Origin
Alura In-Zee was born on the planet Krypton while it was still alive and prosperous. She became part of the science guild, and for many years was a perfect scientist, learning to forgo all emotions as simple
primitive instincts and to observe the world in a pure mathematical and physical fashion. She could not, however, escape falling in love with a young artist called Zor-El. Zor-El taught her to watch the world as more than just mathematical equations and to see the beauty in things. They soon married and since then Zor-El was the voice of reason and love in head. They were soon blessed with a daughter: Kara Zor-El.
History
Brainiac Attacks
Wanting more knowledge to assimilate, the Coluan known as Brainiac invaded the Krypton and plundered the planet of its collective knowledge. He used his advanced science to shrink and bottle the entire city of Kandor; adding the Kryptonian metropolis as another specimen to his vast collection of alien cities. To carry out this plan, Brainiac ordered hundreds of his robots planet-side to prepare the city for abduction. These robots mercilessly killed any resistance, protecting themselves from attack with self-generating force fields.
Following the taking of Kandor, the people of Krypton ignored the warnings of Jor-El that the planet was unstable and facing destruction. Jor-El’s warnings were dismissed by almost all of Krypton, however Zor-El believed his brother and set into motion his own plans for survival. Zor-El and his wife Alura experimented on one of the robots destroyed by General Zod‘s troops. They managed to deconstruct Brainiac’s force field technology sufficiently to create a protective dome over their home, Argo City . Unfortunately, Alura and Zor-El did not have time enough to master this technology and protect all of Krypton. When Krypton exploded, Argo City was protected from the blast, and remained intact floating aimlessly in space for many months.
Alura and her husband began work on an evacuation plan to lead the remaining Kryptonians to Earth where they would be reunited with their nephew, Kal-El. Before this plan could be enacted Alura’s daughter spotted a ship outside of the dome. Brainiac had sensed his technology in use and discovered the Kryptonian refugees . Knowing that Brainiac would not spare their city, Zor-El and Alura placed their daughter, Kara Zor-El, in the only escape rocket that had been ready for service.
They sent her to Earth, instructing her to find and protect her infant cousin, Kal-El. As Kara escaped, the villainous Brainiac once again invaded a Kryptonian city. His troops assimilated any additional people and information that contained knowledge that had not been learned from Kandor . Those Kryptonians who Brainiac viewed as “redundant” were slaughtered. Zor-El and Alura were transferred to the bottled city of Kandor and have remained there as prisoners of Brainiac for many years.
Released from Brainiac
Eventually, Brainiac made his way to Earth, and there found the being who could defeat him: Kal-El, now known as Superman. Superman defeated Brainiac and freed Kandor, releasing the city from it’s bottle near his fortress of Solitude. Alura and Zor-El were able to reunite with their daughter and nephew, and it seemed that the Kryptonians would prosper anew. Now a hundred thousand Krytonians lived on Earth alongside humans. It wouldn’t be long before xenophobia kicked in. Kandor was soon attacked by a band of Supervillains designed to fight Superman, and in the battle Zor-El was killed by the supervillain Reactron.
Zor-El was given a grand burial at Kandor, and without him Alura grew distant and bitter, and revengeful. Now the bitter Alura was in command of Kandor, and she started preparing. As both heroes and villains geared for battle at the door Kandor, Alura activated a device of both Kryptonian and Brainiac design, raising Kandor from the surface and directing it to the other side of the sun, forming out of sunstones an entire new planet: New Krypton.
New Krypton
New Krypton soon established a high council and proper government, with Alura as head of the science guild. She was joined on New Krypton by Kara and kal-El. Kara came because she wanted to be close to her daughter and people, Kal-El because he wanted to heal the rift between Krypton and Earth. Once there, Kal learns that Alura has released General Zod from the Phantom Zone, puts him in charge of the military guild, and assigns Kal-El under his command. This does not sit well with Kal-El as he has fought Zod before, but he still must accept that Zod is a hero on Krypton, and thus the two begin working together.
New Krypton soon established a high council and proper government, with Alura as head of the science guild. She was joined on New Krypton by Kara and kal-El. Kara came because she wanted to be close to her daughter and people, Kal-El because he wanted to heal the rift between Krypton and Earth. Once there, Kal learns that Alura has released General Zod from the Phantom Zone, puts him in charge of the military guild, and assigns Kal-El under his command. This does not sit well with Kal-El as he has fought Zod before, but he still must accept that Zod is a hero on Krypton, and thus the two begin working together.
Alura didn’t forget about her husband’s demise however, and sent her daughter on a mission to Earth to apprehend the murderer Reactron and bring him to New Krypton for a trial. After a series of adventures, Kara does manage to bring Reactron to New Krypton and he is put on trial before the Kryptonian high council. However an angry mob of Kryptonians demanding his death for killing their loved ones breaks into the chamber and a fight ensues. In the fight, Reactron seems to be vaporized. Alura asks everyone to make peace with his death and go home, which they do.
Later, Alura goes to the tomb of Zor-El. There she breaks down into tears repeating the lessons he had thought her over the years, and asking him to forgive her for what she has done, assuring herself that she did it for the sake of Krypton. It is later revealed that that Reactron is not dead but held in a secret chamber on New Krypton. Commander Gor begins torturing him to find out who sent him. It is also revealed that Alura is behind his “mysterious” death.
Last Stand & War of the Supermen
When Brainac and Lex Luthor attack New Krypton trying to recapture it, Alura helps defending the city. Ultimately she remains as the only surviving council member following the battle. During the battle, Lex Luthor kills Commander Gor and seemingly tampers with Reactron, still trapped in his torture chamber. Following the attack, General Zod declares war on Earth and Alura proceeds to squeeze any information she can out of Reactron herself, angry at the Earthlings’ involvement in Brainac’s attack. Torturing Reactron, she is confronted by her daughter, and the argue about her mother’s unethical behavior.
At that point, Reactron reveals his secret: Lex implanted a bomb into him. As he began to radiate gold kryptonite radiation, Alura sealed her daughter into a radiation chamber, saving her life. Alura is killed by the blast, along with the planet of New Krypton.
Powers and Abilities
Alura has all the powers and weaknesses of a Kryptonian exposed to a yellow sun.
Personality
Alura seems at first to be a cold and uncaring and has always had some extremist views. When Zor-El was alive, he always served as her voice of love and compassion. When he died, that voice was gone and she grew bitter and vengeful. Though she appears this away, she is actually quite a caring person under her thick surface. She has a strong sense of responsibility towards her family, her guild and her people.
She has at first butted heads with Kal-El, with her accusing him of being a traitor and him thinking her a war-monger, but since his arrival on New Krypton and her smaller role in the Krypton government, they seem to have mended their relationship.
Alura has also had a difficult relationship with her daughter after her husband’s death. She seemed distant and cold to Kara, often forcing the girl into tears for her bitterness. Nevertheless, she quite cares for her daughter, but doesn’t know how to express this, lacking her husband’s human touch. Kara has chosen to join the science guild like her mother despite being more of an artist like her father. She claims she’s done this to better understand her mother.
Other Media
Film
Supergirl
Alura appears in the 1984 movie. She was played by Mia Farrow.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Alura and Zor-El make a cameo appearence in the movie.
Superman: Unbound
When Superman gets trapped inside the bottle where the city Kandor is being kept, he discovers that the Aunt and Uncle, Alura and Zor-El, are still alive. They help him giving him information about Brainiac. After Kandor is re-sized, Supergirl finally reencounters her partents, after believing they had perish in Krypton’s explotion. She is voiced by Sirena Irwin.
DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year
Alura appears in a flashback, with Zor-El, saying goodbye to Kara before Krypton’s destruction. She later appears to Kara when her daughter needs her, using the crystal she gave to her. She is voiced by April Stewart.
Television
Superman: The Animated Series
She, as Kala In-Zee, appears as a hologram, named Kara In-Zee. Unlike other versions she is not related to the house of El and is from the planet Argo, a neighboring planet to Krypton. She is voiced by Carolyn Seymour.
Supergirl
In the 2015 TV series, Alura appears in flashbacks. She also appears as an A.I. projection, like the projection of Jor El in Man of Steel. She is portrayed by Laura Benanti.
In season 3, Alura was recast, now played by Erica Durance.
DC Super Hero Girls
Alura first appeared in a cameo in a picture in Season 3, Episode 26 “It’s A Superful Life”, when Kara hangs a photo of her parents in the Christmas Tree.