Warning: Spoilers for Krypton episode 5, 'House of Zod'

Krypton may have just introduced one of Superman's most iconic villains: General Zod. At the end of tonight's episode, it was revealed that a mysterious character played by Colin Salmon is the son of Lyta Zod (Georgina Campbell).

Of course, the twist brings time travel back to the main storyline. The show's time travel elements have taken a backseat to political intrigue during the last two episodes - the series was beginning to feel more like a science fiction Game of Thrones - with a specific focus on the relationship between the Els and the Zods. Seg-El - Superman's grandfather - started the series in a forbidden relationship with Lyta Zod, something he ended when her mother, Jayna (Ann Ogbomo), killed his parents.

In this week's episode, 'House of Zod', Lyta Zod is finally cleared of all charges. After being warned by Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos) that Seg is in danger, Lyta goes looking for him and winds up in a fight with Colin Salmon's character. Lyta is surprised to discover that he's wearing a necklace marked with the emblem of the House of Zod. According to him, she gave it to him because he's her son.

The new character was introduced in last week's episode as the leader of a group of warriors who kidnapped Seg. Whoever he is, he knows about the threat of Brainiac - to the point he tortured Seg for more information - and has acquired weapons and supplies from Black Zero. Crucially, when Seg asked him if he knew his grandfather, the man revealed that he had a complicated relationship with the El family.

Given the reveal in tonight's episode, it's possible that there was much more to that remark than fans could have guessed. If this character is actually from the future, there's ample reason to suspect that he's actually General Zod, the most famous (or infamous) character associated with the "Zod" name. General Zod is among the few Kryptonians to survive the planet's destruction. Unless Krypton features time travelers from multiple time periods, it would fit that he's a survivor too - that definitely lines up with the son reveal.

His age and place in the Zod family tree also matches what we know of the comic book character. As Seg is Superman's grandfather, it makes perfect sense that General Zod would be Lyta's son; Zod is always shown to be close to Jor-El's age, meaning that he would be a generation behind Superman. That age element, however, introduces some potentially big changes to the mythology: if Seg and Lyta are back as an item, could it be that General Zod, one of Superman's greatest foes, is actually his uncle?

Whatever the family tree, if this character is indeed General Zod, it marks a big shift for Krypton (and provides even more of a step away from the DCEU). As one of Superman's greatest enemies, he could easily become a powerful ally against Brainiac, or an equally powerful enemy.

Next: Krypton Is A Good TV Show Because There’s No Superman

Krypton continues Wednesday, April 25 on Syfy.