Kal-El's birth in STM

[atp]

Just had a thought about the Donnerverse: Was Kal-El's birth a secret like in MoS? And was he also the first live birth?

Three things make me wonder about this:

First of all, when Jor-El is speaking to the council, he says, "Neither I, nor my wife, will leave Krypton." Why didn't he say, "Neither I , nor my family...?" Was the council unaware that he'd had a child?

Secondly, in the extended cuts of S2, Zod sounds shocked when Lex says "The son of Jor-El". He repeats slowly, "The son... of Jor-El?" Is he shocked that the child ended up on earth? Or is he shocked to know that he had a son in the first place?

And finally, in one of the extended S2 cuts (maybe the RIC), Zod says at the fortress, "As your father once condemned us, so now do we condemn his misbegotten brat"

Misbegotten?

Is the use of "misbegotten" supposed to imply that Kal-El's birth wasn't normal? Was it like Zod shouting "Heresy" in MoS?

Anyway, what do you all think? Try to consider it please?

[Deleted]

I....

I don't know...

That seems like it could definitely be possible. There are no other kids on Krypton, in the little we saw in STM...didn't seem like the kind of place a kid grows up in...

[crazy_asian_man]

Just had a thought about the Donnerverse: Was Kal-El's birth a secret like in MoS? And was he also the first live birth?

Three things make me wonder about this:

First of all, when Jor-El is speaking to the council, he says, "Neither I, nor my wife, will leave Krypton." Why didn't he say, "Neither I , nor my family...?" Was the council unaware that he'd had a child?

Secondly, in the extended cuts of S2, Zod sounds shocked when Lex says "The son of Jor-El". He repeats slowly, "The son... of Jor-El?" Is he shocked that the child ended up on earth? Or is he shocked to know that he had a son in the first place?

And finally, in one of the extended S2 cuts (maybe the RIC), Zod says at the fortress, "As your father once condemned us, so now do we condemn his misbegotten brat"

Misbegotten?

Is the use of "misbegotten" supposed to imply that Kal-El's birth wasn't normal? Was it like Zod shouting "Heresy" in MoS?

Anyway, what do you all think? Try to consider it please?

Wow.

Well.... the thought did cross my mind back in the day- because of one movie critic who criticized that Krypton looked like a planet of dying old men and women (no kid extras on the planet outside of Kal)--- and that it went against the concept of Krypton's tragedy being that it was a thriving planet full of life, rather than one that was dying (MOS directly had this concept, according to the book).

A forbidden birth does intensify the situation... but I don't feel like Donner and company had that in mind- more that it would have looked more horrific if there were other kids shown during the destruction of the planet. But- it DEFINITELY leaves itself open to interpretation.

Wonder if Puzo's script has a lot more Krypton stuff than was shown on-screen?

[ye5man]

Was Kal-El's birth a secret like in MoS?

Lara told the elders he was orphaned just now and came from North Dakota

[atp]

Was he a child of her cousin?

[Paul (ral)]

Jor-El saying "neither I or my wife" was a bit of subterfuge to allow him to keep his word to the council and sent Kal away...since they would not have thought about Kal leaving by himself.

I've often though Trevor Howard's character knew what Jor-El was planning due to the look he gives.

Was Kal's birth secret? I don't think it matters or figures into any of the plot or character motivations.

Zod's initial surprise? Well that's simply him being shocked that a Kryptonian (Jor-El's son of all people) survived.

[Chancellor Todd]

Sept 15, 2013 16:26:49 GMT -5 Paul (ral) said:

Zod's initial surprise? Well that's simply him being shocked that a Kryptonian (Jor-El's son of all people) survived.

I always hated that edit in the Lester cut. It makes his reaction look more like "hey, that's a bit of random luck" rather than total surprise.