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Jor-El

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This article is about the real Jor-El. For the younger clone in the Season 9 episode Kandor, see Jor-El (clone).
Jor-El
Family Lara-El (wife, deceased), Kal-El (son), Zor-El (brother, deceased), Kara (niece), unnamed father (deceased)
Occupation Scientist, Science Council member
Powers and Abilities All Kryptonian powers under a yellow sun (Demonstrated: Super strength, super speed, flight, invulnerability)
As an artificial entity: Omniscience, matter reconstruction, time manipulation
Through Jonathan Kent: Healing
Played By Terence Stamp (voice), Tom Welling (Relic), Julian Sands (Kandor)
Status Deceased (his will and memories communicate through Clark's ship, the Kawatche Caves and the Fortress of Solitude)

"The lessons that we learn from pain are the ones that make us the strongest." – Jor-El, Hidden

Jor-El is the Kryptonian biological father of Kal-El who, on his home planet of Krypton, was a scientist and an influential member of the Science Council, and is now an artificial entity functioning as Clark Kent's guide on Earth.

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[edit] Physical Appearance

Jor-El on Krypton.

Jor-El looked primarily the same as Clark in his younger years; this is strongly corroborated in Blue, when the clone of Jor-El's wife Lara initially thought her son Kal-El was Jor-El.

When Jor-El traveled to Earth in his mid-20s, he often wore a brown leather farmer's jacket and brown trousers, and normally had his hair gelled.[1]

In his later years, Jor-El's hair turned blonde as he aged[2], and he wore white Kryptonian robes with a black House of El symbol on the chest[3], as well as red Kryptonian garments[4] and grey/silver clothing.[5]

[edit] Personality

"We cannot doom another planet's future to preserve our past!" – Jor-El, to the Science Council, Kandor

As an artificial entity, Jor-El is initially portrayed as being cold and very strict with Clark, insisting that he fulfill his Kryptonian destiny and taking drastic measures to force Clark to do what he commanded and/or punish Clark for any failure, such as branding a Kryptonian symbol on Clark's chest, brainwashing Clark as Kal-El of Krypton, taking away Clark's powers and imprisoning Clark in a column of ice. However, this could be due to the fact that the "artificial entity" Jor-El, though logical like the "real" Jor-El, lacks his counterpart's emotions.

The memory pendant that Clark discovered showed that Jor-El, during his visit to Earth in his youth, fell in love with Louise McCallum; Jor-El expressed warm affection towards Louise, as well as sadness and grief when she died. Apparently, Jor-El had issues with his own father; he commented to Louise that he wasn't a "model son." He also showed appreciation towards Hiram Kent for helping him get to the Kawatche Caves and even congratulated Hiram for his unborn child, telling him that the baby was lucky to have a father like him; so grateful was Jor-El for Hiram's aid that, years later, he later sent his own son Kal-El to Hiram's son Jonathan Kent.[6] Jor-El's clone later stated to Chloe Sullivan that he fondly remembered his brief time on the Kent Farm.[7]

In recent years, after Jor-El's motives for sending his son to Earth were revealed to be, for the most part, to save and protect it, it became increasingly evident that Jor-El cared for Clark despite continuing to be rather strict with him, as he resurrected Clark after he died and told him that would always love him, and commended Clark on his new pro-active approach toward his destiny and expressed satisfaction with his son for making a difficult choice. Additionally, Jor-El became more receptive to Clark's human friends and family; he thanked Martha Kent for raising Clark, and restored Kara's memories and powers at Chloe's impassioned request.

Other characters have offered differing opinions of Jor-El. Jor-El was once characterized by General Zod as an "idealistic fool."[8] Raya told Clark that Jor-El was "brave," had "the biggest heart of anyone I'd known" and was hard on himself because he was unable to save Krypton from destruction.[9] Jor-El was described by his brother Zor-El as cold-blooded and dispassionate[10], and a "feeble-minded pacifist," implying that Jor-El refused to sacrifice the weak for the greater good.[11] The latter statement was recently corroborated in Kandor, where Jor-El tells Zod that he will not stand for his work being used to commit what he deemed "an atrocity," and tells the Science Council that they cannot preserve the Kryptonian race at the expense of another.[12]

[edit] Powers and Abilities

During his life, Jor-El possessed all of the natural Kryptonian abilities while under a yellow sun. He was also able to interface with Kryptonian technology using a form of telepathy to implant his memories onto a memory pendant that he was supposed to give to his father after his trip to Earth.

However, during his time on Earth, Jor-El did not know of the abilities that he would gain under a yellow sun, and was shocked when he was able to appear superhuman towards humans. Although he did not display all of his inherent abilities, he was well-adapted to them, using them for a short period of time.

  • Super strength – Used this ability to throw Lachlan Luthor across the sidewalk and into a lamppost. (Relic) Through Lionel Luthor, Jor-El used this ability to escape from his glass prison. (Hidden)
  • Super speed – Realized this power after he ran over the road to save Louise McCallum. (Relic) While possessing Lionel, Jor-El used this ability to retrieve Clark from the hospital and bring him to the Fortress of Solitude. (Hidden)
  • Invulnerability - Discovered this after being shot at, with the bullets deflecting off him and hitting Louise, killing her. (Relic)
  • Flight - Revealed his powers to Louise by taking her for a flight. (Relic)
  • Super stamina - While Jor-El was possessing Lionel Luthor he super sped to the hospital to save his son "Clark" from death; in doing this Jor-El showed no sign of tiredness.(Hidden)

Jor-El was clearly a highly skilled scientist, as he had invented cloning technology and later built a spacecraft capable of carrying and sustaining a child on a three-year trip to Earth. Though not a soldier Jor-El has shown remarkable combat experience as he easily heard Mercy's men when they tried to invade the Kent Farm and knocked Chloe out with a Kryptonian nerve pinch, much like Spock of Star Trek. He was also shown to be able to sneak up on trained soldiers and managed to get one in a choke hold before he was tasered unconscious.

After his death and emergence as an artificial entity guiding Kal-El on Earth, Jor-El became one of the most powerful beings in the Smallville universe. He possesses amazing abilities exceeding even that of a mere Kryptonian, capable of achieving feats that Kal-El needs, but he does have some limits.

  • Omniscience - Jor-El has an incredible, almost infinite, knowledge of the universe and everything Kryptonian, as well as of future events and most events that take place around Kal-El. He was able to hear Clark's conversation in Apocalypse whilst he was holding the Key.
  • Telepathy - Jor-El is capable of using telepathy to communicate with others.
  • Matter reconstruction - When Kal-El was stabbed with a severe wound, Jor-El healed him through Jonathan Kent.
  • Time manipulation - Since Kal-El constructed the Fortress of Solitude, Jor-El grew in power and was able to manipulate time, allowing Kal-El to use one time crystal and a time portal to travel to Krypton before its destruction.
  • Possession - Jor-El was able to possess Jonathan Kent and Lionel Luthor. (Exile, Hidden, Oracle)

[edit] Vulnerabilities

See: Kryptonian vulnerabilities

It is more than likely that Jor-El possessed a Kryptonian's inherent vulnerability to different forms of kryptonite.

Despite his god-like abilities as an artificial entity, Jor-El was unable to resist Brainiac as he exerted control over the Fortress of Solitude. (Abyss) When Clark later came to the Fortress, Brainiac informed him that Jor-El was gone, which was later reiterated by Clark to Chloe. (Legion, Infamous) However, Clark was somehow able to repair the Fortress and thereby revive Jor-El. (Savior)

[edit] Early Life

Jor-El was born and raised on Krypton. It was strongly implied that Jor-El had a strained relationship with his father.

Jor-El in his twenties on Earth.

In 1961, as a young man around the age of 26, Jor-El was sent to Smallville by his father as a Kryptonian rite of passage. While on Earth, Jor-El gained superhuman powers like any Kryptonian due to exposure to the planet's yellow sun. During his visit, Jor-El went under two aliases: "The Drifter" and "Joe." As Joe, he met Louise McCallum on June 15. Joe and Louise fell in love, despite the fact that Louise was married to Dex McCallum, and had an affair. On June 17, when Lachlan Luthor shot at Joe, the bullets bounced off his invulnerable body, but one hit Louise in the heart, killing her. Joe was greatly devastated by Louise's death, but knew he had to leave Earth if he was to serve the greater good.

Jor-El and Hiram Kent in the Kawatche Caves.

While on his way to the Kawatche Caves, Jor-El met Hiram Kent, who helped him escape from the police. Thanks to Hiram's selfless bravery and help, Jor-El made it to the caves and thanked Hiram for his kindness. After Hiram left the cave, he used the Key to open a small compartment in the cave wall, hiding a journalistic pendant so that his father would never learn of his human experiences. Jor-El then sealed it, collapsing the entrance to the caves as well, and returned to Krypton.

Sometime after returning to Krypton, Jor-El became a highly-respected scientist. He and his younger brother Zor-El had a falling-out over Lara, with whom they both fell in love. Despite this, Jor-El married Lara.

Jor-El works on the Orb.

Jor-El was great friends with Zod, a major in Krypton's army. He created cloning technology, and was asked by the Science Council to use this technology as a safeguard in case Rao's prophecy ever became true. Against Jor-El's own wishes, the Council pressed forward with their plans and began taking blood samples from soldiers on the battlefield just outside Kandor during the war against Black Zero. Jor-El stopped the blood intake as it made it to Zod, feeling that the Council's project had to be stopped. He, Zod and the soldiers then witnessed the destruction of Kandor.

Because of his disruption of the blood intake, Jor-El was put on trial by the Science Council for treason. He made his case before the Council, saying that taking genetic material from the Kandorians and putting it into the Orb so they could be resurrected on Earth would bring doom to Humanity. Despite this, Jor-El was sentenced to death for his actions until Zod appeared and made an impassioned plea that the Council spare Jor-El, which the Council agreed to do on the condition that Jor-El complete the Orb and both he and Zod donate their blood to the Orb as well so that the clones would be lead by two of Krypton's greatest heroes.

Jor-El irradiates the Orb with blue kryptonite.

Jor-El finished the Orb, using blue kryptonite to nullify the Kandorians' powers, and prepared to send the Stones of Power to Earth so the Kandorians could collect them if they were ever resurrected. Zod then came to Jor-El and begged him to re-create his son, who was among those killed when Kandor was destroyed by Black Zero. However, Jor-El refused, fearing that there would be complications and mutations. Though they both drew their own blood, Zod angrily retorted to Jor-El that he (Jor-El) was as dead to him as his son.

[edit] Later years and death

Jor-El became a member of the Science Council, and was given a victory ring (which contained blue kryptonite). He created the Phantom Zone, a plane of existence that served as a prison for malevolent criminals from the 28 known galaxies, and became good friends with the Martian Manhunter, who helped Jor-El hunt down alien criminals and send them to the Phantom Zone.

After years of trying to conceive a child, Jor-El and his wife Lara finally had a son named Kal-El.

Jor-El opposed General Zod and his attempt to conquer Krypton, and created the Brain InterActive Construct using Dax-Ur's designs to aid in the war against Zod and his army. He and the Council eventually managed to capture Zod and destroy his physical body, imprisoning his mind and spirit in the Phantom Zone.

Jor-El then contacted Zor-El to inform him of Zod's imprisonment and that, because of his (Zor-El's) association with Zod, Zor-El was under arrest. Knowing of Zor-El's trips to Earth, the Science Council destroyed all the portals off of Krypton and locked Zor-El in Kandor's mine control room. After Zor-El instructed Brainiac to override the lockdown, he re-activated the ignition of Krypton's core. After Kara contacted Lara and told her about Zor-El's plans, Lara told Jor-El, who went and tried to stop the ignition.

Jor-El and Lara place their son Kal-El in a spaceship before Krypton's destruction.

Unfortunately, Jor-El was unable to prevent the end of his world. Before Krypton perished, he decided to send Kal-El to Earth to find the Stones of Power and keep them from falling into the hands of Brainiac, knowing that he would be able to free Zod from the Phantom Zone. To ensure Kal-El's safety, guidance and destiny in the Kryptonian way, Jor-El copied his brainwave patterns into his son's spaceship. Along with his care and love, Jor-El sent with Kal-El a cryptic message: "On this third planet from the star Sol, you will be a god among men. They are a flawed race. Rule them with strength, my son. That is where your greatness lies."

Jor-El made other preparations for Kal-El. He decided that he wanted his son to grow up with the Kents; it was therefore no coincidence that Jonathan and Martha Kent found Clark when his spaceship crash-landed on Earth during the meteor shower of 1989. Jor-El also asked the Martian Manhunter to watch Kal-El from a distance, intervening only when it was absolutely necessary, and programmed the Orb with another function: To show the user the way to the Fortress of Solitude so they could control Kal-El by taking away his powers if he ever turned against them and did not embrace his destiny.

After sending Kal-El on his way to Earth, Jor-El placed his assistant Raya in the Phantom Zone while he and Lara tried once more to save Krypton from destruction. However, Jor-El and Lara were unsuccessful, and they died with the rest of their people.

[edit] Artificial entity

The essence of Jor-El awakens.

"Fear not, Kal-El... I am Jor-El, your father... I am his memory, his will. I am to fulfill his promise and guide you all the days of your life. You are the last son of Krypton." – Jor-El, to Clark, Exodus

As an artificial entity, Jor-El was dedicated to monitor Kal-El, now known as Clark Kent, and ensure that his destiny was fulfilled. He was able to communicate through Clark's ship, at the Kawatche Caves and, finally, the Fortress of Solitude.

[edit] Clark's ship

Main Article: Kal-El's ship

[edit] Season One

Jor-El resided within Kal-El's spaceship since it left Krypton, as he had downloaded his brainwave patterns into the spacecraft. The ship was programmed to protect Clark until he was ready to fulfill his destiny. After the ship and the Key were reunited, it flew to protect Clark from the tornado.

[edit] Season Two

Jor-El's cryptic message to Clark in his spaceship.

"You will obey me, Kal-El." – Jor-El, to Clark, Exodus

When Clark learned of his origins and activated his spaceship, he read the message from his biological father, and believed that Jor-El had sent him to conquer Earth.

On Clark's 16th birthday, Jor-El began speaking to Clark through the ship, announcing that "The day is coming." Later, Jor-El summoned Clark to the storm cellar and told him to leave Smallville; when Clark refused, he burned the the symbol of the House of El on Clark's chest, stating that, at noon the next day, Clark would leave Smallville or hurt the ones he loved most. Clark stole a kryptonite key from Lionel Luthor and placed it in the ship, causing it to explode and injure Martha. However, the craft's destruction did not mean that Jor-El was destroyed.

[edit] The Kawatche Caves

Main Article: Kawatche Caves

[edit] Season Three

Jonathan Kent and Jor-El meet for the first time.

"Kal-El, my son...now you shall be reborn." - Jor-El, to Clark, Covenant

Three months later, when he resolved to bring Clark back from Metropolis, Jonathan Kent went to the Kawatche Caves, where he placed the Key into the cave wall and established contact with Jor-El. Jor-El made a deal with Jonathan: If he gave Jonathan Kryptonian powers to bring Clark home, Jonathan would deliver Clark to Jor-El when it was time for him to fulfill his destiny.

A year later, Jor-El released "Kara" from the Kawatche Caves. Kara convinced Clark to come with her to the caves, but as they prepared to leave, Jonathan arrived with evidence that Kara was once Lindsey Harrison; Jor-El was using Lindsey to lure Clark to him. When Clark refused him, Jor-El vaporized Lindsey and hit Jonathan with a bolt of energy, threatening to kill him if Clark didn't comply. To save his human father, Clark entered the portal in the cave wall and was transported to a pocket dimension where Jor-El brainwashed him as Kal-El of Krypton, an obedient version of Clark who vowed to uphold his destiny.

[edit] Season Four

"If you don't unite them at once, then you, my son, will be seared by a fire from the sky even you can't survive. The future of mankind rests in your hands, Kal-El." - Jor-El, to Clark, Commencement

Three months after that, Jor-El returned Kal-El to Earth, where Kal-El began searching for the Stones of Power, using the full extent of his powers. Kal-El's quest was cut short when Martha Kent used black kryptonite to free Clark from his Kryptonian doppelganger.

Jor-El explains to Clark the importance of the Stones of Power.

About a year later, Clark received a letter from the recently deceased Dr. Virgil Swann advising him to seek Jor-El's guidance. He went to the Kawatche Caves, and used the Key to make contact with his Kryptonian father once again. Now that Clark was older, Jor-El could not force him to do as he wanted; he could only advise him. He explained to Clark that the Stones of Power contained all of Krypton's knowledge, and the consequences would be disastrous if they fell into human hands. Jor-El's prediction came true when the Crystal of Air was stained with the blood of Genevieve Teague and caused another meteor shower.

[edit] The Fortress of Solitude

Main Article: Fortress of Solitude

[edit] Season Five

Clark begs Jor-El to allow him to save Chloe.

"Kal-El, you have traveled far. One journey has ended. A new journey is about to begin. Welcome home, my son." - Jor-El, to Clark, Arrival

After Clark reunited the Stones of Power and used the Crystal of Knowledge to create the Fortress of Solitude, Jor-El told him that he could not return to Smallville, but must instead stay in the Fortress and prepare to save Earth from the coming of Brainiac and Zod. He began to train Clark, but was interrupted when Clark saw that Chloe Sullivan, who had been transported with him to the Arctic, followed him to the Fortress and was freezing to death. When Clark begged him to let him save Chloe, Jor-El initially forbade him to do so but acquiesced, telling Clark that he must return to the Fortress before sunset or there would be consequences. When Clark failed to return, Jor-El took away his powers.

When Lionel Luthor was exposed to the Crystal of Water, he became a Kryptonian vessel for Jor-El to use in the event that Clark needed his aid. When Clark was shot by Gabriel Duncan and died, Jor-El possessed Lionel, giving his body Kryptonian powers in order to retrieve Clark. He brought Clark to the Fortress and resurrected him as the Kryptonian he truly was. Jor-El then warned Clark that, due to his resurrection, someone he loved would have to die in his place. Before parting ways with his son once again, Jor-El wanted Clark to remember that he would always love him.

Jor-El was later suspected of infecting Martha Kent with a Kryptonian virus, and Clark insisted that he heal her and let her live. However, it was not Jor-El who was responsible; it was Brainiac. But even though he was not responsible for infecting Martha, Jor-El reiterated to Clark that he could not alter destiny, and someone he loved would still die.

A year later, when Lana Lang was killed in a car accident and Clark begged him to bring her back to life, Jor-El gave Clark a crystal that allowed him to travel back in time, but warned him that he could only use the crystal once. Clark managed to prevent Lana's death, but Jonathan died of a heart attack instead after Lana didn't die.

Jor-El gives Clark the Kryptonian dagger and instructs him to destroy Zod's vessel.

A few months later, Clark returned to the Fortress because Brainiac had chosen Lex Luthor to be Zod's vessel. Jor-El knew that Clark had no choice but to come to the Fortress because he lost his human father, but nonetheless explained to Clark that Zod was responsible for Krypton's destruction. To stop Brainiac's plan, Jor-El gave Clark a Kryptonian dagger to destroy "the vessel" in order to prevent Zod's release.

[edit] Season Six

"Everything you have done for Kal-El, you have my deepest gratitude. I could not have wished for a brighter light to guide my son. Farewell, Martha Kent." - Jor-El, to Martha, Zod

When Martha Kent made her way to the Fortress with an injured and unconscious Lois Lane after their plane crashed in the Arctic, Jor-El explained to her what happened to Clark, Zod and the world. He told Martha that, in order to save Earth, she had to find the Kryptonian dagger and kill Zod's vessel: Lex Luthor. Before sending her back to Smallville with Lois, Jor-El conveyed his gratitude to Martha for raising Clark. When Clark later came to the Fortress, he tried to communicate with Jor-El, but Jor-El did not answer him, as the Fortress appeared to be dead as a result of Clark using the Kryptonian dagger against Brainiac instead of Zod's vessel. But since Clark restored the Fortress using energy stored in the Crystal of El, Jor-El was also revived.

[edit] Season Seven

"The disc in your hand revealed your misguided intentions. I was forced to show you the error of your ways. I sent you to Earth for a purpose, Kal-El, one that cannot be taken lightly." - Jor-El, to Clark, Apocalypse

About a year later, Clark approached Jor-El about beginning his training, and Jor-El had him start with his cousin Kara, telling him to watch over her. When Clark asked him about Kara's father Zor-El and why he neglected to tell him about that branch of the family tree, Jor-El replied that Zor-El could not be trusted and neither could Kara, and warned Clark that Kara posed a grave threat.

When Clark heard his biological mother's voice coming from within the blue crystal which then teleported him to the Fortress, Jor-El urged Clark to not let his emotions fool him, but his protests went unheeded as Clark placed the crystal into the Fortress' console, bringing Lara and Zor-El back to life as clones. Once the crystal was installed, the Fortress was under Zor-El's control. Zor-El attempted to cause an eclipse that would have brought an end to the human race, but Clark, powerless due to putting on Jor-El's victory ring (which contained blue kryptonite), was able to use green kryptonite against Zor-El and destroy the blue crystal, which not only took out the clones of Zor-El and Lara, but also teleported Kara to a random location with no memory of who she was.

Clark later returned to the Fortress and pleaded with Jor-El to help him find Kara, but Jor-El refused, saying it was not his concern, and lectured Clark on the numerous times that Clark neglected his warnings and never learned a single lesson of what his actions have brought upon when let his emotions get in the way of his destiny. For Clark's lack of obedience, Jor-El froze him in a solid ice crystal for the remaining time.

About a month later, Bizarro flew up to the Fortress, and had a brief but tense conversation with Jor-El. After Bizarro left, Jor-El released Clark from the ice chamber and told him that the phantom was back and that he must defeat him.

Jor-El restores Kara's memory and powers.

When Chloe Sullivan brought Kara to the Fortress, Jor-El listened as Chloe pleaded with him to restore Kara's memory and powers so she could rescue Clark, who had been kidnapped on Lionel's orders. Though silent, Jor-El did as she asked.

Later on, Jor-El heard Clark's complaints through the Key, and sent his son to an alternate universe to show him what life would be like for everyone if he had never made it to Earth and what would happen to it, showing Clark why his destiny was so important. Once Clark came to his senses, Jor-El helped him travel to Krypton's past to stop Brainiac from killing his infant self.

[edit] Season Eight

Clark rebuilds the Fortress.

"You made a difficult choice. I'm proud of you, Kal-El." - Jor-El, to Clark, Abyss

In the aftermath of Lex's attempts to defeat the Traveler, the Fortress reverted back to the Crystal of Knowledge, which somehow ended up in the hands of Tess Mercer before it was stolen by the mysterious "X." After Clark got the crystal back, he rebuilt the Fortress and questioned Jor-El's actions about the Orb, but then asked for his help in healing Chloe, who was being taken over by Brainiac; Jor-El agreed. When Clark brought Chloe to the Fortress, Jor-El removed Brainiac from her and took away her memories of Clark's powers and alien heritage at Clark's request.

Brainiac corrupts Jor-El and the Fortress.

Clark later returned to thank Jor-El, who praised Clark for making a difficult decision and said that he was proud of him. The two then discussed the threat of the "Ultimate Destroyer." When Clark vowed to take the Kryptonian creature on, Jor-El told him that he was there for him, and Clark finally addressed Jor-El as "Father." Soon after Clark left, Brainiac came out of hiding and infected the Fortress' console, with Jor-El pleading for Clark before Brainiac took control of the Fortress in Doomsday's honor.

After Brainiac was removed from Chloe, the connection with Jor-El to communicate with Clark was gone.

[edit] Season Nine

Clark training in the Fortress.

After defeating Doomsday and cutting off all ties to his friends and human identity, Clark managed to fix the connection with Jor-El and began his Kryptonian training. He trained for three weeks in the Fortress before, whilst on duty in Metropolis, he found Lois on a monorail train that he saved. When Clark returned to his training and Lois kept clouding his judgment, Jor-El told him that something or somebody is holding him back and, in order to fully embrace his Kryptonian side, Clark must leave his human life behind fully.

A couple of weeks later, Jor-El gave Clark temporary telepathy as part of his trials so that he can improve as a superhero.

After Clark found Alia on a videotape of Toyman's attack at the Ace of Clubs, he went to Jor-El to ask about her. Jor-El told Clark of Alia's origins and that Kandor had somehow survived Krypton's explosion and its citizens have made it to Earth, arriving in the mark of their respective house.

[edit] In the comics

Jor-El as he appears in the comics.

Due to continuity changes and revamps at least every ten years in the history of DC Comics, there have been many versions of Superman's origin, Krypton and Jor-El himself. The last retcon occurred in 2006 due to Infinite Crisis; since then, a new version of Krypton designed by writer Geoff Johns and Superman director Richard Donner presented yet another version of Jor-El and reintroduced General Zod and the Phantom Zone criminals into mainstream continuity. Here, Jor-El is depicted for the first time with a beard and the design of Kryptonian society is distinct yet again from the last two reboots, incorporating elements of Donner's work on the first two Christopher Reeve films, in particular the notion of Krypton's Council threatening Jor-El with harsh penalty of exile to the very Phantom Zone he himself had discovered if he were to make public his predictions of their planet's imminent doom or otherwise attempt to "create a climate of panic."

Jor-El is shown here to have been mentored by friend and noted scientist Non, who corroborated Jor-El's findings regarding Krypton's impending destruction when the two were arrested and brought to trial before the Council by Zod and Ursa. When Non defies the Council's dire prohibitions and elects to spread the word of the coming apocalypse, he is abducted by Council agents and apparently lobotomized, thus explaining the character's mute simple-mindedness. Appalled, Zod and Ursa propose to Jor-El that they band together and overthrow the Council, but Jor-El will have none of it. When their murderous insurrection fails, the Council forces Jor-El to exile them to the Phantom Zone and never speak of his findings again, lest he face the same fate. For this perceived betrayal, Zod declares that he will escape and conquer Krypton (confident that Jor-El will actually discover some way to save the planet) and force the scientist and his son to kneel before him one day. (This echoes the statement Terence Stamp made in both Superman movies Donner directed: "No matter that it takes me an eternity, you WILL bow down before me, Jor-El; I swear it! First you, and then one day, Jor-El, YOUR HEIRS!!!")

Having been rebuilt via a Kryptonian crystal during the One Year Later story arc, the current version of the Fortress of Solitude, which was also designed to essentially be visually identical to the Donner films, now contains an advanced interactive "recording" of Jor-El.

Batman discovered that years ago, Jor-El sent a probe to Earth that made contact with Thomas Wayne while he was on a drive with a pregnant Martha Wayne, the probe holographically transmitting Thomas' consciousness to Krypton so that Jor-El could better learn what kind of world Earth was to help him decide which of many possible candidates he should send his son to. Thomas tells Jor-El that the people of Earth aren't perfect, but are essentially a good and kind race, who would raise the child right, convincing Jor-El to send Kal-El there. Upon returning to his body, Thomas uses the technology in the Kryptonian probe to revitalize a failing Wayne Enterprises; years later, the alien technology would be the basis of much of Batman's technology. Thomas recorded his encounter in a diary, which was discovered by Bruce in the present day.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Trivia

  • Jor-El has only physically appeared on-screen three times. The first was Tom Welling's portrayal in Season 3's Relic as a younger version of Jor-El. The second was a brief glimpse of his arm in a flashback in Season 3's Memoria. Jor-El makes a third physical appearance in Season 9's Kandor, as both a middle-aged version on Krypton and as a clone on Earth; in the episode, he is played by Julian Sands.
  • Jor-El has appeared in every season since he was introduced in Season 2. He has appeared most in Season 5 (5 appearances, including possessing Lionel Luthor in Hidden), and least in Season 6 and Season 8 with only one appearance in each.

[edit] Notes

  • In 2007, Terence Stamp participated in The Word of Promise, an audio book adaptation of the New Testament. He provided the voice of God, very similar to the voice of Jor-El. Coincidently, Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ) reprises his role of Jesus; Caviezel auditioned for the role of Superman in Superman Returns.
  • Terence Stamp is the third Superman alum with a role on Smallville; he portrayed General Zod in the first and second Superman movies with Christopher Reeve, who played Dr. Virgil Swann in Season 2's Rosetta and Season 3's Legacy.

[edit] See Also

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Relic
  2. ↑ Kandor
  3. ↑ Kandor
  4. ↑ Memoria
  5. ↑ Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton
  6. ↑ Relic
  7. ↑ Kandor
  8. ↑ Zod tells Clark that he's "an idealistic fool—just like your father." (Zod)
  9. ↑ Fallout
  10. ↑ Zor-El tells Lara that "Jor-El's blood runs too cold to be a father" and that he'll never feel the same way he (Zor-El) does about her. (Lara)
  11. ↑ Zor-El tells Clark, "The weak must be sacrificed for the greater good—something your father could never understand." (Blue)
  12. ↑ Kandor
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