Lara is the biological mother of Kal-El and the wife of scientist Jor-El. Lara Lor-Van is Lara's full maiden name, as Lor-Van is the name of Lara's father. Most depictions of Kryptonian culture show that females use their father's full name as their last names before marriage, and then are known simply by their first names after marriage.Lara's role in the Superman mythos has varied over the years, with her treatment and emphasis often depending on the decade she was written in. Golden Age and early Silver Age stories treated Lara in a lesser role compared to her husband. However, stories from the 1970s onwards depict Lara in more prominent roles.After constructing his Fortress of Solitude, Superman honored his deceased biological parents with a statue of Jor-El and Lara holding up a globe of their native planet Krypton.In the DC Animated Universe, Lara was the daughter of Sul-Van, who was less than supportive of Jor-El's radical ideas. Lara, on the other hand, had utmost faith in her husband. She agreed to send off their baby son into space, so that at least some of Krypton's population might survive its destruction. When Jor-El suggested letting Lara go with Kal-El to be with him, Lara chose to stay with her husband and kissed him, signifying her deep love for her husband. Soon after Kal-El's ship departed for Earth and Krypton crumbled around Lara and her family.In Smallville , Lara was born in 1942 on Krypton. She met Jor-El sometime after his adventures on Earth; the two were married sometime before he became a member of the Council.Lara was indeed familiar with Faora, the wife of Zod, however was not in any part of the genetic extraction used to be resurrected on Earth through the Orb of Kandor.Lara was very close to her niece Kara; who would sneak away from Kandor to see her aunt. The day that she found out that she was pregnant with Kal-El, Lara was ecstatic; apparently, she had trouble conceiving a child but eventually succeeded, as Kal-El was her miracle baby. Before Kal-El was born, Lara traveled to Earth to see if the Kents, the family Jor-El chose for their child in the event Krypton did not see the end of the war with General Zod, would be perfect for her son. Kara followed Lara to Earth and suggested that she name her child Kal-El. Lara found the Kents acceptable. When Kara's father Zor-El arrived to retrieve his daughter, Lara realized she was desired by Zor-El and was made part of his science : Zor-El stored her DNA in a crystal he later sent with Kara on her journey to Earth.Sometime after Kal-El was born, Lara, while looking after her son, was contacted by Kara, who told her that Zor-El had planned to ignite Krypton's core and that he has begun the process. Lara was about to tell Kara what to do before Zor-El stopped her and wiped Kara's memory; she proceeded to chastise Zor-El for his actions. She then contacted Jor-El, who went to try and stop the detonation of Krypton's core but was unsuccessful.When Jor-El had to send Kal-El to Earth to escape Krypton's destruction, Lara wondered if the people of Earth would love him, but Jor-El assured her that they would. Lara then bade her son farewell before his spaceship departed Krypton. She and Jor-El both tried once more to stop Krypton's destruction, but they died with the rest of their race.Clark Kent had no recollection of his biological mother until his memory was jogged in the kryptonite water tank that Dr. Lawrence Garner placed him in to discover his past. He remembered Lara placing him in his spaceship, and came out of his reverie screaming Lara's name. Later, Clark found out from his adoptive mother Martha Kent that Lara was his first word as a child, and realized that his birth parents loved him.In 2007, when Kara and Clark were captured and given a green kryptonite serum, they both relived an old memory of Kara's from when Kara, Zor-El and Lara visited Earth. Clark finally saw his mother through Kara's eyes, and later found a photo of Lara that Kara had taken during their visit to the Kent Farm years ago. For her safety, Lara was taken to the Queen Tower where Lana Lang kept her company. She gave Clark his father's victory ring that, unknown to her, contained blue kryptonite that stripped Clark of his powers. While being kept company by Lana, Lara warned Lana of the darkness brewing within her. At that moment, Zor-El arrived and abducted Lara, taking her to the Fortress. Lara watched as Zor-El used the Fortress to create an eclipse that would wipe out all of humanity and agreed to be by his side when he threatened Clark's life.While Zor-El was away from the Fortress ostensibly searching for Kal-El, Lara retrieved a Kryptonian dagger with the intent of using it against Zor-El, but Kara elected to use the dagger herself. Once Zor-El returned to the Fortress, Kara unsuccessfully attempted to kill her father with the dagger, and Zor-El overpowered both women until Clark arrived and subdued him with green kryptonite. With Zor-El restrained for the moment, Lara told her son to destroy the crystal, as it was the only way to regain his powers so he could fulfill the destiny she and Jor-El envisioned for him. Though initially reluctant, Clark shattered the crystal just as Zor-El recovered and was about to kill Kara. Once the crystal was destroyed, Zor-El and Lara's lives were ended.Lois and Clark journey to the fortress where Lois pleads with Jor-El to reconcile with his son. Jor-El accepts her request by showing them a final message from Jor-El and Lara as the planet Krypton crumbled all around them. Jor-El and Lara both shared their regrets from being unable to save their homeworld, but were relieved that their son would live on and grow up to become the savior of humanity. Lara expressed how much both she and Jor-El will always love him and their legacy will live on through him and he'll never be alone.In the Superman The Movie series, Lara was the wife of scientist Jor-El, who gave birth to their only son Kal-El. When Kal-El was an infant, Jor-El discovered that Krypton and its sun was on the verge of destruction. However, his warnings of such to the Science Council fell on deaf ears, who warned him that he could be accused of inciting sedition. Undaunted by their ignorance, Jor-El built a star ship for his son Kal-El to travel to Earth in, placing within the ship crystals, including a green glowing crystal and an energy module containing the last remaining energies of Krypton. Lara sees the Earth as being primitive and that Kal-El will be a stranger among them, but Jor-El assures her that their son shall never be alone. As they watch the star ship rise into the sky and depart from Krypton, the ground crumbles underneath their feet and everyone else's until both Krypton and its sun explodes.Years later on Earth, as Clark Kent he disguised himself as a mild-mannered news reporter for the Daily Planet. In times of danger, he fought evil as Superman.
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