How could Jor El become heretic if he didn't have free will?
In Man of Steel Kal-El asked Jor-El:
Why didn't you come with me?
His answer was:
...Your mother, Lara, and I were a product of the failures of our world as much as Zod was tied to its fate.
If they were genetically programmed, how could Jor El have a naturally born son? If he had no free will then how could he become heretic?
Best Answer
Assuming we stick exclusively to the 2013 "Man of Steel" film and its novelisation, then the answer to your question is that the genetic code of each newborn shapes their skills and abilities (teacher/scientist/leader/worker/etc) as well as determining their general outlook on society and their place in it.
Krypton had long ago abandoned the unpredictability of sexual reproduction—with its reckless pairings and random mixing of chromosomes—in favor of a more orderly and scientific system that allowed for complete control over each child’s genetic makeup and destiny. Nothing was left to chance. Each developing embryo was expressly designed to fulfill his or her preordained role in society—as a worker, warrior, thinker, administrator, or whatever best served the greater good.
The Genesis Chambers were the ultimate expression of Krypton’s rigid caste system, applying advanced genetic engineering to an inviolate tradition that stretched back to antiquity. Jor-El had sprouted from one such stem, many cycles ago, as had Lara, and Zod, and every Kryptonian who currently breathed upon the planet.
Save for one.
This doesn't mean that their actions are pre-determined though. It's a fundamental irony of the film that whilst Jor-El has gone from being a staunch supporter of the council to a "heretic" and Zod has gone from being a loyal General of Krypton to being shunned as a "terrorist", neither of them have actually changed their philosophical positions over the last few hundred years, just their methods.
Oh, and as to how Lara-El and Jor-El were able to conceive a child, I shall leave that to your imagination.
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Is Jor-El stronger than Zod?
Jor-El was very skilled at fighting but not as good as Zod. I don't agree with you, he did not completely demolish Zod. Zod was just down for a minute and the launch was done.Why did Jor-El not leave Krypton?
Jor-El genetically altering his son's fetus (gestating in a "birthing matrix") to allow him to leave Krypton (in this version of the mythos, Kryptonians were genetically "bonded" to the planet itself, not allowing them to leave) and merely attaching a warp engine to the matrix instead of constructing a ship wholesale.Did Zod respect Jor-El?
Jor-El and Zod were great friends during both their youths on Krypton. Zod had settled down with a wife and son in Kandor while he was a Major and Jor-El was married to Lara-El. They looked out for each other during their time on Krypton as Zod greatly respecting Jor-El as the most renowned scientist on Krypton.Why does Jor-El stay on Krypton?
As it turned out, all Kryptonians are born with a genetic bond to Krypton itself, which prevents them from leaving the planet. However, Jor-El was able to successfully remove the bond from his son's DNA, allowing Kal-El to safely travel all the way to Earth.Jor-El and Son | Man of Steel
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