Jor-El was a scientist living in Kryptonopolis. He married Lara and the two had a son named Kal-El. He also created the android Brainiac. Brainiac eventually went rogue and destroyed Krypton. Before the planet exploded, Jor-El put Kal-El and their pet Krypto into a Kryptonian Rocket, while sending his wife into the Phantom Zone.[1]
He became a ghost tied to the Fortress of Solitude.[2] As his son became the superhero "Superman," he helped train his protegees. This included his niece, Kara Zor-El, and a partial clone of Kal-El, named Kon-El.[3]
Superman Family Adventures
Jor-El returns
Superman eventually freed Lara from the Phantom Zone using the Phantom Zone Projector; however, the same process didn't work on Jor-El. Instead, Kal-El used a Kryptonian chamber to bring his father back, but only for a day. Jor-El and Lara proceeded to commit good deeds across Metropolis. Near the end off the day, they would help their son battle the Phantom Zoners. After defeating Non, Jor-El returned to his ghostly form.[2]
Brainiac returned, having enslaved an enlarged Kandor and defeated a squad of Phantom Zoners and Superman Family members. Lara manipulated with fortress crystals and brought back Jor-El. While this stunned Brainiac, he still defeated him swiftly. Lara offered herself to save her family; Brainiac accepted until he learned she was pregnant. He decided to take his leave, turning Kandor into New Krypton in the process.[4]
Super Powers
Jor-El and Lara were on Kandor when Lara went into labor. While the pregnancy went smoothly, Jor-El learned that his wife and child were altered due to Lara's time in the Phantom Zone. As a result, Prym-El was a Brainiac hybrid.[5] After returning home, Jor-El was confronted by Brainiac and General Zod. They used crystals on him, returning him to his ghostly form on Earth.[6]
Immortality: As a ghost, Jor-El will live forever out of time.[2]
Former Powers
Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Jor-El possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Jor-El's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
Heat Vision: Jor-El can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
Super-Hearing: Jor-El's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
Enhanced Vision: Jor-El's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus. This umbrella ability includes the following:
Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Jor-El can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Jor-Els can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
Infrared Vision: Jor-El can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
Flight: Jor-El is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Jor-El is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
Superhuman Stamina: Jor-El is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
Superhuman Strength: Jor-El's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
Superhuman Speed: Jor-El is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid-flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time. This also confers:
Super-Breath: Jor-El is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.
Longevity: Jor-El can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.
Superman Family member This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of Superman, and a member of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Family members" category.
