SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Superman #5 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, Alex Sinclair and Josh Reed, on sale now.

Rogol Zaar has been The Man of Steel's central villain since the onset of Brian Michael Bendis' run on the Superman franchise. The character's sole focus in that time has been his ongoing quest for the destruction of anything Kryptonian, including Superman himself.

What hasn't been clear, though, are Rogol Zaar's motives for his actions, and why he's so intent on destroying anything with a mere whiff of Kryptonian DNA. Bendis and Ivan Reis' Superman #5, however, shows at least a hint of a reason behind the villain's actions. But what might this reason be, and has Superman finally figured it out?

Rogol Zaar Figures Out Superman – and Vice Versa

Superman and Rogol Zaar are currently in a stalemate. Kal-El stranded himself in the Phantom Zone with Zaar last issue, as part of an ultimately successful ploy to liberate the Earth from the limbo-like dimension. As has been repeatedly shown, though, the two foes are too evenly matched to physically defeat each other. Rather than just eternally duke it out, Superman and Zaar thus find themselves in an undeclared truce in the Phantom Zone, with no clear plan going forward. This extra-dimensional timeout gives hero and villain alike to dwell on each other's mindset.

Rogol Zaar fails to comprehend Superman's unwillingness to kill him. Zaar has professed that he was responsible for Krypton's destruction, and more recently had destroyed the bottled city of Kandor. The villain cites that if he were faced with the annihilation of his people the way Kal has, he "would know nothing but murderous rage." Since Superman has made no attempt to kill Zaar – only to defeat or contain him – Rogol Zaar deduces, correctly, that Kal-El just can't muster any murderous intent towards him.

RELATED: Superman's Approach to Defeating Rogol Zaar Is A Lesson for Us All

Meanwhile, Superman confronts Zaar with a postulation that aligns with Zaar's own thoughts: that his spree of Kryptonian mass-murder was seeded by a Kryptonian destroying his own world. Rogol Zaar all but dismisses Superman's theory, but the villain's genocidal acts have certainly been consistent with the presence of a "murderous rage." No mention has ever been made of Zaar's home planet facing destruction by a Kryptonian, however. And in the recent Man of Steel miniseries, Rogol Zaar simply acknowledged Krypton and its population as "a plague."

NEXT PAGE: Superman Confronts Rogol Zaar With His Theory Regarding the Villain's Motivation

What Has Superman Figured Out?

The idea of Zaar seeing Krypton as a plague or virus plays into his subsequent statements. He makes mention of his already stated goals of destroying Earth – by way of the presence of Kryptonians there – as well as the Kryptonians trapped with him in the Phantom Zone. The latter statement is a rather foolish one to make aloud, considering the army of Kryptonians in the Zone he has rallied to his side. Especially if any of them are within earshot.

Superman seems to have a moment of realization at this point. Has he finally figured out Rogol Zaar is a murderous racist whose bigoted mindset has resulted in genocide? Or had he already acknowledged this obvious revelation, and has now come to understand something else about this dangerous villain?

Last issue, Superman reached out to his longtime foe and Rogol Zaar ally, the former Kryptonian terrorist Jax-Ur. Kal-El attempted to convey that Rogol Zaar's ultimate motives will eventually include the destruction of all Kryptonians – including Jax-Ur himself. The statement gave Jax pause – did Jax-Ur perhaps overhear Zaar's admission to Superman, which would assuredly break his alliance with Rogol Zaar? Is this Kal's realization – that Zaar is finally all but defeated, with his allies now about to turn against him?

RELATED: Bendis' Superman Faces A Challenge Much Bigger Than Doomsday

Maybe It's a Personal Problem

Rogol Zaar makes another mention that could serve as a possible motive. The villain refers to Superman's potential "half-breed offspring [he] sired across the galaxy." As Kal-El isn't really known for his intergalactic promiscuity, does Rogol Zaar has some kind of more personal motivation? Zaar is heirless, as far as his known history goes, so is he driven by his potential jealousy of Superman's potential heirs, when he has none of his own? Did Zaar once have a family, and does he blame Kryptonians for their possible demise?

Or, was Zaar perhaps unable to conceive any heirs in the first place, meaning his hatred might be rooted in his own shortcomings, but directed at Krypton for reasons yet unknown?

It's also possible that Superman's reaction wasn't in response to Zaar's words at all. While Rogol Zaar rambles on about his vengeful, hateful ways, he's sucker punched by none other than General Zod, who has found his way back to the Phantom Zone. Superman may very well have seen Zod's approach, and realized that he had found a new and unlikely ally. And, perhaps somewhat delighted that Zaar is about to get clocked from behind.

RELATED: Superman Reveals How He Stops Himself from Killing Batman Every Day

The Enemy of the Enemy

Zod, in fact, might be the key to finally defeating Rogol Zaar. As the issue closes, Zod professes that, unlike Kal-El, he isn't above revenge. There's little doubt that Zod would be all too willing to kill Rogol Zaar, given the chance, and with Superman at his side, it's a very likely possibility.

Superman himself wouldn't partake in murder, of course. And he might even try to stop Zod from killing him. But at the moment, Zod is consumed with a murderous rage of his own – one that even Superman might not be able to stop. Maybe that's Superman's ultimate realization – that Zod's arrival will not only turn the tide, but permanently end the threat of Rogol Zaar. That permanent end, of course, being Zaar's death – a death that Superman already suspects he might be powerless to prevent.

Rogol Zaar's reasons for his hatred of Krypton aren't stated outright, but Superman might have figured them out. And those reasons might be far more personal than first realized. The actual causes might surface while General Zod tries his hand at defeating Rogol Zaar in Superman #6, on sale December 12.