A Kryptonian, he is the younger brother of Jor-El,[1] husband of Alura, father of Supergirl, and paternal uncle of Superman.

When the planet explodes, Argo City is protected by a dome Zor-El creates and safely blasted into space.

After meteors damage the city's protective lead sheeting, exposing its residents to deadly Kryptonite radiation, Zor-El sends his daughter Kara to Earth.

Zor-L, an alternate universe variant of Zor-El from Earth-Two who did not survive Krypton's destruction, appears in Showcase #98 (March 1978).

[5] In The New 52 continuity reboot, Brainiac rescues Zor-El from the destruction of Krypton, transforms him into a cyborg, removes his memories, and forces him into servitude.