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General Zod facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
New York Comic Con 2014 - General Zod (15519505971)
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General Zod (full name Dru-Zod) is a supervillain from the DC Comics universe. He is one of Superman's biggest enemies. Zod comes from Superman's home planet, Krypton. Because of this, he has the same amazing powers as Superman when he is on Earth. His main goal is often to defeat Superman and take over Earth.

He was played by Terence Stamp in the movies Superman and Superman II. Later, Michael Shannon played him in the movie Man of Steel.

Who is General Zod?

General Zod first appeared in a comic book called Adventure Comics in April 1961. He was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp. Zod was a powerful military leader on Krypton. He was sent away from Krypton before it exploded. This is why he survived.

Zod's Powers

When Zod comes to Earth, he gains incredible powers. These are the same powers that Superman has. They include:

  • Super strength, which means he is very strong.
  • The ability to fly.
  • Super speed, so he can move very fast.
  • Heat vision, which lets him shoot powerful beams from his eyes.
  • X-ray vision, allowing him to see through things.
  • Super hearing, so he can hear very quiet sounds from far away.

Zod in Movies

General Zod has been a major villain in several Superman movies.

  • In Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), he was played by Terence Stamp. In these films, Zod and his two helpers, Non and Ursa, come to Earth to fight Superman.
  • In Man of Steel (2013), Michael Shannon played a new version of Zod. In this movie, Zod comes to Earth to turn it into a new Krypton.

A Famous Villain

General Zod is known as one of the greatest comic book villains. In 2007, Total Film magazine ranked him among the "Top 50 Greatest Villains of All Time." The website IGN.com also listed him as one of the "Top 100 Comic Book Villains." Many fans agree that Terence Stamp's portrayal of Zod is especially memorable.

Images for kids

  • GeneralZodRtK

    General Zod in The Adventures of Superman #589 (April 2001). Art by Duncan Rouleau and Marlo Alquiza.

  • General Zod Countdown 30

    General Zod leads an ill-fated insurrection in Countdown #30 (October 2007). Art by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal.

  • GeneralZod

    General Zod in Action Comics #845 (January 2007). Art by Adam Kubert.

  • CamBlueZod

    Callum Blue as Major Zod in Smallville.

  • GeneralZodForPresident20084

    General Zod (Terence Stamp, center), Non (Jack O'Halloran, left) and Ursa (Sarah Douglas, right) in Superman II (1980)

  • Michael Shannon as Zod

    Michael Shannon as General Zod in Man of Steel (2013)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: General Zod para niños

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