Fortress of Solitude
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The Fortress of Solitude is Clark Kent's Kryptonian home in the Arctic.
It was destroyed by Lex Luthor when he put the Orb into the Fortress' console; this turned the Fortress back into the Crystal of Knowledge.
Clark later recreated the Fortress from the Crystal of Knowledge and the Fortress has resumed its role as Clark Kent's Kryptonian home. However after Brainiac was removed from Chloe Sullivan, Brainiac infected the Fortress but was removed after being defeated by Clark Kent and The Legion of Superheroes.
Since Brainiac's corruption and later removal from the Fortress the interior has remained black while some of the surrounding crystals and the console remain clear.
The Fortress was also home to Clark's Kryptonian father, Jor-El, an artificial entity serving as Clark's Kryptonian guide on Earth. The Fortress of Solitude was a storehouse for all the knowledge in the universe gathered by Kryptonians, including that of their destroyed home planet, Krypton. This information was originally stored in the Stones of Power, which combined to become the Crystal of Knowledge used to create the Fortress. Baern referred to the Fortress as the "Fortress of Knowledge".
It was possible to teleport to the Fortress from the Kawatche Caves using the Key. The Fortress also contained a teleportation device that allows visitors to teleport back to the Kawatche Caves, but Jor-El consciously teleported the residents back. The Fortress also contained the ability to time travel using crystals from the console which Clark has used twice, once to save Lana Lang and another time to save his infant self on Krypton at the hands of Brainiac.
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Powers and Abilities
The Fortress uses native Kryptonian technology to achieve feats of immense power. In the past, it has opened a portal to the Phantom Zone, reversed time, and created a complete solar eclipse. Given the broad range of its powers and abilities, it is the single most powerful entity in the Smallville universe, with power surpassing even that of Clark Kent and other Kryptonians. These powers are usually accessed by Kryptonian crystals placed inside a control console at the Fortress. Sometimes a single crystal is placed into the console alone. Other times, multiple crystals are used and they are placed within different areas of the console and moved around; in this sense, the Fortress console seems to resemble a programmable computer system. So far, the only entity shown to be capable of such programming has been the Zor-El replicant.
Usually the crystals used in the Fortress have been native to the Fortress, but outside crystals can also be made to be compatible with the Fortress. Brainiac created a black crystal that was capable of accessing the Fortress' ability to open the Phantom Zone. Zor-El also created a blue crystal that could use the power of the Fortress to project a living version of several entities stored inside the crystal, including both himself and Lara-El. Not just anyone can access the console and crystals of the Fortress. Milton Fine attempted to convince Clark to put a black crystal inside of the Fortress console, rather than do it himself. This suggests that only certain individuals can access the console and use the crystals. This is confirmed when Kara attempted to pull the blue crystal out of the Fortress console but couldn't; Zor-El told her that only Clark could pull the crystal out. Later Clark was able to successfully destroy the crystal. Although he has yet to use the Kryptonian crystals or console without guidance, Clark has always seemed to have access to the Fortress console.
The Fortress is also home to Jor-El, an artificial entity with the brainwaves of Clark Kent's biological father. It is unclear whether or not Jor-El actually has innate powers himself, or if he is somehow able to tap into the power of the Fortress. So far, he has demonstrated the ability to seemingly restructure matter at will; he has transported Martha and Lois back to Smallville, taken Clark's powers away, restored Clark's life and power, froze Clark inside of a giant crystal, released Clark from the crystal, and restored (most of) Chloe Sullivan's memories. In each case, Jor-El has used these powers without the presence of a crystal or appearing to use the console. It is also unclear whether or not Jor-El needs to actually use the console to activate the power of the Fortress crystals. In Reckoning, he handed Clark a crystal that will reset time back to the beginning of the day. Even though no console was involved, when Clark took the crystal he was suddenly sent back in time to the morning.
The Fortress somehow contains vast reservoirs of power, although the initial source of this energy is unclear. The Fortress is capable of recharging from external energy sources such as the Crystal of El.
Vulnerabilities
"The dagger is part of this Fortress. Plunging it into Fine destroyed all copies of him but also damaged this structure and released Zod." - Jor-El to Martha Kent, Zod
The one major vulnerability of the Fortress is the Kryptonian dagger that Jor-El gave to Clark. The dagger was apparently capable of inflicting damage even on super powered Kryptonians. But that capability came at a heavy price: when Brainiac was stabbed with a Kryptonian dagger, he was somehow able to access the power of the Fortress to open a portal to the Phantom Zone. Normally that would require access to the crystals and console of the Fortress; somehow because the dagger was part of the Fortress, Brainiac was able to circumvent the access limitations of the console, and access the power of the Fortress directly through the dagger. [1]
In addition, somehow Brainiac was also able to drain the entire power reservoirs of the Fortress leading to its seeming "death". It is unclear exactly how this happened. After the Fortress' death, the connection between the Fortress and Jor-El's oracle (Lionel Luthor) was broken.
Console
The crystals have a varied amount of powers mostly have yet to be explored but are almost capable of anything at either Clark's wish or Jor-El's will. The initial crystal thrust from the console was so that in future Clark would be able to have contact his biological father Jor-El. This crystal was also one of the first parts of Clark's training by beginning to study Clark with knowledge of his home planet Krypton. Other crystals in the fortress have time abilities with one crystal only allowing Clark to relive one earth day with him using this ability to save Lana from death but this caused Jonathan Kent's death. But it also has capabilities of creating portals to and from the Phantom Zone and also to Clark's home planet of Krypton.
The console however cannot be affected by anybody and only Kal-El can activated it manually unless Jor-El does so. This is because the Fortress is assigned to Kal-El and his training and future guidance by Jor-El. The console has only ever been used by Kal-El and Zor-El after his blue crystal was placed within the console shutting out Jor-El and also after Brainiac was removed from Chloe Sullivan and hid and corrupted the Fortress taking control from Jor-El.
Season Five
After Clark formed the Crystal of Knowledge from the Stones of Power, he was transported to a remote, snowy region in the Arctic and threw the Crystal of Knowledge into a bank of snow. As the crystal melted into the ice, it grew into a huge, crystalline building: the Fortress of Solitude.
When Clark first entered the Fortress, he was greeted by Jor-El, who told him that he must stay and prepare to save Earth from the coming of Brainiac and General Zod. Jor-El began training Clark to fulfill his destiny and so started showing Clark all of the knowledge of Krypton, but Chloe Sullivan, who had also been transported to the Arctic along with Clark, made her way into the Fortress shivering as a sub-zero wind blew in as Clark began his training. Chloe collapsed from the cold and begged Clark to save her. Clark severed his link with Jor-El to come to Chloe's aid, but Jor-El forbade him to leave. He finally acquiesced, warning Clark that he must return before sunset or there would be terrible consequences. When Clark failed to return to the Fortress in time, Jor-El stripped him of his powers.
Sometime later, when Clark was shot and killed by Gabriel Duncan, Jor-El possessed the body of Lionel Luthor, retrieved Clark's body, and brought him to the Fortress, where he brought Clark back to life with all his powers restored, but with a price: the life of someone he loves.
Later, Clark was influenced by Milton Fine to destroy the Fortress in order to stop Jor-El from killing Martha Kent. When he brought Fine to the Fortress, Clark was given a black crystal and instructed to insert it into the Fortress' control console. Once Clark did this, the Fortress began to self-destruct while a portal to the Phantom Zone opened. However, Clark managed to stop Fine and saved the Fortress.
A few months later, Clark decided to reveal his powers to Lana and brought her to the Fortress. It was here he proposed to her, and she later accepted. Lana was killed in a car accident, fulfilling Jor-El's warning that the life of someone Clark loves will be exchanged for Clark's restored life. Clark begged Jor-El to bring Lana back to life, and Jor-El gave him a crystal that sent Clark back in time, a day before the tragedy occurred. Clark was able to prevent Lana's death, but he failed to save Jonathan Kent, who died of a heart attack, once and for all fulfilling Jor-El's prediction.
Months later, Clark ventured back to the Fortress, where he spoke with Jor-El and learned that it was Zod who was responsible for the destruction of Krypton. Jor-El gave him a Kryptonian dagger, which he had to use to kill Lex Luthor, who had been chosen by Brainiac to be the vessel for Zod, and prevent Zod's return. However, Clark could not bring himself to kill Lex, so he hurled the dagger at Brainiac, stabbing him in the chest. Unfortunately, Brainiac managed to gain access to the Fortress through the dagger and opened a portal that released Zod's spirit into Lex's body.
Season Six
When her plane crashed in the Arctic near the Fortress, Martha dragged an unconscious Lois Lane into the Fortress and was met by Jor-El. Jor-El explained to Martha that her and Lois were kidnapped by Brainiac, and that he had given Clark a Kryptonian dagger in order to destroy Zod's vessel. Because Clark instead used the dagger against Brainiac, he not only destroyed Brainiac and all of his copies, but also damaged the Fortress and allowed Zod to inhabit Lex. Jor-El told Martha that she must use the dagger to kill Zod, now in Lex's body, in order to save Earth. After expressing his gratitude toward Martha for raising Clark, Jor-El sent Martha and Lois back to Smallville using the Fortress' remaining energy and shut down.
After returning from the Phantom Zone and defeating Zod, Clark returned to the Fortress and stored the Crystal of El there for safekeeping. He tried to talk to Jor-El, but Jor-El wouldn't answer, leading him to the conclusion that the Fortress was now "dead," unaware that the Fortress was damaged after he destroyed Brainiac and accidentally released Zod.
Later, after Clark and Raya had reunited and faced Baern, an escaped Zoner who could absorb and release large amounts of energy. Baern was not strong enough to face two Kryptonians and sensed the Kryptonian black box, absorbing enough energy to kill Clark and Raya. They went to the Fortress with the hope of restoring it, but Raya was distraught with the loss of the Fortress, passionate about its significance to the both of them. After they discovered they needed more power, Clark and Raya lured Baern to the Fortress to face him in seclusion without potentially harming others. In the confrontation Baern killed Raya, but Clark used the Crystal of El to send him back to the Phantom Zone. In her last moments, Raya pleaded with Clark to use the energy stored in the crystal to restore the Fortress.
Season Seven
After Clark met his Kryptonian cousin Kara, he went to the Fortress and questioned Jor-El recalling the last time a girl named "Kara" came into his life. Clark asked Jor-El if he could begin his training, only for Jor-El to tell him instead to watch over Kara, claiming she could not be trusted.
Later in Blue, Clark heard the voice of his mother, Lara, from the Blue Crystal, and this transported him to the Fortress, immediately, Jor-El warns Clark off putting the crystal in the console, but he ignored Jor-El's advice and placed Kara's blue crystal in the console, creating replicants of Lara-El and Zor-El. Zor-El took control of the Fortress, using it to create an eclipse designed to wipe out all humans on Earth. Clark managed to destroy the blue crystal, stopping the eclipse and ending the lives of Zor-El and Lara. However Kara somehow disappears from the Fortress, transported to Detroit, Michigan without her memory.
A month later, when Bizarro flew to the Fortress in search of Dax-Ur's shield, he tries to pose as Clark. However Jor-El sees through Bizarro's ruse and orders him to leave. After mocking Jor-El, Bizarro leaves. The encounter disturbs Jor-El enough to release Clark from his imprisonment to face the last phantom.
Season Eight
However, the crystal was mysteriously returned to Clark through a package in the mail, but it had no return address on it. Kara suggested that Clark could recreate the Fortress with it, but he refused after the crystal was used to send him to the Phantom Zone and he was unsure of what it would do.
After Chloe was being corrupted by Brainiac and she began forgetting all of her memories only remembering them by researching her whole life. This was because Brainaic had been replacing all of her memories with Kryptonian Code ready for him to fully reboot in her body. Chloe told Clark and he took the Crystal of Knowledge to the Arctic and repeated the process that he had done three years ago throwing it into the snow in the distance and rebuilt the Fortress.
On the day of Chloe and Jimmy's wedding, Doomsday crashed Chloe and Jimmy's wedding killing and injuring numerous guests and severly injuring Jimmy, identified and kidnapped Chloe and took her to the Fortress at Brainaic's calling placing her down so he could inhabit her body once more as a vessel.
Brainiac had drained the knowledge from the Fortress when he corrupted it, and possibly damaged the connection with Jor-El to it as well. Davis awoke in the Fortress unaware of his location and what the building was but saw Chloe now possessed by Brainiac and he told Davis about his arrival on earth and connection to Chloe and told him that he will make his evolve to destroy earth after he had rid the planet of its knowledge. Brainiac then placed Davis in a Kryptonian chamber for him to fully evolve when Clark arrived to speak with Jor-El about him helping Chloe and finding the creature but was greeted by Brainiac. Clark knew it was Brainiac and Brainiac teased Clark knowing he wouldn't harm Chloe's body and left to the Daily Planet. After Brainiac was disabled, his connection to the Fortress was broken and Doomsday broke out of his chamber smashing his way free.
It was soon revealed that the Fortress "died" after Brainiac was removed and all of it's knowledge and Jor-El was gone.
Clark took Davis to the Fortress in attempt to stop him from killing Clark and innocent people. Clark wanted to use the Black Crystal to make a vortex to the Phantom Zone, but Clark and Davis fought for control in order to stay. Chloe appeared in the Fortress, using the Kryptonian Key, and took the Black Crystal out and then told Clark that she could control Davis and she and Davis teleported back to Smallville via the key.
Season Nine
Clark returns to the fortress when he begins to experience hearing the thoughts of others (mainly Lois's thoughts). Jor-El informs Clark that he planted a seed as apart of his training and he must have made humanistic assumptions that was a mistake that activated the program. Causing Clark to temporarily have the ability of Telepathy to teach him to nurture his Kryptonian intuition and learn to not allow humanistic assumptions to cloud his judgement.
Appearances
- Season 5 - Arrival, Hidden, Solitude, Reckoning, Vessel.
- Season 6 - Zod, Fallout.
- Season 7 - Kara, Blue, Gemini, Persona, Traveler, Sleeper, Arctic.
- Season 8 - Abyss, Bride, Legion , Beast.
- Season 9 - Savior , Echo,
Visitors
Over the series since the Fortress was formed, many people besides Clark has visited the Fortress for many reasons. Here are the following people who visited the Fortress.
- Clark Kent- Arrival, Hidden, Solitude, Reckoning, Vessel, Fallout, Kara, Blue, Gemini, Persona, Sleeper, Apocalypse, Arctic, Abyss, Legion, Beast, Savior, Echo.
- Kara Kent - Blue and Traveler.
- Lana Lang - Reckoning in an alternate timeline.
- Chloe Sullivan - Arrival, Solitude, Traveler, Abyss, Bride, Legion and Beast.
- Lois Lane- Zod
- Martha Kent- Zod
- Doomsday / Davis Bloome - Bride, Legion and Beast.
- Lionel Luthor - Hidden.
- Lex Luthor - Arctic.
- Brainiac - Solitude, Abyss, Bride and Legion.
- Bizarro - Persona.
- Zor-El - Blue.
- Lara - Blue.
- Raya - Fallout.
- Baern - Fallout.
In the Comics
The general public in Superman's world is either unaware or at best only vaguely aware of the existence of the Fortress, with its location kept secret from all but Superman's closest friends, family and allies (such as Jonathan & Martha Kent, Lois Lane, Supergirl, Krypto, Chris Kent, Batman & The Justice League). A trademark of the Fortress is that it contains a memorial statue of Jor-El and Lara, Superman's Kryptonian parents, holding a large globe of the planet Krypton. The fortress also contained an alien zoo, a laboratory, A Hall of Weapons , a (room-sized) computer, communications room, A Gallery room of trophies (similar to Batman's Batcave), It also contained the Phantom Zone projector, as well as various pieces of alien technology. The Fortress also became the home of the bottle city of Kandor (until it was enlarged) recently , Although Superman has living quarters at the Fortress for him and Lois, their main residence is still their apartment in Metropolis.
Earlier Fortress
Main Article: Loft
"The Fortress" was originally the name of Clark's loft inside the Kents' barn, where he would spend time alone with his telescope or homework. Clark once explained to Lana Lang that his father called it his "Fortress of Solitude", an allusion or foreshadowing to the Kryptonian hideout Clark would come to use later in life.
Trivia
- The Fortress is similar to the one in Superman: The Movie: but bigger.
- The Fortress set has changed before Season 7 from its original design so that when flashbacks of Krypton are used, it resembles Krypton more, like the set was shown in Lara, Apocalypse, and Season 9 Kandor.
- The Fortress set piece was use in Bloodline as the Gateway portal room in The Phantom Zone that Zor-El made for Kara .
Notes
- In the animated movie Superman: Brainiac Attacks! the Fortress is destroyed by Brainiac. Superman later recreated it using a crystal that was in the saved wreckage, these events are similar to the events of the episode Arctic.
See Also
References
- ↑ TV Guide: What exactly happened when Clark threw the dagger at Fine? Gough: This was something that got cut out of the episode for various reasons: Remember when Clark impaled Fine on the Fortress console [in the November-sweeps "Solitude" episode]? Basically, Fine infected the console. Fine is a computer and is all about probabilities, so he knew that if he went after Lex, that would lead Clark back to Jor-El, and Jor-El would tell Clark to get rid of the vessel, and Clark would never do that. Fine sort of calculated what Clark would do based on what Clark had done previously, which is always to protect humanity and not kill anybody. That was his endgame. Source: [1]
