Film First appearing in
Superman (1978), she,
General Zod, and
Non are put on trial following a failed coup against the
Kryptonian government, found guilty, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. In particular, according to the prosecutor,
Jor-El, her "perversions and unreasoning hatred of all mankind have threatened even the children of the planet Krypton", with Zod and Non being the only exceptions. In the theatrical cut of
Superman II, Ursa's
misandry remains intact, though her character is written to be softer. Additionally, Jor-El's speech is rewritten to imply that she has feelings for Zod. In the
Richard Donner cut, she is portrayed as being vicious, cruel, and willing to kill as many men as she can. Ursa does not display affection for Zod, only remaining aligned with him because of their common goals. In both versions of the film, she displays a penchant for collecting and wearing symbols and badges from the law enforcement and military officers she kills. After
Superman throws a powerful explosive (a
hydrogen bomb in the theatrical cut and a nuclear missile in the Donner cut) into Earth's orbit, he inadvertently shatters the Phantom Zone, allowing Ursa, Zod, and Non to escape. Upon gaining powers from Earth's yellow sun, the trio head to Earth and force the President of the United States to surrender to them before forming an alliance with
Lex Luthor to seek out Superman. Following several battles, Superman tricks Zod's forces into coming to the
Fortress of Solitude, which he later bathes in red light to remove their powers. In the theatrical cut, Superman and
Lois Lane subsequently send the trio down into the Fortress' depths, though a deleted scene depicts Zod's forces being arrested by human authorities. In the Donner cut, Superman travels back in time to ensure Zod's forces are re-imprisoned in the Phantom Zone.
Comics Until 2006, the character of Ursa never appeared in the
Superman comic books, but a similar character, named
Faora, made several appearances in pre-
Crisis Superman comics. Faora was a Phantom Zone villain who first appeared in
Action Comics #471 (May 1977), Faora was introduced in the comics while the films were in production. Like Ursa, Faora hates men, with her being imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for killing 23 men in a concentration camp. In
JSA Classified #3,
Power Girl (who was unsure about her true origins, at the time) was confronted by an escaped prisoner, from the
Phantom Zone. He claimed that Power Girl's true identity is Ursa, who had escaped the Zone with their help and promised to help the others escape. However, the prisoner was later revealed to be an illusion, created by the
Psycho-Pirate.
Action Comics #845 (January 2007), the second part of the "Last Son" arc by
Geoff Johns and
Richard Donner, introduced Ursa to the
Superman comic book canon. This version of her contains elements similar to the originally released version of
Superman II where she is in love with Zod. Zod and Ursa are the parents of
Lor-Zod, a Kryptonian boy who Superman and Lois Lane adopted and named Chris Kent.
Action Comics Annual #10 explores the backstory of the comic version of Ursa similar to her film counterpart. Lover of General Zod, and part of the Kryptonian guard, she believed that
Non and
Jor-El were right about Krypton's final fate, and sought to rebel against the Council. When Non was kidnapped, lobotomized and turned into a brute with minimal intelligence and unable to speak, Zod and Ursa snapped, instigating open rebellion, while Jor-El surrendered to the Council, eventually using the Phantom Zone projector upon the trio during the trial seen in the movie. Ursa stayed loyal to Zod, even in their "exile", and believing that Jor-El should have been able to save Krypton, or at least his lineage, agreed with Zod in pursuing and taking vengeance over the House of El. Ursa appears in another flashback alongside Zod in
Action Comics #866. Here, she and Zod encounter
Brainiac, who shrinks
Kandor and kills Ursa's unit. Ursa and Zod have a son, Lor-Zod, who is abused due to his weak powers. As a result, Ursa is estranged from Lor, who arrives on Earth and is adopted by Clark Kent and
Lois Lane. Ursa is reintroduced following
The New 52 and
DC Rebirth, which take place in a new continuity. In the 2024 miniseries
Kneel Before Zod, Ursa is killed in battle with
Khund pirates. ==Powers and abilities==