Other mistake: The driver for the general at the end of the movie is referred to as captain, but is in the credits as Major Carrie Farris. (02:09:50 - 02:15:35)
Continuity mistake: When young Clark saves the school bus and is watched by Lana, his fringe swaps from being brushed to the right to brushed to the left, between shots. (00:27:55)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Clark is on the fishing boat and is about to be "crushed" there is a bundle of rope that is dropped on the deck. The bundle changes from what looks like cut up strands when it drops, to a nice looped up solid piece when the camera cuts to him picking it up.
Continuity mistake: When the woman is trapped at the end and Perry is trying to save her, the same car is crushed twice by the force of the world engine.
Visible crew/equipment: During the final battle, there's a building falling. When the people are running towards the ambulance, one girl in a pink shirt/sweater runs past a car and a boom mic is reflected on the windshield.
Visible crew/equipment: As Kal-El is flying for the first time, there is a shot from behind him flying through a canyon. In this shot, one can notice to the bottom left of screen a stage light reflection. (00:51:35)
Factual error: In the final scenes when Superman is fighting the enemies in Metropolis, even though half the city has been destroyed, the lights are still on in many buildings. In reality, the destruction of a few skyscrapers would be enough to trigger the shutdown of the electric substations that serve the city and all the lights would be off (as happened with Hurricane Sandy). (02:00:00)
Continuity mistake: When Superman is fighting Faora and Nam-Ek in Smallville, his head is held to the ground by Faora. In this shot his hair is over his forehead. The camera switches quickly to a shot of the two holding him down and then back to him - his hair is now off his forehead. (01:35:00)
Continuity mistake: In one of the scenes where he is being bullied and is pushed against a fence by a group of kids, he's pulled out of the car while he is holding a book. Later when he is pulled up he uses his right hand, but in the shot afterwards the fence pole is bent by his left hand.
Continuity mistake: When Clark pushes the school bus out of the river the front doors are open, but when he returns with the class bully the front doors are now shut.
Continuity mistake: When Clark first wears the Superman costume, he steps out onto the ice and his cloak wraps around his right leg, but, a second later, his cloak is billowing behind him.
Factual error: During the air-to-ground fight in Smallville, the 1st A-10 destroyed had DM on its rudder. DM is Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson. There is no way they could have made it to Kansas in time for the fight.
Revealing mistake: When Zod is arrested, his bloody facial wound is a glued-on prosthetic.
Visible crew/equipment: As the two helicopters land, and as the soldiers come out, the camera equipment is reflected in the glass.
Visible crew/equipment: As the soldiers duck behind the truck asking "What about the guy in blue?", the cameraman is reflected on the panel in front of him.
Continuity mistake: When Lois and Clark are in the desert, facing each other, Lois's hair is in a ponytail, with two wisps at the front free. From the front view, her left wisp is far behind her ear, and in the behind shot, the wisp is covering her ear.
Revealing mistake: At the end when the drone crashes in front of the car and the soldier gets out you can see the footprints in the sand from previous takes, in the exact spot where he steps.
Continuity mistake: When General Zod throws Superman's mum, the ground she lands on is completely different in the next shot when he throws the truck - it's firmer and a different shade of green.
Answer: When Jor-El stole the Codex, Zod and his followers were not yet sent to the Phantom Zone and Krypton had not begun its destruction. Jor-El was opposed to Zod's plan to use the Codex. Once Zod's rebellion against the council had begun, Jor-El stole the main Codex and hid it with Kal-El. While Jor-El knew Krypton would be destroyed, he didn't know when and wanted to prevent Zod from using the Codex as planned. Zod then killed Jor-El, the council regained control and ended the rebellion, and then sent Zod and his followers to the Phantom Zone (not knowing or believing Krypton was going to be destroyed).
Bishop73