Val-Zod
Val-Zod is the second person to take on the mantle of Superman on Earth-2. Created by Tom Taylor (Injustice, DCeased, and Superman: Son of Kal-El) and Nicola Scott (Birds of Prey and Blackest Night: Wonder Woman), Val-Zod made his debut in 2014 in Earth-2 #25.
Biography[]
Val-Zod was rendered an orphan when his parents were executed by the Kryptonian court and he later befriended fellow orphan Kara Zor-El. He was later among the orphans that were saved from Krypton's destruction by Jor-El and Lara. During the travels to Earth, Val-Zod learned about his parents' knowledge about violence being the stupidest way to overcome something leading to Val-Zod becoming a pacifist. When Val-Zod landed on Earth, he was taken in by Terry Sloan who offered to protect him from the outside world. He helped Sloan make the firepits.
Val-Zod was later found by the Wonders to fight what appeared to be a brainwashed Superman calling himself Brutaal and discovered that he was a Kryptonian. Val-Zod revealed to them that he spent his childhood in a capsule and developed a fear of big open spaces. Red Tornado (who has the mind of the late Lois Lane) was able to give him a convincing pep talk.
After Red Tornado taught Val-Zod how to use his abilities, they were attacked by the Parademons. Alan Scott saved them as Val-Zod told Batman II about saving Red Tornado. Due to an attack by the Apokoliptian forces, Val-Zod and Batman had to evacuate from the Batcave. Making their way to Amazonia, Val-Zod is blamed by Batman for not using his powers and letting Red Arrow die. Jimmy Olsen states to Batman that it wasn't Val-Zod's fault. When he asks Val-Zod what is underneath his hoodie, Val-Zod shows the symbol of the House of El.
After a talk with Jimmy Olsen and Doctor Fate, Val-Zod rose up and fought Superman who cracked and crumbled revealing that this Superman is a deformed and perverted clone. After the Superman clone was reduced to dust, the Wonders declared their victory against Apokolips.
Accompanying Red Tornado and Batman to save the people from the remaining fire pits, Val-Zod encountered Huntress and Power Girl. A massive earthquake enabled a creature called K'li: Fury of War to emerge from the fire pit. They fought against K'li until she took control of Huntress and Power Girl so that she can kill them and join her Fury sisters. Red Tornado was able to get through to Huntress and Power Girl to break the mind-control. The group then takes a detour to a nearby lab that sent the distress signal as it was being attacked by mutated creatures. Val-Zod and Power Girl combined their abilities to destroy the creatures and rescue everyone. Using special suits to enter the fire pits, they encounter DeSaad and find his special laboratory where he was creating imperfect clones of Superman. When Batman was suffering from the madness that the Miraclo is bringing him, Val-Zod destroyed the Miraclo. The dead clones have awoken as the group is confronted by the Parademons as Helena arrives having been converted into the Fury of Famine.
As Power Girl took on Huntress, Val-Zod worked to evacuate the others only for DeSaad to unleash Yolanda Montez (who was transformed into the Avatar of the Red) on them. Val-Zod used his blood to poison the labyrinth while also freeing Yolanda. Afterwards, Val-Zod and Power Girl bury the real Superman's body on a hill and then headed to the World Army outpost where they answer Flash's distress call. Val-Zod uses his charged cells to overload K'li. Though Deathspawn has emerged and Atom's Haven is attacked by Protofuries led by Barda. Val-Zod and Kara met up with Commander Sonia Sato at the headquarters at Atom's Haven. When Darkseid's terraformer fell to Earth, Val-Zod saw it as a threat.
Val-Zod begins his attack on the terraformer with the assistance of Power Girl and Red Tornado which caused it to unleash a horde of Parademons. Commander Sato took control of the Parademons and sent them to attack Apokolips.