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June 23, 2013: Decoding the Kryptonian Lingo of "Man of Steel"

What is a Codex? Who is Kelor? What does the Genesis Chamber do? MTV.com has put together an article to help fans understand some of the details of "Man of Steel".

Citadel:

Codex: An ancient Kryptonian artifact that decodes the genetic makeup of the artificially incubated babies on the planet. It translates a child's genetic attributes before his or her birth. Zod was born to be a soldier, as dictated by the Codex. Zod needs to codex in order to shape the genetic future of a reborn Krypton population.

Genesis Chamber: A system of artificial wombs where the infants of Krypton develop according to the Codex. Kal-El was born outside of the Genesis Chamber, making him the first natural birth on the planet and first outside the rule of the Codex in a century.

Kelor: An artificial intelligence system comparable to Jarvis in the "Iron Man" movies. Voiced in "Man of Steel" by "Sin City" actress Carla Gugino.

Phantom drive: Originally used as a method for sending prisoners to the Phantom Zone, Zod repurposes it as a hyperdrive.

Phantom Zone: An alternate dimension of sorts used for incarceration on Krypton. In "Man of Steel," the unstable nature of Krypton allows Zod and his followers to escape their captivity there.

Terraforming: A long-standing trope of science fiction that involves taking an otherwise uninhabitable planet and through various means turning into one that can sustain life. In "Man of Steel," Zod attempts to do this to Earth via the world engine. (See: World engine.)

World engine: A piece of Kryptonian technology sent with scouts thousands of years ago to the outposts established to possibly one day support life. When Zod attempts to use the engine on Earth, the first step would essentially destroy the planet as we know it.

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Source: MTV.com