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Jor-El is the father of Superman and the foremost scientist of the planet Krypton prior to its destruction. A scientific genius with a fertile, wide-ranging intellect, he conducted far-reaching experiments in rocketry, invented a matter-transmitter and numerous other marvels, and discovered the Phantom Zone.
It was Jor-El who predicted to an unbelieving population that "Krypton would explode from gathering atomic pressures at the core of the planet."
Jor-El was born into a family with a centuries-long heritage of achievement in the fields of science, statesmanship, and exploration. His ancestry teemed with such men of lasting distinction as Val-El, an explorer and discoverer who was the moving force behind Krypton's great Age of Exploration; Sul-El, the inventor of Krypton's first telescope; Tala-El, the author of Krypton's planet-wide constitution; Hatu-El, a scientist and inventor who discovered the nature of electricity and devised Krypton's first electromagnet and electric motor; and Gam-El, the father of modern Kryptonian architecture.
During this period, two of Jor-El's brothers - his identical twin brother Nim-El and another brother named Zor-El - also embarked upon distinguished careers in science, but they appear to have limited themselves to the fields of weapons science and climatography, respectively, and to have displayed none of their brother's capacity for brilliance and creativity in a breathtaking array of scientific disciplines.
Indeed, although Jor-El was still a young man at the time of his marriage to Lara, the lovely dark-haired young woman who, according to at least one account, was Jor-El's assistant during the period preceeding their engagement, he was already a famed scientist engaged in top-level research at a Kryptonian missile base.
Jor-El learned about the planet Earth from a time traveller, Jack Knight.
Jor-El's independent research led him to discover that the Green Death had being caused by a chain reaction within Krypton, set off long ago by the terrorist group Black Zero, which was creating a new radioactive element called Kryptonium. Knowing that Krypton had little time left he was determined so save his son Kal-El, who was safely shielded from the radiation within his Birthing Matrix. Jor-El had long ago secretly altered his son's DNA to remove the genetic tie to Krypton that was introduced by Kem-El generations ago. Jor-El attached his son's Matrix to his own proto-type hyperdrive and programmed it was the coordinates of Earth.
Jor-El was interrupted by Lara who had learned about Jor-El's removal of the Matrix from the traditional Gestation Chambers. She challenged him over his actions and he revealed to her the true extent of Krypton's doom and his hope to save their son. Reluctantly she agreed and together they launched the unborn Kal-El into the void. Shortly after in fire and flames Krypton died with Jor-El finally free to tell Lara of his love for her.
Smallville series
Jor-El may have saved his son from the planet's destruction, but he had more intentions for him than Kal-El ever dreamed of. Jor-El had wanted Kal/Clark to use his powers to conquer the Earth. He used a omniscient hologram of himself to try to control Kal-El and make him bend to his whim.
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