General Zod is one of the most recognizableSupermanvillains , and his name sound as intimidate as his reputation , but what is the meaning behind it ? Zod ’s first comic appearance was in the 1960s , but his most far-famed role was inSuperman II , in which doer Terence Stamp uttered the now - iconic course , “ Kneel before Zod ! ” and firmly rank the General in the A - lean of DC villains . An incredibly skilled soldier who attempt to overrule the Kryptonian regime before being lag in the Phantom Zone , Zod is a powerfulness - athirst fanatic , eager to conquer Earth and get revenge against Jor - El ’s Logos , Kal - El ( Superman ’s Kryptonian name ) .

With a backstory filled with treachery , anger , and hate , Zod is a redoubtable opponent and someone even the Man of Steel fears . Intelligent and unpitying , Zod once became DC ’s most grievous villainby forcing the Green Lantern Crops to become his ally . He escaped the Phantom Zone multiple time and has even attempted to control Doomsday , a powerful creature who once killed Superman . But Zod is n’t just mentality , he ’s also brawn . Like all Kryptonians , he make all of Superman ’s ability when under a lily-livered Sunday , which is what separates him from Lex Luthor . The General is capable of fighting Clark forefront - on , and his incredible skills forcedSuperman to defeat Zodin Zack Snyder’sMan of Steelas a last resort .

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Jon Kent (AKA Superman’s Young Adult Son) with Kryptonite in the background

Someone this knock-down and hard needed a name that could instill fear while appear “ alien ” enough to fit with his Kryptonian origins . The word Zod not only sounds intimidate , but it also might be a play on the Hebrew word of honor “ Zayn , ” which means “ weapon . ”

While this substance is not confirmed to be official , this would n’t be the first time theSupermancomics used Hebrew as an inspiration for names . El , Superman ’s Kryptonian household name , is “ of God ” in Hebrew , and Kal - El could be reconstruct as the “ voice of God . ” Another sign of Judaic and Hebrew influences used in Superman   canon is Jor - El sending his son in a ship to escape the destruction of Krypton , similar to how was Moses send off in a basket for his rubber and raised by others .

Zod meaning “ arm ” would correspond perfectly with the character . A man consumed by conquest and who book imperialist ambition and ultra persuasion is n’t just subtle or cautious . Zod is a vanquisher who uses all weapons usable to him to subjugate and destroy his enemies . While smart , he ’s at his core a megalomaniac and a capable state of war general . InMan of Steel , he ’s also genetically - engineered to be an effective artillery against Krypton ’s enemies . With a name like that , it ’s backbreaking to think a threat worse than Zod for Superman .

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