General Zod
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
As he was first portrayed in Superman comics during the period known as the "Silver Age of Comic Books", Zod was one of a number of Kryptonian villains trapped in the Phantom Zone, who would occasionally escape and target Superman. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 (April 1961). His full Kryptonian name was Dru-Zod.
He was often portrayed as a megalomaniacal bald man, and some think he was based on Nazi fanatics, espousing purity and aggression for Kryptonians.
In one adventure, Zod and a number of Kryptonian criminals escaped the zone and came to Earth, disguising themselves like Superman (whom they had observed) and using their powers to benefit mankind, like him. The reason for this was that they had a common enemy with the Man of Steel. Superman tricked them into going back into the Phantom Zone by travelling there with them and using a fragment of Jewel Kryptonite to escape in the nick of time.
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 General Zods that have since appeared have had different origins from the original.
- The first came from a Krypton in a pocket universe created by the Time Trapper. He, with his 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. This version of Zod is based on the Pre-Crisis version.
- A second incaranation 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 original Pre-Crisis version he held the Kryptonian equivalent of fascist beliefs, he sent aliens to the ghetto city of Kandor. He planned a military coup but was defeated by Superman and the Jor-El of that Krypton.
- The third General Zod to exist in current continuity 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 rocket.
The result is he was unnaturally weak but has superpowers under a red sun (which leads Superman to lose his). He grew up in a KGB laboratory, under the name Zed. Apparently spoken to by the spirit of the Pocket Universe Zod, he created a suit of red armour 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: turning the sun red and taking 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. However, when the sun reverted to yellow, Zod still struck Superman with all his power, and was killed.
- Recently the twelve-issue storyline "For Tomorrow"(Superman #204-#215), written by Brian Azzarello and pencilled by Jim Lee, introduced a fourth version of General Zod. This Zod resides in the Phantom Zone alone and resents Superman for tampering with it. This Zod is not believed to come from a pocket universe or alternate dimension: supposedly, he comes from the same Krypton as Superman and was exiled to the Phantom Zone by Superman's father Jor-El. However, as he appeared in a version of the Phantom Zone which had been created by Superman to resemble a living world (incuding the creation of seemingly living beings), it is possible that he was in fact a creation of the Zone and not a real Kryptonian.
Zod in other media
Zod was featured in the first and second Superman movies. He was portrayed by Terence Stamp and his full name is General Dru Zod.
Movies
In the beginning of Superman: The Movie, Zod is introduced as one of three criminals on trial. Zod was originally a member of the Krypton 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 Superman.
In Superman II, the detonation of a nuclear bomb that Superman sends into space destroys the Phantom Zone portal that trapped Zod and his cohorts. They arrive on Earth and, after discovering that their Kryptonian heritage 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 has stripped himself of his powers to be with Lois as an ordinary human. Superman must regain his powers to fight them, and in a final showdown at his Fortress of Solitude, strips Zod, Non and Ursa of their powers. All three are apparently killed as they fall into the seemingly bottomless crevasses. 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.
Stamp portrayed Zod as a pathologically arrogant aristocrat, almost bored with his incredible power. It is almost certainly his portrayal that has led to Zod becoming one of Superman's best-known villains. Zod's line from the movie, "Come, Son of Jor-El! Kneel before Zod!", has become part of pop culture.
Animation
A Phantom Zone villain named Zy-Kree who resembles Zod appears 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 Phantom Zone villain named Jax-Ur did, along with a new character called Mala, seemingly based on Faora/Ursa. In the accompanying Superman Adventures comic book, Zod was portrayed as an Argonian (like the animated Supergirl), who co-opted Jax-Ur and Mara 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.
Smallville
In Smallville, the voice of Jor-El is played by Terence Stamp. This, combined with the apparent difference in character from other versions of Jor-El, led to some fan-speculation that this was really Zod. Series creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough denied this rumour, and it was 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, Zod has been featured as an off-screen presence. The episode "Arrival" featured two Kryptonians, disciples of Zod, on Earth searching for Clark. In the episode "Solitude", the Kryptonian artificial intelligence Brainiac masquerading as "Professor Milton Fine" convinces Clark to take him to the Fortress of Solitude, where he attempts to free Zod from the Phantom Zone. Fine temporarily opens a vortex in which the image of a figure similar to Terence Stamp's Zod can be glimpsed. "Solitude" also insinuated that Zod was a fascistic leader on Krypton that ruled with an iron fist. He appearantly considered Jor-El as his primary nemesis and is thought to be the reason for Krypton's explosion.
Family Guy
Zod, as well as his two henchmen, have appeared in the animated comedy show Family Guy.
In one episode, after Lois learns the martial arts, Peter brings her to a bar and then tests her new abilities by provoking all the patrons into attacking him, thus forcing Lois to use her martial arts to defend him. One of the taunts he shouts is 'Krypton sucks', causing Zod and his henchmen to fly at Lois; However, she defeats them, and throws them into the Phantom Zone (Represented by a spinning sheet of glass, which they seem to become trapped in, as in Superman II).
Popular Culture
Zod is perhaps most popularly quoted as a Superman villain with the phrase, "Come to me son of Jor-El, kneel before Zod!" For example, Jay does so in the Kevin Smith film Mallrats.
"Oh God" "NO....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
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