- "Krypton's destruction sent a shock wave that knocked my pod off-course and into the Phantom Zone. A region in space where time doesn't pass. I slept there for 24 years until somehow, I got here."
- —Kara Zor-El[src]
The Phantom Zone is a region of space in which time stands still, and from which almost nothing escapes.
History
Pre-Crisis
The maximum-security Kryptonian prison, Fort Rozz, was banished to the Phantom Zone at an unspecified date.
In 1979, Kal-El and Kara Zor-El were rocketed away from the dying planet of Krypton to Earth.[1] As Zor-El saved Argo City from destruction, he placed himself in the Phantom Zone to save himself.[2] Meanwhile, Kara's pod veered off-course and she was stuck in the Phantom Zone, only arriving on Earth 24 years later. As Kara left the Phantom Zone, she pulled Fort Rozz with her. Since time doesn't pass in the Phantom Zone, Kara didn't age at all during her stay.[1]
About 37 years later, it was revealed by Indigo that Kara escaped the Phantom Zone when Indigo downloaded herself into Kara's pod and re-activated its engines, allowing it to leave the zone and resume its journey towards Earth.[3]
Years later, Mar Novu admitted he released Malefic J'onzz from the Phantom Zone as a test for J'onn J'onzz.[4] Brainiac 5 and Lena Luthor work together on the Phantom Zone projector. While he is away, unbeknownst to everyone she tampers with it; Messing with the machine so that anyone affected would not be sent to the Phantom Zone; instead would be transported to a cell in her bunker. After using it on Malefic, everyone at the DEO believed he was now back inside the Phantom Zone.[5]
Later though, everyone found out Malefic was never sent back to the Phantom Zone.[5] Instead, Lena held him captive to study Q-Waves after tampering with the machine.[6]
Post-Crisis
- "No. This isn't right. The Phantom Zone's been fractured somehow. Of course. Crisis. When all the timelines converged into one, the opposite must have happened here. It's no longer one pocket dimension, but many; an inter-dimensional archipelago."
- —Querl Dox[src]
During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, the Phantom Zone became fractured.[2]
Kara in the Phantom Zone.
In mid-2020, Kara Zor-El was sent to the Phantom Zone when she was blasted by a Phantom Zone projector wielded by Lex Luthor.[7]
The portal to the fractured Phantom Zone.
Kara learned that Zor-El, her father, lived here and the two ultimately decided to attempt an escape to Earth-Prime. Meanwhile, the Superfriends recruited Silas to build a portal to the dimension, only to learn that Crisis caused the place to be fractured and that finding Kara would not be easy.[2]
Known residents
Current residents
Former residents
- Astra (deceased)
- Unnamed Hellgrammite
- Vartox (deceased)
- Non
- Brainiac 8/Indigo (deceased)
- Tormock
- Jindah Kol Rozz (deceased)
- Other prisoners of Fort Rozz (some deceased)
- Malefic J'onzz
- Silas
- Owen (deceased)
Appearances
Supergirl
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 5
Season 6
|
Comics
Adventures of Supergirl
Behind the scenes
- The Phantom Zone was first featured in Adventure Comics #283 (1961) and created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Pilot"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "A Few Good Women"
- ↑ "Solitude"
- ↑ "The Wrath of Rama Khan"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "In Plain Sight"
- ↑ "Dangerous Liaisons"
- ↑ "Rebirth"