Warning! Spoilers ahead for Kneel Before Zod #1!It’s not just Superman that has a dark opposite, but his entire family as well. The Man of Steel’s notorious Kryptonian enemy General Zod is embarking on a new mission to resurrect Krypton by any means necessary. But his attempts at keeping things a family matter reveal just how twisted a reflection the Zod clan is.
In Kneel Before Zod #1 by Joe Casey and Dan McDaid, General Zod is deep into his mission to make New Kandor thrive. Unfortunately, he does not have the trust of his son, Lor-Zod who defies his father’s wishes and investigates what General Zod is building in secret.
General Zod confronts his boy, who expresses anger at his father for not trusting him. Zod, however, realizes that his defiant son has come of age and that their only path forward now is for Lor-Zod to make his own way in the universe. General Zod exiles his son and Lor-Zod is left with nothing, save for the words of his mother that one day he’ll understand.
General Zod’s Family is a Toxic Opposite of Superman’s Family
Zod may have spent most of his days outside the Phantom Zone trying to defeat his most bitter nemesis, Superman. But as of late, the villain has been preoccupied with restoring the bottle city of Kandor. Zod conquered a young planet to serve as the basis for a new Kryptonian home world while his wife Ursa began a program to genetically enhance the local population to serve as New Kandor’s army. However, Zod is acting under the watchful eye of the United Planets and they’re already suspicious that Zod has ulterior motives for his mission.
Zod’s always been the opposite of Superman, but this extended look at the villain’s family dynamic shows that it’s not just Zod’s outlook that’s the inverse of the Man of Steel. Zod and Lor-Zod are constantly at each other’s throats due to Zod expecting blind obedience and Lor-Zod feeling a lack of respect from his father. It’s a much more bleak relationship than Clark and Jon, who get along famously. Sure, the Super-Family has had their disagreements, like when Jon left to travel the stars with his grandfather. But the Kent family is built on love, something that Zod’s family crucially lacks.
Zod’s Family Doesn’t Have the Thing That Makes Superman’s Family Work
Zod’s decision to banish Lor-Zod seems to reflect Clark’s decision to let Jon leave Earth. But Clark regretted his decision almost instantly while Zod feels nothing over his choice. What brought Jon back to Earth is the love he shares with his family. Lor-Zod has almost certainly never felt that with his family and now that he’s left home, there’s no guarantee he’ll ever come back to Zod’s side. Unfortunately, Zod would sooner just have another child and start again than ever admit to any wrongdoing on his part. It’s sad because an actual relationship with his family could give Zod the same peace it’s given Clark. But Superman’s enemy is just too stuck in his ways to ever change for the better.
Kneel Before Zod #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.
