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You will bow down before me, Jor-El! I swear it! No matter if it takes an eternity! YOU WILL BOW DOWN BEFORE ME! BOTH YOU AND THEN ONE DAY, YOUR HEIRS!
~ Zod, vowing that he will make Jor-El bow down before him before his imprisonment in the Phantom Zone and the destruction of Krypton.
Come to me, son of Jor-El! KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!
~ Zod, his most famous quote.
Take my hand. Swear eternal loyalty... to Zod.
~ Zod's famous last words.

Zod is the secondary antagonist of Christopher Reeve's Superman film series.

He is one of Superman's arch-enemies and was made famous in the live-action movie Superman II where his speech alone entered icon status. He is a power-hungry Kryptonian criminal who has powers comparable to Superman himself but uses them in a malicious manner.

He was portrayed by Terence Stamp, who also played William Harcourt in Alien Nation, Mankar Camoran in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Ramsley in The Haunted Mansion, Jor-El in Smallville, Siegfried in Get Smart, Jack Taylor in My Boss's Daughter and Professor Menace in Static Shock.

Biography[]

At the beginning of the movie Superman, Zod and his associates, Ursa and Non, were imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for their crimes of treason and sent into space - which, ironically, made them the only Kryptonians besides Superman to survive the planet's destruction.

In Superman II, the explosion of a hydrogen bomb launched into space by Superman hits the Phantom Zone by chance, destroying it and releasing Zod, Ursa, and Non, who went to Earth, but not before killing three astronauts who landed on the moon. They discovered that they had the exact same powers as Superman, and naturally used them for evil, terrorizing the cities and even killing a few innocents.

Zod took over the president's office, but the president told him that Superman would never kneel before him. Lex Luthor joined forces with them, offering to take them to Superman in exchange for absolute rule over Australia. Superman came to stop them from terrorizing the city. Their attacks were able to affect each other, but in the end, Superman was outnumbered and lost, with Zod threatening to kill innocent people, and Superman flew back to the his Fortress of Solitude. Luthor then led Zod and his gang to the fortress.

Superman tricked Zod and his gang with multiple holograms, but when he had him in a headlock, Ursa threatened to tear Lois limb from limb unless Superman released him. Luthor seemingly joined forces with Superman, who then told him to get Zod and his gang into the molecular chamber that would take away the powers of any Kryptonian. Luthor then told Zod about this, and Zod, threatening to kill innocent people otherwise, forced Superman to enter, with Luthor activating the device.

However, Superman, knowing Luthor was going to double cross him, switched the device so that its rays would affect those outside it and not inside; therefore Superman was safe while Zod, Ursa, and Non were stripped of all power. Thinking he has won, Zod made Superman kneel before him and told him to take his hand and swear eternal loyalty.

Superman crushed Zod's hand, picked him up, and threw him into the slanted walls of the fortress, where he slid into the mist to the ground level. It's not known what happened to him after this due to a jump cut in the US theatrical cut, but extended cut for television the Krpytonians are shown being arrested with Luthor by the U.S. Arctic Patrol.

Critical Reception[]

Zod was critically acclaimed by both Superman fans and film critics, who agree that Superman II was an improvement over the predecessor. As for Stamp, his performance provided a most welcome boost to his recently struggling career and he has worked regularly ever since.

Trivia[]

  • Christopher Lee had to turn down the role of General Zod. He had just moved to Hollywood as a tax exile, and did not want to have to return to England.
  • Zod only has around three minutes of screentime in Superman.
  • In a cut of the film edited for television, Zod, Ursa, and Non survived and were taken into custody by law enforcement along with Lex Luthor.
  • In the Richard Donner cut of Superman II, Superman turns back time, undoing the damage that Zod and his compatriots did to Earth, along with sealing the three Kryptonian criminals back into the Phantom Zone.

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Theatrical Movies
Superman: Lex Luthor | Otis | Eve Teschmacher | Zod | Non | Ursa
Superman II: General Zod | Non | Ursa | Lex Luthor | Otis | Eve Teschmacher | Rocky
Superman III: Ross Webster | Vera Webster | Lorelei Ambrosia | Gus Gorman
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace: Lex Luthor | Nuclear Man
Superman Returns: Lex Luthor
Man of Steel: Sword of Rao (Dru-Zod, Faora-Ul, Nam-Ek, Jax-Ur, Tor-An, Car-Vex, Nadira & Dev-Em II)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Lex Luthor | Anatoli Knyazev | Doomsday | Mercy Graves | Joe Chill | Zod | Steppenwolf
DC League of Super-Pets: Lulu | Lex Luthor | Mercy Graves | Whiskers | Mutant Guinea Pigs

Direct-to-video Movies
Superman: Brainiac Attacks: Brainiac | Lex Luthor | Mercy Graves | Mister Mxyzptlk
Superman: Doomsday: Lex Luthor | Superman Clone | Doomsday | Toyman | Mercy Graves
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies: Lex Luthor | Major Force | Metallo | Amanda Waller | Toyman | Solomon Grundy | Gorilla Grodd | Killer Frost | Lady Shiva | Giganta | Mongul | Captain Cold
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse: Darkseid | Female Furies (Granny Goodness, Mad Harriet, Lashina & Stompa) | Doomsday
Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam: Black Adam
All-Star Superman: Lex Luthor | Solaris | Parasite | Nasthalthia Luthor | Bar-El & Lilo-El
Superman vs. The Elite: The Elite (Manchester Black & Hat) | Atomic Skull
Superman: Unbound: Brainiac
The Death Of Superman: Doomsday | Lex Luthor | Intergang (Bruno Mannheim) | Mercy Graves | Cyborg Superman
Reign Of The Supermen: Cyborg Superman | Darkseid | Parademons | Lex Luthor | Mercy Graves
Superman: Red Son: Superman | Brainiac | Lex Luthor | Joseph Stalin | Superior Man | Batman
Superman: Man of Tomorrow: Parasite | Lobo | Lex Luthor
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons: Starro | Lex Luthor | Penguin

Television
1940's Superman
Bulleteers | Inventor | Mad Scientist | Indian Scientist

Superman: The Animated Series
Lex Luthor | Brainiac | Darkseid | Metallo | Toyman | Intergang (Bruno Mannheim, Spider Spinelli, Blaine) | Mercy Graves | Joey | Parasite | Dr. Vale | Lobo | Gnaww | Preserver | Kanto | Earl Garver | Jax-Ur | Mala | Prometheon | General Hardcastle | Weather Wizard | Livewire | Bizarro | Kurt Bowman | Luminus | Mister Mxyzptlk | Lex Luthor (Brave New Metropolis) | Mercy Graves (Brave New World) | Superman (Brave New Metropolis) | Titano | Desaad | Kalibak | Karkull | Corey Mills | Suit | Maxima | De'Cine | Granny Goodness | Steppenwolf | Parademons | Female Furies (Lashina, Mad Harriet, Stompa) | Volcana | Kurt | Darci Mason | Sinestro | Unity | Reverend Amos Howell

Krypton
Brainiac | Dru-Zod | Doomsday | Lobo | Jax-Ur | Kol-Da | Lis-Ser | Daron-Vex | Araame | Lyta-Zod Clone

Superman & Lois
Tal-Rho | Ally Allston | Bruno Mannheim | Lex Luthor | John Henry Irons | Leslie Larr | Intergang (Boss Moxie, Thaddeus Killgrave, Onomatopoeia & Atom-Man) | Superman (John Henry Irons' Earth) | Reno Rosetti | David Fuglestad | Zeta-Rho | Zod | Mitch Anderson | Bizarro | Inverse Society (Lana-Rho, Jonathan-El & Erin Wu) | Phillip Karnowsky | Kit Faulkner | Emmitt Pergande | Otis Grisham | Cheryl Kimble | Hacksaw Kronick | Amanda McCoy | Milton Fine

My Adventures With Superman
Task Force X (Sam Lane, Amanda Waller, Slade Wilson, Damage & Atomic Skull) | Livewire | OMACs | Intergang (Silver Banshee, Mist & Rough House) | Parasite | Lex Luthor | Heat Wave | Mr. Mxyzptlk | League of Lois Lanes | Overman | Vicki Vale | Kryptonian Empire (Brainiac, Nemesis Omega & Kara Zor-El) | Checkmate | Dr. Killgrave | Thomas Weston | Metallo Drones | Amazo | Bloodsport

Video Games
Superman Arcade: Emperor Zaas | Lex Luthor | Metallo | Parasite
Superman: Shadow of Apokolips: Lex Luthor | Darkseid | Metallo | Livewire | Parasite | Kanto | Mercy Graves | Volcana
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe: Dark Kahn | Lex Luthor | Scorpion | Shang Tsung | Darkseid
Injustice: Superman | Brainiac | Doomsday | Aquaman | Black Adam | The Flash | Sinestro | Lex Luthor | Wonder Woman | Joker | Darkseid

See Also
Legion of Super-Heroes Villains | Lobo Villains | Smallville Villains | Steel Villains | Superboy Villains | Supergirl Villains | Superwoman Villains

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