DC Teases the Return of a Surprising Legion of Super-Heroes Villain

The Emerald Empress returns in July's Kneel Before Zod #7.

By Jenna Anderson

The mythos of DC has been around for roughly a century, and has introduced some memorable heroes and villains along the way. As DC's newly-released solicitations for July 2024 reveal, one with ties to the fan-favorite Legion of Super-Heroes is about to return to the comics for the first time in years. The solicitations indicate that an upcoming issue of Kneel Before Zod will see the return of the Emerald Empress.

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD #7

  • Written by JOE CASEY
  • Art by DAN McDAID
  • Cover by JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
  • Variant cover by LUCIO PARRILLO
  • $3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
  • ON SALE 7/3/24

As General Zod finally takes full command of his alien legion of super-villains, the Emerald Empress strikes! If Zod can withstand her insidious attack, the cosmic secret of the Eye will finally be revealed! The road to Zod's ultimate vengeance continues!

Who Is DC's Emerald Empress?

Originally created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan, the very first version of the Emerald Empress debuted in 1967's Adventure Comics #352. This first incarnation of the character was also known as Sarya of Venegar, and utilized a mystical sphere known as the Emerald Eye of Ekron to protect herself. In addition to facing off against Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Sarya most recently appeared in DC Rebirth's Justice League vs. Suicide Squad series.

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The mantle of Emerald Empress has also been reintroduced in the form of Cera, a young woman who unsuccessfully auditioned for the Legion, as well as Falyce, an alien girl who accidentally gained power over the Emerald Eye.

What Is Kneel Before Zod About?

In Kneel Before Zod, General Zod was Krypton's most notorious criminal. Now he has an entire planet to rule—but what happens when the most dangerous individual in the universe gets everything he ever wanted? Obviously, he wants more— and he'll stop at nothing to get it—in the most brutal series you'll read this year! This is not a hero's journey.

"There's a reason they got married," Casey explained in an interview with AIPT. "I mean, they definitely see eye to eye in a lot of ways. The House of Zod is not necessarily a patriarchy, you know. She has mixed feelings about what happens to her family, but when it comes to what that family does best, she has no second thoughts. And in fact, in issue #2, we really see an interesting turn with Ursa that shows that she's no more sympathetic or the conscience of the family than Zod is. I mean, she is his equal in every way, and in some ways can surpass him. So she's not meant to balance him out…like she's the more sympathetic side of the parents. She has mixed feelings about what happens to Lor, but she knows it's necessary. And if anything, it strengthens her resolve.to see this family through to the place that they want to be. She's definitely just as strong as Zod — if not in some way stronger.

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