- "That's what this symbol means. The symbol of the House of El means 'hope'; embodied within that hope is the fundamental belief in the potential of every person to be a force for good."
- ―Jor-El to Kal-El[src]
The House of El is a noble Kryptonian family that once resided in a citadel outside the megacity of Kandor. The only known surviving member of this family is Kal-El, known to the people of Earth as Superman.
History[]
Early History[]
The House of El is a family of nobles associated with the Thinker Guild on Krypton. For the most part, members of El were the planet's greatest scientists, such as Jor-El, who served to advance their civilization for years to come with inventions such as the projector to the Phantom Zone, and the further utilization of the Phantom Zone to facilitate interstellar colonization campaigns.[1]
Great Age of Expansion[]
Thousands of years ago, Krypton led a campaign to explore the universe and expand their civilization into the stars. Kara Zor-El, freshly graduated from her schooling in the Explorer Guild, was assigned commander of Scout Ship 0344 and set off into space to begin her 10-year-long journey of colonization. However, the presence of a stowaway caused Kara's voyage to go off course, leading her to arrive stranded on Earth.[2]
Kryptonian Civil War[]
In the 1980s, the entire House of El nearly went extinct with Krypton itself in the days following the Kryptonian Civil War, with only Kal-El surviving after his launch through the Phantom Zone to Earth. Kal-El was adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, Kansas, where he was raised with no knowledge of his true heritage until many later, when he discovered Scout Ship 0344 buried in what was now Ellesmere Island, Canada. Repossessing the vessel shortly afterward, Kal-El met Jor-El's consciousness aboard the ship, and father and son were reunited for the first time in over three decades. Jor-El guided the now adult Kal-El through the history and culture of his people, until General Zod overrode the House of El's authority over the ship with his own command key, wiping out the presence of Superman's father. Later on, the command key from the House of El was lost to the Phantom Zone in the Black Zero Event, seemingly ending any chance Jor-El's AI could be revived.[1]
Death of Superman[]
In 2015, Superman died in a ferocious battle against the Kryptonian deformity Doomsday. Afterward, a funeral was held for Clark in his hometown of Smallville, where he was to be buried next to Jonathan Kent in a cemetery, while Superman was honored with a larger public ceremony held in Metropolis. At the same time, there was a smaller funeral for Clark Kent at the Kent Farm.[3]
Rebirth[]
Two years following his death, Superman was resurrected by the Justice League to aid in their battle with the New God Steppenwolf, returning to once again serve the planet Earth as its greatest protector.[4]
Known Members[]
Alternate Universes/Timelines[]
Flashpoint Timeline[]
Minor Universes[]
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Allies[]
- Earth-1
- Flashpoint Timeline
- Noir Earth
