Hello comicbookmovie people niklander here with an editorial about MAN OF STEEL. Ever since the trailers have been released we have been left with one question. Where is the famous Kryptonian prison aka PHANTOM ZONE!?
Now according to the comics, movies,animated movies, and series we have six versions of the Phantom Zone:
1)PRE-CRISIS:In the Pre-Crisis version the Phantom Zone was discovered by Jor-El and used on the planet Krypton as a method of imprisoning criminals. Previously, criminals were punished by being sealed into capsules and rocketed into orbit in suspended animation with crystals attached to their foreheads to slowly erase their criminal tendencies.
2)POST-CRISIS:In the Post-Crisis DC Universe, the Phantom Zone first appears after Superman returns from space with a Kryptonian artifact called the Eradicator. This device, created by his Kryptonian ancestor Kem-L, attempts to recreate Krypton on Earth, building the Fortress of Solitude; the extradimensional space in which the Eradicator finds the Kryptonian materials necessary is called the Phantom Zone. A Phantom Zone Projector is part of Superman's current Fortress. It has been used to access the Bottle City of Kandor and to trap villains such as the White Martians.
3)NEW 52:In New 52 of the DC Universe Jor-El suggests going into the Phantom Zone when Krypton was about to explode. Zod however appears with other Phantom Zone prisoners and attempts to escape the Phantom Zone. Krypto however sacrifices himself by attacking Zod thus going into the Phantom Zone as well.
It is revealed that the Doctor Xa-Du was the first Kryptonian prisoner to be sent to the Phantom Zone due to his forbidden experiments in suspended animation with Jor-El executing the sentence. The Phantom Zone is reverted to the Pre-Crisis version as the inmates can observe, but cannot interact with, the regular universe becoming literally "Phantoms".
4} SUPERMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES:In Superman:The Animated Series. The Phantom Zone is first mentioned in the first episode of Superman: The Animated Series, "The Last Son of Krypton, Part 1", where Jor-El attempted to convince everyone to enter the Phantom Zone to be saved from Krypton's destruction, and one man would be sent via spaceship to re-establish Krypton's population on a new world. Since this idea was not accepted, Jor-El sent his son in the spaceship to Earth along with the Phantom Zone projector. In the episode "Blasts from the Past", Superman discovers the Phantom Zone projector, which also has a communication function that allows him to converse with the inmates. Making contact with the convicted traitor Mala (a loose adaptation of Superman II's Ursa) and upon further research, learning that her sentence is finished, he releases her. Unfortunately, Superman learns that Mala is arrogant and power-hungry badly enough to possibly require returning her to the Phantom Zone. When she learns that Kal-El (Superman's Kryptonian name) prefers the company of a certain Terrestrial named Lois Lane, Mala turns against Superman and later releases General Jax-Ur (a version of General Zod, although named after another villain from the Superman comics) to take over Earth. Banished once again into the Phantom Zone at the end of the story, Jax-Ur and Mala are later accidentally released on another remote planet, and ultimately sent into a black hole.
5)SMALLVILLE:In Smallville's universe In the television series Smallville, in the fifth season premiere "Arrival", Clark Kent battles two evil Kryptonians named Nam-Ek & Aethyr (Disciples of Zod), and when he refuses to join them in their quest to subjugate Earth, the Kryptonians attempt to banish Clark to the Phantom Zone using a metallic bracelet, inscribed with Kryptonian symbols, that opens up a vortex. However, Clark manages to turn the tables, sending them into the portal instead. Aside from its entrance, the Phantom Zone is represented as a floating black square similar to its depiction in the Superman films. In the episode "Solitude", the Kryptonian artificial intelligence known as Brainiac, posing as Professor Milton Fine, manipulates Clark into believing that Jor-El is responsible for Martha's mysterious illness; this is all part of a plot to free the imprisoned General Zod. Professor Fine persuades Clark to take him to the Fortress of Solitude, where he gives Clark a black crystal and instructs him to insert it into the Fortress' control console, misleadingly saying that it will destroy Jor-El and therefore save Martha. However, the crystal, once inserted into the console, instead opens up a vortex in which another black square is seen, with a figure resembling General Zod as portrayed in the Superman movies. However, Brainiac's plan is thwarted once Clark removes the crystal. In the episode "Vessel", General Zod is finally freed from the Phantom Zone. After inhabiting Lex Luthor, Zod traps Clark inside the Phantom Zone, using a Kryptonian bracelet similar to the one used in the episode "Arrival". In the season premiere of the sixth season, the Phantom Zone itself is shown as a desolate wasteland, and it is revealed that it was created by Jor-El as a prison for not only Kryptonian convicts, but also criminals from the "28 known galaxies". The more dangerous prisoners (e.g. General Zod and Bizarro) are stripped of their corporeal forms, and their spirits are then cast into the Zone. Clark escapes with the help of a Kryptonian woman named Raya, who claims to have known Jor-El. To ensure her survival, Jor-El sent Raya to the Phantom Zone just before the destruction of Krypton. Raya reveals that those of the blood of Jor-El's house can utilize a secret exit from the Phantom Zone, therefore Clark can leave. Upon escaping the Phantom Zone, Clark accidentally releases Raya and various prisoners and phantoms to Earth. Chloe Sullivan later refers to the escaped convicts as "Zoners". In the season 7 finale, "Arctic", it is revealed that Brainiac has trapped Kara in the Phantom Zone. In the season eight episode "Bloodline", Clark and Lois are both trapped in the Phantom Zone, where they are reunited with Kara. Also, Faora, Zod's wife, takes control of Lois' body so she can be set free by Kara, and goes on a rampage in Metropolis. In the season ten episode "Icarus", Clark uses a crystal of El to send Slade Wilson to the Zone. When Wilson is found back on Earth in "Dominion", Clark and Oliver Queen enter the Zone to see how that escape was possible, and learn that the clone of Zod- who was sent to New Krypton with the others- was sent to the Phantom Zone for his crimes, where he merged with the Phantom of the original Zod, gaining all of his memories, a blood transfusion from Clark allowing him to send others out of the Zone. Clark departs the Zone while destroying the control console on the Zone side to prevent anyone else from leaving.
5)SUPERMAN 1 AND 2:In the 1978 Superman film starring Christopher Reeve, the Phantom Zone is presented as a large, flat rectangular mirror that moves by spinning. Jor-El (Marlon Brando) uses the Phantom Zone to imprison General Zod and his co-conspirators Ursa and Non, who appear to be transferred into the two-dimensional space on the mirror's surface, which is then flung into deep space. The Phantom Zone is only referred to by name in the extended versions of Superman when it is mentioned by the Krytonian First Elder (Trevor Howard). Superman's mother Lara (Susannah York) refers to the Phantom Zone by name in Superman II when she first makes the revelation about the three villains contained inside it. In his DVD commentary, director Richard Donner refers to it as "the Zone of Silence".
In Superman II, as Superman saves the city of Paris from destruction by hurling a nuclear bomb into space, the resulting nuclear explosion inadvertently shatters the Phantom Zone and releases the three prisoners. Now free, General Zod and his cohorts travel to Earth, wreaking havoc with the powers granted to them by Earth's yellow sun.
6)SUPERMAN BRAINIAC ATTACKS: Based on the animated series continuity Superman must enter the Phantom Zone to retrieve a rare element which will cure Lois Lane of a deadly disease. This version of the Phantom Zone differs from previous animated continuity, as it is shown to actually be populated by "phantoms", and Superman retains his powers in the Zone.
Now that we have established the many versions of Phantom Zone let's start the theory of this years MAN OF STEEL Phantom Zone version.
In the fourth and final trailer I noticed something. Zod has an entire army at his disposal. So far we have seen 2 other Kryptonians backing Zod and Faoraand we know by Zack Snyder that Black Zero[Zod's ship] has been modified to a giant death ray along with Kryptonian robots[Probably]. According to Zod's message to Earth he says I have travelled an ocean of stars. We can defitenely rule out the possibility of him being imprisoned in Phantom Zone.
BLACK ZERO MAKES A HELL OF AN IMPACT THAT IS CERTAIN
Next thing we see Superman trying to pull himself out of a rumble of skeletons[He really looks desperate and helpless of getting out] but what really ticked me is when I heard the dialogue. Superman:''I wont betray them'' Zod:''You already have''. I spotted something that dialogue sounded like it was coming out of Kevin Costner[I think not entirely sure but it really sounds like Costner talking to Superman].
SUPERMAN HAVING A HARD TIME TO ESCAPE FROM SKELETONS?! ONLY IF HE HAS NO POWERS.
My theory is this that Zod after or before Krypton's destruction snatched a Phantom Zone projector and has modified it as his ship. Now inside the Phantom Zone there are ''phantoms'' my bet is that those ''phantoms'' are tormenting their prisoners by bringing out their fears to life or worse they make them see their crimes before their eyes making them insane until they die and become part of the Zone.
See that hole in the picture above then Superman flies to Earth faster than a speeding bullet.
That was it folks be sure to read comment and if you like enough be sure to thumb me up.