Son of Zod (Gods and Monsters)

Superman is the last survivor of Krypton, born in a Kryptonian Birthing Matrix from the genetic material of General Zod and Lara. He was rocketed to Earth, where he was found by the Guerra family.

History

Origin

On the planet Krypton; General Zod caused the destruction of the planet by drilling into the planet's core in order to have the energy needed for his war machine. His actions led to the core destabilizing and so began the end of Krypton. As the end of Krypton neared, Jor-El and his wife Lara engineered a space craft that would carry their new-born son to safety.

However, just as Jor-El and Lara were preparing to launch the ship, Zod arrived and stopped Jor-El from from implanting his genetic code onto the egg created by Lara. After an argument with Jor-El about Zod's actions in regard to drilling into the core despite Jor-El's warnings, and with the planet nearing destruction all around them, Zod turned to the birthing matrix and touched it to implant his genetic code.

The pod escaped the planet just as it exploded and crashed on the planet Earth near the US/Mexico border. A young Mexican couple, Manuel and Rosa Guerra, who where trying to cross the border for a better life in America, found the space craft and took the child with them just before the US government forces arrived. The couple hid and were able to escape after which they raised the child as their own, naming him "Hernan Guerra".^[1]

Becoming Superman

Hernan grew up in the the US along with his sister Valentina. He would have strange dreams which he would share with his sister and when he turned eight years of age, he began sneaking out at night to stare at the stars. He also began to develop his powers, such as flight. One night, he was caught by his mother who insisted he keep his powers secret. He and his family worked long hours for minimum wages for a local farmer. The farmer would crop dust the field while the migrant workers were working and Hernan would use his super-breath to blow away the chemicals, which he was told off by his father for later. Hernan later completed the harvest on his own in one night.

On one fateful day he was playing with his sister and teased her to climb a tree after which he would then take her flying. She did but he let her fall as joke and in the process, she broke her back and became paralyzed from the waist down.

With his sister now wheelchair-bound, Hernan was racked with guilt which he would carry for the rest of his life. From that day on, he stopped using his powers. At some point after this personal commitment, a plane began falling out of the sky and his parents begged him to save the plane but he refused and let it crash. He was later attacked by a group of town drunks who he accidentally killed with his heat vision. The local sheriff and a posse arrived and threatened his family. Hernan took them out with ease but before he could kill them, his sister begged for him to stop the violence and he did.

It was from there that Hernan left his family to explore the world. He traveled the globe, experiencing everything there was to offer; the good the bad and everything in between. It was in Mexico where he thought he would find peace, but he was wrong. A drug lord by the name of Juan Carlos Furentes sent his men to attack a school in order to kidnap the daughter of one of his enemies. Hernan decided to rescue them and attacked the compound with ease killing many of Juan's men and rescued the girls. He then returned home to meet his father, who revealed that his mother had died from cancer. He found his sister happily married with a child and still hopeful for her brother. It was Valentina who told him that his purpose was not to fear his powers, but to save the world. He traveled to Juan Carlos Furentes' mansion and introduced himself as "Superman" and told him he was there to change the world. He then executed Juan with his heat vision.^[2]

Brainiac

Brainiac was created as contingency plan set by Dr. Sivana to stop Superman. However, Brainiac lost control of his immeasurable psychic powers, creating an energy dome around himself and the city of Metropolis causing destruction across the city. With no options left, the President of the United States prepared to release a small nuclear warhead to stop him after being unable to contact Superman.

However, Superman arrived just before the nuclear missile was fired and after requesting for five mintues from the pilot carrying the dome, he proceeded on to Metropolis and managed to get through the impenetrable, destructive dome around Brainiac, only to find that the source of the chaos was merely a small child. who was crying, with no control over his powers. Superman conversed with him and told him about how he learnt to control his own powers but Brainiac said he was unable to control his. Superman then informed him that he could help him stop and end the pain once and for all, after which Brainiac stopped crying and told Superman to go ahead with his plan. Superman used his heat-vision to execute the young Brainiac, after which Superman sighed in sadness at what he had done.^[3]

Vs. The Metal Men

The Justice League broke up a group of terrorists underneath the Kaznian Embassy using extreme violence. This led to the Justice League's accountability being challenged by the world's governments. Later, following the suspicious deaths of three renowned scientists, one being killed by someone using a form of heat vision, another with fang bites and another with a slash wound, all suspicions fell on Superman and the Justice League as the prime suspects for the crimes.

To help prove their innocence, each member of the League pursued a different lead to aid them in clearing their name. Superman invited Lois Lane to the Justice League HQ, where he told her of his goals to help humanity, and reveals how little he knows about Krypton or his heritage. The League was unable to stop another assassination of another group of scientists who had links to Lex Luthor. However, they saved Dr. Will Magnus, one of Batman's friends, who they took back to their tower.

Superman, after being given information by Batman about where he could find answers, flew to outer space where he found Luthor's space station behind the moon. He revealed to Superman about "Project Fair Play" a weapon that could take out the Justice League if they went rogue. He also revealed the terrible truth about the vile actions of his biological father, General Zod, whom Superman had idolized based on the footage from his ship which he had seen of Krypton's last moments as his ship departed the doomed world, a revelation which devastated Superman. After a final conversation in which Superman told Lex that had he told him the truth, perhaps things would have been different and as such, Superman was as much his creation as he was his father's. However, as Superman left Luthor, the satellite was attacked and destroyed and upon President President Waller being informed that Superman was the last visitor Luthor had, she was convinced that the League had indeed gone rogue and she activated Project Fair Play.

Superman and Wonder Woman faced off against the US army while Batman activated the HQ's forcefield. As the other two Leaguers fought against the army, Magnus awoke shortly after, surprising Batman while at the same time, Magnus' wife Tina also appeared and Batman was surprised, having seen Tina die during the attack on the scientists' congregation at Magnus' house. Tina promptly transformed into an android, an action which stunned Batman who proceeded to enquire about Tina and Magnus informed him that he had killed Tina a year into their marriage and replaced her with the android.

Magnus then informed Batman that, after Tina's death, he reasoned that if he, one of the smartest people on earth, was capable of death, then it meant humanity needed to be organized into one collective, structured hive mind through implanting of nanites in the heads of everyone on earth. He then revealed that he had engineered the whole scheme to have access to Superman's space craft which had the power to put his plan into play.

After an intense fight with Magnus' androids during which they initially had the upper hand due to their ability to teleport rapidly through Boom Tubes and catch Superman off guard, he managed to disable the Mother Boxes within the androids and with their sole advantage now gone, Superman easily destroyed them by burying them in lava. Meanwhile, Batman and Wonder Woman had managed to stop Magnus' scheme but the power core of Superman's space craft was left without a means to direct its power and was on the verge of exploding.

Superman arrived in time and carried the craft into space where it exploded as he watched. After the incident, and with the League's name cleared, Superman and Batman witnessed Wonder Woman's departure back to her homeworld to face the ghosts of her past together with Luthor, who sought to explore more of the universe. Before the two left, Luthor gave Superman the genuine and undamaged files recovered from the ship that brought him to earth, files which Superman had initially been led to believe were incomplete and damaged, and told him to do good and be a better person, implying that Superman should try and be better than his birth father, after which he and Wonder Woman departed. Superman then informed Batman that he intended to follow Luthor's words about being a better person, a statement which surprised Batman.^[1]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Superman possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Superman'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: Superman 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: Superman'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: Superman'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: Superman 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. Supermans 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: Superman can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
- Flight: Superman 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, Superman is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
  - Enhanced Immunity
- Superhuman Stamina: Superman 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: Superman'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: Superman 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:
  - Superhuman Agility
  - Superhuman Reflexes
- Super-Breath: Superman 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: Superman can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.

Abilities

Weaknesses

Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Superman possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Vulnerability to Kryptonite
- Vulnerability to Magic

Notes

This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the animated movie Justice League: Gods and Monsters, its tie-in comic book series, and its related television series. It is an adaptation of Lor-Zod. The original character was created by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, and Adam Kubert and first appeared in Action Comics #844.
Superman was voiced by Benjamin Bratt.

This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.

[JLGaM-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Justice League: Gods and Monsters (Movie)

[2] Justice League: Gods and Monsters - Superman #1

[3] Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles (Shorts) Episode: Bomb

[1]

[2]

[3]