Of all the things the Fortress of Solitude is – a place to rest, regenerate, and relax – it’s not really a fortress nor is it very solitary.
The Fortress of Solitude is a name that sounds more befitting of Gotham’s Caped Crusader than it does the Man of Steel. And yet, Batman lives in the Batcave, and Superman flies to the antarctic to live in a big crystal palace which is not really a fortress, nor is it full of much solitude. But hey, who are we to question big dramatic names that evoke the long-gone Kryptonian solace.
The Fortress Of Solitude – Crystals, Superman Robots, And More
The Fortress of Solitude, despite the inaccuracy of its name, was Superman’s home on Earth. And it was a piece of his former home as well. At least in some timelines. The crystalline structure seems to have grown from Kryptonian crystals sometimes called sunstones. These sunstone structures form elaborate matrices that are capable of altering their shape and form.
This is how, for instance, the so-called Fortress can slip beneath the antarctic surface. And similarly, how it can open up various apertures to allow the empowering light of Earth’s yellow sun to flow in, amplified by magnifying glasses to really light up the last son of Krypton.
Sunstone is said to be reactive with both water and sunlight, and it can be programmed to shape itself. Which is likely why the Kryptonian main frame at the heart of the Fortress of Solitude was there in the first place. With Kryptonian programming, the crystals could achieve their shape and even alter existing Earth elements, potentially leading to the creation of the Superman Robots, 1, 2, 3, and Gary.
The Fortress itself was made up of crystal and Earth-based stone. It was sealed with a massive vault door emblazoned with the seal of the house of El, a large S that, until new canon establishes otherwise, I’m going to assume stands for Superman. Only those with Kryptonian DNA could access the door – it was keyed specifically to Superman’s DNA, but Krypto and Kara Zor-El both were known to have access.
The Kryptonian computer also contained a message from Kal-El’s parents. Though much of the message was damaged in transit, leaving Superman with only a fragment of the original message. But one that inspired him to become a good-hearted hero, one dedicated to saving humanity and encouraging them to be the best that they could be. Humanity is ever in need of guidance and role models to look up to that aren’t corrupt, vain billionaires with a hefty dose of megalomania.
Other amenities of the Fortress of Solitude include a healing bed, solarium, and several holo-video projection “screens” that can show footage stored in the Kryptonian computer. Theoretically, Superman could probably play games on it, too. It’s hard to imagine someone hasn’t tried getting Doom to run on it.
A History Of Solitude
The history of the Fortress of Solitude is a long and multi-versal one. There have been so many over the years. Pre-Crisis, there were at least three. One had a room for Jimmy Olsen. One had a dedicated room for Clark Kent to do Clark Kent things. It has alternatively had a miniature city in it, full of people who have been shrunk and who live on the city under Superman’s protection.
It has had an armory. A Batman room. A special forensics crime lab for when Superman needed to solve crime from time to time. In some realities, it had a special hangar bay where Superman kept a spaceship, for some reason.
And while you’re thinking about why would he need one of those, let me also remind you that at one poinnt the Fortress of Solitude also contained a Phantom Zone portal and a “Trophy Room” where he kept trophies from his fights, presumably after having spent some time hanging out with billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne.
Equally as varied are the Fortress’ origins. It has been alternatively a fragment of Kryptonian crystal that grew. A device given to Kal-El by the Eradicator. A fortress Superman built for himself, by himself, that could only be unlocked with a giant key. But whatever the origins, it is always Superman’s home. And it is always the one place where he can really, truly, be at peace.
Sure hope nobody ever gains unauthorized access to the Fortress of Solitude, that might be emotionally devastating for the last son of Krypton!
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