The character, who first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 (April 1961), was created by Robert Bernstein and initially designed by George Papp.

[1] As a Kryptonian, he exhibits the same powers and abilities as Superman and is consequently viewed as one of his greatest enemies alongside Lex Luthor, Darkseid, and Brainiac.

A different version of Zod was portrayed by Michael Shannon in the DC Extended Universe films Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman (2016), and The Flash (2023).

In the present, Superman releases Zod after learning that he has already served his sentence, but is forced to return him to the Zone after he attempts to conquer Earth.

Zod (along with companions Quex-Ul and Zaora) devastates the Earth of that universe following the death of its Superboy, despite the best efforts of a Supergirl created by that world's heroic Lex Luthor.

Acknowledging that he can neither afford to leave them on the now-dead pocket Earth to let them die alone nor imprison them on his world, Superman is forced to kill them with Green Kryptonite.

This is temporarily successful until Lex Luthor rescues Superman, gives him a blast of yellow solar radiation to regain his powers, and works to restore the sun.

He appears in Metropia, a version of the Phantom Zone created by Superman to resemble a living world (including apparently-living beings).

[9] General Zod returns to post-Infinite Crisis comics in Last Son, penned by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, and Adam Kubert.

[11] The backstory for the three Kryptonians was recounted in Action Comics Annual #10 (April 2007),[12] and Zod's origin was revealed in Countdown #30 (October 2007).

[13] Prior to the destruction of Krypton, Zod, his wife Ursa, and accomplice Non rebel against their planet's oppressive government, but soon become lawless would-be tyrants who lust for power.

However, Superman's father Jor-El pleads for the government to mitigate their sentence to imprisonment in the Phantom Zone, accepted on the condition that he would assume responsibility as their jailer.

Alongside Zod, Ursa and Non, 25 other Kryptonian criminals also escape the Zone and defeat a number of Earth's heroes, beginning their quest to conquer the planet.

Out of nearly thirty Kryptonians, Superman's temporary allies successfully kill several, driving the rest back into the Phantom Zone alongside Zod and Ursa, who take Chris Kent with them.

The "bottled city of Kandor" is transformed into a populated Kryptonian planet ("New Krypton"), and Zod is appointed the leader of its army.

Amanda Waller sends the Suicide Squad to steal the contents of the Black Vault and bring them back to her, but they unwittingly allow Zod to escape.

He nearly kills Hal Jordan when the Green Lantern Corps discover his presence on the planet before both sides are forced to withdraw and recuperate.

Like all Kryptonians under a yellow sun, General Zod possesses high-level superhuman strength, speed and endurance sufficient to stand against Superman and other Kryptonians; super hearing; x-ray vision; telescopic, microscopic and heat vision; super-breath and freeze-breath; virtual invulnerability; accelerated healing and flight.

Because he was trained in fighting arts long before receiving his abilities, he typically has an edge over Superman's brawling skills, over-reliance on superhuman strength, and basic knowledge of advanced human and Kryptonian hand-to-hand combat.

General Zod appears in films set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), portrayed by Michael Shannon.