- "You had another family?"
- "We were genetically matched. That's how unions were formed for thousands of years on Krypton...and then I met your father. We fell in love and ended my relationship with Zeta-Rho. Jor-El and I shared a vision for a better world. I gave birth to you, and then your father and I, when we decided to send you to Earth, we hoped you would live that vision."
- —Kal-El and Lara[src]
Lara Lor-Van was a scientist of Krypton. She is the mother of Kal-El and Tal-Rho, the wife of the late Jor-El, and the ex-wife of the late Zeta-Rho.
During the destruction of Krypton, Lara was able to save her son by launching him towards Earth in a spaceship just moments before the planet explodes. Lara was briefly resurrected in 2021 using the Eradicator. An A.I. containing her consciousness was carried into Tal-Rho's Fortress when Kal was an adult.
Quick Answers
Who were Lara Lor-Van's children?
What was Lara Lor-Van's profession on Krypton?
How did Lara Lor-Van's relationship with Jor-El begin?
What was Lara Lor-Van's vision for her son, Kal-El?
Who was Lara Lor-Van genetically matched with before Jor-El?
Biography[]
Arranged marriage[]
At some point, Lara followed the ancient Kryptonian tradition of being matched genetically to a mate and married a man named Zeta-Rho. However, when she met Jor-El, Lara fell in love with him and left Zeta-Rho to marry Jor-El. After she left, Zeta secretly used Lara's DNA to genetically engineer their son, Tal-Rho. For much of his life, Lara was unaware Tal-Rho even existed.
Lara spent years working on a device called Eradicator that would contain the consciousness of Krypton’s people as a way to ensure the survival of their culture.[1]
Saving Kal-El[]
Not long after Kal-El's birth, Lara and Jor-El sent him to Earth to save him from Krypton's impending destruction.[2] Like Jor-El, a crystal containing Lara's consciousness was supposed to be sent with Kal-El to help guide him on Earth but it was stolen by Zeta-Rho as revenge for leaving him.[1] Lara herself died in the explosion of Krypton, but her consciousness remained, for later.
Possessing Lana[]
Lara possessing Lana Lang Cushing.
In 2021, the consciousness of Lara was transferred to Lana Lang Cushing via the X-Kryptonite machine manned by Dr. Dabney Donovan, allowing Superman to ask for her help in undoing the effects of the Eradicator, which had since been used by Morgan Edge to build an army. She stated that she could, though it would require an immense energy source. Lara talked to her son and learned about his life and family since living on Earth; she also confirmed to Clark that she indeed had another family before him and Jor-El, Zeta-Rho, and their son Tal-Rho, as he had previously learned that Edge was actually his half-brother. Their conversation was cut short by Edge seeking yet another confrontation with Superman, and she was left with the military to seek a sufficient energy source. Unfortunately, they were unable to acquire one, forcing Superman to retreat from Edge and his Subjekts in order to take the Eradicator and power it with a solar flare. As a consequence of their success, Lara's consciousness left Lana's body alongside the other victims of the Eradicator.[1]
Assistance from her A.I.[]
Lara's A.I. talking to Jordan, Superman, and Tal-Rho.
Tal-Rho used the crystal containing Lara's A.I.. in his fortress for her to help Kal-El. She was pleased to see her children together and met her grandson Jordan. However, she was horrified to learn that Tal-Rho used the Eradicator on the people of Earth. While Kal had painful visions, Lara scanned him to find the source. After a brief fight with Tal-Rho, Lara discovered that Kal's painful visions are coming from an "invasive cosmological event".[3]
Later, Superman took his Inverse World counterpart to Tal-Rho's fortress, where Lara's A.I. was able to give him the ability to speak coherently. When he woke up, he told Superman that he needed to kill Ally Allston before she destroyed his world.[4]
When they started to argue, Lara's A.I. said enough and asked the bizarre Kal-El what the pendant is for, and he said it's an artifact as old as time, born when their worlds split. Paired with its counterpart, it can elevate the possessor into godhood.[5]
Eventually, Superman and Tal-Rho returned to the fortress to evade Mitch Anderson, but he found them and shot Tal with Kryptonite bullets. Lara's A.I. then freed bizarre Kal-El and he attacked Anderson while Superman took care of Tal.[6]
A new Fortress[]
Powers and abilities[]
Powers[]
- Kryptonian physiology: Like all Kryptonians, Lara's capabilities while exposed to the natural red sun of Krypton were no greater than a normal human of her physical conditioning. However, had she been charged by the energy of a yellow sun metabolizing into her body, Lara would have been able to perform the same superhuman feats as other off-world Kryptonians.
Abilities[]
- Genius-level intellect/Master scientist: Lara was highly intelligent, being one of the most renowned scientists on Krypton. She was able to create the Eradicator, something which even Jor-El didn't understand.[1]
- Bilingual: Lara was capable of fluently speaking English and Kryptonese.
Appearances[]
Superman & Lois[]
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
|
Behind the scenes[]
- Lara Lor-Van debuted in the Superman comic strip (1939), where she was first named Lora. Her first comic book appearance, after being mentioned in the text novel The Adventures of Superman (1942), where she was named Lara for the first time, was in More Fun Comics #101 (1945).
References[]
| Other versions of Lara Lor-Van | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To see other versions of this character, click the Earth name below for that Earth's counterpart of Lara Lor-Van. | ||||
| New multiverse | ||||
| Earth: Prime • TUD25 • Inverse World | ||||
| Original multiverse | ||||
| Earth: 38 | ||||
| Transmultiversal multiverse | ||||
| Earth: | ||||