Brainiac: Difference between revisions

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Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Pastino, Brainiac debuted in July 1958 as a green-skinned alien with advanced technology who attacked an Earth spaceship and possessed a private collection of shrunken, stolen cities, including the Kryptonian city of Kandor, which Superman stole back and took back to his Fortress of Solitude. Notably, Superman never actually managed to defeat the alien and was completely outmatched by his [[Deflector Shields]] and [[You Fight Like a Cow|tirade of insults]], and this was the ''[[The Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]]'' Superman, the same one who casually tugged chains of planets through space.
Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Pastino, Brainiac debuted in July 1958 as a green-skinned alien with advanced technology who attacked an Earth spaceship and possessed a private collection of shrunken, stolen cities, including the Kryptonian city of Kandor, which Superman stole back and took back to his Fortress of Solitude. Notably, Superman never actually managed to defeat the alien and was completely outmatched by his [[Deflector Shields]] and [[You Fight Like a Cow|tirade of insults]], and this was the ''[[The Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]]'' Superman, the same one who casually tugged chains of planets through space.


He returned to menace the superhero over the years, sometimes and often in a [[Villain Team-Up]] with [[Lex Luthor]]. Due to legal issues, he was reimagined as a living supercomputer in humanoid form, the renegade agent of the Coluan race. [[Post-Crisis]], he was reimagined again as an insane circus psychic named Milton Fine who believed he was possessed by an alien intelligence, though as that drew a [[Fan Backlash]] it was gradually implied that he might actually be [[Properly Paranoid]] and he began taking on genuinelly alien characteristics, such as green skin and more audacious plans. Eventually this was all [[Retcon|retconned]] and he was reimagined ''again'' as an evil alien robot, then as time went on his exact origins and nature as either a robot, a pure alien or an [[Ninja Zombie Pirate Robot|alien cyborg robot]] was [[Depending On the Writer]]. Once again, Superman receives (in different circumstances) a Kandor shrunked by Brainiac, this time apparently [[Fantastic Racism|a holding city for non-Kryptonian residents of Krypton.]]
He returned to menace the superhero over the years, sometimes and often in a [[Villain Team-Up]] with [[Lex Luthor]]. Due to legal issues, he was reimagined as a living supercomputer in humanoid form, the renegade agent of the Coluan race. [[Post-Crisis]], he was reimagined again as an insane circus psychic named Milton Fine who believed he was possessed by an alien intelligence, though as that drew a [[Fan Backlash]] it was gradually implied that he might actually be [[Properly Paranoid]] and he began taking on genuinelly alien characteristics, such as green skin and more audacious plans. Eventually this was all [[Retcon|retconned]] and he was reimagined ''again'' as an evil alien robot, then as time went on his exact origins and nature as either a robot, a pure alien or an [[Ninja Zombie Pirate Robot|alien cyborg robot]] was [[Depending on the Writer]]. Once again, Superman receives (in different circumstances) a Kandor shrunked by Brainiac, this time apparently [[Fantastic Racism|a holding city for non-Kryptonian residents of Krypton.]]


In adaptations such as ''[[Superman the Animated Series]]'' and its sequel ''[[Justice League]]'', and later ''[[Smallville]]'' and ''[[Legion of Super Heroes (TV)|Legion of Super Heroes]]'', he was made into a living supercomputer with Kryptonian origins, to create greater emnity with the Man of Steel. In both versions Brainiac was given [[Fighting a Shadow]] qualities and individual Brainiacs' turned out to be probes sent by the ''real'' one, though in both cases he ended up stuck in such probes after the rest of them and his true form were destroyed. In the 2008 story arc ''[[Name's the Same|Brainiac]]'' this aspect of Brainiac became a [[Canon Immigrant]] and the various different versions Superman faced were [[Take a Third Option|retconned]] into probe themselves, and the ''true'' Brainiac was once again made into a Coluan cyborg. Once ''again'' he possessed Kandor (the one Superman had was "revealed" to be a fake), which again was a city full of Kryptonians. It is implied that he is the one who destroyed Krytpon as Superman witnesses him steal another city from a different planet and then destroying that planet, something that was apparently his ''modus operandi''.
In adaptations such as ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'' and its sequel ''[[Justice League]]'', and later ''[[Smallville]]'' and ''[[Legion of Super-Heroes (TV series)|Legion of Super Heroes]]'', he was made into a living supercomputer with Kryptonian origins, to create greater emnity with the Man of Steel. In both versions Brainiac was given [[Fighting a Shadow]] qualities and individual Brainiacs' turned out to be probes sent by the ''real'' one, though in both cases he ended up stuck in such probes after the rest of them and his true form were destroyed. In the 2008 story arc ''[[Name's the Same|Brainiac]]'' this aspect of Brainiac became a [[Canon Immigrant]] and the various different versions Superman faced were [[Take a Third Option|retconned]] into probe themselves, and the ''true'' Brainiac was once again made into a Coluan cyborg. Once ''again'' he possessed Kandor (the one Superman had was "revealed" to be a fake), which again was a city full of Kryptonians. It is implied that he is the one who destroyed Krytpon as Superman witnesses him steal another city from a different planet and then destroying that planet, something that was apparently his ''modus operandi''.


Brainiac is a [[Legacy Character]] and there have been (or will be) at least 13 different incarnations of the character in the future, Brainiac 2 originally being a clone-son, though some of them are actually future, stronger versions of Brainiac himself. The most famous is the heroic Brainiac 5, [[The Smart Guy]] of the ''[[Legion of Super Heroes]]'' from the 31st century. In one [[Story Arc]] the Brainiac 13 version from a [[Bad Future]] even fought Brainic 2.5, despite both being the same character. On most occasions the ones who are not actually Brainiac end up becoming the victim of his schemes.
Brainiac is a [[Legacy Character]] and there have been (or will be) at least 13 different incarnations of the character in the future, Brainiac 2 originally being a clone-son, though some of them are actually future, stronger versions of Brainiac himself. The most famous is the heroic Brainiac 5, [[The Smart Guy]] of the ''[[Legion of Super-Heroes]]'' from the 31st century. In one [[Story Arc]] the Brainiac 13 version from a [[Bad Future]] even fought Brainic 2.5, despite both being the same character. On most occasions the ones who are not actually Brainiac end up becoming the victim of his schemes.




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* [[Alien Invasion]]: A ([[Hive Mind|sometimes literal]]) [[One-Man Army]] type.
* [[Alien Invasion]]: A ([[Hive Mind|sometimes literal]]) [[One-Man Army]] type.
* [[Attack of the 50 Foot Whatever]]: The Brainiac 13 incarnation.
* [[Attack of the 50 Foot Whatever]]: The Brainiac 13 incarnation.
* [[Assimilation Plot]]: Again, Brainiac 13, who tried this twice, first on Metropolis (probably as a prelude to Earth), and then, later, on [[Our Worlds At War|the entire universe]].
* [[Assimilation Plot]]: Again, Brainiac 13, who tried this twice, first on Metropolis (probably as a prelude to Earth), and then, later, on [[Our Worlds at War|the entire universe]].
* [[Bald of Evil]]
* [[Bald of Evil]]
* [[Beard of Evil]]: Sported one as Milton Fine.
* [[Beard of Evil]]: Sported one as Milton Fine.
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* [[Fighting a Shadow]]: He has more than one "backup body".
* [[Fighting a Shadow]]: He has more than one "backup body".
* [[From a Single Cell]]: In [[The DCAU]]. Since his true self is data, it doesn't matter how thoroughly you destroy his current body; he's got a lot more, his mind is in ''all'' of his technology, and he'll just escape.
* [[From a Single Cell]]: In [[The DCAU]]. Since his true self is data, it doesn't matter how thoroughly you destroy his current body; he's got a lot more, his mind is in ''all'' of his technology, and he'll just escape.
* [[Fusion Dance]]: With Luthor in ''[[Whatever Happened to The Man of Tomorrow?]]'', and of course ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]''.
* [[Fusion Dance]]: With Luthor in ''[[Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?]]'', and of course ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]''.
* [[Galactic Conqueror]]
* [[Galactic Conqueror]]
* [[Genius Bruiser]]: Even in his true form, he is roughly the equal of Superman and backs it up with far superior intelligence.
* [[Genius Bruiser]]: Even in his true form, he is roughly the equal of Superman and backs it up with far superior intelligence.
* [[Green-Skinned Space Babe]]: Brainiac 8.
* [[Green-Skinned Space Babe]]: Brainiac 8.
* [[Hive Mind]]: Brainiac 13 forced this on the citizens of Metropolis. Also, the [[Retcon]] that Superman has been [[Fighting a Shadow]] invokes this to an extent.
* [[Hive Mind]]: Brainiac 13 forced this on the citizens of Metropolis. Also, the [[Retcon]] that Superman has been [[Fighting a Shadow]] invokes this to an extent.
* [[Hoist By His Own Petard]]: [[The Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] Brainiac finally met defeat when Superman disregarded his own [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]] rule, and hurled his ship into the path of the maniac's own shrink ray.
* [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]: [[The Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] Brainiac finally met defeat when Superman disregarded his own [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]] rule, and hurled his ship into the path of the maniac's own shrink ray.
* [[Humanoid Aliens]]: Sometimes, [[Depending On the Writer]].
* [[Humanoid Aliens]]: Sometimes, [[Depending on the Writer]].
* {{spoiler|[[You Killed My Father|I Killed Your Father]]}}: {{spoiler|Did this to Jonathan Kent when beaten.}} [[Beware the Nice Ones|Clark Kent]] was pissed.
* {{spoiler|[[You Killed My Father|I Killed Your Father]]}}: {{spoiler|Did this to Jonathan Kent when beaten.}} [[Beware the Nice Ones|Clark Kent]] was pissed.
** In the DCAU, he let everyone on Krypton die rather than warned them about its destruction in the DCAU.
** In the DCAU, he let everyone on Krypton die rather than warned them about its destruction in the DCAU.
* [[Lack of Empathy]]: More like lack of any general emotion, making him all the more creepier
* [[Lack of Empathy]]: More like lack of any general emotion, making him all the more creepier
* [[Legacy Character]]: There have been ''at least'' 13 Brainiacs, roughly speaking each more powerful and advanced than the last, with 13 being so powerful he can conquer the Earth just by showing up and later very nearly [[Our Worlds At War|destroyed and remade the entire universe.]] However, while the likes of 5 and 8 are distinct characters, quite often the different Braniacs' are just upgraded versions of the villain himself.
* [[Legacy Character]]: There have been ''at least'' 13 Brainiacs, roughly speaking each more powerful and advanced than the last, with 13 being so powerful he can conquer the Earth just by showing up and later very nearly [[Our Worlds at War|destroyed and remade the entire universe.]] However, while the likes of 5 and 8 are distinct characters, quite often the different Braniacs' are just upgraded versions of the villain himself.
* [[The Man Behind the Monsters]]/[[Robot Master]]: The most recent version of Brainiac has been revealed to a biological Coluan scientist and conqueror who has been fighting Superman for years using his robotic probes and psychic powers.
* [[The Man Behind the Monsters]]/[[Robot Master]]: The most recent version of Brainiac has been revealed to a biological Coluan scientist and conqueror who has been fighting Superman for years using his robotic probes and psychic powers.
* [[Manipulative Bastard]]: Oddly, some of his most successful manipulations are [[Timey-Wimey Ball|against]] [[Legacy Character|himself]], but he has still played several characters like pianos over his career, including highly intelligent ones like [[Superman]] and [[Lex Luthor]].
* [[Manipulative Bastard]]: Oddly, some of his most successful manipulations are [[Timey-Wimey Ball|against]] [[Legacy Character|himself]], but he has still played several characters like pianos over his career, including highly intelligent ones like [[Superman]] and [[Lex Luthor]].
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* [[Nanomachines]]: One of the weapons in his arsenal.
* [[Nanomachines]]: One of the weapons in his arsenal.
* [[Necessarily Evil]]: DCAU Brainiac justified his actions by stating there is little time to work on a plan to evacuate Krypton. Besides it would distract him from his primary goal, uploading the records of Krypton and save himself.
* [[Necessarily Evil]]: DCAU Brainiac justified his actions by stating there is little time to work on a plan to evacuate Krypton. Besides it would distract him from his primary goal, uploading the records of Krypton and save himself.
* [[Ninja Zombie Pirate Robot]]: [[Depending On the Writer]] and the adaptation, Brainiac is either a regular [[Mad Scientist]] who happens to be an alien; a living alien computer; an evil circus performer who is either [[Ax Crazy]] or [[Demonic Possession|possessed by an alien intelligence]]; a [[Mad Scientist]] alien ''cyborg''; an evil alien ''robot''; a colony of nanomachines; and quite often and recently [[Mind Screw|all of the above]]. Also, in the mainstream comics he is always a Coluan, but in the [[DCAU]] and ''[[Smallville]]'' is a Kryptonian artificial intelligence.
* [[Ninja Zombie Pirate Robot]]: [[Depending on the Writer]] and the adaptation, Brainiac is either a regular [[Mad Scientist]] who happens to be an alien; a living alien computer; an evil circus performer who is either [[Ax Crazy]] or [[Demonic Possession|possessed by an alien intelligence]]; a [[Mad Scientist]] alien ''cyborg''; an evil alien ''robot''; a colony of nanomachines; and quite often and recently [[Mind Screw|all of the above]]. Also, in the mainstream comics he is always a Coluan, but in the [[DCAU]] and ''[[Smallville]]'' is a Kryptonian artificial intelligence.
* [[Planet Looters]]: His main gig is bottling up cities and shrinking them. His reasons have varied, and normally the planets he loots aren't so lucky.
* [[Planet Looters]]: His main gig is bottling up cities and shrinking them. His reasons have varied, and normally the planets he loots aren't so lucky.
* [[Psychic Powers]]
* [[Psychic Powers]]
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* [[Robotic Psychopath]]: In [[The Silver Age of Comic Books]] and [[The Bronze Age of Comic Books]], though it was more emphasised in others.
* [[Robotic Psychopath]]: In [[The Silver Age of Comic Books]] and [[The Bronze Age of Comic Books]], though it was more emphasised in others.
* [[Rubber Forehead Aliens]]: In the stories where he's an actual Coluan, he basically looks human, just with green skin and no hair.
* [[Rubber Forehead Aliens]]: In the stories where he's an actual Coluan, he basically looks human, just with green skin and no hair.
* [[Skele Bot 9000]]: Brainiac became skeletal in the Bronze Age, and in some Elseworlds stories, after experiencing a rebirth and absorbing all the knowledge the universe had to offer.
* [[Skele-Bot 9000]]: Brainiac became skeletal in the Bronze Age, and in some Elseworlds stories, after experiencing a rebirth and absorbing all the knowledge the universe had to offer.
* [[Shape Shifter]]: The ''[[Smallville]]'' version. He has his own trope list, which can be found on their character sheet.
* [[Shape Shifter]]: The ''[[Smallville]]'' version. He has his own trope list, which can be found on their character sheet.
* [[Shrink Ray]]: Owner and creator of one of the earliest in sci-fi literature.
* [[Shrink Ray]]: Owner and creator of one of the earliest in sci-fi literature.
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* [[Time Travel]]: Brainiacs' 5, 8 and 13 have all travelled to the present from their respective futures for varying reasons, invariably involving the original.
* [[Time Travel]]: Brainiacs' 5, 8 and 13 have all travelled to the present from their respective futures for varying reasons, invariably involving the original.
* [[We Can Rule Together]]: In the DCAU, Brainiac offered Superman to travel the stars with him upon their first meeting. This was brought up again in ''[[Justice League]]''.
* [[We Can Rule Together]]: In the DCAU, Brainiac offered Superman to travel the stars with him upon their first meeting. This was brought up again in ''[[Justice League]]''.
* [[We Come in Peace, Shoot To Kill]]: The [[DCAU]] is introduced (well, to Earth; the audience has already met him) as a Type 2. His [[Evil Plan]] is found out quickly.
* [[We Come in Peace, Shoot to Kill]]: The [[DCAU]] is introduced (well, to Earth; the audience has already met him) as a Type 2. His [[Evil Plan]] is found out quickly.
* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?]]: Even before he found out he was [[Fighting a Shadow]], Superman had generally shown a willingness to destroy / kill Brainiac in spite of his [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]] rule.
* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?]]: Even before he found out he was [[Fighting a Shadow]], Superman had generally shown a willingness to destroy / kill Brainiac in spite of his [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]] rule.
* [[You're Insane!]]: Brainiac has been called this by Superman in the DCAU, after Superman learned what he's done to other planets.
* [[You're Insane!]]: Brainiac has been called this by Superman in the DCAU, after Superman learned what he's done to other planets.

Revision as of 10:31, 9 April 2014
"You've told me that Lex Luthor is everything bad about humans. Well Brainiac is everything bad about aliens."
—Supergirl, Brainiac (the story arc)

Brainiac is a prominent member of Supermans Rogues Gallery and one of the most iconic villains in comic book history.

Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Pastino, Brainiac debuted in July 1958 as a green-skinned alien with advanced technology who attacked an Earth spaceship and possessed a private collection of shrunken, stolen cities, including the Kryptonian city of Kandor, which Superman stole back and took back to his Fortress of Solitude. Notably, Superman never actually managed to defeat the alien and was completely outmatched by his Deflector Shields and tirade of insults, and this was the Silver Age Superman, the same one who casually tugged chains of planets through space.

He returned to menace the superhero over the years, sometimes and often in a Villain Team-Up with Lex Luthor. Due to legal issues, he was reimagined as a living supercomputer in humanoid form, the renegade agent of the Coluan race. Post-Crisis, he was reimagined again as an insane circus psychic named Milton Fine who believed he was possessed by an alien intelligence, though as that drew a Fan Backlash it was gradually implied that he might actually be Properly Paranoid and he began taking on genuinelly alien characteristics, such as green skin and more audacious plans. Eventually this was all retconned and he was reimagined again as an evil alien robot, then as time went on his exact origins and nature as either a robot, a pure alien or an alien cyborg robot was Depending on the Writer. Once again, Superman receives (in different circumstances) a Kandor shrunked by Brainiac, this time apparently a holding city for non-Kryptonian residents of Krypton.

In adaptations such as Superman: The Animated Series and its sequel Justice League, and later Smallville and Legion of Super Heroes, he was made into a living supercomputer with Kryptonian origins, to create greater emnity with the Man of Steel. In both versions Brainiac was given Fighting a Shadow qualities and individual Brainiacs' turned out to be probes sent by the real one, though in both cases he ended up stuck in such probes after the rest of them and his true form were destroyed. In the 2008 story arc Brainiac this aspect of Brainiac became a Canon Immigrant and the various different versions Superman faced were retconned into probe themselves, and the true Brainiac was once again made into a Coluan cyborg. Once again he possessed Kandor (the one Superman had was "revealed" to be a fake), which again was a city full of Kryptonians. It is implied that he is the one who destroyed Krytpon as Superman witnesses him steal another city from a different planet and then destroying that planet, something that was apparently his modus operandi.

Brainiac is a Legacy Character and there have been (or will be) at least 13 different incarnations of the character in the future, Brainiac 2 originally being a clone-son, though some of them are actually future, stronger versions of Brainiac himself. The most famous is the heroic Brainiac 5, The Smart Guy of the Legion of Super-Heroes from the 31st century. In one Story Arc the Brainiac 13 version from a Bad Future even fought Brainic 2.5, despite both being the same character. On most occasions the ones who are not actually Brainiac end up becoming the victim of his schemes.


The character provides examples of:

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Brainiac?oldid=929309"