Jor-El (SV)

**Jor-El** (1935-1986) was the Kryptonian biological father of Kal-El, whose human name is Clark Kent. He was also the most renowned scientist on Krypton and an influential member of the Science Council.

He and his brother Zor-El were the sons of Seyg-El. When he was in his 20's, Jor-El travelled to earth by the name of **Joe** (regularly called **Joe the Drifter**). Before his death, he cloned a powerless version of himself and placed it in the Orb, and also copied his brainwaves into his son's spaceship, creating an artificial intelligence that often serves as Clark Kent's guide on Earth.

## Powers and Abilities

Jor-El, under a yellow sun, was imbued with extraordinary abilities, possessing all natural Kryptonian abilities, and developed them rather quickly, but didn't display them all. He interfaced with a memory pendant, implanting inside it his own memories that he was supposed to give to his father after his trip to Earth. Jor-El did not know of the abilities that he would gain under a yellow sun, and was shocked when he was able to appear superhuman towards humans.

* **Solar Battery**: Jor-El gained his powers from the yellow sun.
	+ **Super Strength**: Jor-El possessed extraordinary strength, allowing him to easily overpower other beings, like humans; he was able to pick up Lachlan Luthor and throw him across the sidewalk and into a lamppost.
	+ **Super Speed**: Jor-El could move and react faster than the human eye can see and follow. In this ability, Jor-El would have perceived the entire world in slow motion; he was able to run across the street to save Louise McCallum. Being the powerful Kryptonian he was, he was evidently faster than his son Kal-El.
	+ **Invulnerability**: Jor-El possessed a very high durability capacity, and couldn't be physically harmed or hurt by humans, as he could only be penetrated by Kryptonian objects and when weakened by powerful forces; he discovered this after being shot at by Lachlan, with the bullets deflecting off him and hitting Louise, killing her.
	+ **Flight**: Jor-El could defy gravity, enabling him to hover in the air when he carried Louise.
	+ **Longevity**: Jor-El presumably hasn't aged when he was sent to Earth. It is unknown if he had demonstrated this before he returned to Krypton.

Jor-El was clearly a highly skilled scientist, as he had invented cloning technology, created an interdimensional prison, and later built a spacecraft capable of carrying and sustaining a child on a three-year trip to Earth.

* **Skilled Hand-to-Hand Combatant:** Though not a soldier, Jor-El had remarkable combat skills. His clone easily heard Tess Mercer's men when they invaded the Kent Farm and knocked Chloe out with a Kryptonian nerve pinch. He was also able to sneak up on one of Tess' men and managed to get him in a chokehold before he was tased unconscious.

## Vulnerabilities

When Jor-El returned to Krypton, his powers were stripped by the red sun. As a result, Jor-El visibly aged between his youth on Earth and his adulthood on Krypton.

## Early Life & Career

Jor-El was born in 1935 on Krypton, where he was raised alongside his younger brother Zor-El. It was strongly implied that Jor-El had a strained relationship with his father.

In 1961, as a young man around the age of 26, Jor-El was sent to Smallville by his father as a Kryptonian rite of passage. While on Earth, Jor-El gained superhuman powers like any Kryptonian due to exposure to the planet's yellow sun. During his visit, Jor-El went under two aliases: "The Drifter" and "Joe." As Joe, he met Louise McCallum on June 15 after stopping Lachlan Luthor, who mugged Louise. Joe and Louise fell in love, despite the fact that Louise was married to Dex McCallum, and had an affair.

On June 17, when Lachlan shot at Joe, the bullets bounced off his invulnerable body, but one hit Louise in the heart, killing her. Joe was greatly devastated by Louise's death and left Earth as his sole reason for staying was gone. While on his way to the Kawatche Caves, Jor-El met Hiram Kent, who helped him escape from the police. Thanks to Hiram's selfless bravery and help, Jor-El made it to the caves and thanked Hiram for his kindness.

After Hiram left the cave, Jor-El used the Key to open a small compartment in the cave wall, hiding a memory pendant so that his father would never learn of his human experiences. He then sealed it, collapsing the entrance to the caves as well, and returned to Krypton.

Sometime after returning to Krypton, Jor-El became a scientist. He and his brother Zor-El had a falling-out over Lara, with whom they both fell in love. Despite this, Jor-El married Lara, driving a wedge between him and his brother.

## Later Years

Jor-El eventually became Krypton's most renowned scientist, and was best friends with Zod, a major in Krypton's army. He created cloning technology for the purpose of healing the seriously injured and ill, but was ordered by the Ruling Council to use this technology as a safeguard in case Rao's Prophecy ever became true. Against Jor-El's own wishes, the Council pressed forward with their plans and began taking blood samples from soldiers on the battlefield just outside Kandor during the war with Black Zero. Jor-El stopped the blood intake as it made it to Zod, feeling that the Council's project had to be stopped. He, Zod and the soldiers then witnessed the destruction of Kandor.

Because of his disruption of the blood intake, Jor-El was put on trial by the Council for treason. He made his case before the Council, saying that taking genetic material from the Kandorians and putting it into the Orb so they could be resurrected on Earth would doom humanity. Despite this, Jor-El was sentenced to death for his actions until Zod appeared and made an impassioned plea that the Council spare Jor-El; the Council agreed to do so on the condition that Jor-El complete the Orb and both he and Zod donate their blood to the Orb as well so that the clones would be led by two of Krypton's greatest heroes.

Jor-El finished the Orb, using blue kryptonite to nullify the Kandorians' powers, and prepared to send the Stones of Power to Earth so the Kandorians could collect them if they were ever resurrected. Zod then came to Jor-El and begged him to use his cloning technology to resurrect his son, who was among those killed when Kandor was destroyed by Black Zero. However, Jor-El refused, fearing that there would be complications and mutations. Though they both drew their own blood, Zod angrily retorted to Jor-El that he (Jor-El) was as dead to him as his son.

Some years later, Jor-El became a member of the Science Council and was given a victory ring. He created the Phantom Zone, a plane of existence that served as a prison for malevolent criminals from the 28 known galaxies, and became good friends with the Martian Manhunter, who helped Jor-El hunt down alien criminals and send them to the Phantom Zone.

After years of trying to conceive a child, Jor-El and Lara finally had a son named Kal-El. Around this time, Jor-El opposed Zod and his attempt to conquer Krypton, and created the Brain InterActive Construct using Dax-Ur's designs to aid in the war against Zod and his army. He and the Council eventually managed to capture Zod and destroy his physical body, imprisoning his mind and spirit in the Phantom Zone.

Jor-El then contacted Zor-El to inform him of Zod's imprisonment and that, because of his (Zor-El's) association with Zod, Zor-El was under arrest. Knowing of Zor-El's trips to Earth, the Council destroyed all the portals off of Krypton and locked Zor-El in Kandor's mine control room. Zor-El, however, instructed Brainiac to override the lockdown and re-activated the ignition of Krypton's core. After Kara contacted Lara and told her about Zor-El's plans, Lara told Jor-El, who went and tried to stop the ignition.

Unfortunately, Jor-El was unable to prevent the end of his world. Before Krypton perished, he decided to send Kal-El to Earth to find the Stones of Power and keep them from falling into the hands of Brainiac, knowing that he would be able to free Zod from the Phantom Zone. To ensure Kal-El's safety, guidance and destiny in the Kryptonian way, Jor-El copied his brainwave patterns into his son's spaceship. Along with his care and love, Jor-El sent with Kal-El a cryptic message.

Jor-El made other preparations for Kal-El. He decided that he wanted his son to grow up with the Kents; it was therefore no coincidence that Jonathan and Martha Kent found Clark when his spaceship crash-landed on Earth during the meteor shower of 1989. Jor-El also asked the Martian Manhunter to watch Kal-El from a distance, intervening only when it was absolutely necessary, and programmed the Orb with another function: To show the user the way to the Fortress of Solitude so they could control Kal-El by taking away his powers if he ever turned against the human race and did not embrace his destiny.

After sending Kal-El on his way to Earth, Jor-El placed his assistant Raya in the Phantom Zone while he and Lara tried once more to save Krypton from destruction, but they were unsuccessful. As Krypton entered its final moments, Jor-El and Lara recorded a holographic message for their son, telling Kal-El of their failures but assuring him they will love him all the days of his life. Jor-El also stated in the recording that, no matter what trials he'll give his son, he would never lose faith in him and was absolutely confident that Kal-El would fulfill his destiny as the savior of mankind. Once they finished recording the message, Jor-El and Lara died with the rest of their people.

## As an A.I.

### Season One

Jor-El resided within Kal-El's ship since it left Krypton. The ship was programmed to protect Clark until he was ready to fulfill his destiny. After the ship and the Key were reunited, it flew to protect Clark from the tornado.

### Season Two

When Clark learned of his origins from Dr. Virgil Swann and opened his ship, he read the message from his biological father and believed that Jor-El had sent him to conquer Earth.

On Clark's 16th birthday, Jor-El began speaking to Clark through the ship, announcing that "The day is coming." Later, Jor-El summoned Clark to the storm cellar and told him to leave Smallville: when Clark refused, he burned the Mark of El on Clark's chest, stating that, at noon the next day, Clark would leave Smallville or hurt the ones he loved most. Clark stole a kryptonite key from Lionel Luthor and placed it in the ship, causing it to explode and injure Martha. However, the craft's destruction did not mean that Jor-El was destroyed.

## The Kawatche Caves

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    **Main Article: Kawatche Caves (SV)**

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### Season Three

Three months later, when he resolved to bring Clark back from Metropolis, Jonathan Kent went to the Kawatche Caves, where he placed the Key into the cave wall and established contact with Jor-El. Jor-El made a deal with Jonathan: If he gave Jonathan temporary Kryptonian powers to bring Clark home, Jonathan would deliver Clark to Jor-El when it was time for him to fulfill his destiny.

One year later, Jor-El released "Kara" from the Kawatche Caves. Kara convinced Clark to come with her to the caves, but as they prepared to leave, Jonathan arrived with evidence that Kara was once Lindsey Harrison: Jor-El was using Lindsey to lure Clark to him. When Clark refused him, Jor-El vaporized Lindsey and strangled Jonathan with a whip of energy, threatening to kill him if Clark didn't comply. To save his human father, Clark entered the portal in the cave wall and was transported to a pocket dimension where Jor-El brainwashed him as Kal-El of Krypton, an obedient version of Clark who vowed to uphold his destiny.

### Season Four

Three months after that, Jor-El returned Kal-El to Earth, where Kal-El began searching for the Stones of Power, using the full extent of his powers. Kal-El's quest was cut short when Martha used black kryptonite to free Clark from his Kryptonian alter-ego.

About a year later, Clark received a letter from the recently deceased Dr. Virgil Swann advising him to seek Jor-El's guidance. He went to the Kawatche Caves and used the Key to make contact with his Kryptonian father once again. Now that Clark was older, Jor-El could not force him to do as he wanted: he could only advise him. He explained to Clark that the Stones of Power contained all of Krypton's knowledge, as well as the consequences would be disastrous if they fell into human hands. Jor-El's prediction came true when the Crystal of Air was stained with the blood of Genevieve Teague and caused another meteor shower, releasing Brainiac and two Disciples of Zod.

## The Fortress of Solitude

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    **Main Article: Fortress of Solitude (SV)**

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### Season Five

After Clark united the Stones of Power and used the Crystal of Knowledge to create the Fortress of Solitude, Jor-El told him that he could not return to Smallville, but must instead stay in the Fortress and prepare to save Earth from Brainiac and Zod. He began to train Clark, but was interrupted when Clark saw that Chloe Sullivan, who had been transported with him to the Arctic, followed him to the Fortress and was freezing to death. When Clark begged him to let him save Chloe, Jor-El initially forbade him to do so but acquiesced, telling Clark that he must return to the Fortress before sunset or there would be consequences. When Clark failed to return, Jor-El took away his powers.

When Lionel was exposed to the Crystal of Water, he became a Kryptonian vessel for Jor-El to use in the event that Clark needed his aid. When Clark was shot by Gabriel Duncan and died, Jor-El possessed Lionel, giving his body Kryptonian powers in order to retrieve Clark. He brought Clark to the Fortress and resurrected him as the Kryptonian he truly was. Jor-El then warned Clark that, due to his resurrection, someone he loved would have to die in his place. Before parting ways with his son once again, Jor-El wanted Clark to remember that he would always love him.

Later, Jor-El was suspected of infecting Martha with a Kryptonian virus and Clark insisted that he heal her and let her live. However, it was not Jor-El who was responsible: it was Brainiac. But even though he was not responsible for infecting Martha, Jor-El reiterated to Clark that he could not alter destiny and someone he loved would still die.

A year later, Jor-El tried to claim Lois' life, but Lana saved her. So, later, Jor-El tried to take Lana, but when Clark reversed time and stopped her death, Jonathan had a heart attack was ultimately taken instead.

A few months later, Clark returned to the Fortress because Brainiac had chosen Lex Luthor to be Zod's vessel. Jor-El knew that Clark had no choice but to come to the Fortress because he lost his human father, but nonetheless explained to Clark that Zod was responsible for Krypton's destruction. To stop Brainiac's plan, Jor-El gave Clark a Kryptonian dagger to destroy "the vessel" in order to prevent Zod's release.

### Season Six

When Martha made her way to the Fortress with an injured and unconscious Lois Lane after their plane crashed in the Arctic, Jor-El explained to her what happened to Clark, Zod and the world. He told Martha that, in order to save Earth, she had to find the Kryptonian dagger and kill Lex, Zod's vessel. Before sending her back to Smallville with Lois, Jor-El conveyed his gratitude to Martha for raising Clark. When Clark later came to the Fortress, he tried to communicate with Jor-El, but Jor-El did not answer him, as the Fortress appeared to be dead as a result of Clark using the Kryptonian dagger against Brainiac instead of Zod's vessel. But since Clark restored the Fortress using energy stored in the Crystal of El, Jor-El was also revived.

### Season Seven

About a year later, Clark approached Jor-El about beginning his training and Jor-El had him start with his cousin Kara, telling him to watch over her. When Clark asked him about Kara's father Zor-El and why he neglected to tell him about that branch of the family tree, Jor-El replied that Zor-El could not be trusted and neither could Kara, as well as warned Clark that Kara posed a grave threat.

When Clark heard his biological mother's voice coming from within the blue crystal which then teleported him to the Fortress, Jor-El urged Clark to not let his emotions fool him, but his protests went unheeded as Clark placed the crystal into the Fortress' console, bringing Lara and Zor-El back to life as clones. Once the crystal was installed, the Fortress was under Zor-El's control. Zor-El attempted to cause an eclipse that would have brought an end to the human race, but Clark, powerless due to putting on Jor-El's victory ring (which contained blue kryptonite), was able to use green kryptonite against Zor-El and destroy the blue crystal, which not only took out the clones of Zor-El and Lara, but also teleported Kara to a random location with no memory of who she was. Clark later returned to the Fortress and pleaded with Jor-El to help him find Kara, but Jor-El refused, saying it was not his concern, as well as lectured Clark on the numerous times that Clark neglected his warnings and never learned a single lesson of what his actions resulted in when let his emotions get in the way of his destiny. For Clark's lack of obedience, Jor-El froze him in a solid ice crystal for the remaining time.

About a month later, Bizarro flew up to the Fortress, as well as had a brief but tense conversation with Jor-El. After Bizarro left, Jor-El released Clark from the ice chamber and told him that the phantom was back and that he must defeat him.

When Chloe brought Kara to the Fortress, Jor-El listened as Chloe pleaded with him to restore Kara's memory and powers so she could rescue Clark, who had been kidnapped on Lionel's orders. Though silent, Jor-El granted her wishes.

Later on, Jor-El heard Clark's complaints through the Key and sent his son to an alternate universe to show him what life would be like for everyone if he had never made it to Earth and what would happen to it, showing Clark why his destiny was so important. Once Clark came to his senses, Jor-El helped him travel to Krypton's past to stop Brainiac from killing his infant self.

### Season Eight

In the aftermath of Lex's attempts to defeat the Traveler, the Fortress reverted to the Crystal of Knowledge, which somehow ended up in the hands of Tess Mercer before it was stolen by the mysterious "X." After Clark got the crystal back, he re-built the Fortress and questioned Jor-El's actions about the Orb, but then asked for his help in healing Chloe, who was being taken over by Brainiac: Jor-El agreed. When Clark brought Chloe to the Fortress, Jor-El removed Brainiac from her and took away her memories of Clark's powers and alien heritage at Clark's request.

Clark later returned to thank Jor-El, who praised Clark for making a difficult decision and said that he was proud of him. The two then discussed the threat of the "Ultimate Destroyer." When Clark vowed to take the Kryptonian creature on, Jor-El told him that he was there for him and Clark finally addressed Jor-El as "Father." Soon after Clark left, Brainiac came out of hiding and infected the Fortress' console, with Jor-El pleading for Clark before Brainiac took control of the Fortress in Doomsday's honor.

After Brainiac was removed from Chloe, the connection with Jor-El to communicate with Clark was gone once again.

### Season Nine

After trapping Doomsday underground and cutting off all ties to his friends and human identity, Clark managed to fix the connection with Jor-El in the Fortress and began his Kryptonian training. He trained for three weeks in the Fortress until, while on duty in Metropolis, he found Lois on a monorail train that he saved. When Clark returned to his training and Lois kept clouding his thoughts, Jor-El told him that something or someone was holding him back and that, in order to fully embrace his Kryptonian side, Clark must leave his human life behind fully.

A couple of weeks later, Jor-El gave Clark temporary telepathy as part of his trials so that he can rid himself of his human intuition and embrace his Kryptonian intuition.

After Clark found Alia on a videotape of Toyman's attack at the Ace of Clubs, he went to Jor-El to ask about her. Jor-El told Clark of Alia's origins and that Kandor had somehow survived Krypton's destruction and its citizens have made it to Earth, arriving in the mark of their respective house.

A year later, while under the influence of red kryptonite, Clark offered to introduce Major Zod to his old friend Jor-El and brought him to the Fortress. Clark attempted to contact Jor-El, but Jor-El remained silent, much to Clark's annoyance.

Later, Clark came to the Fortress to explain to Jor-El what he felt he had to do to save Earth from Zod and his army, as well as that he knew what he had to do to fulfill his destiny. When he heard no reply, Clark was horrified to find the console shattered and became angry when Zod revealed himself and easily claimed responsibility, telling Clark that he would never speak to his father again.

### Season Ten

After Clark sacrificed himself to send Zod and the Kandorians away, Jor-El spoke to Clark in the spiritual plane, warning him of a much greater evil coming. Later, at the Fortress, he revealed the darkness building up in Clark's heart along with his recently displayed vanity and pride. Jor-El then informed Clark that his recent prideful behavior had attracted the attention of a new evil greater than Lex and that it was heading for Earth as they spoke. He also warned Clark that this new threat prayed on the faults and corruptions of individuals and used them to turn them into its slaves and unless Clark rid himself of his faults, it would turn him in to a weapon against mankind. He then told Clark that he made a mistake in believing Clark would save the world and declared that Clark would never be Earth's savior.

When Kara returned to Earth, she told Clark that Jor-El summoned her from afar to return to Earth and take Kal-El's place as a hero, telling her that he disowned Kal-El and no longer thought of him as his son.

After watching a videotape of her mother, Lois found the Key and journeyed to the Arctic to talk to Jor-El about Clark. She told Jor-El that, unlike her mother who could no longer be there for her, he could still be there for his son and that he (Jor-El) was the reason Clark was being held back from being the hero he could be. Jor-El didn't respond, leading Lois to angrily reply that Clark was lucky to be rid of him: this prompted Jor-El to trap Lois within a field of energy. Fortunately, Clark came to save her. Just when Clark was about to finally give up on Jor-El, a section of the Fortress lit up, playing a projection of Jor-El and Lara telling him that he (Kal-El) was born of a great love and that they have no doubt that he will be Earth's greatest hero. Jor-El mentioned to Clark that he sent with him only his knowledge because he didn't want his son's life to be burdened by his ego and regrets at not being able to save Krypton.

About a year later, after leading Clark Luthor to the Fortress and imploring him to turn from his evil ways, Clark Kent called out to Jor-El, who sent Clark Luthor back to SV2.

When Clark took Lois to the Fortress, they spoke to Jor-El to start a life bond, as the head of a Kryptonian house has to approve such bonds. Jor-El consented and started a trial in which the couple must learn from this experience: Clark's Kryptonian powers were transferred to Lois. To start the trial, Jor-El caused crystalline structures to fall upon Lois, which she was able to lift above her own head. Jor-El later called Kara to tell her that her mission was over and it was Clark's duty to defeat Darkseid. Later on, once the trial was over, Clark proclaimed to his Kryptonian father that he was finally done with these trials and silenced Jor-El from making any more decisions for him by removing the main crystal from the crystal console, thereby shutting the Fortress down.

Later, as Clark was flung through the air by Darkseid during their battle, he remembered Jonathan's words of guidance that spoke of reconciling with Jor-El, acknowledging that he was his father and still needed his guidance. Once Clark obeyed Jonathan's last request, Jor-El responded by showing Clark mental images of his trials over the past ten years, revealing to him that he always had the power within himself all along. Jor-El told Clark that this was his final trial and that he was ready to seize his destiny. Clark then mastered his ability to fly, which he used to defeat Darkseid.

Clark returned to the Fortress, where he was embraced by Jor-El's presence. Jor-El told him that his journey had come to an end and that he was truly proud of him for embracing his heritage and accepting his abilities fully. He told his son that he was the only one that could lift the darkness from the Earth, then revealed the suit he had previously placed in a crystal pillar. Before Clark took the costume, Jor-El gave him one final word of wisdom: Even though he had Jor-El's Kryptonian blood, it was his time in Smallville with his earthly parents, friends and enemies that made him into the hero he was destined to be, Superman