This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

General Zod
If this infobox is not supposed to have an image, please add "|noimage=yes".
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Adventure Comics #283 (April 1961)
In story information
Species	Kryptonian
Place of origin	Krypton
Team affiliations	Non, Ursa (Superman Movies)
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, senses, intelligence, regeneration, and longevity; super breath, heat vision, and flight

General Zod (full name and rank General Dru-Zod) is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain and an adversary of Superman, one of the most poignant villians of the franchise due to the character hailing from Superman's home planet of Krypton. He has appeared in various Superman media spin-offs. Wizard magazine rated him the 58^th greatest villain of all time.^[1] Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. ... The powers of DC Comics fictional character Superman have changed a great deal since his introduction in the 1930s. ... A fictional character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that is created from ones imagination or from an adaption of an existing entity. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Doctor Doom, one of the most archetypal supervillains and his arch-enemies The Fantastic Four (in background). ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. ... Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture (originally titled Wizard: The Guide to Comics and Wizard: The Comics Magazine) is a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment. ...

Silver Age Zod

Dru-Zod, or simply Zod, was often portrayed as a megalomaniac. Zod was originally one of a number of Kryptonian villains trapped in the Phantom Zone. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 (April 1961). Megalomania currently refers to the following Wikipedia articles: Megalomania (mental illness), a pattern of character traits and behaviors. ... The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media. ...

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, which had been caused by renegade scientist Jax-Ur, he attempted to take over Krypton. Zod 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. Jor-El is a fictional character. ... Jax-Ur is a Kryptonian villain in Superman comics. ... This article is about the fictional character. ...

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 powers gained under the yellow sun. Zod was sent back into the Phantom Zone, occasionally escaping to target Superman.

Later versions of Zod

Pocket Universe Zod

This Zod came from a Krypton in a pocket universe created by the Time Trapper. He, along with companions Quex-Ul and Faora, devastated the Earth of that universe following the death of its Superboy, despite the best efforts of a Supergirl created by this world's heroic Lex Luthor. Eventually, the survivors of this world managed to contact the Superman of the main universe to help them, and he was able to take away the powers of the three super-criminals with gold kryptonite (As he was not from that universe, the Kryptonite of that reality would have no effect on him). However, as the three vowed to some day regain their powers and return to Superman's world to kill him, Superman was forced to execute them with Kryptonite, and it was this action that caused him to question his powers and how to deal with evil doers. This version of Zod is based closely on the Pre-Crisis version, the significant difference is he has killed everyone on the pocket Earth rather than conquering them with ease since there's no Superboy/Superman to stop him. The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Universe who often fought the Legion of Super-Heroes. ... Faora is the name of several supervillainesses in DC Comics Superman titles. ... Matrix is a superhero, best known as the second Supergirl, published by DC Comics. ... Lex Luthor is a fictional DC Comics supervillain and the archenemy of the superhero Superman. ... This article is about the fictional substance. ... Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue American comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-55-year-old continuity. ...

"Return to Krypton" Zod

This incarnation of General Zod was introduced in the 2001 storyline "Return to Krypton." He was the head of the Kryptonian military in an alternate reality created by Brainiac 13. Like the Pre-Crisis version, Zod held the Kryptonian equivalent of fascist beliefs. He sent aliens to the bottle city of Kandor and planned a military coup. Zod was defeated by Superman and the Jor-El of that Krypton. Brainiac is a fictional supervillain in DC Comics, most often appearing as an opponent of Superman. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Superman and the modern Kandor. ...

Russian Zod

The Russian General Zod.

This General Zod is a Russian who was affected prior to his birth by Kryptonite radiation because he was the son of two cosmonauts whose ship was too close to Kal-El's rocketship. This Zod is unnaturally weak under a yellow sun, but superpowered under a red sun (the opposite of Superman). After his parents died of the radiation, he grew up from birth in a KGB laboratory under the name "Zed." Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the fictional substance. ... For other uses, see Radiation (disambiguation). ... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ...

Apparently spoken to by the spirit of the Pocket Universe Zod, Zod created a suit of red armor that filtered the sunlight and declared himself ruler of the former Soviet state of Pokolistan. After several inconclusive encounters with Superman, he revealed his long-range plan to turn the sun red and take Superman's place. This was temporarily successful until Lex Luthor rescued Superman, gave him a blast of yellow solar radiation to regain his powers, and worked to restore the sun. Superman returned to battle Zod, but refused to kill him. When the sun turned yellow again, the now vulnerable Zod still struck Superman with all his power, but was killed. Pokolistan is a fictional country in DC Comics. ... Lex Luthor is a fictional DC Comics supervillain and the archenemy of the superhero Superman. ...

Phantom Zod

Introduced in the twelve-issue For Tomorrow (Superman #204-#215) storyline, written by Brian Azzarello and penciled by Jim Lee, this Zod resides in an alternate Phantom Zone alone and resents Superman for tampering with it. According to him, he comes from the same Krypton as Superman, and was exiled to the Phantom Zone by Superman's father Jor-El. This Zod wears black armor, and when unmasked, slightly resembles an older version of the film Zod. This interpretation also uses a variation of 'Kneel before Zod'. It is possible that this Zod is not a real Kryptonian, however. He appeared in Metropia, a version of the Phantom Zone created by Superman to resemble a living world, including seemingly living beings. Since Superman created the world of Metropia to bear similarities with Krypton, it has been revealed that this, yet again, is not the real Zod. For Tomorrow is the name of a twelve-issue story arc in the Superman comic continuity. ... Brian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

One Year Later

General Dru-Zod as depicted in Action Comics Annual #10.

One year after the events of Infinite Crisis, Lex Luthor used a shard of sunstone, which had the word "doomsday" engraved upon it in the Kryptonian language, along with a stockpile of Kryptonite to reactivate the Kryptonian battle cruiser, Doomsday, which had been dormant within the earth for an unknown period of time. Luthor revealed that the vessel was in fact the flagship of the Kryptonian fleet, had belonged to an Admiral Dru-Zod and scoured entire planets clean of life. One Year Later event logo. ... Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue limited series of comic books published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

In October 2006, film director Richard Donner, noted for his work on the first two Superman movies, became co-writer of Action Comics along with Geoff Johns. At the end of Action Comics #845, Zod, Ursa, and Non have apparently been freed from the Phantom Zone by someone he refers to as his and Ursa's son, implying that the Kryptonian boy that landed on Earth in the story is his son. Somehow owing their freedom to the landing on Earth of Dru-Zod and Ursa's son, after a brief stop to the newly restored Fortress of Solitude to gain information from Jor-El's projection they fly to Metropolis, where Ursa confronts Lois to win her unwilling son back and Zod sends Kal-El to the Phantom Zone after freeing the other Kryptonian inmates. Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930) is an American film director and also producer through the production company, The Donners Company, he and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler-Donner, own. ... Cover of Action Comics #1, which featured the debut of Superman. ... Geoff Johns (born 25 January 1973 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. ... Sarah Douglas in the role of Ursa in Superman II. Ursa is a supervillain that appeared as an enemy of Superman in the theatrical film Superman II. She was a co-conspirator and accomplice of General Zod. ... Non is a villain who appeared in the first to Superman movies, Superman I and Superman II. He was portrayed by Jack OHalloran. ... Chris Kent is a fictional Kryptonian in the DC Comics Universe, who first appeared in Action Comics #844 (2006) by Richard Donner, Geoff Johns, and Adam Kubert, the first part of the Action Comics story arc Superman: Last Son. ... The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. ... Jor-El is a fictional character. ...

The back-story for the three Kryptonions was 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 this act 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 the plans were 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. In addition, it is hinted that the revolution and war they attempted resulted in instability of Krypton's core.

The origins of Zod, Ursa, and Non are similar to the events shown in Superman II. Zod now closely resembles his movie counterpart, with the addition of a black trenchcoat. Superman II is the 1980 sequel to the 1978 superhero film Superman. ...

Alternate versions

The General Zod of Earth-15 became Superman instead of Kal-El, and is semi-retired but is on call if needed. This version of Zod first appeared in Countdown #30 when the Red Hood, Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner, Bob the Monitor and the Jokester traveled to Earth-15 where Jason, Kyle, and Donna met their own counterparts, who has assumed the roles of Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman respectively, along with that world's Superman and the Atom. This Zod, along with all of the heroes of Earth-15 were killed by Superman Prime. // Traditionally, the numbered Earths were spelled out as words rather than with numerals—e. ... Countdown is a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of the last issue of 52. ... Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character published in stories by DC Comics. ... Donna Troy is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Universe. ... This article is about the DC Comics character. ... The Monitors are a group of fictional characters, owned by DC Comics who exist in that companys DC Universe. ... The Joker is a fictional character and supervillain that appears in the comic books published by DC Comics. ... A depiction of several alternate Earths within the Multiverse and the different variations of the Flash inhabiting each Earth. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... The Green Lantern redirects here. ... For other uses, see Wonder Woman (disambiguation). ... Superman-Prime, originally known as Superboy-Prime, is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. ...

Zod in other media

Books

General Zod is the main antagonist of The Last Days of Krypton, a novel by Kevin J. Anderson In this incarnation, Dru-Zod is the son of Cor-Zod, formerly the head of the Kryptonian Council. Rather than taking his famous father's place on the Council, the younger Zod is put in charge of the Commission for Technology Acceptance. Commissioner Zod reviews, and at the instruction of the Council, usually rejects the inventions and theories brought forth by Jor-El. After Brainiac shrinks the capital city of Kandor, Zod steps into the now Council-free power vacuum and begins a military build-up with the help of Jor-El who is unaware of his more sinister plans for Krypton. Zod marries Aethyr-Ka in an unorthodox ceremony and begins to eliminate dissidents, trapping them in the Phantom Zone which, among many of Jor-El's devices, Zod has secretly hoarded in an effort to build up an arsenal. Although Jor-El receives long-awaited cooperation from Zod, he comes to distrust the new leader of Krypton. Zod moves his capital city to Xan City, formerly inhabited by Jax-Ur, a warlord responsible for a very dark period in Kryptonian history. With the help of the mute Nam-Ek and his wife Aethyr-Ka, Commissioner Zod declares himself General Zod and declares war on Zor-El, brother of Jor-El, attacking Argo City. The attack fails and Zod and his cohorts are captured and banished to the Phantom Zone. ISBN 006134074X |200px| ]] Pseudonym: Gabriel Mesta Born: March 27, 1962 ) Oregon, Wisconsin, U.S. Occupation: Author Genres: Science fiction Debut works: Resurrection, Inc Influences: The War of the Worlds Kevin J. Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is a prolific American science fiction author. ... Jor-El is a fictional character. ... Superman and the modern Kandor. ... Jax-Ur is a Kryptonian villain in Superman comics. ... In publications from DC Comics, Zor-El was the father of Supergirl and uncle of Superman. ... The birthplace of Supergirl, a city of the planet Krypton which survived the death of its native planet when it was hurled into outer space, people and buildings alive and intact, by the force of the cataclysm that destroyed the planet. ...

Movies

The movie version of Zod has immense popularity amongst comic fans. The recent reintroduction of Zod into DC comics continuity (co-authored by Richard Donner and Geoff Johns) shares the same back-story and Svengali-influenced appearance as the movie version. Svengali is the name of a fictional hypnotist in George du Mauriers 1894 novel, Trilby. ...

Superman

At the beginning of Superman, General Zod (Terence Stamp) is introduced as one of three Kryptonian criminals on trial. Zod was originally the leader of the Kryptonian military, who was entrusted with the defense of Krypton by the governing council. Conspiring with Non and Ursa, Zod was planning to overthrow the Kryptonian government and replace it with his own, which would have been a military dictatorship. The three were captured instead, and the council unanimously agreed to exile Zod, Ursa, and Non to the Phantom Zone. Before Zod is thus exiled, he attempts to persuade Jor-El to join them. When Jor-El refuses, Zod becomes enraged, swearing revenge upon him and his offspring. The Phantom Zone portal is launched into space shortly before Krypton's destruction. For the series of films, see Superman (film series). ... Terence Henry Stamp (born July 22, 1938[1]) is an English actor. ... Non is a villain who appeared in the first to Superman movies, Superman I and Superman II. He was portrayed by Jack OHalloran. ... Sarah Douglas in the role of Ursa in Superman II. Ursa is a supervillain that appeared as an enemy of Superman in the theatrical film Superman II. She was a co-conspirator and accomplice of General Zod. ... The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media. ...

Superman II

General Zod (Terence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas), and Non (Jack O'Halloran), as seen in Superman II.

In Superman II, the detonation of a hydrogen bomb that Superman throws into space destroys the Phantom Zone portal that has trapped Zod and his cohorts. For the 2006 Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, the original written scene was created, tying into the climax of the first film (which was the original ending). In this version, their escape is made possible by the shock wave created by the exploding XK-101 nuclear missile flung into space by Superman. Terence Henry Stamp (born July 22, 1938[1]) is an English actor. ... Sarah Douglas in the role of Ursa in Superman II. Ursa is a supervillain that appeared as an enemy of Superman in the theatrical film Superman II. She was a co-conspirator and accomplice of General Zod. ... Sarah Douglas (born December 12, 1952) is an English actress, most notable for playing strong villainessess in 1980s science fiction movies. ... Non is a villain who appeared in the first to Superman movies, Superman I and Superman II. He was portrayed by Jack OHalloran. ... Jack OHalloran (born April 8, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor best known for his role as Non, the menacing-but-mute member of the trio of Kryptonian supervillains banished to the Phantom Zone by Jor-El (Marlon Brando) in Superman: The Movie (1978) and inadvertently released... Superman II is the 1980 sequel to the 1978 superhero film Superman. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ...

After discovering that their Kryptonian physiology gives them each the same powers as Superman under Earth's yellow sun, they quickly subdue the U.S. Army and force the President of the United States to abdicate his position to Zod. This occurs shortly after Superman, unaware of their escape and presence on Earth, has stripped himself of his powers to be with Lois Lane as an ordinary human. After witnessing Zod's megalomania and defiance on a television news broadcast, Superman realizes the mistake he has made. The United States Army is the largest, and by some standards oldest, established branch of the armed forces of the United States and is one of seven uniformed services. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... For the Dutch girl group, see Loïs Lane. ...

While Clark treks back to the Fortress of Solitude in a desperate attempt to regain his powers, Lex Luthor approaches the Kryptonian villains at the White House. In exchange for Zod's promise to give him Australia (another attempt to acquire "beachfront property" after failing to do so in the first film), he offers to bring them to Metropolis to confront Superman. The villains invade the Daily Planet; although Superman is not present, Luthor quickly points out that Lois Lane, whom Ursa calls Superman's "favorite" human being, will be effective bait to draw the Man of Steel out. The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. ... This article is about the fictional newspaper. ...

Superman, with his powers restored, arrives and accepts Zod's challenge. This leads to a devastating, comic-book-style battle throughout downtown Metropolis. It quickly becomes clear that the villains have the upper hand. They outnumber Superman, and, significantly, they care nothing for the lives of the city's inhabitants. Continually distracted trying to save people whom the battle is endangering, Superman finally realizes he needs to rethink his strategy and move the battle away from a populated area, and he withdraws to the Fortress. Metropolis Skyline, as seen in Smallville. ...

Luthor offers to tell Zod about the Fortress of Solitude in exchange for sparing his life, and the three villains pursue Superman north, bringing along Luthor as guide and Lois Lane as hostage. In the climactic battle, Superman outwits the villains and gains the advantage, almost defeating Zod. But Non and Ursa grab Lois and threaten to tear her apart, forcing Superman to surrender. In a whispered aside, Superman tells Luthor about the molecule chamber which earlier stripped away his own powers and proposes tricking the villains into it. Luthor betrays Superman and tells Zod about the chamber, and Superman is forced inside and seemingly loses his powers again. With this, General Zod's revenge on Jor-El seems complete, as he commands Superman to kneel before him, take his hand, and swear eternal loyalty to him. But Superman has not lost his powers a second time; instead, he has stripped Zod, Ursa, and Non of theirs while he remained safe in the molecule chamber. As he takes Zod's hand, he crushes it and then overpowers him, throwing him into an icy crevasse, where the general disappears into the mist. Non and Ursa are similarly dispatched; Non tries to fly over the same pit, but instead falls down it, and Lois punches Ursa down the pit as well. Luthor realizes that Superman used him to trick the Kryptonian villains: knowing that Luthor would betray him, Superman reconfigured the molecule chamber so that its red sun radiation would be projected throughout the Fortress, robbing Zod, Non, and Ursa of their powers while Superman was protected inside the chamber. The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. ...

Superman II - deleted scenes

A scene deleted from the movie (but shown in some TV versions) shows the trio alive and in custody, implying that they lost their powers permanently and were captured. The 2006 reedited version Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut retains the original theatrical film's implication that Zod and his colleagues are dead, though the footage of their arrest by Arctic police is included in the deleted scenes.

Terence Stamp portrayed Zod as a pathologically arrogant and pompous aristocrat, almost bored with his incredible powers and disappointed with the ease of overtaking Earth. Stamp's portrayal has led to Zod becoming one of Superman's best-known villains. Zod's line "Come to me, son of Jor-El! Kneel before Zod!" has become part of pop culture.^[2] Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in a modern society. ...

Superman: the children of Krypton

General Zod makes a brief cameo apperance in the fan film [Superman: the children of Krypton]

Animation

Super Friends

A Phantom Zone villain named Zy-Kree, who resembled the movie-version of Zod, appeared in the Super Friends animated series.^{[episode needed]} This article is about the Hanna-Barbera television series. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ...

Ruby-Spears Superman series

Main article: Superman (1988 TV series)

General Zod was featured in the Joseph Ruby-Kenneth Spears animated Superman series in an episode titled "The Hunter," where he is in the Phantom Zone and creates a monster called the "Hunter" in an attempt to free the Zod trio from the Phantom Zone. He appears on Earth very briefly near the end of the episode. His appearance in the episode differs from that of Superman II. He is seen in his "Silver Age" Pre-Crisis grey military uniform with a general's hat and clean-shaven as opposed to Superman II, where he is seen with a mustache, a goatee beard, and a plain black outfit. Being Kryptonian like Kal-El, Zod is superpowered under the yellow sun of Earth and is seen flying like Superman. However, in the Ruby-Spears animation, Zod's criminal companions are two women, rather than the woman and the man as whom the Zod trio is usually portrayed. Rene Auberjonois provided Zod's voice. As a 50th anniversary gift, DC Comics legendary Man of Steel got a brand-new Saturday morning cartoon. ... Ruby-Spears Productions is a California based entertainment production company that specializes in animation. ... For the Swiss painter, see René Auberjonois. ...

Superman: The Animated Series

Zod was not featured in the cartoon Superman: The Animated Series, although a similar villain named Jax-Ur did. Jax-Ur had been featured previously in some Silver Age stories of Phantom Zone criminals. In the animated series, he appeared along with a new character called Mala, who was seemingly based on Faora/Ursa. However, in the accompanying Superman Adventures comic book series in issue 21, Zod was portrayed as an Argosian (like the animated Supergirl) who co-opted Jax-Ur and Mala as his lieutenants (essentially giving Jax-Ur the Non/Quex-Ul role). It is revealed that in this universe Zod had staged a coup d'etat on Supergirl's homeworld of Argo, killing all of Argo's leaders and anyone else who he wanted. Superman: The Animated Series is the unofficial title given to Warner Bros. ... Jax-Ur is a Kryptonian villain in Superman comics. ... A silver age is a name often given to a particular period within a history, typically as a lesser and later successor to a golden age, the metal silver generally being valuable, but less so than gold. ... Superman Adventures is a DC comic book series featuring Superman. ... The birthplace of Supergirl, a city of the planet Krypton which survived the death of its native planet when it was hurled into outer space, people and buildings alive and intact, by the force of the cataclysm that destroyed the planet. ... For other uses, see Supergirl (disambiguation). ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ...

General Zod had already prepared a fleet to attack Krypton when it emerged that his colonels had secretly become convinced Zod had become too murderous and power-hungry. They had turned on Zod, exiling him to the Phantom Zone. Following Zod's removal from power, the colonels took over as the new leaders of Argo and worked to reinstate Argo's republic as it was before the coup. From that point on, the name of Zod instilled fear in all Argosians, and he was used as a "boogeyman" to Argo's children. This character resembles the Terence Stamp version from Superman: The Movie and Superman II. When Supergirl uses Kryptonite to weaken Jax-Ur and Mala, as it has no affect on her Argosian body, she suddenly realizes who she has met when it has no effect on Zod. It is unrevealed if General Zod suffers any weaknesses.

Justice League Unlimited

General Zod later appeared issue #34 of the Justice League Unlimited comic based on the series. This time, he is portrayed as his reqular Kryptonian general role. He and his group of foot soldiers were banished into the Phantom Zone for insurrection against the Krypton ruling council. This group included Mala and Jax-Ur. In this issue, Zod and Mr. Mxyzptlk worked together to kidnap Superman. Their plans were foiled when the Justice League came to rescue Superman. When Mxyzptlk was accidentally sent to the Phantom zone, Zod and his men took him. They probably tortured him too. This issue, released June 2007, marked the first meeting of Superman and Zod in the animated continuity. In the Justice League Unlimited episode "For The Man Who Has Everything," while under the influence of an alien plant, Superman has a dream in which he has a wife and son on Krypton. His wife briefly mentions her son will be attending a birthday party for "little Zod." Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) was the name of an American animated television series that was produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. ... Mr. ... Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) was the name of an American animated television series that was produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. ... For the Man Who Has Everything is the second episode of the first season of the animated series Justice League Unlimited. ...

Legion of Super-Heroes

Zod is a voice in the Legion of Super-Heroes animated series, a character named Drax appears too. A young man who Clark accidentally frees from the Phantom Zone, Drax has the typical array of Kryptonian powers, in addition to an immunity to Kryptonite. On his chest, in a sort of parallel to Superman's "S", you can see a "Z". It is speculated that Drax could be Zod's son because in the episode, Drax mentioned his parents. Zod is capable of contacting him, prompting him to attempt to free them and the other phantom zone criminals. Like his father, Drax has a hatred of Superman, as well an air of superiority about him, and taunts the young Clark with the fact that he has no idea of his future or what he will become. He was born in the Phantom Zone and claims that's where he gets his powers from. The Pre-Crisis version of Zod can be seen as a cameo as one of the many Phantom Zone villains attacking the Legion members when they were temporarily trapped there. He is shown speaking to the trapped Legionnaires in a similar voice as the one speaking to Drax. LSH redirects here. ... Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. ... This article is about the fictional substance. ...

Smallville

In Smallville, the voice of Jor-El is provided by Terence Stamp. This, combined with the apparent difference in character from other versions of Jor-El- apparently having sent Clark to Earth with the intention that he would rule the planet, often attempting to force Clark to become the 'perfect Kryptonian' that Jor-El felt he should be to fulfill his dstiny-, led to fan speculation that Jor-El was really Zod. Series creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough denied this rumor, and it is later revealed that Jor-El's characterization was misinterpreted. Recent portrayals of the character are somewhat closer to his normal characterization, showing compassion for his son and providing him with aid and advice when needed, although he still tends to demand obedience. Smallville is an American television series created by writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and was initially broadcast by The WB. After its fifth season, the WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current broadcaster for the show in the United States. ... Miles Millar is a screenwriter and producer. ... Alfred Gough is a screenwriter and producer. ...

In the series' fifth season, General Zod was featured as an off-screen presence. The fifth season premiere, "Arrival", featured two Kryptonian disciples of Zod searching for Clark shortly after their arrival on Earth during the recent kryptonite meteor shower that bombarded Smallville in the fourth season finale, "Commencement." After finding Clark, they opened a portal to the Phantom Zone and attempted to throw Clark into it. Clark managed to overpower them and send the two of them through the portal, trapping them in the Phantom Zone. This article contains a complete summary of the fifth season of the American drama action/adventure sci-fi television series Smallville. ... Season four of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 22, 2004. ...

In the episode "Solitude", Milton Fine, the human identity of the Kryptonian artificial intelligence known as Brainiac, persuades Clark to take him to the Fortress of Solitude. After arriving at the Fortress, Fine tricks Clark into freeing Zod from the Phantom Zone, temporarily opening a vortex in which the image of a figure similar to Terence Stamp's Zod can be glimpsed. It is also insinuated that Zod was a fascist leader on Krypton and ruled with an iron fist, and apparently considered Jor-El as his primary nemesis. AI redirects here. ... Brainiac is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain created by Otto Binder. ...

At the end of the episode "Oracle", Lionel deciphers a Kryptonian message which Clark reads as, "Zod is coming." In the following episode, "Vessel", Jor-El reveals that Zod was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for crimes that resulted in Krypton's destruction. Zod's physical body was destroyed to prevent him from escaping from captivity, and therefore, he now required a vessel to inhabit on Earth. Brainiac had earlier injected Lex Luthor with a vaccine that granted him Kryptonian superpowers, and therefore, Lex was to be the vessel for Zod's consciousness. Through the actions of Clark and Brainiac, Zod is freed. After inhabiting Lex's body, Zod imprisons Clark inside the Phantom Zone, leaving no one to stop him, and begins his plans to conquer Earth as the trapped Clark is sent flying into space. Lex Luthor is a fictional DC Comics supervillain and the archenemy of the superhero Superman. ...

In the sixth season premiere, "Zod", after a brief sojourn in the Phantom Zone, Clark escapes with the help of a Kryptonian woman who claims to have been Jor-El's aide. She gives Clark a crystal bearing the sign of the House of El (Superman's characteristic stylized "S"). Back on Earth, Clark confronts Zod/Lex, but Zod, a trained soldier, easily pummels Clark into submission. In homage to the climactic scene in Superman II, Zod issues his infamous command, "kneel before Zod" although in a much more serious tone, and then wordlessly commands Clark to take his hand. But instead of crushing Zod's hand as in the movie, Clark takes the opportunity to press the crystal into it, evicting Zod from Lex's body and sending him back into the Phantom Zone (in another allusion to the movie, the face of Zod's spirit as it is forced out of Lex strongly resembles that of Terence Stamp as Zod). Lex returns to normal with no memory of these events. However, he later discovers a shard of a Kryptonian device that Zod left on his laptop; Brainiac's hard drive. This article contains a complete summary of the sixth season of the American drama action/adventure sci-fi television series Smallville. ... This article contains a complete summary of the sixth season of the American drama action/adventure sci-fi television series Smallville. ...

Novels

In the novel The Last Days of Krypton, General Zod, (also known as Commissioner Dru Zod who is head of the Commission for Technology Acceptance), appears. Zod is the only son of Cor-Zod, former head of the Kryptonian Council and legendary politician leader. He is assisted by Nam-Ek, Zod's ward -a burly mute similar to Non of the Superman movies.

In popular culture

• Zod is perhaps most popularly quoted as a Superman villain with the phrase, "Come to me, son of Jor-El! Kneel before Zod!" For example, Jay does so in the Kevin Smith film Mallrats after knocking out the head of mall security.
• American Midwest rapper Tech N9ne says "I will make you kneel before Zod" in the song "Sinister Tech" from his album Anghellic
• Zod appeared in the Robot Chicken episode "The Munnery," voiced by Seth Green. He is seen as the host of Bod by Zod, in which he commands all to "kneel before Zod." After the camera zooms out to reveal he is in fact doing a workout video, he begins to command the viewer to do various aerobic exercises "before Zod."
• Russell Brand's Got Issues, a UK comedy discussion show on Channel 4, included a sidekick named Andrew Zod, who was supposedly Zod's nephew in its first few episodes.
• The sixth Fedora Core distribution is called Zod.^[3]
• Zod is the highest Rune in the computer game Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. It makes armor and weapons indestructible. The lowest rune is called El, and grants the player a slightly better attack and increased Light radius.
• In the MTV sketch comedy show, Human Giant, there are three characters, known as the Space Lords, based on the trio of Phantom Zone villains from Superman II, though all three are male. Zerg, played by Paul Scheer, is clearly based on Zod, in the similar sounding name, and his tendency to request people to "Kneel before" him.
• In World of Warcraft, during the item gathering stage of the War of the Shifting Sands event, a Horde ambassador named General Zog could be found in Ironforge. Players who typed /kneel in front of him would see a message saying that Zod acknowledges their obedience.
• In the song "Rip It!" by American Indie-Rock band Electric Six Zod is mentioned in the lines: "Your rituals and superstitions/ Don't you find them kind of odd?/ Might as well kneel before Zod.

Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) and Jay (Jason Mewes) during the events of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively, in Kevin Smiths View Askewniverse. ... Kevin Smith at a comics convention in 2005 Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American screenwriter, film director, comic book writer, and creator of View Askew. ... Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. ... Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971 in Kansas City, Missouri) better known by his stage name Tech N9ne, is an American rapper. ... Robot Chicken is an Emmy award-winning American stop motion animated comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, who are the executive producers. ... The Murray is the 32nd episode of the TV series Robot Chicken. ... Seth Benjamin Gesshel-Green (born February 8, 1974) is an American actor, comedian and television producer. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... This article is about the British television station. ... For other uses, see Sidekick (disambiguation). ... Fedora Core is an RPM-based Linux distribution, developed by the community-supported Fedora Project and sponsored by Red Hat. ... A rune can mean a single character in the Runic alphabet as well as an inscription of several runic charcters or symbols. ... Human Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer and directed primarily by Jason Woliner. ... Paul Scheer is a comedian based in New York City. ... World of Warcraft (commonly abbreviated as WoW) is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment and is the fourth game in the Warcraft series, excluding expansion packs and the cancelled Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans. ... Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal. ...

See also

• Non (DC comics)
• Ursa (comics)
• Kryptonians
• List of Superman enemies

Non is a villain who appeared in the first to Superman movies, Superman I and Superman II. He was portrayed by Jack OHalloran. ... Sarah Douglas in the role of Ursa in Superman II. Ursa is a supervillain that appeared as an enemy of Superman in the theatrical film Superman II. She was a co-conspirator and accomplice of General Zod. ... Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. ... This is a list of fictional characters from DC Comics who are or have been enemies of Superman. ...

References

External links

• General Zod at the Internet Movie Database
• Alan Kistler's Profile On: ZOD! - Comic book historian Alan Kistler does an in-depth article reviewing the long history of Zod from 1961 all the way to 2005, going into detail on the various incarnations and changes in the character. Includes several artwork scans of the different versions of Zod and a discussion of the show Smallville.
• GeneralZod.net - The original General Zod spoof site in which Zod continues his life on planet "Houston" while believing himself to be the ruler of all humans.