General Zod has humble origins. His first appearance wasn’t even in “Action Comics” or “Superman,” the two ongoing titles closely associated with the Man of Steel. Instead, it was in the pages of “Adventure Comics” #283. This was the title to feature the adventures of Superboy, and this issue marks his first encounter with the Phantom Zone. In an instance that would stretch the limits of plausibility if it wasn’t occurring in a Silver Age DC story, a Phanton Zone projector falls from the sky and a fluke accident switches on its portal, causing an oblivious Superboy to stumble into the pocket dimension.
In this story, General Zod isn’t even introduced as a character Superboy meets in the present. Instead, young Clark sees a flashback to the crime that got Zod locked up in the Phantom Zone in the first place. Turns out the general made an army of robotic duplicates of himself that looked and talked a lot like Bizarro in order to conquer Krypton. Zod almost escapes in “Adventure Comics” #293, thanks to extraterrestrial Brain-Globes mind-controlling the Legion of Super-Heroes. He successfully escapes in “Action Comics” #297, which is also his first appearance in one of the main “Superman” titles. However, instead of Superman, he’s defeated by Supergirl in a backup story. Zod and his cronies might have overcome the strength and cunning of Kara Zor-El if only they hadn’t decided to double-cross Lex Luthor.
From that point on, Zod frequently escapes the Phantom Zone, but his intentions aren’t entirely evil … only mostly evil. Zod helps Superman in “Action Comics” #549 with his “Zod Squad” in opposition to the murderous Kryptonian enemies the Vrangs. Zod’s final appearance prior to being retconned away by “Crisis on Infinite Earths” was in “DC Comics Presents” #97.
General Zod has humble origins. His first appearance wasn’t even in “Action Comics” or “Superman,” the two ongoing titles closely associated with the Man of Steel. Instead, it was in the pages of “Adventure Comics” #283. This was the title to feature the adventures of Superboy, and this issue marks his first encounter with the Phantom Zone. In an instance that would stretch the limits of plausibility if it wasn’t occurring in a Silver Age DC story, a Phanton Zone projector falls from the sky and a fluke accident switches on its portal, causing an oblivious Superboy to stumble into the pocket dimension.
In this story, General Zod isn’t even introduced as a character Superboy meets in the present. Instead, young Clark sees a flashback to the crime that got Zod locked up in the Phantom Zone in the first place. Turns out the general made an army of robotic duplicates of himself that looked and talked a lot like Bizarro in order to conquer Krypton. Zod almost escapes in “Adventure Comics” #293, thanks to extraterrestrial Brain-Globes mind-controlling the Legion of Super-Heroes. He successfully escapes in “Action Comics” #297, which is also his first appearance in one of the main “Superman” titles. However, instead of Superman, he’s defeated by Supergirl in a backup story. Zod and his cronies might have overcome the strength and cunning of Kara Zor-El if only they hadn’t decided to double-cross Lex Luthor.
From that point on, Zod frequently escapes the Phantom Zone, but his intentions aren’t entirely evil … only mostly evil. Zod helps Superman in “Action Comics” #549 with his “Zod Squad” in opposition to the murderous Kryptonian enemies the Vrangs. Zod’s final appearance prior to being retconned away by “Crisis on Infinite Earths” was in “DC Comics Presents” #97.