For alternate versions of the Sword of Rao, see Sword of Rao's Organization Hub. |
- "Then join me, help me save our race, we'll start anew. We'll sever the degenerative bloodlines that led us to this state."
- ―Dru-Zod to Zor-El[src]
The Sword of Rao was a revolutionary movement founded by Dru-Zod to overthrow and replace the Kryptonian Law Council in a coup and restore Krypton to its former glory. It was named after Rao, the Kryptonian sun god.
After Krypton's destruction, they attempted to terraform the Earth to create a new Krypton, at the cost of wiping out humanity. It was rendered inactive after all its members were sucked back into the Phantom Zone and General Zod was killed by Superman.
History[]
Attempted Coup[]
When General Zod became discontented with the running of Krypton by the law council, he decided to institute a measure to take over for them and make a new government that would reinstate Krypton to its past magnificence of eons ago. His forces arrived at the legislation chamber where Jor-El was in council with them. After killing Ro-Zar, the council leader, he told Jor-El of his ideas and had his men take him away whilst General Zod informed the council of his plans.
When informed that Jor-El had absconded and stolen the growth codex, General Zod and a few of his men traveled to Jor- El's homestead where Zod confronted Jor-El face to face as Lara Lor-Van launched Kal-El off-planet. After a hard-fought battle, Zod stabbed his friend with the hidden blade from his armor. Dismayed at what he had to do to his friend, he and his followers were promptly arrested by loyalist forces, which had regrouped by that time.
Apprehended, Zod and his remaining followers were put on trial before the law council with Lara present. They were sentenced to three hundred cycles of reconditioning inside the Phantom Zone for their authoritarian coup. Zod yelled at Lara and declared that sending her son away wasn't enough, that he wasn't safe, and he would find him. A ship descended on Kandor and Zod and his followers embarked and went through the Phantom Zone projector to begin their sentence.[1]
Release and Search[]
Soon after, Krypton imploded, freeing the Sword of Rao members and sowing great sorrow in their minds. Thinking that they were the only survivors of their planet, Zod led his supporters through space to search of other survivors and a planet on which to rebuild a Kryptonian atmosphere.[1]
Invasion of Earth[]
After years of probing, when Kal-El activated a signal from the Fortress of Solitude, they ventured to Earth. General Zod and his cohorts endeavored to take over Earth to remake it into a new Krypton but were stopped by Superman, resulting in Zod's death and his followers being sucked back into the Phantom Zone.[1][2]
Members[]