Orb

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The Orb is a device created by Jor-El on Krypton at the insistence of the Ruling Council, to ensure that Krypton would endure if the planet was ever destroyed. ^[1]

The Orb stored the DNA and memories of a battalion of Major Zod's army along with Krypton's two greatest heroes: Jor-El and Major Zod. The orb possessed the power to generate clones of these Kandorians in the event that the orb was opened. Along with the Stones of Power, which stored all the knowledge of the known 28 galaxies, these Kryptonian crystals ensured that the people and knowledge of Krypton would always have a chance of surviving.

The Orb had certain safeguards built in: pieces of it were hidden throughout Earth, and maps to its location were hidden by a secret society. It also possessed the ability to "control" Clark Kent in the event that he turned against humanity, by stripping him of his powers and destroying the Fortress of Solitude.

Contents 1 Physical Appearance 2 Powers and Abilities 3 Early History 4 Season Seven 5 Season Eight 6 Season Nine 7 Notes 8 Appearances 9 Quotes 10 References

[edit] Physical Appearance

The Orb itself is a geodesic-like Kryptonian crystal, appearing in colors ranging from metallic blue to purple. ^{[citation needed]}

The Orb has a detachable piece with a distinctive symbol on it: four diamond-shaped figures opposite of each other, 2 by 2. Tess used the symbol as an emblem for her team of meteorfreaks and when Major Zod arrived at the Luthor Mansion, the symbol could be seen shining on his back. Several banners of the Kandorian army also have the Orb symbol, implying that it is a military crest of some sort.

[edit] Powers and Abilities

The Orb appeared to have three sets of powers, when activated in various ways:

When inserted into the Fortress of Solitude console

When inserted into the console of the Fortress of Solitude, the Orb was able to strip Clark Kent of his powers. It also caused the Fortress to collapse, and turn back into the Crystal of Knowledge.

When "opened" by itself

The Orb was able to create clones of DNA stored inside of it, in a manner similar to Zor-El's blue crystal. A younger Jor-El had stored the blood of several Kryptonians inside (including his own DNA, Major Zod, and several Kandorian soldiers from Major Zod's army). The clones thus created possessed the memories of their original counterparts at the time that the blood was drawn from them. Because of Jor-El's corruption of the Orb with blue kryptonite, these clones didn't have the abilities that regular Kryptonians would get under a yellow sun.

When the Orb was opened, the clones appeared all over Earth along with a scorched symbol of the clone's House on the ground where they appeared. Major Zod appeared at Luthor Mansion (Doomsdsay), where the Orb was opened; Jor-El appeared in the Turkish desert (Kandor).

Kryptonite-like weakening of Kryptonians

The Orb seemed to have some kind of kryptonite-like effect on Clark Kent and even Brainiac (while he was posing as Kara Kent). Clark was visibly weakened when Lex Luthor used the Orb against him in the Fortress.

[edit] Early History

Jor-El created the technology of the Orb before it was used by the Science Council as a means to preserve the Kryptonian race should Rao's prophecy come true. They took blood samples of the best Kandorian soldiers and placed their DNA in the Orb, which could later create clones of them. When Jor-El was forced to complete the experiment, he radiated the Orb with blue kryptonite radiation, meaning the clones would not get their natural powers under a yellow sun. Jor-El's and Major Zod's DNA were also added to the Orb.

Jor-El later added another functionality to the Orb: the ability to control Kal-El and strip him of his powers. Jor-El added this to stop Kal-El if ever he decided to use his powers for his own purpose and not to follow his destiny, knowing if Kal-El ever turned against humanity, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Jor-El sent the Orb to Earth before sending his son, Kal-El. The Orb was found and hidden away by Dr. Virgil Swann, who knew of its power and purpose by the messages he had received and picked up from Krypton. Around it, he formed the Veritas Society, whose mission was to protect and serve the Traveler.

The device was hidden away by the Veritas Society in the Luthor Mansion, which originally was on a small island in Scotland. The device was concealed in the fireplace of the castle. When Lionel Luthor had the castle moved stone by stone to Smallville, Kansas, the Orb went with it. A small piece of the Orb, needed to activate it, was separated from the Orb and hidden inside a clock in St. Christopher's Cathedral in Montreal.

[edit] Season Seven

The Orb was found in 2008 by Lex Luthor after several struggles and sacrifices. He activated the device by inserting the missing piece found in the clock earlier. Once activated, the Orb showed Lex the location of the Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic Circle via a holographic projection. (Quest)

Lex then stored the Orb in a safe in the mansion. Brainiac, disguised as Kara Kent, tried to take the Orb so he could control Kal-El. However, Jor-El had built the Orb so Kryptonians couldn't touch it, so Brainiac wasn't able to use it. Lex took the device to the Fortress to use it against Clark, believing Clark was sent to Earth to destroy all of mankind. After a confrontation with Clark, he placed the orb into the console, which stripped Clark of his powers. At the same time, the Fortress began to collapse, with both Lex and Clark still inside. (Arctic)

[edit] Season Eight

Tess Mercer managed to salvage the Orb after the events that occurred in Arctic involving Clark and Lex and the destruction of the Fortress of Solitude. It still remained whole, intact, and apparently undamaged. However, it had altered in coloration, turning from a purple-black to a metallic-blue. She took it to Luthor mansion and stored it in a vault in her room.

Tess tried to investigate the functioning of the Orb, with no apparent success however. At an unspecified moment in time, the Orb started communicating with Tess, manifesting as a bright light around the Orb and talking to her with a mysterious voice. The Orb started giving orders to Tess, one of which was to destroy the black crystal that Clark had that could open a portal into the Phantom Zone through the Fortress so he couldn't trap Doomsday and had no choice but to destroy him. After Tess had completed this task, the Orb asked her if Kal-El was ready to fulfill the prophecy, and told her that she would be the savior of Kandor after everything she's done. It later enveloped her with its bright glow.

The vault was somehow breached and Tess arrived to find the Orb missing from the vault. There were indications that the breach had been from inside the vault, thus suggesting that the Orb itself had left the vault for unknown reasons. After Clark imprisoned Doomsday with the help of the Justice League, the Orb reappeared outside the Luthor mansion, glowing brighter, and shot a ray into the ground. After a burst of light, a naked man with the Orb symbol on his back appeared, holding the Orb. Zod's symbol also appeared, burned on the ground. At the same time, several voices could be heard chanting Zod's name.

[edit] Season Nine

The Orb had created the clones of the soldiers from Kandor who had their blood samples taken, inlcuding Jor-El and Major Zod and had created them all around the earth. In a flashback from Jor-El, is showed how the Orb was created and appeared along with the Stones of Power.

[edit] Notes

• The Orb contradicts Jor-El's messages to Clark in earlier seasons. In the message from Clark's ship, Jor-El told Clark that his destiny was to rule humanity but the purpose of the Orb (sent by Jor-El) was to prevent Clark from ruling Earth.
• The voice from the Orb contained two voices, man and woman, speaking simultaneously. ^[2]

[edit] Appearances

• Season Seven: Quest, Arctic.
• Season Eight: Eternal, Injustice, Doomsday.
• Season Nine: Kandor

[edit] Quotes

Jor-El: Welcome home, my son.

Clark: Home? I wanted to see it that way, Jor-El. I wanted to learn more about my family, about my destiny. Then you tore it all away.

Jor-El: I programmed the Fortress to remove your powers and self-destruct if you became a danger to the planet.

Season Eight, Abyss

---

The Orb: Is Kal-El ready to fulfill the prophecy?

Tess: I did as you asked. The crystal has been destroyed.

The Orb: Then you shall be the savior of Kandor.

Season Eight, Injustice

[edit] References

1. ↑ The Ruling Council stated this in Kandor.
2. ↑ It was clearly heard in Injustice.