXCII, but Kryl-Ux simply transferred his hate and desire for vengeance to the new ruler.

Warworld Saga

A mysterious Phaelosian storyteller named Byla told the Phaelosians stories of their Kryptonian cousins the House of El and Superman, enemy of the Monguls. Many Phaelosians clung to those stories as a source of hope and would secretly wear the emblem of the Els. Kryl-Ux believed that Superman was the hero who could retrieve the Fire of Olgrun and schemed to bring him to Warworld.^[1] He approached the new Mongul and offered him a plan to lure Superman to Warworld, bringing the severed heads of Mongul's sons as a gift. He claimed he only wanted revenge on Thaaros, and offered to bring Superman to Mongul in exchange for his help against Thaaros.^[3]

Mongul-Who-Is did not know about the Phaelosians who had been conquered in his father's time or their connection to Superman and Krypton. Kryl-Ux told Mongul who the Phaelosians were and informed him that many of them secretly revered his enemies, sacrificing hundreds of his own people to Mongul's wrath in his scheme for revenge.^[1] A girl named Thao-La was forced to go to Earth, ostensibly to assassinate Superman, but in fact they both knew that she would not be able to do so.^[4] They actually sent her merely to inform Superman that the Phaelosians existed and were enslaved on Warworld, knowing that he would feel compelled to come and save them.^[5]

Mongul crucified all the Phaelosians who secretly followed Superman, using their bodies to create a trail leading to the arena. When Superman's ship landed on Warworld Kryl-Ux told Superman, via hologram and with his identity concealed, to follow the trail of bodies.^[6] When he arrived, Mongul defeated Superman and his allies The Authority and threw them in the arena with Kryl-Ux and the other Phaelosians.^[7] Kryl-Ux presented himself as an ally to Superman, who asked Kryl-Ux to teach him how to fight without his powers as they did not work on Warworld under the planetoid's red solar generators.^[2]

Warworld Revolution

Superman's ally Midnighter sent him word that he was planning to destroy the generators, which would restore Superman's powers and allow him to defeat Mongul, but would also cause Warworld to break apart and kill thousands. Kryl-Ux told Superman there may be a way to restore his powers without killing anyone, and led him to an area in Warworld called the Necropolis. Superman was able to absorb energy from the Genesis deposits in the walls and regain some of his powers, but when his super-hearing returned he realised that the Phaelosians back in the cells of the arena were being killed by Mongul's soldiers.^[8]

The two raced back to the arena, reuniting with Midnighter along the way.^[9] Together the three of them rescued the Phaelosians and lead a mass breakout of the gladiators.^[10] They formed an armed rebellion against Mongul, hiding out in the Necropolis. However, Kryl-Ux secretly maintained contact with Mongul and would regularly sneak out the rebel camp to meet with him.^[11]^[12]

Kryl-Ux accompanied Superman on his quest into the heart of the Necropolis to claim the Fire, along with Osul and Otho-Ra, two Phaelosian child gladiators. They reached the centre but were attacked by Byla, the guardian of the Necropolis, who transformed into a giant wormlike creature.^[13] Byla savaged Kryl-Ux and almost killed him, but Superman saved him and patched up his wounds, despite Kryl-Ux saying Superman should have left him to die. Superman successfully retrieved the Fire, but when he returned he found Kryl-Ux holding the children hostage and waiting with Mongul, who told him to hand it over.^[14]

Warworld Apocalypse

The children tried to fight back and Mongul killed Osul-Ra. To both Mongul and Kryl-Ux's shock, Superman used the Fire to bring the boy back to life, putting the power beyond Kryl-Ux's reach forever. Superman duelled with Mongul until his allies elsewhere on the planet were able to feed Genesis into the solar generators, which restored Superman's powers, and also granted powers to the Phaelosians on the planet. Kryl-Ux used his newfound strength to kill Mongul. He took Mongul's Orphan Box and used it to teleport away, telling Superman that he always saw him as a friend.

By killing Mongul, Kryl-Ux won the allegiance of the Warzoon tribes who did not follow Superman. He contacted Thaaros, now Lord-Premiere of the nascent United Planets, and told him that Mongul was dead and he would have his revenge on Thaaros and the UP.^[1]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Phaelosian Physiology: Phaelosians are an evolutionary offshoot of Kryptonians. As such they possess superpowers under the light of a "yellow" sun such as Earth's.
- Solar Radiation Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Kryl-Ux's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
- Genesis Energy Absorption: Kryl-Ux can absorb and process energy from a mysterious material known as "Genesis" as a substitute for yellow sunlight to fuel his powers.^[1]
- Superhuman Strength: Kryl-Ux develops enhanced physical strength after absorbing a sufficient amount of yellow solar radiation or Genesis energy. This radiation interacts with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature to trigger superhuman levels. While the exact magnitude of his strength is unknown, it is generally accepted that it is sufficient to lift 100,000 tons or more. The specific range is unknown as his strength, like the other powers, may fluctuate over time. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. In terms of strength, Phaelosians are seemingly as strong as Kryptonians and Daxamites.^[1]

Abilities

Deception: Kryl-Ux was able to manipulate both Mongul and Superman to achieve his goals.^[1]
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Kryl-Ux is a highly skilled and experienced warrior who has won many fights in the arena.^[2]
Lock Picking^[8]
Pedagogy: Kryl-Ux trained Superman how to fight like a Warzoon.^[2]
Weaponry^[2]

Weaknesses

Solar Energy Dependency: Like Kryptonians and Daxamites, Phaelosians rely on solar radiation from the yellow sun as a source of their powers. Their abilities will eventually weaken without replenishing their energy reserves with normal (yellow) sun radiation.^[15]
Vulnerability to Kryptonite: Unlike Daxamites, Phaelosians are vulnerable to Kryptonite despite centuries of genetic drift from baseline Kryptonians.^[16]

Other Characteristics

Missing Eye: Kryl-Ux lost his right eye when he was attacked by Byla.^[14]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Orphan Box
- Teleportation^[1]

Notes

When his face was first shown Kryl-Ux was drawn with pink eyes. In subsequent appearances he is generally drawn with grey eyes and occasionally blue eyes.