Avruskin (New Earth)

General Zod
Mainstream Universe‎, 1986‎-2011‎
Gallery
Real Name	Avruskin (first name unknown)
Main Alias	General Zod
Other Aliases	Zed
Relatives	Paulin Avruskin (mother · deceased), Tor Avruskin (father · deceased)
Affiliation	Formerly KGB Special Interests Program
Base Of Operations	Pokolistan
Status
Alignment	Bad
Identity	Secret Identity
Citizenship	Pokolistani · Russian
Marital Status	Single
Occupation	Ruler of Pokolistan
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Height	6' 3"
Weight	230 lbs (104 kg)
Eyes	Blue
Hair	Black
Origin
Universe	New Earth
Creators	Joe Kelly · Duncan Rouleau
First Appearance	Action Comics #779 (July, 2001)
Appearance of Death	Action Comics #805 (September, 2003)

I am your destroyer. I am the one that will bring you to your knees and show you the world before I tear it to pieces and remake it as my own.

— General Zod

Avruskin a.k.a. General Zod was the dictator of Pokolistan.

History

Avruskin was the son of two Russian cosmonauts who were part of a Soviet plan to build a space station in orbit during the Cold War. The experiment went bad when a meteor shower struck the space station, bombarding it with radiation. Zod's parents survived the destruction of the space station: his mother died shortly after giving birth to him, his father was left horribly mutilated. The child was then taken in by Soviet authorities and experimented upon, and given the name "Zed". Yellow sunlight made him very weak, but it was discovered that red sunlight radiation gave him incredible powers. Zed grew up in captivity, allowed to write and receive letters with his father, and grew stronger as he got older (while continually bathed in red sunlight), and even trained with the KGBeast.

When he was a young man, Zed learned about Superman for the first time. He realized that Superman is an alien, and that he is not; upon realizing that his father has been dead for years and his Soviet masters have been lying to him about that, he soon becomes obsessed with the Man of Steel and convinced that they are the perfect opposites of one another. Zed believed that when the rocket ship brought Superman to Earth, it was in the same meteor shower that destroyed his ship (this is neither explicitly confirmed nor denied).

Finally, one day while in meditation, his mind is contacted by the soul of a being who hates Superman as much as he has grown to - a man named Zod. Zed decides he will take this man's name and under it will he defeat Superman.

Zod eventually is able to build a suit of red armor that filters the sunlight, allowing him to travel and retain his incredible powers. At some point before the turn of the new millennium, Zod managed to seize control of the former Soviet satellite state of Pokolistan. He eventually brought to him Faora and Ignition to be his loyal lieutenants and began a long scheming plan to destroy Superman and conquer the world.

Zod's first plan was to poison Superman. He had Faora hired the mercenary La Encantadora to deliver a Kryptonite based microbe into the Man of Steel via a kiss. La Encantadora was successful at making her delivery, and Superman did not suspect that her kiss was anything sinister. Within a few weeks, however, just after Y2K, the poisonous microbe began to take its toll. Superman grew sickly, and even began to glow green. He needed Batman to help him locate a kidnapped Lois Lane and when they found her, he collapsed from the effort. Zod later hired Deathstroke the Terminator to eliminate La Encantadora before she could confess to what she had done. Unfortunately for Zod, Deathstroke failed, and Encantadora helped the rest of Superman's friends to cure him of the infection.

Zod then decided to reformulate his plans. Coinciding with this decision was the public announcement that Lex Luthor was running for President of the United States. Zod decided he would use this to his advantage, but timing was crucial. While he waited, Zod had Ignition capture Bizarro so that he could be use as a literal punching bag by Zod. He also used the extracted Kryptonite tumor to create a new lifeform, the homicidal monster known as Kancer.

In the political arena, Zod was the unknown, unidentified dictator of Pokolistan. When he was certain that Superman knew that he was responsible for the poisoning and for Kancer, he ordered his army to attack two of his neighboring countries (and eventually pressed into Berlin as well). He did so knowing that Superman would come. The Man of Steel was right on cue, and he battled Ignition, Kancer, and Faora alongside Superboy, Supergirl, and Kelex until Zod himself showed up. Sucker punching Superman from behind, he struck the Kryptonian so hard it actually broke his jaw. After Superman was patched up, he returned to have a word with the general, at which time his identity was revealed as Zod; although Superman did not know his history, so was confused as to who this "Zod" could be. Their battle was interrupted, however, by the coming of Imperiex, Destroyer of Galaxies.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Unique Physiology: Under the effects of a "red" sun, General Zod possesses the same powers as an average Kryptonian under the effects of a "yellow" sun. These include;
  • Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of General Zod's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a red sun star system. He has a bio-cellular matrix, "red" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when red solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
  • Heat Vision: General Zod can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
  • Super-Hearing: General Zod' hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
  • Enhanced Vision: General Zod's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus. This umbrella ability includes the following:
  • Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: General Zod can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
  • Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
  • X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. General Zod's can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived -such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans - is unclear. this ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
  • Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
  • Infrared Vision: General Zod's can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
  • Flight: General Zod is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
  • Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, General Zod is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
  • Superhuman Stamina: General Zod is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy, but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
  • Superhuman Strength: General Zod's strength is augmented by red solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
  • Superhuman Speed: General Zod is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time. This also confers:
    • Superhuman Agility
    • Superhuman Reflexes
  • Super-Breath: General Zod is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.

Abilities

• Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Was trained by the KGBeast.
• Meditation:

Weaknesses

• Red Solar Energy Dependency
• Vulnerability to Yellow Sun Radiation
  

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Solar-shielding armor

Related

• 20 Appearances of Avruskin (New Earth)
• 6 Images featuring Avruskin (New Earth)
• 1 Quotations by or about Avruskin (New Earth)
• Character Gallery: Avruskin (New Earth)

Footnotes

Superman Villain(s) This character has been primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category."