Lor-Zod (d. March 25, 2020)[2] was Dru-Zod and Ursa Zod's son from the 31st century. He was hell-bent on assassinating Superboy in the past and releasing his parents from the Phantom Zone so that they might conquer the galaxy.
Lor-Zod is strongly dedicated and loyal to his father, believing he is the rightful ruler who can bring order to the galaxy. He despises those who are against his father and the House of Zod, but holds his greatest disdain for the Legion of Super-Heroes and the El family for imprisoning his parents in the Phantom Zone. He especially hates Superboy, as he is both an El and whose actions inspired the formation of the Legion. He is willing to go to extremes to achieve his goals and despite any failures or setbacks, refuses to give up and remains determined. He is also shown to be patient and calculating, willing to wait an entire year before attempting to eliminate Superboy again and carefully planned out his second assassination attempt in order to succeed.[3]
Physical appearance[]
Lor-Zod is a young and fit man in his mid-teens, with dark skin, brown eyes, and dark hair styled in dreadlocks with the right side of his head shaved. He wears a form-fitting uniform of black and gray, with the House of Zod sigil on his chest.
History[]
31st Century[]
Prior to the destruction of Krypton, Dru-Zod and his supporters were sent to the Phantom Zone, after he attempted to stage a coup. Among them was Ursa, who was unknowingly pregnant with Dru-Zod's child. They spent over a thousand years inside the Phantom Zone until they were freed in the 31st Century by the United Planets after the Phantom Zone Projector was discovered on New Genesis. Dru-Zod and his people were sent to live on the planet Daxam, a Kryptonian colony under a red sun that deprived them of their "rightful" powers. Eight months after his parents' parole, Lor-Zod was born.
Growing up, he was raised to hate the House of El, the family responsible for sending his parents into the Phantom Zone. By the time Lor-Zod turned fifteen, Dru-Zod had smuggled his people to a nearby planet with a yellow sun, allowing them to gain their powers. Dru-Zod then led his people in an uprising against the United Planets.
Dru-Zod was foiled by the Legion of Super-Heroes who sent him and his followers back to the Phantom Zone, except for Lor-Zod who was still a minor. Lor-Zod made relentless attempts to acquire the Phantom Zone Projector, but it was destroyed by the Legion, thereby forever trapping his parents inside the Phantom Zone.
In order to revert their actions, he had to erase the Legion from existence. To achieve his goal, Lor-Zod planned to travel back in time to kill Superboy, the very person who inspired the creation of the Legion, thus preventing it from ever being formed. Lor-Zod stole the last known sample of Kryptonite and a Time-Sphere, all the while evading Saturn Girl, Phantom Girl and Chameleon Boy. He traveled back to the last point in history, before the event that inspired the Legion, where it was known exactly where Superboy was.[3]
Lor-Zod attempted to kill Superboy outside of the United Nations, but was thwarted by the Legionnaires. However, he managed to evade capture.
Although he failed in his first attempt, Lor-Zod still had ten years worth of opportunities to kill Superboy and bided his time until he found another chance to strike again.[3]
2020[]
At some point, Lor-Zod came to learn about Superboy and Miss Martian's trip for their upcoming wedding ceremony and traveled to Mars with a carefully detailed plan for his next attempt to take Superboy's life.[3]
In an attempt to interfere with Saturn Girl, Phantom Girl and Chameleon Boy's efforts to protect Superboy, Lor-Zod caused a cave-in that allowed Miss Martian to discover Saturn Girl's psychic signature, forcing the Legionnaires to distance themselves.[6]
From inside his Time-Sphere, Lor-Zod watched as Ma'alefa'ak planted his gene-bomb under the grand balcony of the Royal Arena and activated it.
Later that day, during the celebration of Prince J'emm J'axx's birthday, Lor-Zod covertly snuck into the level below the balcony where Superboy, Miss Martian and Beast Boy were sitting. He placed a lead box of Kryptonite on top of Ma'alefa'ak's bomb and departed. The bomb exploded shortly afterwards, seemingly killing Superboy with it.[7]
In the aftermath of Superboy's death, Lor-Zod destroyed the Legionnaires' Time-Sphere and left Mars. Following his success and with nothing standing in his way, Lor-Zod decided to release his parents and supporters from the Phantom Zone early in the past and traveled to New Genesis where he spent months trying to locate the Phantom Zone Projector. Lor-Zod discovered it was in Metron's vault, but realized he needed help to acquire it. He traveled to Apokolips and approached Darkseid. They formed an alliance, but Darkseid could not directly be involved due to the peace treaty with New Genesis, but offered resources to help with his mission.[3]
From his concealed Time-Sphere, Lor watched as Ma'alefa'ak met with Darkseid, and asked for him to fulfill his promise. Speaking on his father's behalf, Grayven admonished Ma'alefa'ak for his impudence, then gave him one more task to perform before getting his reward. Grayven called forth Mantis with the Kaizer-Thrall and asked Lor to show himself. The latter de-camouflaged his Time-Sphere. Grayven ordered Ma'alefa'ak and Mantis to follow Lor-Zod's orders as if they were Darkseid's, and the trio went off in the Time-Sphere.[8]
Lor-Zod's Time-Sphere arrived at Supertown. He was ready to begin his operation, but Ma'alefa'ak insisted he tell him all about the mission, the why as well as the what. Lor explained his family history, the reason he traveled to the past, and his plans to free his parents.[3]
On Lor's order, Ma'alefa'ak placed a tracer on a Ruction Cell that would be sent to the Vault.[9]
Supertown August 26, 23:00UTC
Lor and the others watched from the Time-Sphere as Metron took the Cell away to the Vault. Lor activated the Kaizer-Thrall, which was linked to the tracer, and it teleported them to the Vault.[9]
After the unpleasant journey, Lor's squad quickly began searching the massive Vault for the Phantom Zone Projector. Lor found a glowing green eyeball, which he quickly pocketed. They came under attack by the Sun-Eater, forcing them to take cover in the Time-Sphere before restarting their search.[9]
They continued their search despite having had to flee the Sun-Eater multiple times. They saw Metron appear to retrieve the Red power ring for Razer. When Metron was returned to the Vault moments later, out of control after being attacked by Razer, Lor quickly punched Metron out of his Mobius Chair and used the Kaizer-Thrall to place both Metron and the chair in a torturous inter-dimensional state. Lor threatened to hold Metron that way until he told them where to find the Phantom Zone Projector.[9]
Metron's torture continued for over a day. When Ma'alefa'ak let slip Lor was Kryptonian in front of Metron, Metron claimed to yield, but instead of taking them to the Projector, he produced a piece of Kryptonite and then summoned the Sun-Eater and escaped. Mantis was able to pull himself and the others into the Time-Sphere and took it back in time one day.[9]
Mobius Dimension August 27, 17:06UTC One day earlier
Having traveled back in time, Mantis surmised the Kryptonian objects were kept together and searched near where Metron had kept the Kryptonite, and quickly found the Projector while Lor and Ma'alefa'ak recovered in the Sphere.[9]
Lor awoke from his Kryptonite poisoning. He was initially angry they had left but was mollified when he found out Mantis had gotten the Projector and admitted he had underestimated the Bug. Lor was disappointed the Time-Sphere had been damaged in their exit, but quickly focused on using the Projector, which was out of power. Mantis had an idea where to charge it.[10]
After hours waiting at the lakeside while the Projector charged, it finally reached minimum power levels and began to optimise power absorption. Lor spotted a group led by Orion arrive and ordered his companions to defend the Projector. Lor fought Tomar-Re, easily fending off the Lantern's initial attack. The Projector reached optimal power and Lor set it to retrieve his father. He fought Tomar-Re once more, but they were interrupted when they realized the Promethean that made up the crater was waking, and began to emit a cascade of Source energy. While Tomar-Re was distracted dealing with the cascade, Lor awaited his father's return. When he realized the cascade was almost finished, Lor attacked Tomar-Re with his heat vision, killing the Green Lantern.
Lor then came under attack by Rocket and Orion. Rocket trapped Lor in a force bubble with Orion, where the New God readily pummelled him.[10]
When Lor saw the Projector destroyed by a camouflagedBio-Ship, he broke free from Orion, ruptured the force bubble with his heat vision, and tore his way onto the Bio-Ship, where he took Saturn Girl hostage. Ma'alefa'ak soon joined him and Lor demanded the Bio-Ship make a getaway or he would kill Saturn Girl.[10]Kid Flash tried to use inhibitor collars but Lor was able to track him even at super speed and destroyed them with his heat vision. Chameleon Boy was overpowered by Ma'alefa'ak, and the Bio-Ship was forced to fly away from Boiling Lake.[11]
Lor held Kid Flash and the Legionnaires captive with inhibitor collars on the Bio-Ship, while Ma'alefa'ak gathered intel in Supertown. Saturn Girl berated him for getting greedy after having already won by killing Superboy. Ma'alefa'ak returned having learned the Kaizer-Thrall had been taken to Oa. Lor had Bart take his place on the Cosmic Treadmill. Bart was initially reluctant, but Lor threatened to kill the others and reminded him he may get a chance to turn the tables if he plays along. With his speed restored, Kid Flash began to run, and the Bio-Ship left for Oa.[11]
Lor worried about what the third Legionnaire might be up to, and considered hacking his captives' Legion rings, but Ma'alefa'ak had a simpler solution; he took a ring and posed as the captives. He contacted Phantom Girl and she revealed that Superboy was still alive and there was a plan to go to Trombus to rescue him.[12]
After a boom tube was opened into the Phantom Zone, Ma'alefa'ak took control of the Kaizer-Thrall and subdued Superboy's would-be rescuers. Lor dragged Kid Flash with him as Dru-Zod, Ursa Zod, Faora Hu-Ul and Superboy emerged from the boom tube. Lor greeted his parents in Kryptonian.[12]
Dru-Zod was skeptical Lor was his son, but Lor proved himself by reciting the secret maxim of the House of Zod and explained his activities to free them. 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.[13]
They emerged in the Fortress of Solitude, where Superboy began to rapidly heal due to the yellow sunlight. Lor was ready to kill him, but Dru called him off. Lor urged his parents into solar pods, but first Dru had them open another boom tube to the Zone to free his army.
While his parents were charging, Nightwing emerged from the boom tube and blew up the pods. Enraged, Lor hurled Nightwing into a pair of statues, and listened as his heart stopped. Lor's parents emerged unscathed, 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 taken, which made her the Emerald Empress, to Lor's delight.
Dru noted that Nightwing's team was probably preventing their army coming through, so Lor entered the boom tube to find the team fighting the Kryptonians in the tube. Rocket made a force bubble to block the tube. Lor tried to breach it with heat vision, but the tube began to destabilize before he could, and Dru ordered him to return.
Lor accompanied the others outside when they detected the Bio-Ship approaching. The Emerald Empress blasted the Bio-Ship out of the sky, incapacitating the heroes except for Superman who emerged from the wreckage, but Dru and Ma'alefa'ak brought him down with Kryptonite after he refuse to join them. Superman called on Conner for help, but Superboy refused, saying he was already dead. Lor thought this was evidence that both Els should die, as Superboy did not even know his own mind. Dru had another plan.[13]
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.[13]
Dru-Zod ordered Superboy to kill Superman, but Superboy refused. Dru went to kill them both with Kryptonite at Lor's urging, but Kid Flash appeared and snatched it away. Numerous other heroes appeared. During the ensuing battle, Miss Martian restored Superboy's mind, and Zatanna cured Superman. The Zods and Els faced off. Lor was brain blasted by Miss Martian. By the time he recovered, the battle was clearly lost, and he fled into Rocket's Time-Sphere. He found the controls were locked.[2]
The Sphere took Lor back to the time and place of the gene-bomb explosion. Lor believed he was being granted a final chance to kill Superboy, but the Sphere disappeared as soon as he left it, and Phantom Girl rescued Superboy while he was distracted, leaving Lor to die in the explosion. A shadow of ash was left on the wall.[2]
Kryptonite: As a Kryptonian, Lor is vulnerable to Kryptonite, which weakens him and can cause prolonged Kryptonite poisoning.[9][10]
Red sunlight: Under a red sun, Lor quickly loses the powers granted by a yellow sun.[13]
Equipment[]
Former equipment[]
Time-Sphere: Entrenched inside his Sphere, Lor-Zod is able to maneuver undetected through any space. It is also able to conceal him from Phantom Girl's Time Scanner as long as it is shut closed.[4][5][7] After the Sphere was damaged during inter-dimensional travel, Lor abandoned it.[10]
Lor-Zod is the son of General Dru-Zod and Ursa, born and raised during their imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. He breaks with his parents and is adopted by Lois & Clark, taking the name Christopher Kent. During the New Krypton-era, he becomes Nightwing, with Thara Ak-Var as his partner Flamebird.
