Can someone explain Rogal Zarr to me?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Frankly, I'm glad Bendis dropped this entire plotline as quickly as he did, as it failed to generate any enthusiasm from...pretty much everyone.

That said, I am curious as to what his whole deal was. I've forgotten, did Bendis ever actually explain who he was and what he actually did before shuffling him off to limbo? I'm sure he'll inevitably to brought back and immediately killed off in order to prop up the next Big Bad, but I would like to know what Bendis was aiming for with the character.

[manwhohaseverything]

Supposedly, rogal zarr was mercenary who did the dirty work for a secret intergalactic group and might be a half breed kryptonIan and evidently created by jor el. For reasons unknown he hated kryptonIans and viewed their existence as a blemish or threat or both to living things everywhere and wanted to end their kind. We can speculate that this was due to general view of kryptonIans about half breed.some have even theorised that rogal zarr is jor el's son.anyways,he was the one who destroyed krypton and supposedly jor el was part of key conspiracy that lead to the end of Krypton.

[Restingvoice]

Supposedly, rogal zarr was mercenary who did the dirty work for a secret intergalactic group and might be a half breed kryptonIan or organisation and evidently created by jor el. For reasons unknown hated kryptonIans and view the existence it kryptonIans as blemish or threat or both to living things everywhere and wanted to end their kind. We can speculate that this was due to general view of kryptonIans about half breed.some have even theorised that rogal zarr is jor el's son.anyways,he was the one who destroyed krypton and supposedly jor el was part of key conspiracy that lead to the end of Krypton.

How exactly did he destroy Krypton?

I wasn't enthusiastic either, not just because this is another time Krypton's destruction has changed, but also because I find the idea that Krypton was destroyed because its inhabitants refused to believe in "climate change" way funnier.

[Zero Hunter]

I would not worry about it. This is one of those really dumb ideas that will be retconned away as soon as Bendis is off the Superman books and never brought up again except on one of those Youtube lists of bad ideas that happened to your favorite comic book characters videos.

[manwhohaseverything]

How exactly did he destroy Krypton?

I wasn't enthusiastic either, not just because this is another time Krypton's destruction has changed, but also because I find the idea that Krypton was destroyed because its inhabitants refused to believe in "climate change" way funnier.

He essentially, went deep underneath to the planet's core and made it unstable with a machine.

[Frontier]

I would not worry about it. This is one of those really dumb ideas that will be retconned away as soon as Bendis is off the Superman books and never brought up again except on one of those Youtube lists of bad ideas that happened to your favorite comic book characters videos.

Yeah, of all of what Bendis is doing with the mythos right now, Zaar seems to be the least remarkable/popular.

[Superlad93]

Everyone more or less summed him up, yeah. What's most unfortunate about the character though is that there are aspects about him that are potentially really interesting, but since Bendis wants to save that for later he feels really lacking in substance.

Like, did you know he may (as in not yet confirmed) be Jor-El's illegitimate first born son? F%&king crazy, right?

Jax-Ur hints at this, and Zaar insist on wearing the House of El crest even though he hates all Kryptonians seem to imply this (Zaar also has a particularly strong hate for half-breed Kryptonians). It's later confirmed that Zaar is Kryptonian, and Adam Strange says Jor-El "created" Zaar, but it's left unclear what he means by the word.

And if that's the idea, then I'm significantly more interested than I currently am. There's also this sense that he's also, ironically, quite inspiring to those around who believe in him (literally has a cult following). The criminals in the Phantom Zone in particular rallying around him during a speech he gives. Even Jax-Ur seemed to be swept up by whatever charisma he was supposedly giving off. And weirdly enough, Zaar seems play to this by saying stuff like "no, not me. We" when people are chanting his name, and also "my strength is your strength".

If he were an El, and specifically Kal's half brother, then this idea that the El's are natural born leaders is pretty fascinating. And it's something Bendis seems to play up in both Clark and Jon across his run. Exploring that charisma and ability to inspire in a broken and murderous person is a solid idea.

But, unfortunately, it's not pressed upon as much as I'd have liked. Maybe down the road? But as of right now, he's mostly just a big strong racist gray guy from start to finish with only hints at anything more, and that's no good.

[objectivewatcher2013]

Worst villain since H'el.

[Tzigone]

Different strokes for different folks. Sounds terrible to me. I do not want any long-lost siblings coming out of the woodwork and the idea that leadership skill is hereditary is distasteful to me, as it lends itself to monarchies and the like.

[Superlad93]

I do not want any long-lost siblings coming out of the woodwork and the idea that leadership is hereditary is distasteful to me.

I can appreciate that. Not my personal go-to either, but I wouldn't say no to it depending on the context surrounding it, and so long as it isn't spelled all the way out as being hereditary. Like, if he were reveal to be Clark's half-brother tomorrow, and his leadership skills were a mostly unspoken little nod to that? I'd personally be good.

And I normally also resist the long-lost-evil-sibling idea, if the context is Superman's half-brother actually being this non-conventionally attractive monster that you'd assume he'd fight anyways? Well, that's a little more interesting. At least more interesting than if Zaar were a normally sized person who looks like Clark, but "ooooo, he's spooky and bad". Conceptually, I dig giving the conventionally handsome monster puncher a conventionally monstrous monster sibling who hasn't had it as comparatively good. I think there's something there.

[Frontier]

Worst villain since H'el.

I don't think he's worn out his welcome as fast as H'el did at least.

Different strokes for different folks. Sounds terrible to me. I do not want any long-lost siblings coming out of the woodwork and the idea that leadership skill is hereditary is distasteful to me, as it lends itself to monarchies and the like.

Yeah, I think it would come off extremely forced. First he's responsible for destroying Krypton and now he might be Clark's long lost half-sibling who is also evil? It's like the character can't be interesting on his own terms so they have to force him into this big deal in the mythos.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

He’s a terrible villain from a bad Superman writer. One of Bendis’s many blunders.

Everyone more or less summed him up, yeah. What's most unfortunate about the character though is that there are aspects about him that are potentially really interesting, but since Bendis wants to save that for later he feels really lacking in substance.

Like, did you know he may (as in not yet confirmed) be Jor-El's illegitimate first born son? F%&king crazy, right?

Not to me, nope, more like F%&king uninspired like the rest of this run. Long lost siblings rarely work with Dc.

[Superlad93]

If that's how you feel, sure.

[Ascended]

Worst villain since H'el.

I sincerely think H'el was more interesting.

The stuff Superlad has mentioned, the hints of what might be a deeper well within Zaar, *is* interesting, conceptually. A self-loathing racist d-bag capable of uniting the masses behind him, and guilty of genocide. Some real obvious hitler parallels here, and mixing that with "secret brother" does have potential to be interesting. But what we've actually gotten on the page? Pretty damn thin and awful.

H'el at least had an interesting premise from the start, and stuff was actually done with it. Loved the idea that H'el was just a self-fulfilling paradox. Great villain concept, perfect for a guy who fights fifth dimensional imps. Execution wasn't there but the idea was.

[manwhohaseverything]

I sincerely think H'el was more interesting.

The stuff Superlad has mentioned, the hints of what might be a deeper well within Zaar, *is* interesting, conceptually. A self-loathing racist d-bag capable of uniting the masses behind him, and guilty of genocide. Some real obvious hitler parallels here, and mixing that with "secret brother" does have potential to be interesting. But what we've actually gotten on the page? Pretty damn thin and awful.

H'el at least had an interesting premise from the start, and stuff was actually done with it. Loved the idea that H'el was just a self-fulfilling paradox. Great villain concept, perfect for a guy who fights fifth dimensional imps. Execution wasn't there but the idea was.

I agree with this h'el was more interesting.in fact should stick around. I don't particularly care if rogal zarr, does.