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Zor-El

Zor-El

30 appearances Β· Silver Age Β· 1959–2025
Who is Zor-El?

Zor-El is a Kryptonian scientist and brother of Jor-El, first introduced in DC Comics in 1959. As a member of the prestigious El family of Krypton, he is perhaps best known as the father of Kara Zor-El, who would become Supergirl.

Few characters carry the weight of legacy quite like Zor-El, who stepped onto the Silver Age stage in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40 in 1959, brought to life by the legendary team of Otto Binder and Curt Swan. A DC figure whose presence has echoed across more than six decades of continuity, he moves through the pages of Action Comics, Supergirl, and Batman/Superman in the company of some of the publisher's most iconic names β€” Superman, Clark Kent, and Alura among them. The frequency with which he shares adventures alongside Kara Zor-El speaks to just how central he is to one of DC's most beloved family stories. For collectors drawn to the deep roots of the Superman mythos, Zor-El is a name well worth knowing.

Teams & affiliations
KryptoniansDaily PlanetLegion of Super-Heroes
β˜… First appearance
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40
Oct 1959

Top series

Covers through the years β€” 1959–2025

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40 1959
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40
Action Comics #309 1964
Action Comics #309
The Superman Family #186 1977
The Superman Family #186
The Superman Family #190 1978
The Superman Family #190
Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties #[nn] 1983
Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties #[nn]
Superman in the Sixties #[nn] 1999
Superman in the Sixties #[nn]
Supergirl #5 2006
Supergirl #5
The Brave and the Bold #17 2008
The Brave and the Bold #17
Supergirl #6 2012
Supergirl #6
DC Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel #[nn] 2025
DC Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel #[nn]

Appearances

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (1954)
#40
Superman (1939)
Action Comics (1938)
Superboy (1949)
#80
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane (1958)
#26
The Superman Family (1974)
DC Special Series (1977)
#19
The Great Superman Comic Book Collection (1981)
The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl (1982)
#1
Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties (1983)
Superman in the Sixties (1999)
Millennium Edition: Action Comics 252 (2000)
Supergirl (2005)
The Brave and the Bold (2007)
Superboy: The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told (2010)
Ame-Comi Girls (2012)
#5
Batman / Superman (2013)
Superman: Krypton Returns (2015)
DC Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel (2025)
DC Finest: Superman Family: The Giant Turtle Man (2025)