Warning: contains spoilers for World of Krypton #4!
The terrifying reality of Krypton’s destruction has been revealed, and Superman’s father Jor-El may be responsible for the planet’s demise. The prevailing narrative surrounding Jor-El was one of a brave and brilliant scientist whose warnings went unheeded by Kryptonian society until the destruction was inevitable. But World of Krypton #4 proves this portrayal of Jor-El left out the man’s rage and elitism, and such characteristics led directly to the near-extinction of Superman’s people.
In nearly every adaptation of Krypton’s history, the planet’s destruction is preventable if the ruling body of Krypton only listened to Jor-El’s warnings. Sometimes the planet’s core destabilizes due to mining, sometimes, as is the case with Superman: The Animated Series, Brainiac is responsible. In all instances, Jor-El is the voice of reason; an unflappable bastion of strength, patience and resilience. But the new series reveals his temper can get the better of him, and he often perceives himself as better than those around him, even to his own detriment.
Jor-El advocates for the construction of a shield around the planet’s core to prevent further damage; as he says, “The damage to the core cannot be reversed.” This will be an energy-intensive project and will require sacrifices on the part of Krypton’s population. General Dru-Zod suggests mobilizing the security forces to enforce such sacrifices, but Jor-El sharply disagrees. The argument gets heated and Zod shoves Jor-El through a glass window in his own home. Jor-El reacts violently. “I’m an El! My house BUILT this civilization! You’ve always envied my house. Zods have never been asked to lead, so you learned to impose yourselves on us!”
The House of Zod is a house of soldiers and military leaders, but Jor-El boasts that the dynasty of his house is one of leaders themselves. It’s quite rare in Superman mythos to see a hyper-aggressive Jor-El, let alone one who attacks Zod while boasting about his lineage. In any other adaptation, Zod would be the sole aggressor; while it may be disconcerting for fans to see Jor-El’s anger get the better of him, it certainly humanizes (insult to the Kryptonian species not intended) one of the more saint-like characters of the Superman mythos.
At the end of the argument, Zod storms off, filled with more resolve than ever to move forward with his plan. A military operation is certainly energy-intensive and could wipe out the reserves needed for Jor-El’s strategy. Superman’s father may be the hero of multiple adaptations, but in this instance, Jor-El’s actions might have doomed Krypton long before the inevitable explosive catastrophe.
