World Engine (Man of Steel)

The World Engine is a device that features in the movie Man of Steel.

History
The World Engine was an advanced starships constructed by the inhabitants of Krypton. It was constructed at the height of the reign of the Kryptonian species who long ago began exploring space where they established numerous colonial outposts. Some of these planet were terraformed to more favorable conditions through the use of these devices. However, when the Kryptonian empire contracted, the outposts established by them were abandoned with many of their advanced technology with one such planet holding a forgotten World Engine amongst the dead populace. Following the destruction of Krypton, General Zod and fellow banished prisoners managed to survive when their prison in the Phantom Zone was shattered. This band of survivors began exploring the old colonial outposts of their people but only found the dead remains of Kryptonians awaiting them. From the abandoned facilities, they salvaged vehicles as well as weapons along with a World Engine which was linked to their prison ship. For over thirty years they continued this existence until they received a beacon from an abandoned Kryptonian ship on Earth. The vessel had been activated by the son of Jor-El who was another survivor of Krypton which led to Zod commanding his forces to the planet. This was because Kal-El had within him the Growth Codex which allowed for the generation of new Kryptonian clones and thus needed for the survival of their race. As a result, the group of criminals arrived at Earth where they attempted to first gain Kal-El's cooperation but decided instead to forcibly find the Codex for their needs. When Zod learnt that the information was within Kal-El's blood, the General ordered the deployment of the World Engine to transform Earth into a new Krypton. The machine was slaved to the prison ship with the two working in concert with one another. During this time, Kal-El as the superhero Superman moved to stop the World Engine in order to save the planet. He initially faced opposition from the harsh Krypton environment created by the terraforming machine and its defense system but ultimately succeeded in destroying it.

Overview
In appearance, these machines were massive constructs that had three prongs extending outwards which were used to dig into the ground on a target planet. Typically, they dropped down from orbit in a fast descent and slammed into the ground where it embedded itself before it began its terraforming operations. Once done, vents on the top structure opened and began deploying particulates into the atmosphere whilst the bottom part of the design generated an energy beam to the ground. This served as part of its terraforming operation where it began to deploy particulates on a global scale whilst increasing the planet's gravity in order to make the planet into a similar state as harsh Krypton. It was possible to slave the World Engine to another Kryptonian vessel that served to direct its efforts. The intense gravity generated by the machine meant that aspects of the environment such as rocks and water simply floated as a ring around the machine.

A large hatch was able to open by the side of the Engine where a malleable near liquid substance was able to form to act as a defense system. This weapon flowed to form shapes such as serpentine tendrils designed to strike and encompass its targets as well as forcibly destroy any threats to the World Engine.

Appearances

 * Man of Steel: (2013)