Repeat Offender

Zod is obsessed with revenge against those who have thwarted his vast ambitions, and does not confine his wrath to only his enemies, but also attacks his enemies' loved ones. First on Krypton, where his treason is brought to an end by Jor-El; then on Earth where he seeks revenge on his jailor's son Superman.

Silver Age

Zod was the military leader of the Kryptonian Space Center. He was an aspiring scientist when the the project was ended after it's destruction (cause by renegade scientist Jax-Ur) Zod went crazy and attempted to take over Krypton. He created an army of androids meant to look like him. He was unsuccessful and was sentenced to the Phantom Zone. He resented the Kryptonian High Council for the decision and Jor-El most of all.

Pocket Universe Zod

This Zod came from a Krypton in a pocket universe created by the Time Trapper. He and his companions Quex-Ul and Faora, devastated the Earth of that universe following the death of its Superboy, eventually forcing the Superman of the main universe to execute them with Kryptonite.

Return to Krypton

In an artificial Krypton, created by Braniac 13, in the Phantom Zone this Zod was a treacherous military leader who sent aliens to the bottle city of Kandor. He was eventually defeated by Jor-El (from the artificial universe) and Superman.

Russian Zod

This General Zod is a Russian is the son of two cosmonauts whose ship passed to close to the infant Kal-El's and were effected by the ship's radiation. He is unnaturally weak under a yellow sun, but under a red sun gains powers similar to Superman's. He was raised in a KGB laboratory under the name "Zed."

Apparently spoken to by the spirit of the Pocket Universe Zod, he created a suit of red armor that filtered the sunlight into red light and took over the former Soviet state of Pokolistan. After several inconclusive encounters with Superman, he revealed his plan to turn the Sun red and take Superman's place. This was briefly successful until Lex Luthor rescued Superman, who gave him a blast of yellow solar radiation to restore 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, and was killed.

One Year Later

In a story co-written by Superman director Richard Donner, General Zod, Ursa, and Non have apparently been freed from the Phantom Zone by someone he refers as his and Ursa's son, implying that the Kryptonian boy that landed on Earth earler in the story is, in fact, his son.

Other Media

General Zod is the main protagonist (along with Ursa and Non) in Superman 2. He is released accidently by Superman after he throws an exploding Hydrogen bomb into space. Like most of his comic incarnations, his lust for power is matched only for his desire for revenge against the son of Jor-El. He is played by Terence Stamp.

He also appears as a spirit released from the Phantom Zone in Smallville. His spirit takes over Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) and again is after revenge and power.