"They're… so powerful," I muttered.
I almost called them Viltrumites, but stopped myself mid-thought. It would have been far too suspicious if I already knew what they were called.
Still, the realization hit hard. A race I knew from the Invincible show actually existed in this DC universe.
"So these human-looking beings," I said carefully, "the ones tearing through spacecraft with nothing but their bodies… who are they?" I asked, deliberately ignoring the clearly alien Green Lanterns on display.
Inwardly, I hoped that they were another race that just looks like them.
"You don't need to concern yourself with them right now," Lara said gently, her hand brushing through my hair.
I couldn't help but pout at that.
"I see no reason to keep him in the dark," Jor-El said calmly.
I could sense Lara's disagreement, but she stayed silent.
"Over the long history of Krypton," Jor-El continued, "we encountered countless extraterrestrial species—each unique in form, culture, and capability."
With a wave of his hand, the hologram shifted. Dozens of figures appeared: towering furred beings with four arms, insectoids walking upright, aquatic humanoids, even strange octopus-like entities floating in containment fields.
"They definitely look alien," I said dryly.
"Appearances are deceptive," Jor-El replied. "By outward form alone, Kryptonians and humans are nearly indistinguishable. Yet biologically, we are worlds apart."
The hologram split, overlaying anatomical diagrams and genetic structures.
"In the same way," he went on, "there exist many species classified as Kryptonoid—beings whose physiology and potential parallel our own. In Earth terminology, they would all be described as humanoid aliens."
My eyes widened as I recognized several of the species on display—Thanagarians with their wings, Tamaraneans with fiery red hair and golden-orange skin.
"Still," Jor-El continued, "as I said, all of them were fundamentally different. The most extreme example of that difference were the Viltrumites."
The other figures vanished, replaced by the image of a middle-aged man clad in stark white. The hologram replayed the scene of Viltrumites tearing through crystal warships.
"Though their appearance mirrored ours," Jor-El said, "their physiology was anything but similar. Their bodies were living weapons—capable of surviving the vacuum of space and destroying even our most resilient Sunstone vessels through brute force alone."
"So they're just… built differently from birth," I muttered with a wry smile.
"That is correct," Lara said softly. "During the Expansion Era, they clashed with our ancestors. And just like Krypton, they sought dominion of planets, systems, entire galaxies."
Her voice darkened.
"The result was a series of brutal wars. Our technology—once the pride of Krypton—was dismantled with terrifying ease. Their relentless drive to annihilate all competition scarred our civilization for generations."
"They were the primary reason Krypton abandoned space expansion," Jor-El concluded. "Yet paradoxically, they also became an aspiration."
The hologram shifted again, revealing towering genetic chambers pulsing with light.
"The Science League realized then that the limits of biological life were far beyond what we had believed," he continued. "So they started experimenting with the Genetic Chambers. Generation after generation, Kryptonian DNA was modified, refined, strengthened—each iteration pushing it further. The goal was clear: to create the ultimate biological race."
My breath caught.
"So… you're saying this strength of mine—" I began slowly, "it's the result of that pursuit?"
"Yes, Kal-El," Lara said, her smile tinged with bitterness. "Your abilities are a direct consequence of those experiments. The full extent of Kryptonian potential was a closely guarded secret—even we discovered it far too late."
"You mean to tell me Kryptonians weren't normally as strong as I am back on Krypton?" I asked, deliberately feigning ignorance.
"Correct," Lara replied, gently caressing my hair. "Under the light of our red sun, Rao, we were healthier and stronger than humans—but nowhere near the level of a Viltrumite."
She paused, with a chuckle. "And obviously we could not even fly as you do."
"Then why do I have these abilities here?" I asked, folding my arms as I thought aloud. "Is it because of Earth's yellow sun, as you mentioned?"
"You are correct," Jor-El said with a nod. "Your abilities are indeed fueled by the yellow sun. Kryptonian physiology is fundamentally different from that of both humans and Viltrumites. It is difficult to completely rewrite it in comparison to modifying and enhancing it."
A new hologram formed: a plant unfurling its leaves toward sunlight.
"Consider certain plants on Earth," Jor-El continued. "They absorb solar radiation directly to sustain themselves. Kryptonian biology functions on a similar principle. The genetic modifications merely pushed that mechanism to its absolute limit."
I frowned. "But if the Science League wanted to create a superior Kryptonian… why make us compatible with a yellow sun instead of Rao? Wouldn't that make more sense?"
"That is a reasonable question," Jor-El said gravely. "But you must understand—the Science League's objective was not to create a better Kryptonian civilization. They wanted a weapon."
The image shifted—to a yellow star.
"You see the Viltrumite home systems orbit yellow suns," he continued. "Any countermeasure meant to face them had to be optimized for the same stellar conditions."
"There were other considerations as well," he added. "Granting such power to every Kryptonian on Krypton would have risked civil collapse. A coup. And altering our species' native red-star absorption—something ingrained since our origin—would have been unimaginably complex."
"We chose Earth with all of this in mind," Lara said softly, smiling down at me. "A world under a yellow sun, far from Krypton's enemies. We knew it would make you stronger… but even we never imagined it would make you this powerful."
I couldn't help but smile at the pride in her voice.
"I would like to determine precisely how the yellow sun is affecting you, Kal-El—and in what ways," Jor-El said, studying me with a thoughtful gaze.
"We can do that later," Lara cut in gently but firmly. "We've talked enough about Viltrumites, Wars and powers for one day. What matters is that my son is alive, safe, and healthy."
Jor-El inclined his head. "Very well. Then allow me to show you the different sections of this Fortress."
I wanted to ask more—about the other races, about my abilities—but I let it go and followed him instead. Lara also walked beside me holding my hand.
Still, I couldn't help but find it strange. In fiction, Viltrumites were Superman clones—imitations built to mirror Kryptonian strength.
But here, it was the opposite.
They were the original.
And Kryptonians had reshaped their own biology through genetic engineering in an attempt to reach that level.
"Much of this Fortress can be considered antique by Kryptonian standards," Jor-El explained as we walked through a corridor of translucent crystal. "However, it remains far beyond anything Earth has developed. With time, many of its systems can be upgraded."
"I'm excited to see actual Kryptonian technology," I said, unable to keep the grin off my face.
Jor-El stopped before a crystalline doorway. "This is the Hall of Knowledge."
The door parted silently, revealing… a bare chamber. At its center stood what looked like a bed sculpted entirely from crystal.
"That's it?" I asked, glancing around. "There's nothing here."
"This platform," Jor-El said, gesturing toward the crystal bed, "is used to access and integrate knowledge."
I stared at him, baffled.
"He means that through this, you can download knowledge directly into your mind," Lara said with a soft chuckle.
"So… I don't need to read books or memorize things?" I asked, eyes wide. "I can just add it straight to my brain?"
"On Krypton, we used crystal-based technology to store information," Jor-El explained. "Sun Stones, themselves are among the most efficient data-storage mediums in the known universe. Through this Hall here, knowledge can be transferred directly into a mind with minimal loss or distortion."
"Wow," I muttered. "That's… insane."
"One of our greatest priorities," Lara said gently, "was preserving everything Krypton had learned. We could not allow our civilization's knowledge to vanish with the planet. That was the true crystallization of Krypton."
"And that is why," Jor-El added, "all viable data was encoded into the Black Sunstone that now houses my consciousness and sent here with you."
"Unfortunately," Lara continued with a sigh, "we could not obtain more Black or Red Sunstones. The Science League kept them under strict control. We only had one of each. The Red Sunstone was sufficient to house my full consciousness—but the Black Sunstone, though capable of storing far more data, was already strained by the sheer volume of Krypton's recorded knowledge."
I frowned. "So… what did you do?"
"I relinquished most higher cognitive functions," Jor-El said calmly. "I retained memory, logic, and core directive processes—but little else."
"What?" I stared at him, not fully understanding.
"He gave up his emotions, Kal," Lara said quietly, sadness evident in her eyes. "Unlike me—who is a near-complete echo of who I was—your father is only a framework of the man called Jor-El."
"Father…" I looked at him again, finally understanding why he felt so much more distant—more mechanical—than Lara. I didn't even know what I was supposed to feel hearing this.
"It was the correct decision," Jor-El said calmly, meeting my gaze. "My continuation is insignificant when weighed against Krypton's knowledge and its legacy."
Despite the ache in my chest, I couldn't help but feel respect—pride, even—for the man named Jor-El. I wasn't sure I could have sacrificed myself so completely.
And yet… was copying one's consciousness to a crystal even truly living?
"Don't dwell on it too much, my dear," Lara said softly, touching my forehead. "It was our choice." She smiled gently. "You should focus instead on what knowledge you wish to access through this hall."
"That's… a good question," I said with a nod.
"I will help you structure a learning plan," Jor-El added. "However, this installation here is an older model. Knowledge transfer will take considerable time. You will need to spend many sessions here."
"Another day, then," Lara said with a light chuckle. "He still needs to be home for dinner."
I nodded in agreement.
We left the chamber and moved deeper into the crystalline corridors. As we walked, Jor-El explained that my bio-signature had already been fully registered within the Fortress systems—meaning I would be able to access any section freely.
We passed several empty rooms before stopping inside a vast, open hall.
"This is the Hall of Creation," Jor-El said. "Using Sunstone technology, we can fabricate nearly anything here."
At his gesture, workshop-like equipment rose smoothly from the crystal floor, forming stations and platforms.
"I suggest you begin by creating a helper unit," Jor-El continued. "It will be a tremendous aid in maintaining the Fortress."
A hologram sprang to life before me—a sleek, efficient-looking robot, its design reminiscent of the advanced constructs from the James Gunn's Superman film.
"Can I modify it?" I asked, rubbing my chin, already imagining Robo-maids serving me.
"Of course," Jor-El replied evenly. "You may consult me, or acquire the necessary knowledge and redesign it yourself."
"I'll do it myself," I said quickly, clearing my throat—I didn't want my parents to know what kind of robots I had in mind.
Apparently, the Hall of Creation was capable of producing countless tools, constructs, and devices. Most relied on Sunstone technology, though Jor-El warned that Sunstones took significant time to generate and should be used sparingly.
I felt a flicker of relief when I learned that Sunstone could slowly replicate itself through prolonged exposure to sunlight. I had been worried—Krypton was gone, after all—and without Sunstone, much of this technology would have been rendered useless.
From there, we walked even deeper into the Fortress.
"This is the Hall of Genesis," Jor-El declared.
Before us lay a pool of crystal-clear liquid. Suspended above it, encased in a massive crystalline shell, was a white flower-like structure—its petals folded inward.
My eyes widened. "Is this… the Genetic Chamber? The one used to create Kryptonians?"
"Yes," Jor-El nodded. "A smaller, more compact version."
"The other most critical artifact we preserved was the Genesis Codex," he continued. "It contains the complete genetic archive of Krypton."
"We stole it at great risk," Lara said softly, her gaze turning to me. "But its data couldn't be stored inside any inanimate object."
"So we placed it within you," she said gently, putting her hand on my heart "Kal-El… your blood carries the complete genetic legacy of Krypton."
I froze.
"You are not merely the last son of Krypton," Lara continued, her voice filled with pride. "You are its legacy."
"Your genes," Jor-El concluded, "carry the potential to restore all of Krypton itself!"