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If you’ve seen the 1980 movie Superman II, then you probably know more than you cared about General Zod and Ursa. While the two were trapped in The Phantom Zone (prison) they conceived a son named Lor-Zod. People are most familiar with this character from the show Young Justice, who appears in season 4, subtitled “Phantoms”.
The place to learn about Lor-Zod in Young Justice would be episode 19, titled “Encounter Upon the Razor’s Edge”. Here he tells his backstory and about his parents. General Zod and Ursa were stuck in The Phantom Zone for a century since the planet Krypton was destroyed and there was no one to let them out. During the 31st century, when a Phantom Zone Projector was discovered, all the inmates were released and placed on a planet with a red sun so the Kryptonians wouldn’t have their powers.
Here’s where things get interesting. During this episode of Young Justice, we discover that Ursa was unknowingly pregnant with Lor-Zod. However, since nobody ages in The Phantom Zone, Lor-Zod was not born until his parents left the prison. When he was 15 years old, his father was able to smuggle himself and others to an area with a yellow sun. After arranging a rebellion, The Legion of Superheroes from the 31st century used the same Phantom Zone Projector previously mentioned to bring them back to the prison. Their son, Lor-Zod, avoided imprisonment due to his age. After aggressively trying to retrieve the projector to save his parents, The Legion of Superheroes destroyed it to prevent it from being used.
Lor-Zod blames the El family (Superman’s lineage) for their imprisonment in The Phantom Zone. Since Superboy is a clone of Superman, Lor-Zod hates him. Moreover, Superboy was the inspiration for the creation of The Legion of Superheroes. To prevent the league from forming, and thus freeing his parents from imprisonment, Lor-Zod steals a sample of Kryptonite (poison to Kryptonians), as well as a Time-Sphere to travel back in time and kill Superboy.
I could tell you more, but then I would ruin the fourth season of Young Justice for you, and I am sure you wouldn’t want that. The point is that Lor-Zod makes the perfect villain for this show. While the other characters at this point are no longer “young”, Lor-Zod in the show appears to be a teenager. I suppose if my parents were trapped in an inescapable prison in the same way, I may turn into a super-villain myself. You can find season 4 (affiliate link) off Amazon if you are a fan of the series.