If You Wrote Comics: Superman

[The Dying Detective]

I definitely agree that Diana is likely the hardest to write among the Trinity. She's such a wonderful character (no pun intended) with so many layers and nuance. I still struggle to really get the deepest parts of the character, and I've read more Wonder Woman than most titles.

I disagree about Clark being a loner until Kara and the rest showed up though. Look at the history. Batman actively brings in young sidekicks and wards. He collects them, keeps them close, trains them, and treats them like sons (he doesnt seem to bond as well with the girls). I'd never say that Bruce is a good father, but he actively tries to be the best father he's capable of, and as Tim Drake noticed, Bruce *needs* that family around him, or he starts to go off the deep end.

Now look at Clark. When Kara arrived, she didn't move in with Clark. She didn't get much training from him. He forced her to keep her presence a secret for I don't know how long. The more modern versions have him shipping her off to Themyscria, the Kents (in the DCAU), and I don't even know who in the current title; some foster spy family or something. Clark barely had a relationship with Conner for years. With Jon, yeah DC is treating Clark like he's the Father of the Year, but that's actually a characterization that goes against his history, and we never got to see the learning curve either. Jon just showed up at ten years old so Clark's had a lot of time to adjust and learn.

Then look at the people Clark and Bruce bring into their lives. Most of Clark's friends are either friends with "Superman" (like John Henry Irons) or "Clark" (like Perry). And most of his "close" friends have no idea that Clark and Superman are the same person. He keeps everyone at arm's length, even his friends, with only a few small exceptions. Bruce has far more people who know both sides of his life.

Hell, it's in the name of their respective headquarters; Clark has a "Fortress of Solitude." Bats has a cave named after and inspired by animals who live in large family groups.

I don't think even female writers get Wonder Woman either. But it's probably those layers that make it hard to write her. And with your profile picture and desire to write Superman I would assume you read Superman more so than other titles. Well when you put it that way I suppose it doesn't make Superman less of loner despite more Kryptonians being found and that's not even counting the Bottle City of Kandor which is full of Kryptonians don't whether that's around in current continuity. And yes you are right Kara currently has been shipped over to a couple who work for the D.E.O. who did once belong to Martian Manhunter's side of DC. But at any rate Kara, Conner, and Jon's existence kind of renders his title as the Last Son of Krypton void a little. So I guess Clark wasn't very good at raising Lor-Zod in Post-Crisis then? Though helping Damian become more well adjusted was mainly Dick's doing not Bruce. And Bruce did have a more fatherly relationship with Cassandra Cain.

[Carabas]

So you said you were interested in writing for the Big 2, how does a person go about that now? Just write for the indies until you get noticed?

Nowadays, pretty much, yeah.

[Ascended]

I don't think even female writers get Wonder Woman either. But it's probably those layers that make it hard to write her. And with your profile picture and desire to write Superman I would assume you read Superman more so than other titles. Well when you put it that way I suppose it doesn't make Superman less of loner despite more Kryptonians being found and that's not even counting the Bottle City of Kandor which is full of Kryptonians don't whether that's around in current continuity. And yes you are right Kara currently has been shipped over to a couple who work for the D.E.O. who did once belong to Martian Manhunter's side of DC. But at any rate Kara, Conner, and Jon's existence kind of renders his title as the Last Son of Krypton void a little. So I guess Clark wasn't very good at raising Lor-Zod in Post-Crisis then? Though helping Damian become more well adjusted was mainly Dick's doing not Bruce. And Bruce did have a more fatherly relationship with Cassandra Cain.

Oh yeah, I've read more Superman than anything, probably by a substantial margin. And odds are my second most-read character is Wonder Woman, possibly Green Lantern or Flash (though most of that was Wally, not Barry).

As far as Chris goes....you know, I don't even remember how Clark was with him. Chris was only around for maybe five minutes, and didn't really leave a lasting impression on the franchise or me (no offense to his fans). And then when he showed up again during New Krypton he didn't interact with Clark much at all from what I remember, what with Clark on New Krypton and Chris and Flamebird in Metropolis. Of course, I've tried to block out a lot of that era so I might be forgetting stuff.

[Ascended]

Nowadays, pretty much, yeah.

Hmm, I wonder how you get into the indies then? I mean, there's self-publishing of course, but do people send pitches into Dark Horse or Image or Oni Press? I know Top Cow does a annual "new talent" contest.

Seriously, I think I'd have an easier time getting a writing gig at network tv than a comic publisher. It's weird.

[The Dying Detective]

Oh yeah, I've read more Superman than anything, probably by a substantial margin. And odds are my second most-read character is Wonder Woman, possibly Green Lantern or Flash (though most of that was Wally, not Barry).

As far as Chris goes....you know, I don't even remember how Clark was with him. Chris was only around for maybe five minutes, and didn't really leave a lasting impression on the franchise or me (no offense to his fans). And then when he showed up again during New Krypton he didn't interact with Clark much at all from what I remember, what with Clark on New Krypton and Chris and Flamebird in Metropolis. Of course, I've tried to block out a lot of that era so I might be forgetting stuff.

I knew it! I think most people grew up with Wally West as the Flash not Barry but he still has his fans. Well maybe Chris Kent will be more memorable as dark reflection of Jon. Jon probably has more going for him than Chris Kent ever did thanks to being Clark's actual son as opposed to adopted. SO Chris went to live on New Krypton the last i remember Chris got taken away during a big event leaving Lois and CLark heart broken.

[Assam]

Hmm, I wonder how you get into the indies then? I mean, there's self-publishing of course, but do people send pitches into Dark Horse or Image or Oni Press? I know Top Cow does a annual "new talent" contest.

Most indies, BOOM! is a notable exception, allow open submissions of original work and have specific processes by which you submit them.

Well maybe Chris Kent will be more memorable as dark reflection of Jon.

Oh, brother. *eyeroll*

[Ascended]

Most indies, BOOM! is a notable exception, allow open submissions of original work and have specific processes by which you submit them.

Interesting. Man, I'd hate to be the intern who has to dig through all that every week. Those publishers must get a ton of submissions.

[The Dying Detective]

And also this is an idea from Englentine that I absolutely loved Daxam is a colony of Krypton from a long time ago before Krypton outlawed space travel and I thought it would be cool if Power Girl was from Daxam instead not sure of the implications of what would happen if I did that but I think I can iron it out because want to try and propose something more original. Because the other idea I had was to make Power Girl and Supergirl sisters which should take care of something called the Power Girl problem as state by Englentine. And that isn't my idea either.

[Vakanai]

And also this is an idea from Englentine that I absolutely loved Daxam is a colony of Krypton from a long time ago before Krypton outlawed space travel and I thought it would be cool if Power Girl was from Daxam instead not sure of the implications of what would happen if I did that but I think I can iron it out because want to try and propose something more original. Because the other idea I had was to make Power Girl and Supergirl sisters which should take care of something called the Power Girl problem as state by Englentine. And that isn't my idea either.

Did the comics ever establish why Krypton outlawed space travel?

[Kuwagaton]

It's changed a number of times over the years. My personal favorite was when at the end of a long war against foreign influence, they were genetically locked to the planet to ensure that they stayed as one culture. I guess that's what the movie also did but can't remember this sec.

[Ascended]

It's changed a number of times over the years. My personal favorite was when at the end of a long war against foreign influence, they were genetically locked to the planet to ensure that they stayed as one culture. I guess that's what the movie also did but can't remember this sec.

Do you mean the Donner or Snyder films?

Donner.....I don't recall space travel ever being mentioned, nor why Kryptonians didn't get off world. Snyder dealt with it a fair chunk in MoS; Krypton had a vast empire but mismanagement of resources forced the empire to withdraw from its conquered territory, shrinking their borders and abandoning their colonies until the entire empire collapsed and Krypton's people returned to their homeworld, never to leave the planet again.

[Kuwagaton]

Yeah, I was thinking of the MoS Krypton where they had the genetic matrix, but couldn't think of a good source to jog my memory of the movie.

[PunishedFire]

Clark Kent moves on from print journalism and starts his own internet independent news channel where he covers natural disasters and criminality with exposes. This gives him a great excuse to always be around trouble where-ever it may be as he streams. Because he's clever, it also lets him create alibis by Superman being nowhere near Clark (hooray for Superman-robots!)

Lex Luthor is an eccentric billionaire that maintains a death grip on Lexcorp despite barely seeming interested in it. He will invent something new or perform market-wizardry to keep it ahead of competition but otherwise lets CEO Mercy run things. Lex, meanwhile, is in the vein of Doc Strange. He is a man that explores the boundaries of the universe. An evil, unscrupulous Reed Richards minus the powers. His power suits are used in his exploration of space and other places. He re-discovers the Phantom Zone and, learning of the incredibly rigid and authoritarian nature of Kryptonian culture, vows that he will NEVER let someone like Superman woo the world with his super feats. If need be, he will destroy Superman. Lex is fiercely independent and abhors authority over him of ANY kind, stemming from his life beneath an abusive, controlling father. The very existent of Superman as a Kryptonian is too much of a threat for Lex to ever suffer to live. Lex's brilliance is really on display with this version of him. He can multi-task in obviously superhuman ways and is WITHOUT A DOUBT the smartest man in the entire world. Even Kryptonian technology becomes a plaything to him.

Brainiac is the AI that monitored and moderated Kryptonian life. He is built to organize. To bring order. He is Kryptonian culture's greatest failure. For centuries Brainiac pushed them further and further away from freedom and independence. He convinced them to isolate themselves on their planet. He convinced them to turn over increasing amounts of political power and decision making to him "for their own good". Brainiac LITERALLY decided who lived and who died, who bred and who served. When the anomaly Jor-El arose and discovered tectonic instabilities, Brainiac tried to get him to fall in line. Jor-El refused and, worst of all, proved Brainiac wrong. Brainiac double checked...and found that it was true. Jor-El was right. This drove Brainiac truly insane. Naturally, Brainiac hid this information and vilified Jor-El and denounced him. Realizing that there was no way to reveal this information to the Kryptonians without causing massive chaos AND a loss of trust in Brainiac, Brainiac instead worked to save himself. Brainiac used Phantom Zone technology to vanish along with the city of Argo. Later, Brainiac would emerge back into the universe proper now in the possession of "pocket Phantom Zone" technology. Brainiac uses this technology to steal examples of civilizations while wiping out the rest of the planet all in his study of order and chaos. Brainiacs goal is to accumulate examples of every civilization in the cosmos while wiping out all life there. With no remaining free will other than Brainiacs, the universe will finally be ordered...then Brainiac can turn his full attention to his captured civilizations to make them run even better than Krypton under his rule. They are equations to be solved...and when the universe is silent, he'll have all the time in existence to do it.

Superman would be extremely powerful. The pinnacle of Earth's heroes...but he would NOT be the strongest in the universe. On the contrary, Superman would regularly meet more powerful beings that he would have to defeat with wit, guile, innovation and heart. His adventures would have a lot of cosmic focus with exploration and assistance to others being a recurring theme. Superman would be able to use the Phantom Zone tech in his Fortress of Solitude to jump across space, allowing him distant adventures without crazy travel times.

Finally...

General Zod. Zod was the defender of Krypton. The only Kryptonian allowed to use solar-wavelength technology to bathe in yellow sunlight and gain powers that would allow him to protect the planet from natural disasters or invasion. It was his birthright. He did it with pride and unbelievable skill and efficiency. The Superman of Krypton. Amongst the candidates Brainiac had chosen was also Jor-El...Dru-Zod's friend. Jor-El had been disqualified for "moral reasons" according to Brainiac. Of course, this was because Jor-El was a compassionate man...and Zod had a viciously pragmatic streak to him. Jor-El would have reasoned with invading aliens. Zod wiped them out. Naturally, Brainiac preferred this. It was so much simpler. When confronted with the coming destruction of Krypton, Brainiac realized that Zod would be a threat to him. He would be difficult to kill. Perhaps impossible. So Brainiac lied to him. Brainiac told Zod of the instability and of the coming destruction. He told him Jor-El had hidden it from him. This was actually partially true. Jor-El had told no one but the science council and Brainiac. Brainiac explained he had hidden it from the council to spare the planet chaos...and because he had a plan. Zod was sent to the heart of the instability...a place from which strange radiation was rotting the planet. Jor-El learned of this and hurried to his friend, realizing what Brainiac was planning. When Jor-El found Zod, Zod was already retreating from the location...he had been poisoned by the radiation. The newly forming Kryptonite was unlike anything he had encountered before.

Jor-El tried to help Zod but Zod confronted him about the coming destruction of Krypton. Jor-El confirmed it and Zod became enraged that Jor would keep this information from him, his friend. Jor-El swore that he was trying to fix this...and that they could do it together but that he hadn't come to Zod for fear that he would act rashly. Brainiac interrupting the two, revealed to Zod that Jor-El was working on an escape craft...a craft destined for a planet with a yellow son...where Jor-El would be like Zod, indicating that Jor-El wanted all this to happen so that he could gain the powers Zod had that Jor-El was always jealous of. Though weakened, Zod was still fantastically powerful and attacked Jor-El in a rage, his mind poisoned by kryptonite poisoning. Eventually, the brilliant Jor-El is able to defend himself but does not want to kill his friend. Instead, knowing the transfer will purge the radiation from Zod's system, Jor-El jury rigs his vehicles Zone-drive...destroying it and pulling Zod into the Phantom Zone. Realizing what is happening, Zod is horrified at the thought of being placed in the purgatory where only criminals belong...but it's too late. Jor-El swears to free his friend as soon as he can get back to his lab.

Brainiac's task for Zod makes this impossible. Not only did Zod's action expose him to kryptonite, it accelerated the destructive chain-reaction. Jor-El realizes this too late and must enact his contingency plan, sending away his infant son.

Zod is trapped in the Phantom Zone for decades

When he's freed, Zod is a foe every bit as vicious as one would imagine. He has had THIRTY YEARS to turn his "betrayal" at the hands of Jor-El into an all-consuming lust for revenge. His hatred and rage would make the Red Lanterns blush. He is the same age (physically) as Superman when he is freed but has been training with his powers for nearly twice as long, having been prepared to be a superman by Brainiac since he was a youth. As such, his threat to Clark can't be underestimated. Zod also has a blinding hatred for Brainiac that, perhaps, eclipses even his hatred for Jor-El and Clark. He plans on claiming Earth for his own so he can be the "rightful" guardian of it, to instill Kryptonian law & order, destroy Brainiac and return Argo city to proper reality (preferably as the capital of New Krypton built on the foundations of Earth).

I have some other ideas but that's off the top of my head

[The Dying Detective]

Clark Kent moves on from print journalism and starts his own internet independent news channel where he covers natural disasters and criminality with exposes. This gives him a great excuse to always be around trouble where-ever it may be as he streams. Because he's clever, it also lets him create alibis by Superman being nowhere near Clark (hooray for Superman-robots!)

Lex Luthor is an eccentric billionaire that maintains a death grip on Lexcorp despite barely seeming interested in it. He will invent something new or perform market-wizardry to keep it ahead of competition but otherwise lets CEO Mercy run things. Lex, meanwhile, is in the vein of Doc Strange. He is a man that explores the boundaries of the universe. An evil, unscrupulous Reed Richards minus the powers. His power suits are used in his exploration of space and other places. He re-discovers the Phantom Zone and, learning of the incredibly rigid and authoritarian nature of Kryptonian culture, vows that he will NEVER let someone like Superman woo the world with his super feats. If need be, he will destroy Superman. Lex is fiercely independent and abhors authority over him of ANY kind, stemming from his life beneath an abusive, controlling father. The very existent of Superman as a Kryptonian is too much of a threat for Lex to ever suffer to live. Lex's brilliance is really on display with this version of him. He can multi-task in obviously superhuman ways and is WITHOUT A DOUBT the smartest man in the entire world. Even Kryptonian technology becomes a plaything to him.

Brainiac is the AI that monitored and moderated Kryptonian life. He is built to organize. To bring order. He is Kryptonian culture's greatest failure. For centuries Brainiac pushed them further and further away from freedom and independence. He convinced them to isolate themselves on their planet. He convinced them to turn over increasing amounts of political power and decision making to him "for their own good". Brainiac LITERALLY decided who lived and who died, who bred and who served. When the anomaly Jor-El arose and discovered tectonic instabilities, Brainiac tried to get him to fall in line. Jor-El refused and, worst of all, proved Brainiac wrong. Brainiac double checked...and found that it was true. Jor-El was right. This drove Brainiac truly insane. Naturally, Brainiac hid this information and vilified Jor-El and denounced him. Realizing that there was no way to reveal this information to the Kryptonians without causing massive chaos AND a loss of trust in Brainiac, Brainiac instead worked to save himself. Brainiac used Phantom Zone technology to vanish along with the city of Argo. Later, Brainiac would emerge back into the universe proper now in the possession of "pocket Phantom Zone" technology. Brainiac uses this technology to steal examples of civilizations while wiping out the rest of the planet all in his study of order and chaos. Brainiacs goal is to accumulate examples of every civilization in the cosmos while wiping out all life there. With no remaining free will other than Brainiacs, the universe will finally be ordered...then Brainiac can turn his full attention to his captured civilizations to make them run even better than Krypton under his rule. They are equations to be solved...and when the universe is silent, he'll have all the time in existence to do it.

Superman would be extremely powerful. The pinnacle of Earth's heroes...but he would NOT be the strongest in the universe. On the contrary, Superman would regularly meet more powerful beings that he would have to defeat with wit, guile, innovation and heart. His adventures would have a lot of cosmic focus with exploration and assistance to others being a recurring theme. Superman would be able to use the Phantom Zone tech in his Fortress of Solitude to jump across space, allowing him distant adventures without crazy travel times.

Finally...

General Zod. Zod was the defender of Krypton. The only Kryptonian allowed to use solar-wavelength technology to bathe in yellow sunlight and gain powers that would allow him to protect the planet from natural disasters or invasion. It was his birthright. He did it with pride and unbelievable skill and efficiency. The Superman of Krypton. Amongst the candidates Brainiac had chosen was also Jor-El...Dru-Zod's friend. Jor-El had been disqualified for "moral reasons" according to Brainiac. Of course, this was because Jor-El was a compassionate man...and Zod had a viciously pragmatic streak to him. Jor-El would have reasoned with invading aliens. Zod wiped them out. Naturally, Brainiac preferred this. It was so much simpler. When confronted with the coming destruction of Krypton, Brainiac realized that Zod would be a threat to him. He would be difficult to kill. Perhaps impossible. So Brainiac lied to him. Brainiac told Zod of the instability and of the coming destruction. He told him Jor-El had hidden it from him. This was actually partially true. Jor-El had told no one but the science council and Brainiac. Brainiac explained he had hidden it from the council to spare the planet chaos...and because he had a plan. Zod was sent to the heart of the instability...a place from which strange radiation was rotting the planet. Jor-El learned of this and hurried to his friend, realizing what Brainiac was planning. When Jor-El found Zod, Zod was already retreating from the location...he had been poisoned by the radiation. The newly forming Kryptonite was unlike anything he had encountered before.

Jor-El tried to help Zod but Zod confronted him about the coming destruction of Krypton. Jor-El confirmed it and Zod became enraged that Jor would keep this information from him, his friend. Jor-El swore that he was trying to fix this...and that they could do it together but that he hadn't come to Zod for fear that he would act rashly. Brainiac interrupting the two, revealed to Zod that Jor-El was working on an escape craft...a craft destined for a planet with a yellow son...where Jor-El would be like Zod, indicating that Jor-El wanted all this to happen so that he could gain the powers Zod had that Jor-El was always jealous of. Though weakened, Zod was still fantastically powerful and attacked Jor-El in a rage, his mind poisoned by kryptonite poisoning. Eventually, the brilliant Jor-El is able to defend himself but does not want to kill his friend. Instead, knowing the transfer will purge the radiation from Zod's system, Jor-El jury rigs his vehicles Zone-drive...destroying it and pulling Zod into the Phantom Zone. Realizing what is happening, Zod is horrified at the thought of being placed in the purgatory where only criminals belong...but it's too late. Jor-El swears to free his friend as soon as he can get back to his lab.

Brainiac's task for Zod makes this impossible. Not only did Zod's action expose him to kryptonite, it accelerated the destructive chain-reaction. Jor-El realizes this too late and must enact his contingency plan, sending away his infant son.

Zod is trapped in the Phantom Zone for decades

When he's freed, Zod is a foe every bit as vicious as one would imagine. He has had THIRTY YEARS to turn his "betrayal" at the hands of Jor-El into an all-consuming lust for revenge. His hatred and rage would make the Red Lanterns blush. He is the same age (physically) as Superman when he is freed but has been training with his powers for nearly twice as long, having been prepared to be a superman by Brainiac since he was a youth. As such, his threat to Clark can't be underestimated. Zod also has a blinding hatred for Brainiac that, perhaps, eclipses even his hatred for Jor-El and Clark. He plans on claiming Earth for his own so he can be the "rightful" guardian of it, to instill Kryptonian law & order, destroy Brainiac and return Argo city to proper reality (preferably as the capital of New Krypton built on the foundations of Earth).

I have some other ideas but that's off the top of my head

THis is great take plan I hope to see more soon. And take your time there's no hurry.

[Midnight_v]

Clark Kent moves on from print journalism and starts his own internet independent news channel where he covers natural disasters and criminality with exposes. This gives him a great excuse to always be around trouble where-ever it may be as he streams. Because he's clever, it also lets him create alibis by Superman being nowhere near Clark (hooray for Superman-robots!)

Lex Luthor is an eccentric billionaire that maintains a death grip on Lexcorp despite barely seeming interested in it. He will invent something new or perform market-wizardry to keep it ahead of competition but otherwise lets CEO Mercy run things. Lex, meanwhile, is in the vein of Doc Strange. He is a man that explores the boundaries of the universe. An evil, unscrupulous Reed Richards minus the powers. His power suits are used in his exploration of space and other places. He re-discovers the Phantom Zone and, learning of the incredibly rigid and authoritarian nature of Kryptonian culture, vows that he will NEVER let someone like Superman woo the world with his super feats. If need be, he will destroy Superman. Lex is fiercely independent and abhors authority over him of ANY kind, stemming from his life beneath an abusive, controlling father. The very existent of Superman as a Kryptonian is too much of a threat for Lex to ever suffer to live. Lex's brilliance is really on display with this version of him. He can multi-task in obviously superhuman ways and is WITHOUT A DOUBT the smartest man in the entire world. Even Kryptonian technology becomes a plaything to him.

Brainiac is the AI that monitored and moderated Kryptonian life. He is built to organize. To bring order. He is Kryptonian culture's greatest failure. For centuries Brainiac pushed them further and further away from freedom and independence. He convinced them to isolate themselves on their planet. He convinced them to turn over increasing amounts of political power and decision making to him "for their own good". Brainiac LITERALLY decided who lived and who died, who bred and who served. When the anomaly Jor-El arose and discovered tectonic instabilities, Brainiac tried to get him to fall in line. Jor-El refused and, worst of all, proved Brainiac wrong. Brainiac double checked...and found that it was true. Jor-El was right. This drove Brainiac truly insane. Naturally, Brainiac hid this information and vilified Jor-El and denounced him. Realizing that there was no way to reveal this information to the Kryptonians without causing massive chaos AND a loss of trust in Brainiac, Brainiac instead worked to save himself. Brainiac used Phantom Zone technology to vanish along with the city of Argo. Later, Brainiac would emerge back into the universe proper now in the possession of "pocket Phantom Zone" technology. Brainiac uses this technology to steal examples of civilizations while wiping out the rest of the planet all in his study of order and chaos. Brainiacs goal is to accumulate examples of every civilization in the cosmos while wiping out all life there. With no remaining free will other than Brainiacs, the universe will finally be ordered...then Brainiac can turn his full attention to his captured civilizations to make them run even better than Krypton under his rule. They are equations to be solved...and when the universe is silent, he'll have all the time in existence to do it.

Superman would be extremely powerful. The pinnacle of Earth's heroes...but he would NOT be the strongest in the universe. On the contrary, Superman would regularly meet more powerful beings that he would have to defeat with wit, guile, innovation and heart. His adventures would have a lot of cosmic focus with exploration and assistance to others being a recurring theme. Superman would be able to use the Phantom Zone tech in his Fortress of Solitude to jump across space, allowing him distant adventures without crazy travel times.

Finally...

General Zod. Zod was the defender of Krypton. The only Kryptonian allowed to use solar-wavelength technology to bathe in yellow sunlight and gain powers that would allow him to protect the planet from natural disasters or invasion. It was his birthright. He did it with pride and unbelievable skill and efficiency. The Superman of Krypton. Amongst the candidates Brainiac had chosen was also Jor-El...Dru-Zod's friend. Jor-El had been disqualified for "moral reasons" according to Brainiac. Of course, this was because Jor-El was a compassionate man...and Zod had a viciously pragmatic streak to him. Jor-El would have reasoned with invading aliens. Zod wiped them out. Naturally, Brainiac preferred this. It was so much simpler. When confronted with the coming destruction of Krypton, Brainiac realized that Zod would be a threat to him. He would be difficult to kill. Perhaps impossible. So Brainiac lied to him. Brainiac told Zod of the instability and of the coming destruction. He told him Jor-El had hidden it from him. This was actually partially true. Jor-El had told no one but the science council and Brainiac. Brainiac explained he had hidden it from the council to spare the planet chaos...and because he had a plan. Zod was sent to the heart of the instability...a place from which strange radiation was rotting the planet. Jor-El learned of this and hurried to his friend, realizing what Brainiac was planning. When Jor-El found Zod, Zod was already retreating from the location...he had been poisoned by the radiation. The newly forming Kryptonite was unlike anything he had encountered before.

Jor-El tried to help Zod but Zod confronted him about the coming destruction of Krypton. Jor-El confirmed it and Zod became enraged that Jor would keep this information from him, his friend. Jor-El swore that he was trying to fix this...and that they could do it together but that he hadn't come to Zod for fear that he would act rashly. Brainiac interrupting the two, revealed to Zod that Jor-El was working on an escape craft...a craft destined for a planet with a yellow son...where Jor-El would be like Zod, indicating that Jor-El wanted all this to happen so that he could gain the powers Zod had that Jor-El was always jealous of. Though weakened, Zod was still fantastically powerful and attacked Jor-El in a rage, his mind poisoned by kryptonite poisoning. Eventually, the brilliant Jor-El is able to defend himself but does not want to kill his friend. Instead, knowing the transfer will purge the radiation from Zod's system, Jor-El jury rigs his vehicles Zone-drive...destroying it and pulling Zod into the Phantom Zone. Realizing what is happening, Zod is horrified at the thought of being placed in the purgatory where only criminals belong...but it's too late. Jor-El swears to free his friend as soon as he can get back to his lab.

Brainiac's task for Zod makes this impossible. Not only did Zod's action expose him to kryptonite, it accelerated the destructive chain-reaction. Jor-El realizes this too late and must enact his contingency plan, sending away his infant son.

Zod is trapped in the Phantom Zone for decades

When he's freed, Zod is a foe every bit as vicious as one would imagine. He has had THIRTY YEARS to turn his "betrayal" at the hands of Jor-El into an all-consuming lust for revenge. His hatred and rage would make the Red Lanterns blush. He is the same age (physically) as Superman when he is freed but has been training with his powers for nearly twice as long, having been prepared to be a superman by Brainiac since he was a youth. As such, his threat to Clark can't be underestimated. Zod also has a blinding hatred for Brainiac that, perhaps, eclipses even his hatred for Jor-El and Clark. He plans on claiming Earth for his own so he can be the "rightful" guardian of it, to instill Kryptonian law & order, destroy Brainiac and return Argo city to proper reality (preferably as the capital of New Krypton built on the foundations of Earth).

I have some other ideas but that's off the top of my head

You got me. This is one of the best bit of fictions I've read on here for a long time. I'd like to see you on Superman and me on Green Lantern. I posted the Green Lantern pitch and which ultimately the Guardians of Universe were the ones who destroyed Krypton ultimately. Because they could actually see alternate Futures at that time, and once they realize the kryptonians in their powers with yellow Suns understood that they had to find the path with the least kryptonians. On every other world there is a Superman, but that Superman is a Green Lantern. An alien force on their planet dedicated to bring goodness and law, the Green Lantern's basically. Moreover, it's important to establish that there are few people on Earth who are Toe to Toe equal to Superman. The Atomic Skull, Captain Atom, firestorm, and the Martian Manhunter.
I'm not going to lie to you though that's actually who I always felt Lex Luthor actually was anyway. That's one of the most relevant ideas I've heard in a long time. Speaking of which making Clark an independent turn this equally well done.
Finally the undertones that you added in about his motivations seem exceptionally relevant for this time in our culture. I think this would be the first run that I followed completely for a few years. Brilliant stuff. Motivating.