Chris Kent (character)

Last updated
Chris Kent
ChristopherKent.jpg
Chris Kent as Nightwing on the cover of Action Comics #883 (January 2010).
Art by Pere Pérez.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Action Comics #844 (December 2006)
Created by Richard Donner
Geoff Johns
Adam Kubert
In-story information
Full nameChristopher Kent/Lor-Zod
Hernan Guerra
Species Kryptonian
Place of origin Phantom Zone (place of birth)
Team affiliations Justice League
Superman Family
Partnerships Flamebird (Thara Ak-Var)
Supporting character of Superman
Young Justice
Notable aliases Nightwing
K'Riss
Superman
Abilities
  • Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes
  • Solar energy absorption
  • Flight
  • Telekinesis
  • Electromagnetic spectrum vision
  • Telescopic vision
  • Microscopic vision
  • Heat vision
  • X-ray vision
  • Infrared vision
  • Freezing breath
  • Super-hearing
  • Invulnerability
  • Longevity
  • Phantom zone immunity
  • Umbrakinesis

Chris Kent (Lor-Zod) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #844 (December 2006) and was created by Richard Donner, Geoff Johns, and Adam Kubert.

Contents

As the biological son of General Zod and Ursa, he is a Kryptonian and the foster son of Clark Kent (Superman) and his wife Lois Lane. A different Lor-Zod was reinterpreted as a supervillain in DC Rebirth.

An adaptation of the villainous Lor-Zod appears in the animated series Young Justice , voiced by Phil Morris. Another interpretation of the character appears in the animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters , voiced by Benjamin Bratt.

Publication history

He first appeared in Action Comics #844 (December 2006), in the story arc Superman: Last Son , and was created by Richard Donner, Geoff Johns, and Adam Kubert. The character has assumed the role of Nightwing. Following Flashpoint , DC revisited the concept of Zod's heroic son. On Earth-16, he succeeds Clark Kent who’s his biological father on that earth as Superman and is best friends with the new Batman, Damian Wayne.

A new version of Lor-Zod was introduced in 2017 during DC Rebirth in the Action Comics series during the "Revenge" storyline, this time as a villain. [1]

Fictional character biography

Lor-Zod I

"Last Son"

Lor-Zod is a Kryptonian and the biological son of Dru-Zod and Ursa who was born in the Phantom Zone. Lor-Zod's parents arrange for him to be sent out of the Phantom Zone in a spacecraft that crash-lands in Metropolis. [2] Unaware of his name or origins, Lor-Zod is adopted by Superman (Clark Kent) and Lois Lane, who name him Christopher Kent. [3] [4]

Chris struggles to hide his powers, so Superman and Batman create a wristwatch that uses red sun radiation to block Chris' powers until he can control them. [5] Eventually, the wristwatch fails due to being calibrated on the metabolism of an adult Kryptonian. [6]

Superman holds a press conference to inform the world that Chris is under his care. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor sends Bizarro in an unsuccessful attempt to kidnap Chris. Superman learns that Chris is the son of General Zod and Ursa, who escape from the Phantom Zone alongside Non. [7]

In Action Comics Annual #11, Zod and his army are defeated and Chris pursues them into the Phantom Zone to ensure that the passage between the Phantom Zone and the rest of the universe is closed properly, since it would remain weak for as long as he remained on Earth. [8]

Nightwing

While in the Phantom Zone, Chris finds a piece of Brainiac's technology that mentally links him with Thara Ak-Var. [9] When the citizens of Kandor create the artificial planet New Krypton, Chris and Thara resolve to capture escaped Phantom Zone criminals as Nightwing and Flamebird. [10]

Due to his birth in the Phantom Zone, Chris begins aging rapidly while outside it. [11] [10] Jax-Ur cures Chris, reverting him to his young adult form, and takes a sample of his DNA. [12]

In the "War of the Supermen" event, Chris is de-aged into a young boy after being transported to the Phantom Zone during a battle with General Zod. [13]

Lor-Zod II

In 2016, DC Comics implemented a relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". A new version of Lor-Zod is introduced who is loyal to his father General Zod. [1] The House of Zod rules over Jekuul, a planet with two yellow suns. [14]

Powers and abilities

Chris Kent possesses the average abilities of a Kryptonian, including superhuman physical abilities, heat vision, x-ray vision, and ice breath. [3] [5] [7] [15] [16] Due to being born in the Phantom Zone, he is resistant to Kryptonite and possesses tactile telekinesis similar to Conner Kent, but rapidly ages outside the Phantom Zone unless he is wearing a special armband created by Jax-Ur. [10] [16] [17] [18]

After fusing with the Nightwing entity, Chris gains the ability to manipulate shadows and teleport via them.

Other versions

In other media

Television

Film

A son of General Zod appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters , voiced by Benjamin Bratt. [25] This version is the genetically engineered child of Zod and Lara Lor-Van who was rocketed to Earth as a child from Krypton after Zod killed Jor-El, adopted and raised by the Guerra family, a group of Mexican migrant farmers who named him Hernan Guerra. After facing discrimination, Guerra became short-tempered and withdrawn from humanity and developed a deep contempt and resentment for authority. He later becomes his universe's version of Superman and the leader of the Justice League, but faces opposition due to his brutal methods. While foiling Will Magnus's plot to subjugate the world using nanites and learning his father was responsible for Krypton's destruction, Guerra realizes the consequences of his brutality, earns back public favor, and considers using less lethal methods.

Miscellaneous

The Gods and Monsters incarnation of Superman appears in the Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles episode "Bomb", voiced again by Benjamin Bratt. [25]

References

  1. 1 2 Action Comics #984 (September 2017)
  2. Action Comics #846 (February 2007)
  3. 1 2 Action Comics #844 (December 2006)
  4. Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 152–153. ISBN   978-0-345-50108-0.
  5. 1 2 Superman #668 (December 2007)
  6. Superman #673 (April 2008)
  7. 1 2 Action Comics #845 (January 2007)
  8. Action Comics Annual #11 (July 2008)
  9. Action Comics Annual #12 (August 2009)
  10. 1 2 3 Action Comics #875 (May 2009)
  11. Renaud, Jeffrey (March 24, 2009). "Greg Rucka: Man of "Action"". CBR . Archived from the original on June 4, 2016.
  12. Action Comics #884 (February 2010)
  13. Superman: War of the Supermen #4 (July 2010)
  14. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #38 (April 2018)
  15. Action Comics #851 (August 2007)
  16. 1 2 Action Comics #876 (June 2009)
  17. Supergirl (vol. 5) #46 (December 2009)
  18. Action Comics #885 (March 2010)
  19. Countdown: Arena #3-4 (February 2008)
  20. Superman & Batman: Generations #3 (March 1999)
  21. "Lor-Zod Voice - Young Justice (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 2, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  22. Matadeen, Renaldo (April 28, 2022). "Young Justice Revealed Its Newest Villain's Sinister Origin - and Apocalyptic Mission". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  23. Tsavelis, George (April 20, 2022). "Young Justice's Latest Villain Is A Callback to Krypton". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  24. Dandeneau, Jim (June 10, 2022). "Young Justice: Phantoms Finale Ending Explained". Den of Geek. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  25. 1 2 "Superman / Lor-Zod Voices (Superman)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 2, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.