Black Zero

Black Zero is a name shared by two supervillains, two terrorist organizations, one special forces group, and a computer virus that have all appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics.

The original Black Zero first appeared in Superman #205 (1968), and was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino.^[1] He is a space saboteur who destroys planets and was hired to destroy Krypton by maintaining pressure in its core.^[2][3]

In the present, Black Zero comes to Earth, threatening to destroy it as he did Krypton. In desperation, Superman releases Jax-Ur, a prisoner of the Phantom Zone, who wishes to avenge Krypton's destruction. After launching a missile toward Earth, Black Zero attacks Jax-Ur with red kryptonite, mutating him into a Gorgon-like form. Jax-Ur then petrifies Black Zero with his gaze and shatters his body.

The first Post-Crisis version of Black Zero appeared in the 1988 World of Krypton miniseries written by John Byrne and illustrated by Mike Mignola. It is a terrorist organization that contributed to the destruction of Krypton by firing nuclear energy into its core.

Most recently, the name "Black Zero" was used by a Kryptonian military force commanded by Ursa who were killed by Brainiac.^[4]

The Black Zero virus appears in Superman Plus/Legion of Super-Heroes #1, a 1997 one-shot teaming Superman with the Legion of Super-Heroes. It is an intelligent computer virus created by the Black Zero group who attempts to destroy Earth before Brainiac 5 destroys it.^[5]

Black Zero
Black Zero on the cover of Superboy #62 (1999). Art by Tom Grummett.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Superboy (vol. 4) #61 (April 1999)
Created by	Karl Kesel (writer) Tom Grummett (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Experiment 13
Species	Metahuman clone
Place of origin	Earth of an alternate reality in Hypertime.
Team affiliations	Fortress Cadmus
Notable aliases	Superman II
Abilities	Advanced tactile-telekinesis that provided flight, invulnerability, and superhuman strength; superhuman hearing and heat vision

The second Black Zero is an alternate universe variant of Superboy from a universe where Superman was not resurrected after his battle with Doomsday.^[6] He battles Superboy and the Challengers of the Unknown before being exposed to hyperstorm energy and disappearing.^[7][8]

The character first appeared in Superboy (vol. 4) #61, and was created by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett.

• The Black Zero terrorist organization appears in the Smallville episode "Kandor". This version of the group is infamous for destroying the eponymous city.
• The Black Zero terrorist organization appears in the first season of Krypton, led by Jax-Ur.^[9] They join forces with General Zod, among other Kryptonians, to foil Brainiac's plan to destroy Kandor until Zod betrays them, causing the group to disband.

A Kryptonian prison frigate called the Black Zero appears in films set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU):

• First appearing in Man of Steel, the Black Zero was designed by Jor-El to transport criminals to the Phantom Zone and was used to imprison General Zod and his battalion, the Sword of Rao. Following Krypton's destruction, the Sword of Rao repurposed the Black Zero as their command ship.^[10] They travel to Earth to retrieve the Growth Codex, but are defeated by Superman and sent back to the Phantom Zone.
• The Black Zero appears in a flashback in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
• The Black Zero appears in The Flash.

• Supermanica entry on the Pre-Crisis Black Zero