After trying to overthrow the Kryptonian Council, Zod's former friend Jor-El (Russell Crowe) banished him to the Phantom Zone, but the explosion of planet Krypton conveniently left him and his minions free to explore the universe. With a thirst for vengeance and nowhere to go, Zod retrieved a terraforming machine called " the World Engine," and headed to Earth.

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The climactic fight between Superman and Zod resulted in the destruction of Metropolis and thousands of casualties, including Zod's minions Faora-Ul (Antje Traue) and Nam-Ek. Needless to say, Zod also met his end in a controversially gruesome way. This poses the question of why Zod chose the most difficult planet to terraform. Even if Superman hadn't been so powerful, Zod would have still needed to defeat every army on Earth and clean up every remnant of human civilization before he could begin to build a new Krypton. If there's an immeasurable amount of uninhabited planets in the galaxy, why did he have to terraform Earth?

The Kryptonian Codex Was On Earth

Zod didn't choose Earth at random. The reason why he found it so easily is because he was able to trace Scout Ship 0344, better known as the Fortress of Solitude, somewhere in North America. With the Kryptonian codex that contained all the genetic data supposedly inside, the only thing he needed to do was set up the World Engine and wait; however, there was one major kink in that plan because the codex was hosted inside Superman's body.

Zod could have used the World engine to terraform any planet into a new Krypton. However, his primary motivation to do it was to materialize his ideal vision of the planet, correcting all the genetic flaws which he believed to have caused Krypton's demise. He believed in a strict form of eugenics, where every Kryptonian citizen was genetically engineered to be a perfect exemplar of his traditional, goal-oriented values. This is why Zod needed the codex, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to design new citizens and filter out any signs of weakness to create the perfect race. This motivation is often overlooked when discussing his plan. It's one twisted goal that makes Zod terrifyingly similar to some real-life villains.

Zod Was Genetically Designed To Conquer

Zod's motivations were directly derived from his own genetic urge to be a leader and a warrior. Since before he was born, Zod himself was engineered to do whatever it took to defend his planet, his race, and his ideals, especially if the lives of his enemies were at stake. As ideal as it may have seemed for Kryptonians to design the perfect citizens, this predetermination would only end in catastrophe. Zod still blamed Jor-El's opposing views, swearing to find and kill his naturally-conceived son in retaliation.

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It would be illogical for any other villain to choose the most difficult target, but it was reasonably enticing for Zod to conquer Earth and force its genetically-inferior inhabitants to bend to his will. This is a clever way to honor Terrence Stamp's iconic line as General Zod in Superman II: "Kneel before Zod." In Man of Steel, Zod's stubborn desire to risk it all and manifest his superiority through annihilation is a more nuanced take on the same message.

Zod Wanted Revenge Against Superman and the Kryptonians

Besides Zod's natural thirst for dominance, his punishment by Jor-El and the Kryptonian Council at the beginning of Man of Steel was especially humiliating. All his efforts to overthrow them and impose his ideals on his home planet went nowhere, and Krypton died soon after. One of the last surviving of his species - his enemy's naturally-born son - was sent to live on an inferior world, expected to forget every part of his Kryptonian heritage. In short, Earth was the perfect opportunity for Zod to fulfill his goal to prove Krypton's supremacy.

The universe is far more populated in the DCEU than in real life, from Kryptonians to Apokolips, and more, Zod could have chosen any plant to terraform. Other planets, like Martian Manhunter's home planet, Mars, is close to the codex and far easier to conquer than Earth, but he had no grudge against the Martians. Instead, Zod could finally get the last laugh by murdering Jor-El's son, as he promised before being imprisoned. How difficult could it be to achieve it if he already had murdered Jor-El? Well, he didn't count with Superman's powers under a yellow sun and his improbable will to protect the world instead of ruling it.

Zod's failed attempt to terraform Earth in Man of Steel is far from a plot hole. If anything, it's a very solid piece of characterization. Evil plans in action movies are usually extremely contrived just for the sake of being evil. For instance, Lex Luthor's (Kevin Spacey) plan to create an inert continent in Superman: The Movie is equally cartoonish. Zod in Man of Steel, on the other hand, made a risky but totally coherent decision. Fortunately for Earth in the DCEU, his plan didn't work.