25 of the best fictional planets to visit

1. Krypton (Superman)

We’re all pretty familiar with the common complaint about Superman at this point. He’s too good, people say. He’s too strong, too invincible, so godlike that he might as well head on over into the realm of myth and legend, rather than hang out on the comics page.

That’s not the only side to Superman, of course. Great comics writers like Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman) have shown that, in the right hands, a Superman story can be compelling and even fun.

I’d also argue that Superman has his weird side, too. Think about it. Even though Supes is outwardly a beautiful, muscle-bound man, he’s not from around here. He’s an alien refugee, sent here in the nick of time as his home planet was blown to smithereens. It’s got a whiff of the Shakespearean tragedy about it if Shakespeare was a little more inclined to science fiction.

What about Krypton?

Now, Superman is an adopted son of Earth, more or less. That’s great, but it also means that we don’t always hear about his original home of Krypton. It’s a bit of a shame because Krypton would have been a fantastic and strange place to visit. Assuming you still have a time machine or two left over from your trip to Gallifrey, why not head over to Krypton before its downfall?

Some earlier depictions of Krypton aren’t all that exciting, apart from some weird set dressing and the culture’s predilection for headbands. If you want a Krypton that’s truly strange and alien, then you’ll actually have to take a look at the 2013 film, Man of Steel.

In this version of events, Kryptonian society is tens of thousands of years old. While they could be exploring the galaxy, the people of Krypton have descended into isolationism and stagnation.

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It’s a shame, really, because they could be sharing their strange, awe-inspiring technology. As dystopian as it is, Kryptonian society uses fascinating machines that move and act like organic creations. At least you could hang out with Superman’s parents, Lara-El and Jor-El since they seem to understand the way things are going. Maybe if you catch them a couple of years before Krypton explodes, you could have a good sit-down interview with the pair. Too bad the rest of the movie had to happen.

Tell us your favorite fictional planet in the comments below!