In my mind the importance of Kryptonite is directly proportional to the strength of Superman’s powers and invulnerability.
If he were simply powerful and strong, but with definite limits, then you don’t need Kryptonite so much. However, with him being as powerful as he is in most incarnations, including the Lois and Clark universe, it is essential that this weakness exist. You can’t have him really be Superman without the Kryptonite weakness.
Now, I’ll admit bias on this issue. When I was developing the “Superman science” that I presented in my Luck and Consequence(s) (I’m still unsure about that ‘s’) story, I gave this a lot of thought and finally decided that it was so important that the very thing that gives him his powers is the source of the vulnerability to Kryptonite. In that universe, there will never be an anti-Kryptonite vaccine. If there was, it would have to permanently strip him of his powers.
Now, all that said, it should be rare and hard to come by. If every bad-guy was wearing a Kryptonite pendant it would be worse than no Kryptonite at all.
Sorry for the rant. I’m a bit hard-over on this issue.
Bob
