This article is about "General Zod" and his genetic clone "Major Zod". For the Season Six episode, see Zod (episode).
Zod
Family
General Zod: Unnamed Wife (deceased), Unnamed Son (deceased), Faora (second wife), Davis Bloome/Doomsday ("son"/genetic creation), Major Zod (genetic clone) Major Zod: General Zod (genetic template), Faora (mate)
Occupation
General Zod: Former Major then General of Krypton's army
"Unlike you, I will lead from a throne, not from the shadows. Every human, including the woman you love, will Kneel before Zod!" – Major Zod to Clark Kent, Salvation
Zod is a ruthless and powerful Kryptonian military leader.
General Zod led an army of dedicated soldiers in an attempt to overthrow the Ruling Council of his homeworld Krypton and claim it for himself. After being promoted within the military following a falling-out with his former friend Jor-El, Zod became corrupted by his own political ideas, thriving on power and conquest and using his soldiers - who greatly respected him because of the measures he was willing to take to save them - as mere pawns. After being partially responsible for Krypton's destruction, the general and his second wife Faora were imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for destroying Krypton but not before they placed their "son" on Kal-El's spaceship. Years later, Zod escaped with the help of Brainiac, who had kidnapped Lex Luthor and prepared the human to become a vessel for Zod's Phantom wraith. After possessing Lex, Zod placed Kal-El in the Phantom Zone. However, Kal-El escaped the Zone and used the Crystal of El to force Zod's spirit out of Lex's body and back to the Phantom Zone.
A considerably younger clone - the end result of an experiment to preserve the Kryptonain race in the event of the planet's destruction, who refers to himself as Major due to being created at a time when Zod held that rank - was released when Tess Mercer opened the Orb that housed him and his army. Soon afterwards, Zod and his soldiers discovered that none of them were given the powers that Kryptonians typically gained under the yellow sun due to their DNA being irradiated with blue kryptonite by Jor-El. When they attempted to restore their natural Kryptonian powers, Clark Kent (Kal-El) tried to help Zod and his people live normal lives on Earth, which didn't sound appealing to Zod. When Zod started the RAO Corporation to create solar towers to turn Earth's yellow sun into a red one so that he and the Kandorians could gain their powers, Kal-El destroyed the solar towers. A short while later, Zod was shot but was healed thanks to a drop of Kal-El's blood, which also restored Zod's natural powers. Zod killedFaora and their unborn child after suspecting her of betraying him, then manipulated his soldiers into believing that the humans had killed her and would destroy and hunt them down as well. He gave them their powers the same way he received his and, ready to start a war with the humans, declared that Krypton will rise again with him as leader. After being defeated by Kal-El, Zod was transported to a new world where the Kandorians said they would punish him for killing Faora.
After the Kandorians send him to the Phantom Zone, Zod's clone came face-to-face with his original self's phantom and the two merged into one entity. Zod then made a deal with Darkseid so he could have dominion over the Zone and have his revenge. Almost a year later, Kal-El discovered that someone had been releasing people from the Zone, so he and Oliver Queen voluntarily went there to find out who and why and met Zod. After Kal-El destroyed the Phantom Zone crystal, Zod was trapped there forever but vowed he would one day return and defeat Kal-El.
"Finally, back in the body that you stripped me of. Now I have the full knowledge of two lives and you, you're my enemy in both." - Zod to Clark, Dominion
As a major in his youth, Zod did not have facial hair and occasionally wore a Kryptonian military uniform.[1] But as a general, Zod had facial hair and was noted for wearing black and other dark Kryptonian garments before his body was destroyed and he became a wraith.[2] After he was freed from the Phantom Zone and possessed Lex, Zod took on his physical appearance and wore a long, black leather coat and other dark clothing.[3]
Zod's clone in his first appearance in Season Nine.
After appearing out of the Orb, Zod's clone looks exactly like the original Zod's youth. Zod normally wore military clothing whereas he wore high class clothing (like suits) when attended social events.[4]
After being exiled to the Phantom Zone, Zod's clone merged the original Zod's Phantom wraith. This fusion kept the some of the clone's appearance sans facial hair and scars. Like before, he wore dark clothing with black battle armor and a long, leather coat with metal studs lining the front and kept a sword which he carried in a brown, leather sheath.
"Zod is a foe not to be taken lightly, with or without his powers." - Jor-El's clone, Kandor
Zod's former personality was forever transformed after his best friend Jor-El refused to resurrect his little boy after he died in Kandor city with his mother. Because of this, he became ruthless, commanding, manipulative and destructive, standing unfazed by the death and destruction being caused on Earth by Brainiac's virus.
Zod was very charismatic and manipulated many individuals to aid him in his cause, swaying them to follow him as he sought to overthrow the Ruling Council and rule Krypton; he turned Zor-El against the Ruling Council and corrupted Brainiac's programming. After his imprisonment and release from the Phantom Zone, all Zod was interested in was re-shaping Earth into a new Krypton.
Despite being married to Faora, Zod (while possessing Lex) was interested in human women to cater for his heirs.
Zod was power-hungry, narcissistic and kept grudges against those who opposed him, in particular Jor-El and other members of the House of El. After being freed from the Phantom Zone, he banished Kal-El (Jor-El's son) to the Phantom Zone due to Jor-El sending Zod there in the first place years earlier. It was later revealed that Zod's grudge against Jor-El began after Jor-El refused to re-create Zod's deceased son; after this, Zod declared that Jor-El was more dead to him than his dead son.[5]
Zod has killed several people who defied or betrayed him:
Coats: Zod killed Coats for releasing a zombie virus (without Zod's permission) that could only be cured with Kal-El's blood.
Zod is a master manipulator. He manipulated Tess into buying the RAO Corporation, and later distracted her long enough to kidnap Jor-El's clone, whom Tess had captured earlier (although Tess had planned to let Zod capture Jor-El).[6]
Zod was obsessed with restoring his lost powers and the powers of his fellow soldiers. His partnership with Tess and his building of the solar towers were key elements of his plan to do so. Ironically, although the solar tower was destroyed, Zod was able to gain Kryptonian abilities through a drop of Kal-El's blood.
Like Lionel Luthor, Zod is shown to be a sophisticated individual with expensive tastes. He exhibits a fondness for fine wine and Shakespeare as well as a strong interest in beautiful women. He is one of the more serious characters but shows occassional flashes of dry, sarcastic humour.
"No, Jor-El left it here. And when we find it... we will have the means to complete the tower. And we will turn the yellow sun red. And then Kal-El... will not be the only one with powers on this Earth." – Zod, to Faora, Disciple
When Zod was "recreated" by the Orb, he lacked all the abilities that a Kryptonian would normally receive under a yellow sun due to Jor-El irradiating the DNA of all the clones in the orb with blue Kryptonite. Because of the radiation, his powers worked under a red sun but still worked in the same way physically, storing up solar energy like a battery for future use.[7]
Zod regained his natural powers when Clark healed his bullet wound using a drop of his blood which purified Zod's body of the blue Kryptonite readiation and allowed him to access his superpowers. Afterwards, Zod asked Clark how he knew that his blood would cure him (Zod didn't mention he got his powers back); Clark replied he didn't know but assumed that it was because both of them were Kryptonians. Once his powers were restored Zod displayed unusually adept control over his abilities including an instant mastery of flight and super hearing.
Solar Battery - Zod became affected by the sun in that he was able to absorb, store and metabolize solar energy, after he was healed by Kal-El's blood.[8]
Telekinesis - An ability displayed while he was possessing Lex Luthor. Zod was able to influence the movement of Kryptonian objects with his mind. His telekinesis only works with Kryptonian computer programs.[9]
Flight - Zod could easily defy the laws of gravity, enabling him to move, levitate, or even hover, through the air without assistance.[10]
Healing Factor - Zod's body could heal from any injury almost instantly and was immune to all human diseases, unless he is exposed to blue or green Kryptonite.[11]
Super Speed - Zod could move and or exercise at incredible speeds that exceeded the sound barrier. His reflexes and perceptions were also accelerated.[14][15]
Invulnerability:- Zod's superpowered body was as strong as steel and was almost indestructible.[16]
Expert Swordsman - Zod proved to be an expert swordsman even before he got Kryptonian powers and is extremely dangerous with or without powers.[19]
Military Skills - As a major and general, Zod is an experienced soldier who is dedicated to his cause. When Jor-El refused to resurrect his son and sometime after he was elevated to the rank of General, Zod became a ruthless, cold, manipulative leader of a large battalion of Kryptonian soldiers on planet Krypton, and his authoritative hand was well regarded by his army, as he had such an influence on his own people.[20]
Skilled hand-to-hand combatant - Zod has proven to be a skilled fighter and to possess great amounts of skill when fighting in hand-to-hand combat.[21]
Zod also retains detailed knowledge of Kryptonian technology; he told Clark how Kryptonian science can reveal the secrets of the universe and how on Krypton religion is science and not superstition as it is on Earth. He also built the RAO Corporation into a company capable of building solar towers.
Like any Kryptonian, Zod was vulnerable to various types of kryptonite although he demonstrated his weakness only to both the blue and green types.
Further more, Zod's wraith would only have his Kryptonian powers if the vessel already had powers (unlike what happened when other zoners possessed individuals). Because of this weakness for Zod, Brainiac would first try to make Kal-El become Zod's vessel.[22] When this failed, Brainiac gave Lex Kryptonian powers and then turned him into Zod's vessel.[23]
Zod was originally defeated by Kal-El using the Crystal of El, which was able to exorcise his wraith from Lex's body.[24]
As an adult, Zod joined the Kryptonian military, where he rose to the rank of Major. He was best friends with Jor-El, and was married with a young son. On the border of Kandor, Major Zod and his soldiers (which included Faora, Basqat, and Alia) were having their blood taken by a medic as they waged a war against Black Zero. Just as Zod was about to have his blood drawn, Jor-El stopped the medic and informed them that this project was stopped.
Zod and Jor-El then witnessed the destruction of Kandor, and Jor-El had to hold Zod back from the blast as his wife and child were still inside the city.
Zod is devastated after his wife and son are killed in the destruction of Kandor.
When Jor-El was put on trial by the Ruling Council and sentenced to death for his obstruction of the blood intake, Zod intervened and pleaded to the Council that Jor-El be spared, which they agreed to provided that both Jor-El and Zod donate their blood to the Orb. Zod later asked Jor-El to use cells from his dead son to re-create him, but Jor-El declined (reasoning that the clone could possibly develop horrible mutations) before taking blood from himself and Zod. Angered, Zod declared that Jor-El was as dead to him as his son.[25]
Years later, Zod rose to the rank of General, and built up an army with the aim of using it to take over Krypton. He married again to a soldier named Faora, and the two saw it as their destiny to take over Krypton. They began their campaign and tried conceiving an heir, but discovered that Faora was unable to bear children. As a result, Zod and Faora took their DNA and fused it together with other violent Kryptonian life-forms, creating their son, "the ultimate destroyer". They also realized that they instead could rule Earth with the powers gained under a yellow sun.
When Jor-El created his own version of Dax-Ur's Brain InterActive Construct, Zod was able to corrupt its system, gaining an advantage in his war with the Council.
Because his forces became so large, Zod gave massive roles in the war to his closest disciples, Nam-Ek and Aethyr. Learning of the attempt on Jor-El's life by his own brother Zor-El, Zod contacted Zor-El and asked him to be his ally, using Zor-El's hatred of his brother to an advantage. Aethyr and Nam-Ek would often plan various attacks on major Kryptonian cities after communicating with Zor-El, who would give them inside knowledge of the Council's plans and weak points in their defenses.
Zod and Faora attached their "son", which was mere genetic matter at that point, to Kal-El's ship which was set on a course for Earth.
Before Krypton exploded, Zod and Faora were captured by Jor-El and the Ruling Council, who destroyed their physical bodies and placed their essences in the Phantom Zone; the only way either of them could escape was if they found other bodies to inhabit. However, the Council apparently made this especially difficult for Zod, as they removed his intrinsic Kryptonian abilities which would presumably have been passed to such a host when he possessed it, leaving him an incredibly weakened phantom needing the host to possess abilities before he could possess it.
Like Zod himself, his disciples were defeated and imprisoned in the Phantom Zone. However, Nam-Ek and Aethyr escaped Krypton inside the Black Ship (that also contained Brainiac) just before the planet exploded. Afterward, their mission became clear in freeing Zod on Earth; however, this mission would take them years to accomplish, needing to find the Stones of Power to do so. Aethyr and Nam-Ek were alerted to the location of the stones when the blood of Genevieve Teaguestainedone of the stones. Once Nam-Ek and Aethyr arrived on Earth during the second meteor shower, they immediately set out to conquer the planet in Zod's name and remake it as a new Krypton, but were thwarted by Clark Kent, formerly Kal-El of the House of El. When Zod's disciples failed to complete their mission, Brainiac created an extension of himself that took on the human identity of Milton Fine and set out to release Zod. Due to Brainiac's machinations, Clark nearly released Zod from the Phantom Zone, but he closed the portal just before Zod arrived. According to Brainiac, Clark was originally intended to be Zod's Kryptonian vessel, but Jor-El's spirit proved to be too strong in Clark so Brainiac was forced to turn elsewhere.
Brainiac eventually chose Lex Luthor to be Zod's vessel, and altered Lex's body so that he possessed Kryptonian powers. To prevent Zod's return, Jor-El gave Clark a Kryptonian dagger and told him to kill Lex. However, Clark could not bring himself to do this, and instead hurled the dagger at Brainiac, stabbing him in the chest. However, with Brainiac accessing the Fortress of Solitude through the dagger, Zod's spirit was released into Lex's body. When Clark demanded to know where Lex was, Zod replied that Lex was dead, and gave Clark an opportunity to join him in conquering Earth. When Clark refused him, Zod imprisoned him in the Phantom Zone.
In Lex's body, Zod absorbed his human intelligence, feelings and memories. Zod kidnapped Lana Lang and held her captive with an order that she sire him an heir as he set out to transform Earth into a new Krypton. When Lana tried to stop Zod, he impaled her hand to a wall with a fire poker. Later, Lana obtained the Kryptonian dagger and tried to stab Zod, but Zod was too quick and too powerful; he threw Lana to the floor and broke the dagger in half.Zod and Clark fighting.
Clark managed to escape from the Phantom Zone with the help of Raya and confronted Zod, destroying the Kryptonian black box that Zod was using to transform Earth in the process. Unfortunately, Zod, a trained soldier, easily outmatched Clark and pummeled him into submission. Clark "kneels before Zod."
At the end, Zod struck a deal: If Clark swore his allegiance to him, then Zod would allow those close to him to live. Clark appeared to agree, but after taking Zod's hand, pressed the Crystal of El into it, separating Zod's spirit from Lex's body.
Zod's phantom wraith
When Brainiac returned, Clark suspected the possibility of Zod and Zor-El forming a partnership; however, Kara Kent rebuffed that theory, saying the only thing both of their fathers had in common was their hatred for Zod. However, it would later be revealed that prior to Krypton's destruction, the two did form an alliance.
In an alternate reality, Brainiac (in his human guise of Milton Fine) manipulated Lex into wiping out life on Earth and intended to use Kara to release Zod from the Phantom Zone to re-create Krypton on Earth.
After Faora, wife of Zod, escaped from the Phantom Zone and inhabited the body of Lois Lane, she found Davis Bloome and revealed his origins, telling him that he was destined to destroy all life on Earth so that Zod's bloodline could rule the planet.
It was soon revealed that the clones only had memories of their original selves up to the point their DNA was harvested. As a result of this the younger clone of Zod lacked the original's memories of trying to take over Krypton and invariably leading to it's destruction; however, he did have his memories of Jor-El denying his attempts to resurrect his son.Zod and Tess being interrogated by the Kandorians
Zod, along with his soldiers, took over the Luthor Mansion, where he imprisoned and interrogated Tess Mercer. Confused by their sudden appearance on Earth without having any of the powers they were supposed to have under the yellow sun, Zod's troops soon began to question his leadership, knocked him unconscious and imprisoned him along with Tess. Later, when he was brought before his soldiers, Zod assured them that he would find the answers that they were looking for or die trying. Trusting his word, all the troops knelt before him. When they left the mansion, they erased all the footage of the past three weeks.
Zod sees the House of El symbol.
When an airborne virusturned the citizens of Metropolis into zombies, Zod discovered that the virus had been released by Coats, one of his Kandorian soldiers. He demanded an explanation, figuring that his recklessness could reveal their existence to the humans, even Tess. Coats came back with information that a super-powered Kryptonian hero was on Earth and was responsible for saving the humans using his blood. Coats gave Zod a piece of paper with the House of Elsymbol, believing it to have been made by Jor-El. Coats also gave a sample of the blood to Zod so he could track the Kryptonian down, whoever and wherever he may be. Though he was impressed with the results, Zod felt that Coats' reckless actions almost put the welfare of the Kandorians in jeopardy, so he beheaded Coats with a sword.
Zod created the RAO Corporation to make solar tower technology; Tess acquired the company without knowing of his involvement. She announced the acquisition at the Luthor Mansion, where Zod appeared to congratulate her on the accomplishment. Zod then found Tess to ask her to find the Blur; Tess asked to be equal partners in his endeavors, but he denied her request. As he left the mansion, Zod told his Kandorian spy, who posed as Tess' security guard, to force her to tell him about the Blur or to kill her. Tess, however, overpowered the guard and gave Zod the guard's bloody dog tags.
Zod made a promise to his fellow Kandorians to find the traitor Jor-El so they could force him to return their powers and they could become the gods that they were meant to be. He met with Tess, hoping she would lead him to Jor-El which she said she was already working on. Tess later found Jor-El at the Kent Farm and kidnapped him, hoping to protect Kal-El; in the end, Zod betrayed her by taking him from her. Zod then brutally beat Jor-El in an attempt to force him to reveal how he had taken their powers and kept them for himself. Jor-El revealed that he used blue kryptonite on the Orb so that the clones would not have powers, before revealing to Zod that they are in fact clones of their former selves, who had gone on to live full lives, and that Zod had destroyed Krypton years later.Zod contemplates Kal-El in the distance.
Zod dismissed Jor-El's claims and realized that Jor-El had a son in his later years and sent him to Earth, where he had become the Blur. Zod then released Jor-El, who went to find his son. He later tracked Jor-El's son Kal-El, now known as Clark Kent, to a lake, where he buried Jor-El, who had been fatally wounded, and engraved the Mark of El on a nearby stone as Zod watched from a distance.
Zod orders his soldiers to "Kneel before Kal-El".
As Zod was giving each soldier a task as part of his plot to infiltrate human society in order to have the solar towers built, Clark appeared in his Blur costume, and Zod ordered all the Kandorians to "Kneel before Kal-El".
Zod waited for Clark to return to the Kent Farm to discuss how the Kandorians could receive their powers, but Clark didn't have the answers he was looking for. Zod sensed that Clark distrusted him, for he was believed to have killed Jor-El, but assured him that he had nothing to do with Jor-El's death. Zod went to see Lois Lane (Clark's girlfriend) at Metropolis General Hospital and gave her a Kryptonian charm. Later, after being warned by a furious Clark to stay away from Lois, Zod and Faora discussed their search for the Book of Rao, which they believed Jor-El had hidden on Earth.Clark confronts Zod.
As the solar towers neared completion, Zod felt that he was losing control of his fellow Kandorians as they were integrating into human society due to Clark's influence. When Clark was exposed to gemstone kryptonite, he forced Zod to tell the truth about Jor-El's death. Zod admitted that he had nothing to do with Jor-El's death and still regarded him as his friend, and lied that Tess was responsible for Jor-El's murder.Zod at Alia's Kryptonian funeral
Later, Zod was told by Alia that she was responsible for Jor-El's murder; Alia gave him a gun to do what he thought was justice, so Zod took the gun and shot Alia. Nonetheless, Zod prepared a funeral pyre in her memory and was confronted by Clark for lying to him about the identity of Jor-El's murderer. He later watched as his solar towers were destroyed by an outside force, which he knew was caused by Clark.
Zod goes undercover
When Vala and two other Kandorians went missing, Zod told Clark about the disappearances and that he knew it was Clark who destroyed the towers. He decided to go undercover as a reporter at the Daily Planet and discovered Dr. Bernard Chisholm's location. Trying to save the captured Vala and Lois, Zod was shot by Dr. Chisholm. As Zod lay dying, Clark confessed that Jor-El's last wish was for him to save Zod.Zod's clone flies over Metropolis.
Using a kryptonite needle, Clark dripped his blood into Zod's bullet wound. Though Clark's blood saved Zod, it also managed to restore Zod's natural Kryptonian abilities. After talking with Clark, who then left to deal with a crime, Zod took in the yellow light of the sun and flew off the roof of the Daily Planet.
Zod catches Tess's bullet.
As Zod tested all the Kryptonian abilities, he received a text message from Tess to meet her at the Kent Farm. Zod met with Tess in the barn, only to find out that she wanted to see if he truly received his powers after he was killed by Dr. Chisholm. As he tried to persuade her to give up her obsession, Tess fired a gun at him, but he was able to catch the bullet. Zod couldn't allow her to reveal to anyone, especially Clark, that he had his abilities, but Tess managed to overpower him with kryptonite. Zod and Tess then spent a passionate night together at the Luthor Mansion; afterwards, he admitted how beautiful and strong she was. Later, Zod used Clark's voice scrambler to contact Lois, posing as the Blur, to convince her to get information on Tess.
As Lois was able to discover more information on Tess and her science facilities, Zod still posed as the Blur to question her investigations. Zod then saved Clark, who was infected with red kryptonite, from John Corben by attempting to blow him up using his heat vision. Clark followed Zod and forced him to tell him how he had received Kryptonian abilities, and Zod allied with Clark to become an unstoppable team. Zod and Clark went to Seattle, where he watched Clark create snow using his super breath. Clark decided to take Zod to the Fortress of Solitude and meet Jor-El's entity.Zod gives his soldiers their power.
At the Fortress, Zod told Clark of the Book of Rao that Jor-El hid on Earth. As Corben infiltrated the Fortress under Chloe Sullivan's orders, Zod and Clark used their combined abilities to subdue him. However, Corben broke free. Once Clark was freed from the influence of red kryptonite, Zod disappeared. Later, Tess met with Zod, showing him some photos of Clark and the other Kandorians. After finding out that a few Kandorians had betrayed him and looked to Clark as their new leader, Zod took his few remaining faithful Kandorians to the Fortress, where he used a kryptonite dagger to slit his hand so he could bleed his Kryptonian blood out for them to take.
Zod murders Faora.
Zod discovered that Checkmate was aware of the Kandorians existing on Earth. Seeing them as a threat to him and his people, he believed that it was time to destroy his enemies. Zod was intercepted at the Luthor Mansion by Oliver Queen aka the Green Arrow, whom Zod knew was also an enemy of Checkmate. He offered Oliver the chance to join him against a common enemy, but Oliver refused. The discussion turned into a confrontation, with Zod knocking Oliver back against a wall; Oliver, however, managed to shoot Zod with a kryptonite dart. Zod lay in defeat until he managed to take the dart out of him; he ambushed Oliver and scorched his family crest onto his chest. Zod regrets killing Faora
The Kandorians whom Zod did not trust and hadn't given powers to were threatened by Checkmate. When Amanda Waller took Faora hostage, Zod arrived and threw Waller against a windshield. He intended to kill her until Clark showed up and threw him against a wall. Zod was unharmed and took Faora away with him. He brought Faora back to the Kandorian base where he explained that, ever since the day his original self had rescued her original self during a battle on Krypton, he had respected her, even allowing her to share his bed at one point. Faora argued that he was going about Earth the wrong way and that peace was the best solution. Zod ordered her to kneel but, when she refused to, he strangled her, killing her quickly. However, Zod learned that Faora had become pregnant with his child, and was shaken to the core.Zod decimates Checkmate
Zod went to Checkmate's headquarters, where he murdered many agents before seeing Waller again; it was then that he destroyed the castle and most of Checkmate along with it. He brought all of the Kandorians to the Fortress, explaining that it had been the humans that had murdered Faora. Clark arrived and told them that Zod was lying and that he (Zod) was the one who killed Faora. The Kandorians, however, believed Zod and proclaimed him General and their absolute leader. Zod relished at Clark's defeat and flew off with the other Kandorians, ready to turn Earth into a new Krypton.
Zod meets with Lois.
Disguising himself as the Blur, Zod went to Lois to reveal himself to her, requesting her help since Clark was hiding secrets that could hurt him. Retreating to the Fortress, Zod attempted to destroy the console to prevent Jor-El from communicating with Clark, but found Tess there. After Tess tried to kill him using kryptonite knuckles, Zod used his heat vision to burn portions of Tess' body, leaving her clinging to life. Clark arrived and still tried to reach out to Zod; however, Zod felt he was beyond saving after killing Faora. Zod and his army face Clark
Zod had his soldiers attack places on Earth, including the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Greek Temples and the Washington Monument. When Lois learned that Zod was not the Blur, she tried to keep the Book of Rao from him; Zod tried to kill her but was stopped by Clark. Zod and the Kandorians confronted Clark as he was about to use the Book of Rao; after a brief but tense stand-off, Zod slammed Clark against a wall and inadvertently revealed the truth about Faora's death to his soldiers. The Kandorians sided with Clark, who activated the Book of Rao. As his soldiers were being transported to New Krypton, Zod used a blue Kryptonite dagger to keep himself on Earth and used it to fight Clark to the death. Zod is teleported into the sky.
However, Clark decided to keep himself on Earth by stabbing himself with the dagger and falling off the building. With Zod no longer within the blue kryptonite's affects, his powers returned, thus making him Kryptonian again and activating the Book of Rao's function to teleport all Kryptonians. Zod was teleported to a new world to be dealt with by the other Kandorians.
Once on their new planet, the Kandorians imprisoned Zod in the Phantom Zone for the murders and deception he committed. Some point after his arrival, he met with his original self's phantom wraith and the two Zods merged into one entity with the full memories of both.
Darkseid came to Zod with a proposition: Darkseid would give him dominion over the Phantom Zone in exchange for killing Kal-El to which Zod agreed. Because he possessed Kal-El's blood, he had the ability to activate the Phantom Zone gateway and sent Slade Wilson back to Earth, knowing Kal-El would come to the Phantom Zone where he could kill him.
When Clark and Oliver went into the Phantom Zone to investigate Slade's release, they were captured by zoners and taken to their leader Zod, who forced the two to kneel.Zod seeks vengeance against Clark
Zod blamed Clark for his imprisonment. He also informed Clark of his merge with his original self's phantom wraith. Zod once again tried to persuade Clark to join him but he refused. Zod then had the two heroes become combatants in his gladiator arena.Zod persuades Oliver to join him
Zod later had a private meeting with Oliver, acknowledging that he knew the archer was tainted by Darkseid. Zod proposed to Oliver that he should give into his Darkseid (as eventually Clark will find out and betray him) and they could rule the Phantom Zone together. Oliver apparently agreed and fought Clark. When Oliver managed to wound Clark, Zod stopped Oliver from killing him as he wanted to finishing him off. Before Zod could do that, Oliver managed to steal the Phantom Gateway giving it to Clark so they could escape.Zod and his minions are banished
Clark told Zod that he would give him no more second chances and destroyed the crystal and the entrance to the zone, leaving Zod and the other Phantom Zone prisoners stranded in the shard crystal of the Phantom Zone floating aimlessly through space. Oliver's apparent betrayal of Clark was later revealed to be a ruse the two planned to get the crystal.
In an alternate future, Zod's clone declared himself as "General Zod" and took over Earth with his Kryptonian abilities. Living in the Luthor Mansion with Tess at his side, he had Lois Lane brought to the mansion for questioning as he took the Legion ring. Since Lois was not being cooperative as was Clark, he didn't see fit to have them both alive. Zod later captured Clark, dragging him on the ground. Once the solar tower was shut down due to a computer virus, Clark regained his powers as Zod stabbed him with a Kryptonite dagger. He realized that, if Lois was sent back in time, Clark would have "destroyed" the world he created.
General Zod (full name Dru-Zod) is a DC Comics supervillain and a long-time adversary of Superman, one of the most poignant villains of the franchise due to the character hailing from Superman's home planet of Krypton. Once Military Director of the Kryptonian Space Center, Zod had known Jor-El, Superman's father, when he was an aspiring scientist. When the space program was abolished after the destruction of the inhabited moon Wegthor by the renegade scientist Jax-Ur, Zod attempted to take over Krypton and created an army of robotic duplicates of himself (all bearing a resemblance to Bizarro). He was sentenced to exile in the Phantom Zone for his crimes. Zod was first released by Kal-El during his career as Superboy when his term of imprisonment was up. However, he attempted to conquer Earth with the powers he gained under the yellow sun. Zod was sent back into the Phantom Zone, occasionally escaping to target Superman.
In the current history, Zod is re-introduced during the Superman: Last Son storyline written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner (who directed the original Superman movie and most of Superman II). In a story partially similar to that of Superman II, Zod, Ursa and Non escape from the Phantom Zone and come to Earth to take control and try to turn it into a "New Krypton." This incarnation is the first Post-Crisis Zod that clearly came from Superman's Krypton and not from an alternate reality. The backstory for the three Kryptonians is revealed in Action Comics Annual #10; Non had once been a brilliant scientist on par with Jor-El. Both were researching the event that would ultimately destroy Krypton. Zod entered their lab with troops (at this point Zod was still working for Krypton's Council), both Jor-El and Non were arrested by Zod and given a warning by the High Council to halt their research, then released. Jor-El set to work creating the rocket that would send his son Kal-El to Earth, while Non began to spread the word of the planet's impending doom. Non's message swayed both Zod and Ursa that Krypton was soon to be destroyed. Non then disappeared from public life, only to return with a mutilated brain; the Council had transformed him into a mindless brute and it was this act that inspired Zod and Ursa to rebel against the Kryptonian government. Without any sense of right and wrong, Non now fought alongside Zod and Ursa. Zod attempted to recruit Jor-El to their cause; however, Jor-El saw their plans fueled by greed, a lust for power and violence. This rebellion was short-lived, and the rebels were again arrested and set to be executed. Not wishing to resort to execution, Jor-El appealed, on their behalf, to exile them instead. The Council accepted this on the condition that Jor-El would be the jailer. Thus Zod, Ursa, and Non were imprisoned and embittered against Jor-El for years to come.
The story also features the debut of Christopher Kent, a young Kryptonian boy discovered and briefly raised by Superman and Lois Lane. It is revealed that Christopher (whose birth name is Lor-Zod) is the son of Zod and Ursa, birthed in the Phantom Zone and used as a conduit for their escape. After jumping Superman, Zod managed to trap him in the Phantom Zone. At the same time, about twenty-five other Kryptonian criminals also escape the Phantom Zone, defeat a number of Earth's heroes and begin their quest of conquering the planet, starting with Metropolis. Superman escapes the Phantom Zone with the aid of Mon-El and ultimately defeats Zod with the unlikely aid of Lex Luthor, Metallo, Parasite and Bizarro. Out of the nearly thirty Kryptonians; Metallo, Parasite, and Luthor manage to kill five or six of them using kryptonite and red solar radiation. Zod and his compatriots are sent back into the Phantom Zone, but unfortunately, so is Chris Kent. In the conclusion of the recent New Krypton arc, the bottle city of Kandor is saved by Superman from Brainiac, and freed from its prison. When the city reforms as an entire planet named "New Krypton," it is revealed that Alura has brought Zod, Ursa and Non back from the Phantom Zone, making Zod the army's new leader. When Superman decides to see what life is like on New Krypton, he is drafted into the Military Guild under Zod. Zod and Superman maintain a mistrustful professional relationship which, despite their past, neither seems preparing to behave openly aggressive towards one another.
When Zod orders that Superman and his people kill a Kryptonian criminal, Superman circumvents the order, feeling that killing the criminal would be not only unnecessary but wrong. Although the criminal is arrested without further fatalities, Zod accuses Superman of treason, of which he is found guilty. However, before being executed, Superman gives a heartfelt speech about morality. Much to the surprise of everyone, Zod is seemingly moved by the speech and requests that the Religious Guild give Superman absolution and thus overturn the guilty charge. As a result, Superman is cleared of all charges. When asked why he did not go through with the execution of the son of someone who he hated, Zod explains that, despite everything that had happened before, he realized that his military would be stronger and better for having Superman in it. As a result, it appears that there is a level of mutual respect, if not peace, between Zod and Superman.
However during a Kryptonian ceremony, Zod is shot by the Kryptonian Ral-Dar, who is working with Sam Lane. By issue 11, he has recovered and returns to his duties in the worst possible moment, as Kal-El, Adam Strange, and Tyr-Van are about to be killed after having their powers removed because they were with Tam-Or, principal suspect for having killed a member of the council, and Superman can't stop it. Zod stops the execution and together with Kal-El, finds out who was the last member of the traitors to Krypton and arrest him after getting him to confess to the crimes. As Kal-El and Zod are talking about how Kal-El has changed New Krypton by helping the Labor Guild get on the Council, Brainiac attacks New Krypton, leading to the Last Stand of New Krypton arc event.
With New Krypton under attack by Brainiac, Zod begins his plan to defeat Brainiac after his greatest defeat by the Coluan, when he first bottled Kandor from Old Krypton. Finally, Brainiac was defeated by the combined forces of the entire Superman Family, Zod and the Kryptonians, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and the betrayal of Lex Luthor (revealed to a robot double of him, while the real Luthor was on Earth in league with Sam Lane). Brainiac was captured again by his descendent Brainiac 5 to be taken to his clone son, Brainiac 2 to their home planet of Colu, to face charges for his crimes against the universe. Meanwhile, Zod was even more popular then ever to his people for his role in Brainiac's defeat, so popular that he even declared to 100,000 Kryptonians to wage war on Earth, when it was revealed to the Kryptonians of Earth's role in Brainiac's attack on New Krypton (thanks to the help of the Luthor robot).
Zod would later declare War on Earth and had his Kryptonian army attack key cities (example: Metropolis, Washington, D.C. etc.). Many of his soldiers died in the battle, the biggest loss was when Reactron self-detonated his Gold Kyptonite heart with a massive nuclear type bomb, destroying New Krypton. When Zod went to destroy Metropolis, Superman went to "greet" him. Superman, with the help of his adopted son and Zod's biological son Chris Kent (Nightwing), sent General Zod, Non, Ursa, and many other Kryptonians back to the Phantom Zone. Although Major Zod doesn't appear in the comics himself, General Zod does. Back in the Silver Age of Comics, General Dru-Zod was first sent to the Phantom Zone because he had cloned himself and declared war on Krypton. Superman, then called Superboy, sent him back to the Zone to spend more time there.
In the recent New Krypton arc, it is revealed that Alura has brought Zod, Ursa, and Non back from the Phantom Zone, making Zod the army's new leader. Following the final moments of the arc, where the planet was destroyed by a missile fired by General Sam Lane, Zod declares war on Earth. Superman and Zod fought above Metropolis ending with Zod being pushed back into the Phantom Zone by his son.
Zod's clone is most similar to "Russian Zod", the son of Russian Cosmonauts, the unborn boy who would be codenamed "Zed" was affected when Kal-El's spacecraft and a chunk of Kryptonite irradiated his parents. He was born terminally weak and getting weaker, but exposure to red sun radiation made him super-powerful. Zod created a suit of red armor that filtered the sunlight and declared himself ruler of the fictional former Soviet state of Pokolistan. He plotted to turn the yellow sun red, but was defeated when Lex Luthor unexpectedly allied with Superman. After losing his powers, he attacked Superman with such force that he himself was killed.
Both Zods are initially powerless under a yellow sun but have Kryptonian powers under a red sun and both plot to turn Earth's sun into a red sun in order to permanently gain these powers.
Terrence Stamp, who played Zod in Superman (1978) & Superman II (1980), voices Jor-El in Smallville.
Zod first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 (April 1961).
Although Zod himself does not appear in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, a similar character loosely based on Zod named Lord Nor (played by Simon Templeman) does battle with Superman in a story arc spread over the end of the third season and the beginning of the fourth, to determine the fate of a group of surviving Kryptonians on 'New Krypton'. He was killed at the end of the arc, by exposure to a deadly Kryptonite gas.
Zod was once the best friend of Jor-El and saw him as a brother.[26] This mirrors Clark and Lex's relationship.
Believing himself victorious, Zod ordered Clark to "Kneel before Zod." This is the character's catchphrase, as he frequently said it both in The Superman Movies I & II, as well as numerous times in the comics.
Michael Shannon has been cast as General Zod in Zack Snyder's upcoming Man of Steel. He is the second non-English actor following Michael Rosenbaum to portray the character and the fourth actor to portray the role following Terence Stamp, Michael Rosenbaum, and Callum Blue.
In the comics, clones of Zod have been used many times. During the Golden Age comics, Zod was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for creating clones of himself and starting a war.
Zod married Faora then they had Doomsday while Zod's clone and Faora's clone had an unborn child (which he accidentally killed when he killed Faora).
When Zod leaves for New Krypton, it's implied that the Kandorians punish him for killing Faora.
Zod's original self was a supporting antagonist of Season Five and Season Six, his younger clone was the main antagonist of Season Nine and their merged enitity was a minor antagonist of Season Ten.
Zod is one of the few main villains (and characters) to have their ending in Smallville coincide with his character appearing in the comics. As his story ends with Zod (both his wraith and his clone merged together) and 2 of his soldiers both being trapped in the Phantom Zone it leads right into the comics story where he would one day get free of the Zone to fight Clark once again. After that, the story of them both would continue.
The military uniform that Zod wore as Major on Krypton is likely a slight tip of the hat to the Silver Age General Zod's outfit.
Zod states to Lana that "Zod doesn't take orders; he gives them.", which is exactly what Ursa pointed this out in Superman II.
Just like in Superman II when Zod extends his hand to his knelt and 'defeated' enemy and Superman crushes his hand, Zod extends his hand to his knelt and 'defeated' enemy to which Clark hides the Crystal of El in his hand which removes Zod's spirit from Lex's body.
When Zod was a major, he had no facial hair.
In the Silver Age comics, Zod's full name is Dru-Zod. In the Modern Age comics, Zod and his bodyguard Ursa have a son whom they name Lor-Zod, who was adopted by Clark Kent and Lois Lane, and re-named Chris Kent, then aged to adulthood to become the new superhero Nightwing.[citation needed]
While Zod's clone is an original character, clones of Zod have been used many times in the comics. During the Golden Age comics, Zod was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for creating clones of himself and starting a war.
When Zod's clone tells his soldiers to "kneel before Kal-El," it is interesting to note that he himself does not kneel, most likely because he considers himself to be above Kal-El in stature and rank.
Zod's clone holds a strong belief that "religion is science, not some mystical questioning" suggesting he might be an atheist.
Zod's clone is the only main character to have never interacted with Chloe Sullivan.
Zod's clone is the only main character to have never set foot inside the Talon.
Zod's clone is the fourth main cast member (after Clark Kent, Kara Kent, and Davis Bloome) to be from Krypton.
Similiar to Superman II when Zod has thinks he has 'defeated' Superman, Zod's clone stabs Clark with a Kryptonite knife only to end up teleported to another world.
Zod's clone is the last new main character.
Zod's clone did not develop facial hair until he was exiled into the Phantom Zone.
↑Zod's clone used this ability to overhear the citizens of Metropolis praising the Blur for his role in fighting crime in Escape.
↑Zod's original self easily overpowered Kal-El with his bare hands in Zod and Zod's clone was able to toss Amanda Waller into a car windshield with immense force and accuracy in Sacrifice and demonstrated this same ability when he threw Lois Lane into a phone booth in Salvation.
↑Zod's clone was able to catch Tess's bullet even though it was fired from a gun in Escape.
↑Zod's original self showed that he is quite capable of keeping up a consistent running pace with Kal-El in Zod and Zod's clone also showed that he is quite capable of keeping up a consistent pace with Kal-El in Upgrade and super-sped behind Waller in Sacrifice.
↑Zod's original self was unharmed when he and Clark hit a tree at high speeds in Zod and Zod's clone displayed this ability when he wasn't hurt when he caught Tess' bullet in Escape, when he was punched through a building by Kal-El in Sacrifice and when he was punched a vast distance by Kal-El in Salvation.
↑Zod's clone used his heat vision decimated a full-size truck with John Corben inside in Upgrade, burned his family crest into Oliver's chest in Sacrifice and burned half of Tess's face in Salvation.
↑Zod's clone used the ability in freezing Corben enough to turn him into a solid ice crystal in Upgrade.
↑Zod's clone was capable of chopping off Coats' head with a single stroke in Rabid.
↑Zod's original self showed this when he beat down Kal-El in Zod and Zod's clone effortlessly took Tess to the ground in Savior and almost defeated Kal-El in a hand-to-hand fight in Salvation.
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