Tala-El

Tala-El is a fictional scientist and a minor character featured in comic books published by DC Comics. He is associated with the Superman line of titles and first appeared in Krypton Chronicles #1 in September, 1981.

Biography
Tala-El was a respected member of the noble House of El on the planet, Krypton. In the Kryptonian year 9852, Tala-El and several other dignitaries met to discuss the formation of an international federation to unite all of Krypton's disparate nations. Tala-El suggested following Kandor's system of government and forging the new federation as a technocracy. His colleagues however, desired a more democratic system of government rather than a society ruled strictly by the laws of science.

Tala-El elected to consult with his uncle, Yu-El, a priest of Rao in order to arbitrate the dispute. Yu-El exclaimed that only Rao can ultimately decide on Krypton's future. He posed a contest wherein the four delegates would gather on the Plain of Wanan outside the city of Kandor to wait out an approaching thunderstorm. Each delegate would carry with him a lightning rod, and whoever's rod was not struck by lightning, shall be the deciding vote for the federation.

Tala-El, along with Sin-Dar and Hal-Vu, did as instructed, and brought their respective lightning rods out onto the plains during a thunderstorm. A lightning bolt came down, striking each rod in turn except the one held by Tala-El. As agreed, the delegates committed themselves towards forging Krypton's capital city as a technocracy. Tala-El later confessed to his uncle the true reasons why he won the contest. Humoring Yu-El's piousness, he told him that Rao inspired him to construct his lightning rod out of non-conductive material.

Not long after, the first Kryptonian Science Council convened in Kandor. Tala-El was chosen as one of the earliest council Molioms and helped to write the Kryptonian Planetary Federation constitution.

Tala-El passed away long before the catastrophe that ultimately destroyed Krypton. A statue of Tala-El holding the constitution was erected and placed within the House of El family memorial vault on the planet Krypton. The statues were blasted away and turned to Kryptonite in the final catastrophe, before being plated with lead by Superboy and transferred to Rokyn.

Notes & Trivia



 * A statue of Tala-El appeared in Adventure Comics #313 in October, 1963, nearly twenty years before the first established appearance of the character.


 * Tala-El is exclusive to Pre-Crisis, Earth-One continuity. He has no counterpart in modern continuity.

Appearances

 * Adventure Comics 313
 * Krypton Chronicles 1