SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from the Krypton episode “The Phantom Zone.” Proceed with caution.
Krypton‘s first season wrapped this week in an episode that showed the full force of Brainiac as he invaded Kandor City. The episode also united the Zod and El families, something not often seen on screen or in the comics. The episode was also a very emotional one, as Val-El was freed from the Phantom Zone, Nyssa learned a shocking truth about herself, and a terrible price was paid. Let’s jump into the episode’s most notable moments.
Val-El is Restored
After spending years trapped inside the Phantom Zone, Seg‘s grandfather, Val-El, was rescued and returned by Dru-Zod. Seg and Val shared an emotional reunion, especially since the last time Seg saw Val, Val was being executed. Zod was willing to find Val because he believed that Val held vital information to Brainiac’s defeat. Val returned with a dark prophecy, however, that no matter how many futures he saw ahead, Brainiac was never defeated.
Neither Seg nor Lyta could accept that truth: Seg wanted to save lives and Lyta wanted to fight Brainiac. It’s no wonder Clark Kent will have such a passion in him, in the future, to both save lives and stop anyone who would take them. Together, Lyta and Nyssa found a way to sneak into Kandor, while Seg, Val, and Zod decided whether it was the right choice to use Doomsday.
The Clone Conspiracy
Back in Kandor, Lyta assembled what was left of the Military guard and sent them to attack Brainiac. Nyssa went her own way, to get her and Seg’s unborn child from the Genesis Chamber. Once inside the chamber, she was approached by the creator of Black Zero, Jax-Ur. Jax accused Nyssa of helping her father build the city of injustice that Kandor had become.
Jax then showed Nyssa a shocking secret that was lurking within the Genesis Chamber. It didn’t just hold babies, it held clones. Jax then told Nyssa that she was a clone, her own clone, after the first version of herself died in a crash with her mother. The clones were created to help wealthy Kryptonians live forever. You can read more about the cloning practices on Krypton in the pages of the DC Comic book, World of Krypton Vol. 2.
Defeating Brainiac
After Brainiac assimilated himself into the Voice of Rao, he then disabled the shields that were protecting Kandor City. His massive ship descended upon the city, bringing with it the sheer force of the weather storm outside. Brainiac told Kandor’s citizens that his rule was their eternal life and that they should rejoice to become part of him.
Zod then proposed one way to save Kandor City: to offer Val and his well-spring of future knowledge to Brainiac. Seg refused, which prompted Zod to ask Seg the same question that has been asked in a lot of superhero films of late: would you sacrifice one life to save millions? Vision asked this question of himself in Avengers: Infinity War and Coulson asked it of himself in Agents of SHIELD.
The episode concluded with a final showdown in the Fortress of Solitude. As Brainiac came to absorb the mind of Val-El, Seg tricked him into the Phantom Zone vortex. While Brainiac was pulled in, so was Seg. In a stunning scene, the further Seg was pulled into the Zone, Superman’s cape began to reform. Seg was then completely sucked in and left his grandfather and his son with his final words: start believing in a better tomorrow again.
The terror wasn’t over, however, as Superman’s cape then transformed from a red cape bearing the House of El sigil, to a black cape bearing the House of Zod sigil. OH MY GOD. Dru-Zod then stepped into his place as General, commanding all other Kryptonian leaders to “KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!”
If that doesn’t set up a brilliant new challenge for Season 2, then I don’t know what does.
Krypton will return to SYFY in 2019.
