In this review of Superman: Unlimited #5, we venture into the heart of the Kryptonite Kingdom of El Caldero, but why would Superman journey into a land that can kill him?
SUPERMAN: UNLIMITED #5
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art and Main Cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Variant Covers: DAN MORA, MARK SPEARS, MATTEO LOLLI, DECLAN SHALVEY
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 9/24/25
This review contains spoilers
Superman: Unlimited #5, the first of a two-parter, kicks off at the Daily Planet with Editor-in-Chief Lois Lane broadcasting a hologram of herself to all Daily Planet offices around the world, thanks to the drone projection system set up by Tee-Nah, the Planet’s new I.T. expert from Gorilla City. The focus of the broadcast is the current status of the Kryptonite market around the world.
In the wake of the massive kryptonite influx in the first issue that resulted in Superman gaining his gold powers, there has been a variety of influences, both good and bad, ranging from an increase in kryptonite-related crime in Metropolis to kryptonite-powered generators around the world (courtesy of Toyman in issue 3) to terrorism from the Kult of Kobra.
In the middle of the broadcast, Clark shares that he knows what Kobra is up to, thanks to information from Batman. Kobra is on the brink of digging up a Kryptonian Sun Crystal in El Caldero, home of the mountain-sized chunk of kryptonite that landed there thanks to Superman’s efforts to save the planet. This Sun Crystal is the same kind that built the Fortress of Solitude so it would be capable of giving Kobra access to Kryptonian technology. Knowing what must be done despite the danger to himself, Clark dons a specialized protective suit and flies to Emerald City in the Supermobile.
This is what Superman is all about and I love it. He’s fully aware that this place could easily kill him, but having the Sun Crystal fall into the wrong hands outweighs that. He wants to keep everyone safe, plain and simple.
Upon arrival, its sensors indicate that, despite appearances, there is very little of the city that’s made of green kryptonite. There’s some foreshadowing that not everything in the Kryptonite Kingdom is what it seems to be. Superman is welcomed as a hero for saving the city from the kryptonite strike and changing the economy of the region. When he tells President Castilho that he’s there to bring the Sun Crystal back to the Fortress for safekeeping, he’s met with resistance. Mid-conversation, Superman is struck with mind-numbing pain just as the Sun Crystal is being unearthed deep within the kryptonite mines. This prompts Castilho and Superman, along with Ron Troupe, a Daily Planet camera person, and some of Emerald City’s Krypto-Knights, to quickly head off to the mines.
On the trip there, we get some backstory and discover Castilho was part of the mining crew that saw Superman fighting off the kryptonite asteroid. The crew watched as Superman was buried by the asteroid. Castilho led the crew and began tunneling as quickly as they could to rescue Superman, who has no memory of these events. Castilho fills in the blanks, sharing how he found the “Man of Gold” who then saved him from the collapsing kryptonite tunnels.
As the backstory ends, the group makes it down to the level of the Sun Crystal, only to find that Kobra members are already there extracting the crystal. A fight ensues and Superman’s protective suit is damaged, taking him out of the mix immediately. The Krypto-Knights have their hands full with other Kobra miners, so Castilho is left to chase down the Kobra making off with the Sun Crystal. Ron tends to Superman and sends his camera person to follow Castilho and the crystal, as covering the story is essential for the Daily Planet.
At first, Castilho’s chase seems to be to protect the crystal and keep it for his homeland, fully embracing his so called title of the “Kryptonite King”, but as soon as he’s able to subdue the Kobra member, a holographic message from Jor-El and Lara begins to play, indicating that the crystal is Kal-El’s birthright. Castilho decides that there can be no witnesses to this message other than himself and he finishes off the Kobra member to protect the truth of the crystal.
Unfortunately for him, Ron’s camera person arrives in time to record this act. Castilho tackles them, destroying the camera, but also revealing that the camera person is none other than Lois Lane in disguise! I get that Lois is a central character, but she’s the chief editor, so I’m not sure that she should be putting herself into the thick of it like she used to as a reporter. I understand that there’s the connection between her and Clark which ratchets up the stakes for Superman and we might “need” that drama for the story, but sticking her in as the camera person feels forced here.
Superman: Unlimited #5 ends on that cliffhanger, leaving Lois, Superman, and the Sun Crystal in all sorts of danger. We would expect Superman’s golden powers to kick in at the start of the next issue to save the day, but we’ll have to wait to see how things turn out.
What I’m more interested in is Castilho’s true level of power. During the course of Superman: Unlimited #5, he says that he was breathing in kryptonite dust. Will he end up having more powers than just the political kind? That’s probably a stretch, but crazier things have happened. The character was developed more in this story, so I feel we may see more of him beyond the next issue.
Final Thoughts
While Superman: Unlimited #5 is not the best issue of the five so far, it helps to progress the story of Superman’s new power and the impact that kryptonite is having on the world. It’s a solid entry into what is shaping up to be a terrific ongoing Superman book. Dan Slott’s writing on this book continues to be top notch. The art by Rafael Albuquerque and coloring by Marcelo Maiolo is vibrant and full of action. If you haven’t been reading this title, it’s not so far along that you can’t jump in. Any fan of the Man of Steel should have this on their reading list.
