| Lara | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Superman comic strip (January 16, 1939) |
| Created by | Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Kryptonian |
| Place of origin | Krypton |
| Notable aliases | Lora (Golden Age/Earth-Two version) Lara Sul-Van (Superman: The Animated Series) |
| Abilities |
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Lara Lor-Van is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. Created by writerJerry Siegel and artistJoe Shuster, Lara first appeared in theSuperman newspaper comic strip in 1939. Lara is the biological mother ofSuperman, and the wife of scientistJor-El. Lara Lor-Van is Lara's fullmaiden name, as "Lor-Van" is the name of Lara's father.[1][2] Most depictions of Kryptonian culture show that Kryptonian women use their father's full name as their last names before marriage. After marriage, they usually are known simply by their first names, though various versions show they use their husband's full name or last name as their married last name.[3][4]
Lara's role in the Superman mythos has varied over the years, with her treatment and emphasis often depending on the decade in which she was written.Golden Age and earlySilver Age stories treated Lara in a lesser role compared to her husband. However, stories from the 1970s onwards depict Lara in more prominent roles; one such example is the 2004 miniseriesSuperman: Birthright. After constructing hisFortress of Solitude, Superman honored his deceased biological parents with a statue of Jor-El and Lara holding up a globe of Krypton.[5]
Susannah York portrays Lara in the 1978 filmSuperman: The Movie, the 1980 filmSuperman II, and the 1987 filmSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace.[6]Ayelet Zurer portrayed Lara in the 2013 filmMan of Steel, which is set in theDC Extended Universe.Angela Sarafyan portrayed Lara in theDC Universe (DCU) filmSuperman.Mariana Klaveno portrayed the character in the television seriesSuperman & Lois.
Lara's first appearance was in theSuperman newspaper comic strip on January 16, 1939, where she was namedLora. Her first comic book appearance (after being mentioned in the 1942 text novelThe Adventures of Superman byGeorge Lowther, where she was named "Lara" for the first time) was inMore Fun Comics #101 in January–February 1945. A 1948 retelling of Superman's origin story[7] subsequently delved into detail about Lara, though her more familiarSilver Age aspects were established starting in the late 1950s and over the next several decades.
After the establishment of DC'smultiverse in the early 1960s, the Golden Age version of Superman's mother was stated as having been named "Lora", and lived on the Krypton ofEarth-Two.[8][9] The Silver Age Lara, meanwhile, lived on the Krypton ofEarth-One.
A definitive synopsis of the Silver Age Lara's life (summarizing the various stories revealing her history) came in the 1979 miniseriesTheWorld of Krypton (not to be confused with the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths late 1980s comic special of the same name).
As summarized inThe World of Krypton (and in various other stories), Lara was a promisingastronaut in Krypton's space program before it was grounded afterJax-Ur destroyed Krypton's moon Wegthor.[1][10] Eventually, Lara met scientist Jor-El, with the two having several adventures together before getting married,[3] such as a time-travelingLois Lane attempting to seduce Jor-El after failing to marry their son in the future.[11] Some time later, Lara gave birth to the couple's only child, Kal-El.
Early in Jor-El and Lara's marriage, the couple are briefly watched by theGuardians of the Universe, who note that they would have made an excellentGreen Lantern.[12]
Lara and Jor-El were shown to be practitioners of the Kryptonian martial art of "klurkor".[13]
When Krypton was about to explode, Lara and Jor-El placed their infant son into an escape rocket built by Jor-El. In most retellings, Jor-El wanted Lara to accompany their son toEarth, but Lara refused, saying their son would have a better chance of reaching Earth without her extra weight. Kal-El's spaceship then took off as Lara and Jor-El were killed in Krypton's explosion.[14]
After the 1985-1986 miniseriesCrisis on Infinite Earths andJohn Byrne's 1986 miniseriesThe Man of Steel rewrote Superman's origins, details about Lara's background and character were changed.[15] Under Byrne's version, Lara inhabited a cold, emotionally sterile Krypton where even bodily contact was forbidden. Lara's grandmother, Lady Nara, and Seyg-El, Jor-El's father, were the ones who arranged the union between them – so that they might have a child who would fill an opening in the planet's Register of Citizens when another Kryptonian died a rare and untimely death. Jor-El, however, was considered a "throwback" for actually expressing emotions toward his wife Lara, and for his favoring the less sterilized days of past Kryptonian eras. In this version of the mythos, Lara was alibrarian and historian of high rank and thought it horrifying that Kal-El would be sent to a "primitive" planet such as Earth. In one story, the adult Kal (now Superman) is transported to the past and encounters his parents moments before Krypton's destruction. Lara is disgusted by what she sees and tells Kal not to approach her, finding him "repellent", even as she is ashamed of her feelings.
In the 2004 Superman miniseriesSuperman: Birthright, Lara, along with Krypton and Jor-El, more or less again became their Silver Age versions, though with updated touches. In this version, Lara is treated as a fully equal partner to Jor-El in constructing Kal-El's spacecraft and in designing various key components.
In the 2009 seriesSuperman: Secret Origin byGeoff Johns, Superman is first introduced to his birth mother in his teens by the spaceship that brought him to the Earth as a baby. She is introduced to Kal-El by a hologram of Jor-El as his mother. This moment shocks Superman and brings tears to Martha Kent's eyes.
Also in 2009, Lara's own family background is described. Lara Lor-Van is born into the Labor Guild, whose members are not physically abused but have no say in the choices of their lives and who, unlike the members of other guilds, cannot change guilds. Lara became a member of her husband's Science Guild when she married him and was thereby granted all the freedoms granted to other Science Guild members. A member of Krypton's Military Guild describes this as being "raised up."
In September 2011,The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Lara is a member of Krypton's military forces. One of the most talented students on the Military Academy, Lara is both a skilled fighter and a bright scientist.
Lara appears in the "Krypton Returns" storyline. She gives her maiden name as "Lara Van-El."[16]
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Lara appears inThe Adventures of Superman, voiced byAgnes Moorehead.[31]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Tranberg, Charles (2005).I Love the Illusion: The Life And Career of Agnes Moorehead. Albany, Georgia, BearManor Media.ISBN 1-59393-029-1.
