- This article is about the Emerald Empress of the 21st century. For the 31st century Emerald Empress, see here.
Ursa Zod is a Kryptonian and a former prisoner of the Phantom Zone. She is Dru-Zod's wife and Lor-Zod's mother. After being freed from the Phantom Zone by her son, she was chosen by the Eye of Ekron to become the new Emerald Empress.
History[]
20th century[]
Prior to Krypton's destruction, Dru-Zod plotted a coup, which he justified as a means of saving their world. He and his followers, Ursa included, were imprisoned in the Phantom Zone,[1] sentenced to serve ten years.[2] Unbeknownst to either of them, Ursa was pregnant with Zod's child, but the pregnancy did not advance while in the Zone.[1]
31st century (original timeline)[]
Following Krypton's destruction, there was no-one to release the Phantom Zone's prisoners, until the last Phantom Zone Projector was found on New Genesis in the 31st century. The United Planets paroled all the prisoners and settled them on the Kryptonian colony world of Daxam. Eight months after their release, Ursa gave birth to Lor-Zod.
Dru-Zod was not happy to have been settled on a world with a red sun, which denied him the powers he viewed as a birthright. Within 15 years he had moved his followers, now including some native Daxamites, to a nearby world with a yellow sun. Now empowered, he led his people in a revolt against the United Planets. The Legion of Super-Heroes stopped them, and sent them back to the Phantom Zone, except Lor-Zod who was a minor. Lor was determined to free his parents, and eventually the Legion were forced to destroy the Projector, stranding them in the Zone forever. Lor refused to accept this, and traveled back in time to the 21st century to kill Superboy, the Legion's inspiration. With no Legion, his parents would not be sent back to the Zone.[1]
2020 (revised timeline)[]
In the Phantom Zone, Dru-Zod found Superboy and an unconscious Phantom Girl, and offered his help.[3] He took them to his encampment, and introduced them to Ursa. He telepathically told Ursa they would be playing Superboy slowly. Ursa noted their unusual condition, and concluded they must be connected despite Superboy's lack of memory of the girl. She surmised the girl must have come into the Zone unconscious and does not wake as they do not heal in the Zone. She offered to care for "Ghosty" while Dru took Superboy to see the rest of the House of Zod at work.[4]
|
Ursa and Dru watched as Non worked with Superboy, moving a large rock. Ursa was impatient to learn what Superboy knew of Krypton, but Dru urged patience lest they drive him away.
A retrieval portal opened up and locked a tractor beam on Dru. Dru grabbed hold of Ursa and tried to bring her with him, but the Projector rejected her. She watched as Superboy tried to stop Dru leaving and the portal closed before he could get through.[5]
|
Dru and Ursa talked with Superboy about his past. Under questioning, Superboy remembered that he had arrived in the Zone after failing to disarm a bomb which exploded. He drew the House of El crest and remembered his name as Kon-El, that Superman was Kal-El, son of Jor-El and the presumed last survivor of Krypton, and that he had killed Superman. He also told the Zods that Krypton had been destroyed when its sun exploded, that Jor-El had tried to warn everyone and not been believed, and that Kryptonians gain tremendous powers under a yellow sun, as Kal-El did on Earth. Ursa struggled with this news, distrustful of an El and shaken by Krypton's destruction and how long they had been in the Zone, and tried to attack Superboy twice, but was called off by Dru each time. She and Dru left Superboy to go and get some "air".[2]
|
Dru and Ursa went to question Superboy once more, but he quickly told them Phantom Girl was awake, could leave the Zone, but hated Zod and would not take them. Superboy tried to capture her on Ursa's order, but she phased out of the Zone on her own.[6]
|
The Zods caught Nightwing, Zatanna, Rocket, Kaldur'ahm and Tigress approaching Superboy. Dru attempted to persuade the group that they should all be released as their sentences had long been served, and had his followers attack to force the issue when the group refused. Nightwing's team was easily captured, but escaped thanks to a glamour spell.
Soon after, a boom tube opened up. Zod decided to go through with Ursa, Faora and Superboy, leaving the rest behind until he knew it was safe.
They emerged on the planet Trombus, where Zod and Ursa were greeted in Kryptonian by their yet-to-be-born son.[7] Ma'alefa'ak psychically uploaded the English language into the Kryptonians minds.[8][9]
|
Dru was skeptical Lor was his son, but Lor proved himself by reciting the secret maxim of the House of Zod. Ursa noted he had his father's eyes. After Faora was sent back to the Zone to gather Dru's army, they were attacked by Green Lantern Forager, and Lor insisted on evacuating his parents to Earth.[8]
|
They emerged in the Fortress of Solitude. Lor urged his parents into solar pods, but first Dru had them open another boom tube to the Zone to free his army.
While they were charging, Nightwing emerged from the boom tube and blew up the pods. Dru and Ursa emerged unscathed, and Lor had disabled their attacker, but Ursa was enraged that she had been denied her full power, even if she would still gain it in time. Her rage activated the Eye of Ekron Lor had pocketed, which made her the Emerald Empress.
Ursa and the others went outside when the Eye detected the Bio-Ship approaching. The Emerald Empress blasted the Bio-Ship out of the sky. Superman emerged from the wreckage. Dru and Ma'alefa'ak brought him down with Kryptonite.[8]
|
Dru's group boom tubed to Planet Circle. After engaging in some wanton destruction, Dru addressed the world, claiming it as his. As proof of his dominance, he prepared to order Superboy to kill Superman, as Ursa had Superboy's family crest changed to the House of Zod.[8]
|
After Superboy refused to kill Superman, numerous heroes appeared to fight them. During the ensuing battle, the Empress faced off with Zatanna, who was outmatched by the Eye. Miss Martian then took on Ursa, creating an illusory self to be killed, allowing her to psychically attack her by surprise. Ursa fell unconscious and lost her link to the Eye. When she woke, the Eye put her in a bubble and flew away with her, against her protests.[10]
|
The Emerald Empress arrived at Daxam, determined to raise her unborn child to wreak vengeance for the House of Zod.[10]
Powers and abilities[]
Kryptonian physiology: As a Kryptonian, Ursa-Zod can manifest a number of abilities through exposure to solar radiation emanating from a yellow sun.[8]
Whilst in the Phantom Zone, willpower is everything, and Ursa is able to manifest certain abilities through force of will:
Equipment[]
- Eye of Ekron: After being enraged at not being allowed to fully absorb solar radiation from the solar pods, the Eye of Ekron claimed her as the new Emerald Empress. Ursa is able to control the eye, granting her a number of abilities:[8]
- Sensors: The Eye detected Bio-Ship approaching the Fortress of Solitude.[8]
- Energy blasts: The Eye is capable of projecting a powerful blast of green energy.[8]
- Amplification: As Dru-Zod claimed the Earth as his, the Eye amplfied his speech.[8]
- Matter manipulation: Ursa used the Eye to change the crest on Superboy's solar suit from the House of El to the House of Zod.[8]
- Elemental conjuration: The Eye is able to create green flames and electrical discharges.[10]
- Space flight: The Eye can create a shield around the Empress to allow her to survive in the vacuum of space, and move at interstellar speeds.[10]
Appearances[]
- Season 4
- 19. "Encounter Upon the Razor's Edge!" (flashback, no lines)
- 20. "Forbidden Secrets of Civilizations Past!"
- 21. "Odyssey of Death!" (no lines)
- 22. "Rescue and Search"
- 23. "Ego and Superego"
- 24. "Zenith and Abyss" (no lines)
- 25. "Over and Out"
- 26. "Death and Rebirth"
Background information[]
- Ursa was Zod's lieutenant and consort, introduced in the Superman films by Richard Donner. She is influenced by the similar Superman villain, Faora, a Kryptonian criminal that also dislikes men.
- This is her third animated appearance. She appeared in the 1988 Ruby/Spears Superman series and the animated series DC Super Hero Girls.