General Zod
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General Zod is a fictional character from the Superman comics published by DC Comics. He has also appeared in other Superman media spin-offs. Zod is one of Superman's more prominent arch-enemies.
The Silver Age Zod
Dru-Zod, or simply Zod, was often portrayed as a megalomaniacal bald man. Some believe he was based on Neo-Nazis because of his look and the way he espoused purity and aggression for Kryptonians. Zod was originally one of a number of Kryptonian villains trapped in the Phantom Zone. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 (April 1961).Once Military Director of the Kryptonian Space Center, Zod had known Jor-El when he was an aspiring scientist. When the space program was abolished after the destruction of the moon Wegthor (caused by Jax-Ur), he attempted to take over Krypton. Zod created an army of robotic duplicates of himself, all bearing a resemblance to Bizarro. He was sentenced to the Phantom Zone for his crimes.
Zod was first released by Kal-El (during his Superboy career) when his term of imprisonment was up. However, he attempted to conquer Earth with powers gained under the yellow sun. Zod was sent back into the Phantom Zone, occasionally escaping to target Superman.
Later versions of Zod
After the Crisis on Infinite Earths rewrote much of the history of the DC Universe and its characters, it was initially established that there were no Kryptonian survivors other than Superman. Consequently, the four different incarnations of General Zod that have since appeared have had different origins from the original.Pocket Universe Zod
This Zod came from a Krypton in a pocket universe created by the Time Trapper. He, along with companions Quex-Ul and Faora, devastated the Earth of that universe following the death of its Superboy, eventually forcing the Superman of the main universe to execute them with Kryptonite. This version of Zod is based on the Pre-Crisis version.Return to Krypton Zod
This incarnation of General Zod was introduced in the 2001 storyline "Return to Krypton." He was the head of the Kryptonian military in an artificial reality created by Brainiac 13.Like the Pre-Crisis version, Zod held the Kryptonian equivalent of fascist beliefs. He sent aliens to the ghetto city of Kandor and planned a military coup. Zod was defeated by Superman and the Jor-El of that Krypton.
Russian Zod
This General Zod is a Russian who was affected prior to his birth by Kryptonite radiation because he was the son of two cosmonauts whose ship was too close to Kal-El's rocketship. This Zod is unnaturally weak under a yellow sun but superpowered under a red sun (the opposite of Superman). He grew up in a KGB laboratory under the name "Zed."
Apparently spoken to by the spirit of the Pocket Universe Zod, Zod created a suit of red armor that filtered the sunlight and declared himself ruler of the former Soviet state of Pokolistan. After several inconclusive encounters with Superman, he revealed his long-range plan to turn the sun red and take Superman's place. This was temporarily successful until Lex Luthor rescued Superman, gave him a blast of yellow solar radiation to regain his powers, and worked to restore the sun. Superman returned to battle Zod, but refused to kill him. When the sun turned yellow again, Zod still struck Superman with all his power, but was killed.
Phantom Zod
Introduced in the twelve-issue For Tomorrow (Superman #204-#215) storyline, written by Brian Azzarello and penciled by Jim Lee, this Zod resides in the Phantom Zone alone and resents Superman for tampering with it. Supposedly, he comes from the same Krypton as Superman, and was exiled to the Phantom Zone by Superman's father Jor-El.It is possible that this Zod is not a real Kryptonian, however. He appeared in Metropia, a version of the Phantom Zone created by Superman to resemble a living world including the seemingly living beings.
One Year Later
One year after the events of Infinite Crisis, Lex Luthor used a shard of sunstone, which had the word "doomsday" engraved upon it in the Kryptonian language (a possible reference to Doomsday), along with a stockpile of Kryptonite to reactivate a Kryptonian battle cruiser, dormant within the earth for an unknown period of time.
However, when the ship was first activated, it spoke to Luthor in Kryptonian and referred to itself as the "Doomsday", so the name on the crystal appears to be the name of the ship.
Luthor revealed that the vessel was in fact the flagship of the Kryptonian fleet, had belonged to an Admiral Dru-Zod and scoured entire planets clean of life.
Zod in other media
Movies
At the beginning of [[Superman: The Movie]], Zod is introduced as one of three Kryptonian criminals on trial. Zod was originally a member of the Kryptonian military, who was entrusted with the defense of Krypton by the governing council. With co-conspirators Non and Ursa, Zod was planning to overthrow the Kryptonian government and replace it with his own. The three were captured, and the council unanimously agreed to cast Zod, Ursa, and Non into the Phantom Zone. Their Phantom Zone portal is launched into space shortly before Krypton's destruction. This serves only to set up the premise of the sequel, as nothing further of the three is seen in the film.Before they are imprisoned, Zod tries to persuade Jor-El to join him or suffer his wrath. As Jor-El silently refuses him, Zod shouts, "You will bow down before me, Jor-El, I swear it! No matter if it takes an eternity, you will bow down before me! Both you, and then one day, your heirs!"
[[Image:Generalzod.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Terence Stamp played General Zod in [[Superman: The Movie]] and Superman II]]
Superman II opens with a brief recap of Zod's imprisonment in the Phantom Zone along with Ursa and Non, with Zod bellowing a variation on his line from the first film: "You will bow down before me, Jor-El! Both you, and then one day, Jor-El, your heirs!" as he is taken away into the Phantom Zone itself. In Superman II, the detonation of a hydrogen bomb that Superman throws into space destroys the Phantom Zone portal that trapped Zod and his cohorts.
They arrive on Earth and, after discovering that their Kryptonian physiology gives them each the same powers as Superman under Earth's yellow sun, subdue the U.S. Army and the President of the United States. This occurs shortly after Superman, unaware of these events, has stripped himself of his powers to be with Lois Lane as an ordinary human. Only after Clark is beaten up by a bully in a diner does he watch with horror a televised announcement by the President surrendering all global authority to Zod. When the President suddenly tries to call for Superman's help, Zod takes the camera to issue a challenge to this mysterious enemy to face him. Realizing the terrible mistake his inattentiveness has caused, Clark must regain his powers to fight Zod and his minions.
While Clark treks back to the Fortress of Solitude, Lex Luthor approaches the trio and offers a way to lure Superman to them by leading them to Lois to be their hostage in return for becoming the ruler of Australia. The villainous trio accept the offer and invade the Daily Planet to capture Lois. At the moment, Superman, now back to full power, arrives to accept Zod's challenge. What follows is a highly destructive battle throughout downtown Metropolis where Zod has the advantage of numbers, and also with the fact that Superman is easily distracted by threatening the city's citizens. Eventually, Superman realizes that he needs to rethink his strategy and withdraws to the Fortress.
In a final showdown at his Fortress of Solitude, Superman strips Zod, Non, and Ursa of their powers. He does this by tricking Luthor into revealing that a molecule chamber in the Fortress would take away his powers. This was the chamber's original purpose, but Superman had modified it so that the radiation used to strip a Kryptonian of his or her powers would be projected throughout the Fortress, but anyone inside the chamber would be protected.
When Superman stepped out of the chamber, Zod told Superman to take his hand and swear eternal loyalty to him. Suddenly, Zod finds himself screaming in pain as Superman crushes his hand. He and his cohorts are apparently killed as they fall into the crevasses cracking in the ice and disappearing under the misty water. A scene deleted from the movie (but shown in some TV versions) shows the trio alive and in custody, implying that they lost their powers permanently and were captured.
Terence Stamp portrayed Zod as a pathologically arrogant aristocrat. When Zod is told that "the whole planet" is watching the broadcast, his head motions suggest narcissism. At times he seemed almost bored with his incredible power, as new as they may be: "I win! I always win. Is there no one on this planet to even challenge me?!" When Ursa soothed him with, "You are master of all you survey," Zod replied, "And so I was yesterday, and the day before."
It is almost certainly Stamp's portrayal that has led to Zod becoming one of Superman's best known villains. Zod's line "Come, son of Jor-El! Kneel before Zod!" has become part of pop culture.
In the scene in which the President of the United States surrenders to the three Kryptonian criminals, he utters, "Oh God!" He is quickly corrected by the general with a curt rejoinder: "Zod."
Animation
A Phantom Zone villain named Zy-Kree, who resembles Zod, appeared in the Super Friends animated series.Zod was featured in the Ruby-Spears animated Superman series.
Zod was not featured in [[Superman: The Animated Series]], although a similar villain named Jax-Ur did. Jax-Ur had been featured previously in some Silver Age stories of Phantom Zone criminals. In the animated series, he appeared along with a new character called Mala, who was seemingly based on Faora/Ursa. However, in the accompanying Superman Adventures comic book series, Zod was portrayed as an Argosian (like the animated Supergirl) who co-opted Jax-Ur and Mala as his lieutenants (essentially giving Jax-Ur the Non/Quex-Ul role). This character looks physically like the Terence Stamp version from [[Superman: The Movie]] and Superman II.
In the Justice League Unlimited episode "For the Man Who Has Everything", while under the influence of an alien plant, Superman has a dream in which he has a wife and son on Krypton. His wife briefly mentions her son will attending a birthday party for "little Zod."
Television
Lois and Clark
While Zod does not make an appearance in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, there is a character named Lord Nor, who has much in common with Zod. He is a ruthless figure who seeks to rule New Krypton, a kryptonian colony by killing Kal-El.Smallville
In Smallville, the voice of Jor-El is provided by Terence Stamp. This, combined with the apparent difference in character from other versions of Jor-El, led to some fan speculation that Jor-El was really Zod. Series creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough denied this rumor, and it is later revealed that Jor-El's characterization was misinterpreted. Recent portrayals of the character are somewhat closer to his normal characterization.
In the series' fifth season, General Zod has been featured as an off-screen presence. The episode "Arrival" featured two Kryptonian disciples of Zod searching for Clark shortly after their arrival on Earth following the recent meteor shower that bombarded Smallville in the previous episode, "Commencement."
In the episode "Solitude", Milton Fine, the human identity of the Kryptonian artificial intelligence known as Brainiac, persuades Clark into taking him to the Fortress of Solitude. After arriving at the Fortress, Fine tricks Clark into freeing Zod from the Phantom Zone, temporarily opening a vortex in which the image of a figure similar to Terence Stamp's Zod can be glimpsed. It is also insinuated that Zod was a fascist leader on Krypton and ruled with an iron fist, and apparently considered Jor-El as his primary nemesis.
At the end of the episode "Oracle", Chloe deciphers a Kryptonian message which Clark reads as, "Zod is coming." In the following episode, "Vessel", Jor-El reveals that Zod was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for crimes that resulted in Krypton's destruction. Zod's physical body was destroyed to prevent him from escaping from captivity, and therefore, he now required a vessel to inhabit on Earth. Brainiac had earlier injected Lex Luthor with a vaccine that granted him Kryptonian superpowers, and therefore, Lex was to be the vessel for Zod's consciousness. Through the actions of Clark and Brainiac, Zod is freed. After inhabiting Lex's body, Zod imprisons Clark inside the Phantom Zone, leaving no one to stop him, and begins his plans to conquer Earth as the trapped Clark is sent flying into space.
Popular culture
Zod is perhaps most popularly quoted as a Superman villain with the phrase, "Bow, son of Jor-El, kneel before Zod!" For example, Jay does so in the Kevin Smith film Mallrats. "Oh, God!" "Zod."Zod's peculiar mannerisms and catchphrases from Superman II, especially his penchant for demanding that people "kneel", has led to the creation of a number of websites dedicated to the General, such as PlanetHouston.com, [GeneralZod.net], and, humorously, [General Zod for President 2008].
A running joke on many comic book websites is when a picture of artist Neal Adams is featured, it is always placed next to a picture of Terence Stamp as Zod. Literally; Neal, before Zod.
Zod, as well as his two henchmen, have appeared in the animated show Family Guy. When Peter finds that Lois can fight extremely well, he walks into a local bar to start fights by saying insulting things, including "Krypton sucks." Zod and Lois then battle as in Superman II.
Both Superman: The Movie and General Zod are mentioned on an episode of the ESPN show Cheap Seats. Both the Sklar Brothers poke fun at a man who resembles both Zod and Non, and quote the famous "kneel before Zod" line.
In an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Dr. Forrester practices his "world takeover speech", which includes the line "You will bow down before me, son of Jor-El, bow down!"
External links
- [GeneralZod.net] - the original General Zod humor site in which Zod continues to require all humans of the planet "Houston" to kneel before him. Site is created by the same people that run [i-mockery.com].
- [Alan Kistler's Profile On: ZOD!] - Comic book historian Alan Kistler of www.MonitorDuty.com does an in-depth article reviewing the long history of Zod from 1961 all the way to 2005, going into detail on the various incarnations and changes in the character. Includes several artwork scans of the different versions of Zod and a discussion of the show Smallville.
- [Zod2008.com] - fictional Presidential campaign
- [Supermanica: General Zod] Supermanica entry on the Pre-Crisis General Zod
- [General Zod Statue]
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