Fortress of Solitude (SV)

The **Fortress of Solitude** is Clark Kent's Kryptonian stronghold located in the Arctic. It also serves as a repository for all the knowledge of the universe collected by Kryptonians, including that of their now-destroyed homeworld of Krypton.

The Fortress is also home to Clark's father Jor-El, an artificial intelligence entity that serves as Clark's guide and mentor on Earth, as well as resides in the Fortress' console. This entity originally resided in Clark's ship and then in Kawatche caves and was finally transferred into the console of the Fortress after Clark conjoined the three Stones of Power together. The information held inside the Fortress was originally stored in the Stones of Power, which combined to become the Crystal of Knowledge used to create the Fortress. Baern referred to the Fortress as Jor-El's famed "**Fortress of Knowledge**".

In 2008, the Fortress was destroyed by Lex Luthor when he put the Orb into the Fortress' console: this caused the Fortress to turn back into the Crystal of Knowledge. Clark later re-created the Fortress, which resumed its role as Clark's Kryptonian home. However, after Brainiac was removed from Chloe Sullivan, he infected the Fortress, but was removed after being defeated by Clark and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

In 2009, Clark managed to reinstate the connection with Jor-El after Brainiac's past infection of the Fortress. Clark went through three weeks of training within the Fortress which included various mental trials. Unfortunately, Zod learned of the Fortress and used it as a gathering base for him and the Kandorians. Zod later destroyed the Fortress' console so Clark would never be able to speak to his father again.

In mid 2010, the console healed itself gradually along with the rest of the Fortress. The Fortress had now purged itself of what was leftover by Brainiac's past corruption of the structure. Clark has now regained contact with Jor-El. Although, because of Clark's doubts, inner fears and over zealous pride Jor-El has not spoken to Clark and disowned him as his son. This also prompted Jor-El to keep the super-suit in storage, encased in a block of ice until Clark fulfilled his destiny and become Earth's greatest hero.

## Physical Appearance

**Interior Design:** At first, after Clark built the Fortress using the Crystal of Knowledge, the Fortress gained large rigid pillars, which supported its structure. Inside the Fortress, huge white boulders or mounds could be seen scattered throughout, as well as mostly, white crystals comprised the inside of this structure. The Fortress has an upper balcony where huge ice-pillars stand and their circumferences are immense. In the direct center of the Fortress, stood the console mainframe which served as the power core of the Fortress: the artificial entity Jor-El currently dwells in the console itself. Later, Brainiac corrupted the Fortress and the crystals there turned black in color, giving Brainiac full access to the power core of the Fortress, which in turn, shut down Jor-El. After his extraction from the Fortress, the inside of the Fortress gets reverted to its state prior to its infection and upon its restoration, bigger and denser crystals formed. Jor-El's mere essence was also restored to the Fortress and the pillars there appear to be less rigid than before. The Fortress now holds the super-suit encased in a block of ice.

**Exterior Design:** The Fortress is planted outside somewhere in the Arctic and is held up by many huge ice-like columns. From far away, its full structure and design can be fully seen.

## Vulnerabilities

The whole Fortress can be shutdown by removing the control crystal, or outright demolished by super-powered Kryptonians. The Kryptonian dagger that Jor-El gave to Clark, when thrown into Fine, was able to severely damage the Fortress. Fine was able to access the power of the Fortress to open a portal to the Phantom Zone. Normally that would require access to the crystals and console of the Fortress: somehow, because the dagger was part of the Fortress, Brainiac was able to circumvent the access limitations of the console and access the power of the Fortress directly through the dagger.

In addition, somehow Brainiac was also able to drain the entire power reservoirs of the Fortress, leading to its seeming "death." It is unclear exactly how this happened. After the Fortress' death, the connection between the Fortress and Jor-El's oracle Lionel Luthor was broken.

When General Zod smashed the altar, it cut off communication between the Fortress and Clark.

## The Console

The **Console** at the Fortress of Solitude is a key component embedded inside the mainframe and is the main power source core and serves as the primary way of manipulating the Fortress.

It is made up of very dense Kryptonian crystals that appear impenetrable, as well as the surroundings crystals within the Fortress as various things that have been thrust against them haven't damage them or the crystals were about to cause harm. This is evident when Brainiac was thrown onto the crystals and the console destroyed that copy of Brainiac, when Clark smashed Zor-El's blue crystal (which couldn't be scratched by a nuclear explosion according to Kara) against them and when Zor-El was about to kill Kara by pushing her onto the crystals in the surrounding Fortress. One crystal in particular activates the console mainframe, as well as without it, Jor-El becomes dormant.

The crystals have a varied amount of powers that mostly have yet to be explored but are almost capable of anything at either Clark's wish or Jor-El's will. The initial crystal thrust from the console was so that in the future Clark would be able to have contact his biological father Jor-El. This crystal was also one of the first parts of Clark's training by beginning to educate Clark with knowledge of his home planet Krypton. Other crystals in the Fortress have time travel abilities with one crystal only allowing Clark to relive one Earth day with him using this ability to save Lana from death, but causing Jonathan Kent's death. But it also has capabilities of creating portals to and from the Phantom Zone, as well as also to Clark's home planet of Krypton.

The console, however, cannot be affected by anybody: only Clark can activate it manually unless Jor-El does so. This is because the Fortress is assigned to Clark for his training and future guidance by Jor-El.

The console has only ever been used by Clark, Raya and Zor-El. Raya used the console while the Fortress was seemingly "dead" and only had a little power left. Zor-El could only manipulate the console after the blue crystal was placed within the console, shutting out Jor-El. After Brainiac was removed from Chloe Sullivan after corrupting the Fortress, taking control from Jor-El, anyone could activate the console. Chloe used the console at this time.

The console also has small inserts/slots where the smaller crystals are to be inserted. While at the Fortress with Major Zod, Clark is shown inserting small crystals into these slots trying to initiate contact with Jor-El.

Zod destroyed the console to prevent Jor-El from telling Clark about the secrets of Rao and stopping him in taking over the Earth. The Fortress though began to gradually heal itself, restoring the console and allowing Jor-El to communicate once more.

## Season Five

After Clark formed the Crystal of Knowledge from the Stones of Power, he was transported to a remote, snowy region in the Arctic and threw the Crystal of Knowledge into a bank of snow. As the crystal melted into the ice, it grew into a huge, crystalline building: The Fortress of Solitude.

When Clark first entered the Fortress, he was greeted by Jor-El, who told him that he must stay and prepare to save Earth from Brainiac and General Zod. Jor-El began training Clark to fulfill his destiny and so started showing Clark all of the knowledge of Krypton, but Chloe Sullivan, who had also been transported to the Arctic along with Clark, made her way into the Fortress shivering as a sub-zero wind blew in as Clark began his training. Chloe collapsed from the cold and begged Clark to save her. Clark severed his link with Jor-El to come to Chloe's aid, but Jor-El forbade him to leave. He finally acquiesced, warning Clark that he must return before sunset or there would be terrible consequences. When Clark failed to return to the Fortress in time, Jor-El stripped him of his powers.

Sometime later, when Clark was shot and killed by Gabriel Duncan, Jor-El possessed the body of Lionel Luthor, retrieved Clark's body, as well as brought him to the Fortress, where he brought Clark back to life with all his powers restored, but with a price: The life of someone he loves.

Later, Clark was influenced by Milton Fine to destroy the Fortress in order to stop Jor-El from killing Martha Kent. When he brought Fine to the Fortress, Clark was given a black crystal and instructed to insert it into the Fortress' control console. Once Clark did this, the Fortress began to self-destruct while a portal to the Phantom Zone opened. However, Clark managed to stop Fine and saved the Fortress.

A few months later, Clark decided to reveal his powers to Lana Lang and brought her to the Fortress. It was here he proposed to her and she later accepted. Unfortunately, Lana was killed in a car accident, fulfilling Jor-El's warning that the life of someone Clark loves will be exchanged for Clark's restored life. Clark begged Jor-El to bring Lana back to life and Jor-El gave him a crystal that sent Clark back in time, a day before the tragedy occurred. Clark was able to prevent Lana's death, but he failed to save Jonathan Kent, who died of a heart attack, once and for all fulfilling Jor-El's prediction.

Months later, Clark ventured back to the Fortress, where he spoke with Jor-El and learned that it was Zod who was responsible for the destruction of Krypton. Jor-El gave him a Kryptonian dagger, which he had to use to kill Lex Luthor, who had been chosen by Brainiac to be the vessel for Zod, to prevent Zod's return. However, Clark could not bring himself to kill Lex, so he hurled the dagger at Brainiac, stabbing him in the chest. Unfortunately, Brainiac managed to gain access to the Fortress through the dagger and opened a portal that released Zod's spirit into Lex's body.

## Season Six

When her plane crashed in the Arctic near the Fortress, Martha dragged an unconscious Lois Lane into the Fortress and was greeted by Jor-El. Jor-El explained to Martha that she and Lois were kidnapped by Brainiac, as well as that he had given Clark a Kryptonian dagger in order to destroy Zod's vessel. Because Clark instead used the dagger against Brainiac, he not only destroyed Brainiac and all of his copies, but also damaged the Fortress and allowed Zod to inhabit Lex. Jor-El told Martha that she must use the dagger to kill Zod, now in Lex's body, in order to save Earth. After expressing his gratitude toward Martha for raising Clark, Jor-El sent Martha and Lois back to Smallville using the Fortress' remaining energy and shut down.

After returning from the Phantom Zone and defeating Zod, Clark returned to the Fortress and stored the Crystal of El there for safekeeping. He tried to talk to Jor-El, but Jor-El wouldn't answer, leading him to the conclusion that the Fortress was now "dead," unaware that the Fortress was damaged after he destroyed Brainiac and accidentally released Zod.

Later, Clark and Raya faced Baern, an escaped Zoner who could absorb and release large amounts of energy. Baern was not strong enough to face two Kryptonians and sensed the Kryptonian black box, absorbing enough energy to kill Clark and Raya. Clark and Raya went to the Fortress with the hope of restoring it, but Raya was distraught with the loss of the Fortress, passionate about its significance to the both of them. After they discovered that they needed more power, Clark and Raya lured Baern to the Fortress to face him in seclusion without potentially harming others. In the confrontation, Baern killed Raya, but Clark used the Crystal of El to send him back to the Phantom Zone. In her last moments, Raya pleaded with Clark to use the energy stored in the crystal to restore the Fortress.

## Season Seven

After Clark met his Kryptonian cousin Kara, he went to the Fortress and questioned Jor-El, recalling the last time a girl named "Kara" came into his life. Clark asked Jor-El if he could begin his training, only for Jor-El to tell him instead to watch over Kara, claiming she could not be trusted.

Later, Clark heard the voice of his Kryptonian mother Lara from the blue crystal, which transported him to the Fortress. Immediately, Jor-El warned Clark of putting the crystal in the console, but Clark ignored Jor-El and placed Kara's blue crystal in the console, creating clones of Lara and Zor-El. Zor-El took control of the Fortress, using it to create an eclipse designed to wipe out all humans on Earth. Clark managed to destroy the blue crystal, stopping the eclipse and ending the lives of Zor-El and Lara's clones. However, Kara was somehow transported to Detroit, Michigan without her memory.

Clark initially blamed Jor-El for Kara's disappearance, but Jor-El claimed that he was not responsible: Zor-El was. Even after Clark pleaded for help, Jor-El claimed that Kara was not his mission. Jor-El then chastised Clark for continuing to disobey him and stated that this defiance can't go unpunished, then encased Clark in ice for a month within the Fortress.

A month later, when Bizarro flew to the Fortress in search of Dax-Ur's shield, he tried to pose as Clark. However, Jor-El saw through Bizarro's ruse and ordered him to leave. After mocking Jor-El, Bizarro left. The encounter disturbed Jor-El enough to release Clark from his imprisonment to face the last phantom.

After Kara returned to Smallville and grew closer to Lex, Clark planned to ask Jor-El to restore her memory and powers to prevent Lex from learning their secret. Before he could even retrieve the Key from the loft, he was attacked by a team hired by Lionel Luthor. After realizing Lionel had kidnapped and imprisoned Clark, Chloe used the Key to take Kara to the Fortress. Chloe gave an impassioned plea to the silent Jor-El, informing him of the danger Clark was in, begging him to return Kara's memory and powers and professing her love and desire to protect Clark. The Fortress activated and enveloped Kara in energy, restoring her memory and powers.

Later, Clark went to the Fortress trying to find Kara after Brainiac took her prisoner. Although Jor-El didn't speak, Clark heard audio transmissions from Kara, warning him about the fact that Brainiac wanted to kill Clark when he was still a baby and revealing that she was on Krypton in the year 1986. Sometime afterward, Clark went to the Fortress, although it was unseen, as well as used a portal there to travel back through time to Krypton before its destruction to save his younger self and Kara from Brainiac.

Later on, the Orb was found by Lex in the mantel piece of the Luthor Mansion. Lex activated it by inserting the missing piece, causing the Orb to reveal a holographic map of Earth showing the exact location of the Fortress in the Arctic. When he arrived at the Fortress, Lex found Clark there and discovered that he was "The Traveler." Having the idea that he was going to protect the human race from Clark, Lex placed the Orb on the console, causing the entire Fortress to collapse, with Clark and Lex inside.

## Season Eight

It was revealed that the Orb didn't destroy the Fortress, but instead turned it back into the Crystal of Knowledge. The LuthorCorp digging team discovered the crystal buried in the ice and snow. The Crystal of Knowledge was given to Tess Mercer, who kept the crystal until it was stolen by an anonymous contact named "X." However, the crystal was mysteriously returned to Clark through a package in the mail, but it had no return address on it. Kara suggested that Clark could re-create the Fortress with it, but he refused after the crystal sent him and Lois to the Phantom Zone and he was thus unsure of what it would do.

After Chloe was being taken over by Brainiac and she began forgetting all of her memories, Clark took the Crystal of Knowledge to the Arctic and repeated the process that he had done three years ago, throwing it into the snow in the distance and re-building the Fortress. Clark entered the Fortress and was greeted by Jor-El before the two had a talk about the Orb and the after-effects of Clark losing his powers: Clark sternly told Jor-El to trust him as a man and that he has learnt so much since. Clark then asked Jor-El to help him cure Chloe, which Jor-El agreed. Clark then took Chloe to the Fortress and Jor-El removed Brainiac from her system, but not before warning that he would not know the outcome as Brainiac is unpredictable. Brainiac was removed and his liquid form exposed in which he hid in the Fortress. Clark later returned to the Fortress to thank Jor-El and talked about "the ultimate destroyer" before Clark respectfully left. Brainiac then revealed himself to Jor-El, taking over and corrupting the Fortress.

On the day of Chloe and Jimmy's wedding, Doomsday crashed Chloe and Jimmy's wedding, killing and injuring numerous guests and severely injuring Jimmy, as well as kidnapped Chloe and took her to the Fortress at Brainiac's calling, placing her down so Brainiac could inhabit her body. Brainiac drained the knowledge from the Fortress when he corrupted it, as well as possibly damaged the connection with Jor-El to it as well. Davis awoke in the Fortress, unaware of his location and what the building was, but saw Chloe, who was now possessed by Brainiac. Brainiac told Davis about his arrival on Earth and connection to Chloe, as well as told him that he will make him evolve to destroy Earth after which he will rid the planet of its knowledge. Brainiac then placed Davis in a crystal chamber for him to fully evolve. Clark later arrived to speak with Jor-El about him helping Chloe and finding the creature, but was greeted by Brainiac. Brainiac teased Clark, knowing he wouldn't harm Chloe's body and went to the *Daily Planet*. After Brainiac was disabled, his connection to the Fortress was broken and Doomsday smashed his way out of his chamber. It was later revealed that the Fortress "died" after Brainiac was removed, as well as all of its knowledge and Jor-El was gone.

Clark took Davis to the Fortress, where Clark planned to use the black crystal to open a vortex to the Phantom Zone so he could send Davis, as well as by extension, Doomsday, there to prevent him from harming anyone else, but Clark and Davis fought for control. Chloe appeared in the Fortress, having used the Key to teleport to the Fortress, as well as took the black crystal out of the Fortress' console, then told Clark that she could control Davis: she and Davis then teleported back to Smallville using the Key.

## Season Nine

Clark somehow fixed the connection with Jor-El and began his training again. He trained for three weeks, going through mental trials and studying Kryptonian history. When Clark was on duty in Metropolis and saved a monorail train that had come off the tracks, he spotted Lois on the train, learning that she was safe after he thought she had died in Doomsday's attack. When he resumed his training, Jor-El challenged Clark to a mental challenge of trying to fly by jumping off of the Statue of Liberty, but Clark was unable to fly. Clark then asked Jor-El why he can't fly and believed he was granted the same powers as other Kryptonians, but Jor-El told Clark that his body was the same as other Kryptonians and that his mind was holding him back because he either still believes he is human or somebody is holding him back. Jor-El then suggested that, to fully fulfill his destiny, Clark cut off all contact with his life as Clark Kent.

Later, Clark returned to the Fortress when he began hearing the thoughts of others. Jor-El informed Clark that he planted a seed as part of his training and he must have made humanistic assumptions, which was a mistake that activated the program, causing Clark to temporarily have the ability of telepathy to teach him to nurture his Kryptonian intuition and learn to not allow humanistic assumptions to cloud his judgment.

One year later, under the influence of red kryptonite, Clark willingly brought Major Zod to the Fortress in an attempt to allow Zod to communicate with Jor-El. Unfortunately, Jor-El refused to establish contact with his son or his former best friend. A little frustrated, Clark explained to Zod about how Jor-El liked to toy with him anytime he got close to accepting his Kryptonian heritage by not talking with him and Zod tried to be sympathetic and help Clark understand Jor-El's harsh methods, especially after learning that his original self was responsible for the destruction of Krypton. Clark says it doesn't matter since he's learned all he needs to know about operating the Fortress controls from the crystals. Zod then inquired if Clark knew the whereabouts of the Book of Rao.

Metallo was transported to the Fortress, taking both Clark and Zod by surprise. Corben's kryptonite heart begins to weaken both Kryptonians. Zod super-sped to the left to regain his strength while Clark blasted Corben with a small dose of heat vision to bring down part of the Fortress roof on the cyborg, intending to crush him, but that doesn't harm him in the least. Zod and Clark used their super breath together to freeze and encase Corben in a crystal: however, Corben break free easily. Corben kicked Zod to the side of the Fortress walls before focusing his full attention on Clark, weakening him long enough to stab Clark with a kryptonite shard, restoring Clark to normal before leaving the Fortress using the Key. Clark turned to see that Zod had disappeared as well. Later, Zod rallied his remaining loyal soldiers to claim their birthright, giving them their powers by giving his blood.

Fueled by the death of Faora and his unborn child, Zod gathered his troops to prepare to declare war on Earth in an attempt to reform it into a new Krypton, with only Clark standing against them.

When Jor-El of the Fortress still refused to talk to Zod or even Kal-El, Zod decided to ensure that he doesn't communicate ever again by demolishing the crystal console. Tess managed to enter the Fortress confronting Zod with a pair of knuckle braces laced with kryptonite in an effort to prevent Zod from accomplishing his plan for dominating Earth. Unfortunately Zod distanced himself far enough from the effects of kryptonite, to repay Tess for her treachery by incinerating half her body with his heat vision leaving her to die.

Later Clark arrives at the Fortress seeking guidance from his father and to declare he's finally found his true destiny as Earth's protector and has no intention of leaving his home. Clark notices at that moment the remains of the destroyed crystal console to which Zod chooses to step of the shadows and reveal himself claiming he's severed Jor-El's connection to Clark and now there is no way to stop him and his battalion from recreating Krypton on Earth. Clark makes one final attempt to reason with Zod against taking such course of action with no success as Zod flies out of the Fortress. Clark then sees the half-burned body of Tess and immediately takes her to the hospital.

## Season Ten

Clark was teleported to the fortress, when Jor-El activated the key in the barn. The console had seemingly repaired itself from its destruction at Zod's hand only a few days before, allowing Jor-El to once again converse with Clark with ease.

The Fortress had also returned to its appearance prior to its corruption by Brainiac the year before, with the sharpened black crystals all but gone. Jor-El told Clark that he was not the hero he thought he was and that has too much vanity & pride. Jor-El also says Clark has darkness in his heart and that he could become the Earth's destroyer if he doesn't rid himself of his flaws. Unbeknownst to Clark, although he was reprimanded by his father as a way to teach him a lesson in humility, Jor-El has faith in his son that he will overcome his upcoming trials and come out victorious. To that end he's stored away the suit made by Martha Kent in a crystallized pillar for safe keeping until Clark becomes the hero he is destined to be.

After Lois watches her mother's final message to her, she has the feeling that she gotten the proper closure she had been missing from her childhood with the absence of her beloved mother. Lois decides that Clark needs the same from his father Jor-El in order to move forward in fulfilling his destiny and ventures off to The Fortress using the key to access the portal in the hidden Kawatche chamber room. Upon arriving Lois pleads with Jor-El to reconcile with his son because even though her love gives Clark the strength to continue on his path towards fulfilling his destiny, he won't complete his final trials if he feels he did not fulfill his father's expectations of him. When Lois doesn't get the response she was looking for from Jor-El, she gets angry and insults him by saying if he doesn't care enough to make an effort than maybe Clark is better off without him in his life.

At that moment, Jor-El replied by sending a burst of blue energy encasing Lois in a sphere where they had a private discussion until Clark arrived. Upon seeing Lois held captive by Jor-El, he angrily threatened that if he caused Lois any harm he'd have undone any high expectations he once may have had of his father being a good man. Lois assured him she was not harmed and that she won't allow him to give up on his relationship with his father and pleaded with him to give him a chance. Clark agreed and was rewarded with one final message of unconditional love and encouragement from his beloved birth parents Jor-El and Lara in holographic form assuring him that even though they would die, they would live on through him and truly love him and knew he would make them very proud as Earth's greatest savior.

Clark Kent tricks Clark Luthor into coming to the fortress where he tries to reason with him by revealing Jor-El's existence, as well as his true purpose for sending him to Earth. Luthor is unimpressed. But Superman assures Ultraman that Lionel had lied to him and that he can still communicate with his true father, as well as also gain redemption in his universe for the evil things he has done. Kent tells Luthor that he can make a difference in the other Earth, before calling out for Jor-El who sends Ultraman back to the Earth 2 fortress.

On the Eve of their Wedding, Clark decides to take Lois to the Fortress to receive Jor-El's blessing. Jor-El appears to accept Clark's decision without hostility or condemnation, instead he merely tells them that before they have his final blessing they must first understand each other from different perspectives. Jor-El then proceeds to transfer Clark's powers to Lois for the day until sundown as a trial. During this process Jor-El summons Kara to the fortress and gives her two choices involving her own Destiny. At the end of the trial with his powers restored Clark returns to the fortress to confront Jor-El and proclaims that he's done with all of his manipulative trials, as well as is ready to stand on his own without his guidance and proceeds to remove the main crystal from the crystal console thereby shutting the fortress down.

When Darkseid's Apokolips is looming over Earth, Clark returns to the Fortress and is embraced by Jor-El's presence. Jor-El tells him that his journey has come to an end and that he is proud of him for embracing his heritage and who he is. He tells his son that he is the only one that can lift the darkness from the Earth. He returns the Superman suit to the surface and gives Clark his final words of wisdom, to not forget that even though he has Jor-El's blood, he must remember his time in Smallville and his Earth parents and friends that made him a hero. Jonathan's spirit presents Clark the suit and tells him to always hold on to Smallville. After receiving it, Clark was left alone.

## Earth-2 Fortress of Solitude

When Clark Kent was accidentally transported to a parallel universe by a Kryptonian relic known as the mirror box in which he had been raised as a Luthor. Clark tried to find a solution by going to this universe's Fortress of Solitude seeking guidance from Jor-El only to discover that in this reality Lionel Luthor had taken control of the fortress and placed electronic devices around the crystallized console to inhibit Jor-El's programmed artificial intelligence from regaining or establishing contact with Clark Luthor.

Upon Kent's request, Luthor talked with the Jor-El of his universe when he returned to SV2 (as well as hopefully seeking redemption for his actions).