Brainiac 5
Encyclopedia
Brainiac 5 is a fictional character
who exists in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe
. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes
. Brainiac 5 is from the planet Colu
. He first appeared in name in Action Comics
#276 (May 1961), although his likeness appears in a single panel in "Adventure Comics" #247 (April 1958).
, one of Superman
's deadliest enemies. He wished to join the Legion as atonement for his great-great-grandfather's misdeeds. When Brainiac 1 was revealed to be an android created by the Computer Tyrants, Brainiac 5 "discovered" he was actually descended from Brainiac 2, the leader of the rebellion against the tyrants, as well as being the clone of the original Brainiac. Brainiac 5's ingenuity led to the invention of, amongst other things, the Legion flight ring (perfecting an invention of the original Invisible Kid
based on a metal discovered by Mon-El), the anti-lead serum that allowed Mon-El to leave the Phantom Zone
and the force field belt which became the signature device of the character. Another of Brainiac 5's creations would have less beneficial effects. The super computer Computo
, which he created, attempted to take over the world, killing one of Triplicate Girl
's three selves. He successfully destroyed his creation with "an anti-matter force", but this highlighted one of his major flaws: a habit of initiating projects without considering the dangers. A much later example was his transformation of fellow scientist Professor Jaxon Rugarth into the psychotic, all-powerful Infinite Man
in conjunction with honorary Legionnaire Rond Vidar
.
In fact, as time went on, Brainiac 5 began to be portrayed as unstable. Long attracted to Supergirl
, Brainiac 5 created a robot duplicate of her in his sleep, convincing himself this was the real Supergirl. He seemed to recover from this, but a few years later would become even more unbalanced. The Legion later encountered Pulsar Stargrave
, a villain who convinced Brainiac 5 that he was the Coluan's long-lost father. Brainiac 5 joined Stargrave to battle the sorcerer Mordru
, but the android's influence would haunt him long after that. It was claimed in Superboy #225 that Stargrave was actually the original Brainiac android, but the truth of this is uncertain.
When Stargrave murdered Ultra Boy
's girlfriend An Ryd, Brainiac 5, driven mad by Stargrave, framed Ultra Boy for the murder. Chameleon Boy
, who suspected this from the beginning, finally found proof when Brainiac's madness led him to an attempt to destroy the universe, utilizing the Miracle Machine
, a device that turned thoughts into reality. He was stopped by Matter-Eater Lad
, who ate the machine, and both were committed to a mental institution, the energies of the Machine having driven Matter-Eater Lad insane as well. Brainiac 5 eventually recovered his sanity and rejoined the group. Shortly afterward, however, he was accused of having murdered Ultra Boy's girlfriend himself. To prove his innocence, he went after Stargrave and finally defeated him. He later managed to cure Matter-Eater Lad
's insanity as well. Around this time, he also undid another of his mistakes by finally finding a way of controlling Computo.
, Brainiac 5 was one of a number of Legionnaires who swore revenge on the Time Trapper
. To this end, he recreated the Infinite Man. The Infinite Man and Time Trapper seemingly destroyed each other, but Brainiac 5 quit the Legion after being accused of murdering Professor Rugarth. He rejoined in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #63 (Aug 1989), shortly before the "Five Year Gap".
Empire, which had resulted in Earth's government (Earthgov) signing a deal with the Dominators
. When Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) began, Brainiac 5 was dedicated to finding a cure to the Validus
Plague, a virulent disease that had afflicted an entire planet and crippled the former Lightning Lad, Garth Ranzz
. Soon after the start of Legion (vol. 4) a retcon
removed the Superman family of characters almost completely from Legion continuity. Supergirl was replaced by Laurel Gand, a Daxamite descendant of Lar Gand
's brother. Unlike Supergirl, she was a native of the 30th century. Brainiac 5 and Laurel did have a relationship, but the couple eventually separated and she became the common law wife
of Rond Vidar
(a Legion ally and Green Lantern
who had been a close friend of Brainiac 5).
Brainiac 5 joined other Legionnaires in searching for the space pirate Roxxas, and was present when the team officially reformed. The reassembled Legion repelled a Khund invasion fleet, and confronted Darkseid
, but shortly thereafter, was swept into the war against the corrupt Earthgov and the Dominators. During the Dominators' subjugation of Earth, the members of their highly classified "Batch SW6" escaped captivity. Originally, Batch SW6 appeared to be a group of teenage Legionnaire clones, created from samples apparently taken just prior to Ferro Lad
's death at the hands of the Sun-Eater
. Later, they were revealed to be time-paradox duplicates, every bit as legitimate as their older counterparts. After Earth was destroyed in a disaster reminiscent of the destruction of Krypton
over a millennium earlier, a few dozen surviving cities and their inhabitants reconstituted their world as New Earth. The SW6 Legionnaires — including their version of Brainiac 5 — remained.
Not long after the destruction of Earth, Brainiac 5 discovered the timestream was extremely unstable, and that Legion history was in a state of constant flux. This was the first indication of Zero Hour
, the event that would lead to the Legion's whole history being rebooted. During a battle with Glorith
, a time-warping sorceress, Brainiac 5 was rapidly aged into a weathered, enfeebled older man. Due to the trauma of this rapid aging, Brainiac's already-prickly personality took a turn for the worse, and he became colder, more clinical, and even amoral. When the Legion was forced to go on the run as fugitives after being framed by Universo
and the Khund Empire, Brainiac wore a high-tech combat suit to protect his ravaged new body, and went by the simpler moniker of "5". When "Zero Hour" befell the Legion, Brainiac 5 redoubled his efforts to try and save the timestream and reality as the 30th century knew it. Despite all the brilliance of Brainiac and his youthful SW6 counterpart combined, they could not save themselves from being swallowed up by temporal entropy, and their timeline was rebooted.
, who was now also something of an outsider. When Andromeda was believed killed, he was the only person who really missed her, a wrenching experience for someone used to suppressing emotion. It was later revealed that, even amongst Coluans, Querl Dox had been something of a loner, due to his even higher intelligence, interest in practical experiments rather than "pure" thought, and lack of concern about the consequences of his experiments. It was also revealed that his mother, Brainiac 4
, had abandoned him at birth, having no emotional attachment whatsoever to her newborn child. As a child, he was cared for by robots and given almost no contact with other living people, developing no social skills. Having created a method of traveling back to the 20th century, leading to the Legion's rescue of Valor
, Brainiac 5 was arrested for unauthorized time-travel. He was later pardoned when R.J. Brande became President of the United Planets.
Mother Box
loaned to him by Metron
and the responsometer of Veridium
of the Metal Men
. Unfortunately, this became the post-Zero Hour C.O.M.P.U.T.O. The Legion had to defeat it and separate it into its component pieces before returning to their own time. While in the 20th century, he also encountered his ancestors, Brainiac and Vril Dox
II, as well as the post-Crisis Supergirl. Ironically, he was attracted to Supergirl due to her similarity to Andromeda (some stories suggested that Brainiac 5's attraction for tall blonde women was linked to his desire to find his mother, a tall blonde who had abandoned him at birth).
, who dubbed the improved Querl Dox "Brainiac 5.1", a name he adopted.
Shortly after that, the Legion investigated the criminal/terrorist organization called the Dark Circle
. Querl learned his mother, Brainiac 4
, was the leader of the Dark Circle, having found that mass destruction was the only thing capable of making her feel emotions. The shock of this almost caused him to revert to his former, distant self. Although he did not revert, he began to be somewhat sarcastic and impatient again. He also began researching without considering the consequences again, inadvertently transforming the team into a "Bizarro
Legion".
, he did not have a clue how to get them home - or even where "home" was, relative to their location. In the same conversation, he also complained that he'd "always hated [his] name upgrade," and on the way out, as well as reassuring him, she made a point of redubbing him "Brainiac Five," and he dropped the ".1" from his name thereafter. Eventually, using his teammate Shikari
's tracking skills and an interdimensional doorway they'd earlier found, but been forced to leave, he did get them home. Upon their return, Brainiac began developing a replacement for the Stargates, based on the "threshold" doorway they had used to return from the Lost Galaxy. Restoring the connection to the planet Xanthu, they learned that it had been at war with Robotica, the "robot homeworld", until they mysteriously disappeared. Robotica's leader was revealed as C.O.M.P.U.T.O. A strike team was launched against it, but Brainiac 5 tricked it into upgrading itself, so it no longer sought vengeance. It was revealed that the Coluans disapproved of artificial intelligence, however, and Brainiac 5 was made a pariah on his homeworld for saving machine-life from destruction.
. Several of the planets involved had actually merged together to form new, symbiotic worlds, including Colu-Bgztl. The Justice Legion L included a counterpart to Brainiac 5 who was from this particular combined world: Brainiac 417. As with all members of his race, he combined super-intelligence with a ephemeral, intangible state; Brainiac 417 appeared to be a shimmering green brain inside a transparent humanoid body. His race were purported to have become beings of pure intelligence and thought. Brainiac 417 was not the leader of the Justice Legion L (that duty fell to Cosmicbot
), but he was one of the most valuable members, and was shown to have integrated his technologies to the point where he could jump back a thousand years to recruit an earlier version of Superboy
for the purposes of saving the day.
. He is just as arrogant and unthinking of others as the previous version was initially, but is more politically savvy. He has a tendency to put plans in motion without consulting Legion leader Cosmic Boy
, who suspects him of planning a coup. He also has problems with Dream Girl as he hates that she is able to predict the future without scientific means. "Brainy" was also unnerved when she told him that they would one day marry. When she was killed during Terror Firma's attack on the Legion HQ on Earth, he became obsessed with "outthinking death." In a botched experiment to restore her to life, he however manages to store her consciousness in his own subconscious mind, enabling the girl to interact with him in his dreams, and keep using her precognition in his behalf. Following Cosmic Boy's disappearance, Brainiac 5 has become the advisor to Legion leader Supergirl
and later to Lightning Lad.
Brainiac 5 eventually proposes to Dream Girl after spending the night together in which Dream Girl inhabited the body of a spiritualist, however, on the same night, Princess Projectra
has his own urges and primal, repressed emotion, viciously attack Dream Girl upon her return to Querl's mind, viciously beating her and gouging out her eyes, leaving the girl blind and powerless, thus hoping to strip Brainiac 5 of her constant counseling. He much later manages to turn their dream into reality when, forced to rebuild new bodies for his teammates, mangled to shreds by a race of digitalized aliens while connected to the cyberspace
, creates a new body for Dream Girl, imprinting her personality, into the cloned body. Successful in his attempt, that, despite Nura's previsions, even restored her lost sight, Brainiac 5 happily extends to all the legionnaires his invitation to their marriage, holding hands with his resurrected soon-to-be bride
Unbeknownst to Brainiac 5, the dark side of his mind, the avatar of his repressed urges and dark feelings, was granted a physical
body by Princess Projectra and sent to the physical body.
miniseries have apparently restored a close analogue of the Pre-Crisis
Legion to continuity, as seen in "The Lightning Saga
" story arc in Justice League of America and Justice Society of America
, and in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" story arc in Action Comics
. This incarnation of the Legion shares roughly the same history as the original Legion up to the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
. At the end of the storyline, Brainiac 5 was seen holding one of the lightning rods the Legionnaires used on 21st century Earth
, and told his teammates that the Legion had gotten what it came for. This Brainiac 5's agenda does not end there, however; in the pages of Countdown, Una
arrived in the present to stop Karate Kid from returning to the 31st century, explaining that Brainiac 5 says the two of them have another mission in the present day.
#858-863), Brainiac 5 is masquerading as a tyrannical dictator of Colu, but only to delay Colu, which is the strategical beachhead of a United Planets attack on Earth, and keep them from completing their calculations. Brainiac still possesses the Lightning Rod, and states that the person inside is crucial to stopping the "Crisis of the 31st century". However, his ruse is discovered, and Brainy leaves with the Legion, with only four hours until the United Planets go to war. After Superman and the Legion defeat Earthman
and his "Justice League of Earth", and convince the armada to stand down, Brainiac 5 tells Superman that the Legion will not forget him this time.
tie-in, Brainiac 5 is driven to breaking point by his being outcast by Colu, and Earth's continued xenophobia. He considers leaving the Legion, but is convinced to remain as a way to prove all his naysayers wrong. When Superboy-Prime
attacks Takron-Galtos
and frees the Legion of Super-Villains
, Brainiac 5 informs his fellow Legionnaires of his plan to recruit their post-Zero Hour and "Threeboot" selves to help. His plan succeeds, Brainiac meets his alternate selves from two other realities. The "Threeboot" version of Brainiac refuses to work with his older self, due to his rebellious nature, while the post-Zero Hour version sees his older counterpart as wiser and more experienced, and tries to mediate between his alternate selves. However, despite their differences, all three versions of Brainiac 5 work together to set in motion the final phases of the original Brainy's master contingency plan against Superboy-Prime. This plan, which involved the resurrections of Superboy-Prime foes Bart Allen
aka Kid Flash (whose essence was in the lightning rod) and Connor Kent aka Superboy, was devised long before when Brainiac 5 was forewarned of Prime's arrival by one of Dream Girl's prophesies.
The post-Zero Hour version of Brainiac 5 was shown in several issues to be able to ponder twelve lines of thought simultaneously. When a renegade Titanian read his mind, she discovered that his subconscious - usually the more active and chaotic part of the mind - was less active than his twelve simultaneous conscious thoughts. Whether any other version of Brainy also exhibits this trait remains to be seen.
In various storylines, another invention of his has been the super-computer C.O.M.P.U.T.O. This machine has been included in most versions of the Legion, but always reworked in the storyline to suit the situation required. From time to time, Brainiac 5 found a way to create methods of time travel to send or bring other DC characters to and from the 31st century. Other methods of travel that have not involved time travel have included devices such as the developments on the Threshold technology and the wormhole-conduit teleporter.
Not all of Brainiac 5's inventions have proved useful to the Legion. Both versions of C.O.M.P.U.T.O. each proved to be among Brainiac 5's worst mistakes. While not a product of his own research but rather stolen data, Brainiac 5.1 also managed to create Bizarro
versions of many of the Legion members.
. Its unclear if he, in fact, uses the name Brainiac 5 or has any connections to Brainiac. However, his costume included a chest symbol comprising three circles forming an inverted triangle. This closely resembled the discs on the animated Brainiac's forehead (and his icon when he was a computer program), suggesting some kind of connection between them. It was revealed on commentary on the Superman: The Animated Series
Vol. 3 DVD box set that this character was in fact Brainiac 5.
, Supergirl
, and Green Lantern
into the future to help him battle the Fatal Five
. In the short time of meeting each other, Brainiac 5 and Supergirl fall in love. After the Fatal Five are defeated, Supergirl chooses to remain in the future with him and the Legion. Back in the present, Superman receives a holographic message explaining why she stayed, one of them being that, "I met this boy...", when he finishes watching the video, he asks Green Arrow and John, "so this boy Kara likes so much, does he have a name?" The scene and episode end with Green Arrow
and Green Lantern
exchanging an awkward look as they begin what, it is implied, will be a long explanation.
. In the series, Brainiac 5 is Coluan, a nano-based cybernetic organism that not only possesses 12th-level intelligence, but can assume a human-like form. His human-like form can also alter its shape to create tools and weapons, much like the reboot Legion member, Gear. His AI core is based on the original Brainiac 1.0 (voiced by Corey Burton
), from whom he tries to distance himself as best as possible.
Unlike many versions where he is portrayed as cold and unfeeling, this version of Brainiac 5 is considerably more emotional. He often appears eager to prove himself to his older teammates, particularly the original Superman; Brainiac 5, unlike his villainous ancestor, idolizes Superman. However, his high intellect and his emotional nature often cause him internal conflict; for example, he idolizes Superman, but knows intellectually that he cannot reveal many of the things he knows lie in the future for Superman once he is returned to his own time, as Superman's knowledge of 'future' events could change what is, for the Legion, history. In the second season episodes "Chained Lightning", and "Message in a Bottle" Brainiac 5 grows close to Shrinking Violet; however, as the series ended it remains unknown if this was an intended romance or not. Though it is argued that he seems to have feelings for Superman himself, because of the simulation he produced that involved him and Superman shown at the premiere of season 2 of the series and many other incidents in the series.
In the second season premiere, Superman X (a clone of Superman from the 41st century) hints that someday, Brainiac 5 will be responsible for something terrible in the future. The starting phase occurs in "Message in a Bottle", when Brainiac 5 was forced to tap into the data of Brainiac, who had been observing Brainiac 5 since he came online. Brainiac 5 travels within himself to meet with his ancestor, where he is offered data from the original Brainiac. Brainiac 5 forcefully accepts the 'gift' of data he needed to stop Imperiex
from his ancestor, who hinted it to 'open new avenues of possibilities'.
Soon after using the info he obtained to save Kandor and restore it to original size, Brainiac 5 begins to suffer data corruption as Imperiex intended from the start, becoming cold and unfeeling in the process. Once completely under his ancestor's influence during the "Dark Victory" series finale, Brainiac 5 assumes a new form in homage to his ancestor and leaves the Legion to join Imperiex's army, taking command after killing Imperiex. Once overpowering the hivemind on his homeworld of Colu
with his will, Brainiac 5 intends to bring "order" to the universe, destroying any who interfere. Thanks to Superman and Superman X, Brainiac 5 managed to regain control over himself and overpower his ancestor. In the process, Brainiac 5 becomes a pure organic being as he discards his robotic armor. To cope with this new state and his recent actions, Brainiac 5 leaves the Legion. The robotic parts, in turn, combine to form a new evil Brainiac, leaving Season 2 with a cliffhanger, which Season 3 was intended to finish until it was canceled.
episode "Legion", Clark Kent
and three Legionnaires (Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl
, and Cosmic Boy
) extract Brainiac
from Chloe Sullivan
's body, leaving his nanobots a condensed ball of metal. Shortly before leaving, Rokk (Cosmic Boy) states that the Legion will attempt to repurpose any programming they can use from the core. Imra hopes that "Brainiac 5" will be friendlier. Brainiac 5 appears in the 4th episode of the 10th season ("Homecoming"), visiting Clark to show him his past, present and future. Actor James Marsters
, who plays Brainiac in Smallville, returned to play Brainiac 5. Brainiac 5's character has been described by producers as "a slippery fish with a questionable moral compass" despite the reprogramming.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who exists in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
. Brainiac 5 is from the planet Colu
Colu
Colu is a fictional planet in DC Comics whose primary inhabitants are called the Coluans. Another name given for the planet was "Yod" , which has appeared only once in comics, was later pointed out in a letter by a fan...
. He first appeared in name in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#276 (May 1961), although his likeness appears in a single panel in "Adventure Comics" #247 (April 1958).
Original Continuity (1958-1994)
Brainiac 5 is a green-skinned, blond-haired teenager, dressed in a purple jumpsuit, who claimed to be descended from the original BrainiacBrainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, one of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's deadliest enemies. He wished to join the Legion as atonement for his great-great-grandfather's misdeeds. When Brainiac 1 was revealed to be an android created by the Computer Tyrants, Brainiac 5 "discovered" he was actually descended from Brainiac 2, the leader of the rebellion against the tyrants, as well as being the clone of the original Brainiac. Brainiac 5's ingenuity led to the invention of, amongst other things, the Legion flight ring (perfecting an invention of the original Invisible Kid
Invisible Kid
Lyle Norg is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He was the first to assume the name Invisible Kid.-Lyle Norg:...
based on a metal discovered by Mon-El), the anti-lead serum that allowed Mon-El to leave the Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
and the force field belt which became the signature device of the character. Another of Brainiac 5's creations would have less beneficial effects. The super computer Computo
Computo (comics)
Computo is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe and a foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #340 , in a story written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Curt Swan.-Pre-Crisis:...
, which he created, attempted to take over the world, killing one of Triplicate Girl
Triplicate Girl
Triplicate Girl is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. She has also used the aliases Duo Damsel, Triad, Una and Duplicate Damsel....
's three selves. He successfully destroyed his creation with "an anti-matter force", but this highlighted one of his major flaws: a habit of initiating projects without considering the dangers. A much later example was his transformation of fellow scientist Professor Jaxon Rugarth into the psychotic, all-powerful Infinite Man
Infinite Man
This article is about the LSH character; for information on the New Gods character with a similar name, please see Infinity-Man. For information on the 1973 science fiction novel by Daniel F. Galouye, see The Infinite Man....
in conjunction with honorary Legionnaire Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #349 , and was created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
.
In fact, as time went on, Brainiac 5 began to be portrayed as unstable. Long attracted to Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
, Brainiac 5 created a robot duplicate of her in his sleep, convincing himself this was the real Supergirl. He seemed to recover from this, but a few years later would become even more unbalanced. The Legion later encountered Pulsar Stargrave
Pulsar Stargrave
Pulsar Stargrave is a fictional supervillain featured in DC Comics as a foe of the Legion of Super-Heroes.-Pre-Crisis origin and character biography:A native of the planet Colu, Stargrave originally claimed to be the father of Brainiac 5...
, a villain who convinced Brainiac 5 that he was the Coluan's long-lost father. Brainiac 5 joined Stargrave to battle the sorcerer Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
, but the android's influence would haunt him long after that. It was claimed in Superboy #225 that Stargrave was actually the original Brainiac android, but the truth of this is uncertain.
When Stargrave murdered Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in DC Comics. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. Ultra Boy gained these powers when the space-speedster he was flying was swallowed by an ultra-energy beast , exposing him to...
's girlfriend An Ryd, Brainiac 5, driven mad by Stargrave, framed Ultra Boy for the murder. Chameleon Boy
Chameleon Boy
Chameleon Boy , also known as Chameleon, is a DC Comics superhero, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He first appeared in Action Comics #267 .-Silver Age:...
, who suspected this from the beginning, finally found proof when Brainiac's madness led him to an attempt to destroy the universe, utilizing the Miracle Machine
Miracle Machine
The Miracle Machine is a fictitious device in the DC Comics universe. The machine first appeared in Adventure Comics #367, April 1968.It was created by the Controllers no later than 2960, and given as a gift to the Legion of Super-Heroes in the late 30th century for their work in defeating a...
, a device that turned thoughts into reality. He was stopped by Matter-Eater Lad
Matter-Eater Lad
Matter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
, who ate the machine, and both were committed to a mental institution, the energies of the Machine having driven Matter-Eater Lad insane as well. Brainiac 5 eventually recovered his sanity and rejoined the group. Shortly afterward, however, he was accused of having murdered Ultra Boy's girlfriend himself. To prove his innocence, he went after Stargrave and finally defeated him. He later managed to cure Matter-Eater Lad
Matter-Eater Lad
Matter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
's insanity as well. Around this time, he also undid another of his mistakes by finally finding a way of controlling Computo.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Brainiac 5 enters a state of deep melancholy upon the thousand-year anniversary of Supergirl's death. However, as the Crisis eliminated Supergirl from existence, Brainiac 5 (as well as everyone else) had no recollection of her. Beyond this, however, Brainiac 5's history was relatively unaffected by the Crisis, although it would be some time before he received an origin that reflected the new Brainiac 1. Following the death of the pocket universe SuperboySuperboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
, Brainiac 5 was one of a number of Legionnaires who swore revenge on the Time Trapper
Time Trapper
The Time Trapper is a fictional character, a supervillain in stories published by DC Comics. The Time Trapper's main enemies are the Legion of Super-Heroes...
. To this end, he recreated the Infinite Man. The Infinite Man and Time Trapper seemingly destroyed each other, but Brainiac 5 quit the Legion after being accused of murdering Professor Rugarth. He rejoined in Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3) #63 (Aug 1989), shortly before the "Five Year Gap".
"Five Year Gap"
Five years after the end of the "Magic Wars", things had radically changed for the heroes, most notably the disbanding of the Legion and an ongoing war with the KhundKhund
The Khunds are a fictional alien race in the DC Universe, notable for extreme violence. They first appeared in Adventure Comics #346 , as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century.-Fictional history:...
Empire, which had resulted in Earth's government (Earthgov) signing a deal with the Dominators
Dominators
The Dominators, collectively known as the Dominion, are a fictional alien race from the outer cosmos of the DC Universe. They are highly technologically advanced, and live in a rigid hierarchical society, in which one's caste is determined by the size of a red circle on one's forehead...
. When Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) began, Brainiac 5 was dedicated to finding a cure to the Validus
Validus
Validus is a fictional DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and a member of the Fatal Five.-Fictional character biography:...
Plague, a virulent disease that had afflicted an entire planet and crippled the former Lightning Lad, Garth Ranzz
Garth Ranzz
Lightning Lad , also known as Live Wire, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He has the superhuman ability to generate electricity, usually in the form of lightning bolts. He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries...
. Soon after the start of Legion (vol. 4) a retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
removed the Superman family of characters almost completely from Legion continuity. Supergirl was replaced by Laurel Gand, a Daxamite descendant of Lar Gand
Lar Gand
Lar Gand, known primarily as Mon-El , is a fictional character in DC Comics' universe who is associated with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy, and Superman...
's brother. Unlike Supergirl, she was a native of the 30th century. Brainiac 5 and Laurel did have a relationship, but the couple eventually separated and she became the common law wife
Common-law marriage
Common-law marriage, sometimes called sui juris marriage, informal marriage or marriage by habit and repute, is a form of interpersonal status that is legally recognized in limited jurisdictions as a marriage even though no legally recognized marriage ceremony is performed or civil marriage...
of Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar
Rond Vidar is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #349 , and was created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
(a Legion ally and Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
who had been a close friend of Brainiac 5).
Brainiac 5 joined other Legionnaires in searching for the space pirate Roxxas, and was present when the team officially reformed. The reassembled Legion repelled a Khund invasion fleet, and confronted Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, but shortly thereafter, was swept into the war against the corrupt Earthgov and the Dominators. During the Dominators' subjugation of Earth, the members of their highly classified "Batch SW6" escaped captivity. Originally, Batch SW6 appeared to be a group of teenage Legionnaire clones, created from samples apparently taken just prior to Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad
Ferro Lad is a fictional character, a comic book superhero and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century of the . He is Andrew Nolan of Earth...
's death at the hands of the Sun-Eater
Sun-Eater
A Sun-Eater is a fictional, artificially created living weapon in the DC Comics universe. It has played an important role in various storylines.-History:...
. Later, they were revealed to be time-paradox duplicates, every bit as legitimate as their older counterparts. After Earth was destroyed in a disaster reminiscent of the destruction of Krypton
Krypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
over a millennium earlier, a few dozen surviving cities and their inhabitants reconstituted their world as New Earth. The SW6 Legionnaires — including their version of Brainiac 5 — remained.
Not long after the destruction of Earth, Brainiac 5 discovered the timestream was extremely unstable, and that Legion history was in a state of constant flux. This was the first indication of Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
, the event that would lead to the Legion's whole history being rebooted. During a battle with Glorith
Glorith
Glorith of Baaldur is a fictional villainess appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Her primary foe is the 30th century team known as the Legion of Super-Heroes, and she was a major presence in Legion of Super-Heroes...
, a time-warping sorceress, Brainiac 5 was rapidly aged into a weathered, enfeebled older man. Due to the trauma of this rapid aging, Brainiac's already-prickly personality took a turn for the worse, and he became colder, more clinical, and even amoral. When the Legion was forced to go on the run as fugitives after being framed by Universo
Universo
Universo is the name of a fictional Legion of Super-Heroes supervillain in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe.-Pre-Zero Hour:...
and the Khund Empire, Brainiac wore a high-tech combat suit to protect his ravaged new body, and went by the simpler moniker of "5". When "Zero Hour" befell the Legion, Brainiac 5 redoubled his efforts to try and save the timestream and reality as the 30th century knew it. Despite all the brilliance of Brainiac and his youthful SW6 counterpart combined, they could not save themselves from being swallowed up by temporal entropy, and their timeline was rebooted.
Zero Hour Reboot Continuity (1994-2004)
Following the Zero Hour event and the rebooting of the Legion, the "new" Brainiac 5 was extremely antisocial and disrespectful of his colleagues. He barely interacted with the other Legionnaires, although he was still somewhat attracted to Laurel Gand, now called AndromedaAndromeda (DC Comics)
Laurel Gand, aka codename Andromeda, is a fictional superheroine in the 30th/31st-century DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. She was created as a replacement for Supergirl in post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Legion continuity...
, who was now also something of an outsider. When Andromeda was believed killed, he was the only person who really missed her, a wrenching experience for someone used to suppressing emotion. It was later revealed that, even amongst Coluans, Querl Dox had been something of a loner, due to his even higher intelligence, interest in practical experiments rather than "pure" thought, and lack of concern about the consequences of his experiments. It was also revealed that his mother, Brainiac 4
Brainiac 4
Brainiac 4 is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Universe.-Pre-Zero Hour:The Silver Age version of Brainiac 4 is Kajz Dox, the father of Querl Dox...
, had abandoned him at birth, having no emotional attachment whatsoever to her newborn child. As a child, he was cared for by robots and given almost no contact with other living people, developing no social skills. Having created a method of traveling back to the 20th century, leading to the Legion's rescue of Valor
Lar Gand
Lar Gand, known primarily as Mon-El , is a fictional character in DC Comics' universe who is associated with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy, and Superman...
, Brainiac 5 was arrested for unauthorized time-travel. He was later pardoned when R.J. Brande became President of the United Planets.
Trapped in the 20th century
Brainiac 5 was one of a number of Legionnaires who were trapped in the 20th century. He spent his efforts then trying to find a way back to his own time using 20th century equipment. He finally produced a computer capable of doing this, utilizing a 30th Century Omnicom, a New GodsNew Gods
The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
Mother Box
Mother Box
Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.-History:Created by Apokoliptian scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable supercomputers, although their true nature and origins are...
loaned to him by Metron
Metron (comics)
Metron is a character created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series in DC Comics. He was "based on Leonard Nimoy as Spock", and designed as a character who "would frequently change sides [between New Genesis and Apokolips]"...
and the responsometer of Veridium
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
of the Metal Men
Metal Men
The Metal Men are fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in Showcase #37 and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciller Ross Andru...
. Unfortunately, this became the post-Zero Hour C.O.M.P.U.T.O. The Legion had to defeat it and separate it into its component pieces before returning to their own time. While in the 20th century, he also encountered his ancestors, Brainiac and Vril Dox
Vril Dox
Vril Dox, also known as Brainiac 2, is a fictional character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Superman #167, , and was created by Edmond Hamilton, Cary Bates, and Curt Swan.-Publication history:...
II, as well as the post-Crisis Supergirl. Ironically, he was attracted to Supergirl due to her similarity to Andromeda (some stories suggested that Brainiac 5's attraction for tall blonde women was linked to his desire to find his mother, a tall blonde who had abandoned him at birth).
Upgrade: Brainiac 5.1
Upon his return, he was part of a team that investigated a mysterious space anomaly. The anomaly "upgraded" him: he was now more considerate of others, and had vastly improved people skills. He also internalized his force shield apparatus. Following his return from the space anomaly, a friendship was formed with his teammate GatesGates (comics)
Ti'julk Mr'asz, codename Gates, is a fictional character, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the DC Universe. Like all natives of the planet Vyrga, Gates has a largely insectoid body...
, who dubbed the improved Querl Dox "Brainiac 5.1", a name he adopted.
Shortly after that, the Legion investigated the criminal/terrorist organization called the Dark Circle
Dark Circle
The Dark Circle is a fictional criminal organization in publications from DC Comics.-Fictional history:The Dark Circle first appeared in Adventure Comics #367 as an insurgent group planning to conquer the United Planets in the 30th century. It was composed of only five people and armies of clones...
. Querl learned his mother, Brainiac 4
Brainiac 4
Brainiac 4 is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Universe.-Pre-Zero Hour:The Silver Age version of Brainiac 4 is Kajz Dox, the father of Querl Dox...
, was the leader of the Dark Circle, having found that mass destruction was the only thing capable of making her feel emotions. The shock of this almost caused him to revert to his former, distant self. Although he did not revert, he began to be somewhat sarcastic and impatient again. He also began researching without considering the consequences again, inadvertently transforming the team into a "Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
Legion".
Legion Lost
Brainiac 5.1 was one of a number of Legionnaires who were cast into a distant galaxy when the Stargate network was shut down. They spent a year travelling through the "Lost Galaxy". During this time, he felt a great amount of stress, as his teammates all believed he could devise a way of getting them home in addition to all the other responsibilities forced upon him by the circumstances of their situation. As he eventually confessed to Saturn GirlSaturn Girl
Saturn Girl is a fictional character appearing in DC comic books. A talented telepath from the 30th century, Imra first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 as a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, he did not have a clue how to get them home - or even where "home" was, relative to their location. In the same conversation, he also complained that he'd "always hated [his] name upgrade," and on the way out, as well as reassuring him, she made a point of redubbing him "Brainiac Five," and he dropped the ".1" from his name thereafter. Eventually, using his teammate Shikari
Shikari (comics)
Shikari is a fictional character, a superheroine in the future of the DC Comics universe and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. She was created by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Olivier Coipel and first appeared in Legion Lost #1....
's tracking skills and an interdimensional doorway they'd earlier found, but been forced to leave, he did get them home. Upon their return, Brainiac began developing a replacement for the Stargates, based on the "threshold" doorway they had used to return from the Lost Galaxy. Restoring the connection to the planet Xanthu, they learned that it had been at war with Robotica, the "robot homeworld", until they mysteriously disappeared. Robotica's leader was revealed as C.O.M.P.U.T.O. A strike team was launched against it, but Brainiac 5 tricked it into upgrading itself, so it no longer sought vengeance. It was revealed that the Coluans disapproved of artificial intelligence, however, and Brainiac 5 was made a pariah on his homeworld for saving machine-life from destruction.
DC One Million
During the Reboot Legion's heyday, they were tangentially involved in the DC One Million crossover, where the audience is shown the "Justice Legion L" of the 853rd Century. Loosely based on members of the Legion of the 31st Century, the Justice Legion L were tasked with protecting the remains of the United Planets, by that point reduced to a small system of worlds hooked together by a powerful magnetic core centered on BraalBraal (planet)
Braal is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. It is the homeworld of a race of magnetism manipulators. Its most famous resident is Cosmic Boy, a DC Comics' superhero and founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
. Several of the planets involved had actually merged together to form new, symbiotic worlds, including Colu-Bgztl. The Justice Legion L included a counterpart to Brainiac 5 who was from this particular combined world: Brainiac 417. As with all members of his race, he combined super-intelligence with a ephemeral, intangible state; Brainiac 417 appeared to be a shimmering green brain inside a transparent humanoid body. His race were purported to have become beings of pure intelligence and thought. Brainiac 417 was not the leader of the Justice Legion L (that duty fell to Cosmicbot
Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 . He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was the original leader in all incarnations of the Legion...
), but he was one of the most valuable members, and was shown to have integrated his technologies to the point where he could jump back a thousand years to recruit an earlier version of Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
for the purposes of saving the day.
"Threeboot" Continuity (2004-2009)
In volume 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes title, Brainiac 5 is portrayed as similar to his ancestor Vril Dox II in L.E.G.I.O.N.L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
. He is just as arrogant and unthinking of others as the previous version was initially, but is more politically savvy. He has a tendency to put plans in motion without consulting Legion leader Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 . He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was the original leader in all incarnations of the Legion...
, who suspects him of planning a coup. He also has problems with Dream Girl as he hates that she is able to predict the future without scientific means. "Brainy" was also unnerved when she told him that they would one day marry. When she was killed during Terror Firma's attack on the Legion HQ on Earth, he became obsessed with "outthinking death." In a botched experiment to restore her to life, he however manages to store her consciousness in his own subconscious mind, enabling the girl to interact with him in his dreams, and keep using her precognition in his behalf. Following Cosmic Boy's disappearance, Brainiac 5 has become the advisor to Legion leader Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
and later to Lightning Lad.
Brainiac 5 eventually proposes to Dream Girl after spending the night together in which Dream Girl inhabited the body of a spiritualist, however, on the same night, Princess Projectra
Princess Projectra
This page discusses the humanoid version of the character. For the post-Zero Hour/pre-Threeboot version, see Sensor.Princess Projectra is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She lives in the 30th and 31st centuries, and is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
has his own urges and primal, repressed emotion, viciously attack Dream Girl upon her return to Querl's mind, viciously beating her and gouging out her eyes, leaving the girl blind and powerless, thus hoping to strip Brainiac 5 of her constant counseling. He much later manages to turn their dream into reality when, forced to rebuild new bodies for his teammates, mangled to shreds by a race of digitalized aliens while connected to the cyberspace
Cyberspace
Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
, creates a new body for Dream Girl, imprinting her personality, into the cloned body. Successful in his attempt, that, despite Nura's previsions, even restored her lost sight, Brainiac 5 happily extends to all the legionnaires his invitation to their marriage, holding hands with his resurrected soon-to-be bride
Unbeknownst to Brainiac 5, the dark side of his mind, the avatar of his repressed urges and dark feelings, was granted a physical
body by Princess Projectra and sent to the physical body.
Post-Infinite Crisis (2007- )
The events of the Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
miniseries have apparently restored a close analogue of the Pre-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
Legion to continuity, as seen in "The Lightning Saga
The Lightning Saga
"The Lightning Saga" is a comic book crossover story arc that took place in DC Comics' two flagship team books: Justice League of America and Justice Society of America. It was written by Brad Meltzer and Geoff Johns, and illustrated by Ed Benes, Dale Eaglesham, and Shane Davis...
" story arc in Justice League of America and Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
, and in the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" story arc in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
. This incarnation of the Legion shares roughly the same history as the original Legion up to the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The Lightning Saga
The original Brainiac 5 from the Pre-Crisis universe briefly appeared in the Justice League/Justice Society Lightning Saga crossover. He was revealed as the mastermind behind the Legion's plot to return to the 21st century to retrieve someone connected to the FlashFlash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
. At the end of the storyline, Brainiac 5 was seen holding one of the lightning rods the Legionnaires used on 21st century Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, and told his teammates that the Legion had gotten what it came for. This Brainiac 5's agenda does not end there, however; in the pages of Countdown, Una
Triplicate Girl
Triplicate Girl is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. She has also used the aliases Duo Damsel, Triad, Una and Duplicate Damsel....
arrived in the present to stop Karate Kid from returning to the 31st century, explaining that Brainiac 5 says the two of them have another mission in the present day.
Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes
In this follow-up story to the Lightning Saga (Taking place in Action ComicsAction Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#858-863), Brainiac 5 is masquerading as a tyrannical dictator of Colu, but only to delay Colu, which is the strategical beachhead of a United Planets attack on Earth, and keep them from completing their calculations. Brainiac still possesses the Lightning Rod, and states that the person inside is crucial to stopping the "Crisis of the 31st century". However, his ruse is discovered, and Brainy leaves with the Legion, with only four hours until the United Planets go to war. After Superman and the Legion defeat Earthman
Kirt Niedrigh
Kirt Niedrigh is a fictional character, a semi-reformed supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by Cary Bates and Mike Grell, Niedrigh is a former hopeful for the Legion of Super-Heroes under the guise of Absorbancy Boy...
and his "Justice League of Earth", and convince the armada to stand down, Brainiac 5 tells Superman that the Legion will not forget him this time.
Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds
In this Final CrisisFinal Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
tie-in, Brainiac 5 is driven to breaking point by his being outcast by Colu, and Earth's continued xenophobia. He considers leaving the Legion, but is convinced to remain as a way to prove all his naysayers wrong. When Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
attacks Takron-Galtos
Takron-Galtos
Takron-Galtos is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #359 .-History:Takron-Galtos is a planet-sized prison built to house the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy. It exists in the 20th Century, as shown in Justice League of America #247, February...
and frees the Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
, Brainiac 5 informs his fellow Legionnaires of his plan to recruit their post-Zero Hour and "Threeboot" selves to help. His plan succeeds, Brainiac meets his alternate selves from two other realities. The "Threeboot" version of Brainiac refuses to work with his older self, due to his rebellious nature, while the post-Zero Hour version sees his older counterpart as wiser and more experienced, and tries to mediate between his alternate selves. However, despite their differences, all three versions of Brainiac 5 work together to set in motion the final phases of the original Brainy's master contingency plan against Superboy-Prime. This plan, which involved the resurrections of Superboy-Prime foes Bart Allen
Bart Allen
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen is a superhero in the . Allen first appeared as the superhero Impulse. He would later go on to become the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Allen's first cameo appearance was in The Flash #91, while his first full appearance was in issue #92...
aka Kid Flash (whose essence was in the lightning rod) and Connor Kent aka Superboy, was devised long before when Brainiac 5 was forewarned of Prime's arrival by one of Dream Girl's prophesies.
Powers and abilities
Brainiac 5 possesses a Twelfth Level Intellect, which grants him superhuman calculation skills, amazing memory and exceptional technical knowledge. By comparison, 20th century Earth as a whole constitutes a Sixth Level Intellect, and most of his fellow Coluans have an Eighth Level Intellect. 31st century Earth as a whole is a Ninth Level Intellect. His incredible memory allows him to retain knowledge of events that all other characters forget such as the first meeting of the three different Legions.The post-Zero Hour version of Brainiac 5 was shown in several issues to be able to ponder twelve lines of thought simultaneously. When a renegade Titanian read his mind, she discovered that his subconscious - usually the more active and chaotic part of the mind - was less active than his twelve simultaneous conscious thoughts. Whether any other version of Brainy also exhibits this trait remains to be seen.
Equipment
Since Brainiac 5 processes a super intelligent mind, his main method of aiding himself and his fellow Legionnaires has always been through devices he himself invented. His primary role in any version of the Legion has always been that of the scientist. One of his most important inventions is the Legion Flight Ring, which he has either invented or had a significant role in creating over the various versions of the Legion. Another invention, which has proved invaluable to him, is the force field belt which has remained his main method of self defense in cases where he found himself in battle in every version of the Legion.In various storylines, another invention of his has been the super-computer C.O.M.P.U.T.O. This machine has been included in most versions of the Legion, but always reworked in the storyline to suit the situation required. From time to time, Brainiac 5 found a way to create methods of time travel to send or bring other DC characters to and from the 31st century. Other methods of travel that have not involved time travel have included devices such as the developments on the Threshold technology and the wormhole-conduit teleporter.
Not all of Brainiac 5's inventions have proved useful to the Legion. Both versions of C.O.M.P.U.T.O. each proved to be among Brainiac 5's worst mistakes. While not a product of his own research but rather stolen data, Brainiac 5.1 also managed to create Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
versions of many of the Legion members.
Superman: The Animated Series
In Superman: The Animated Series, Brainiac 5 made a cameo appearance in the episode "New Kids In Town", chatting with fellow teammate Triplicate GirlTriplicate Girl
Triplicate Girl is a fictional character, a superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. She has also used the aliases Duo Damsel, Triad, Una and Duplicate Damsel....
. Its unclear if he, in fact, uses the name Brainiac 5 or has any connections to Brainiac. However, his costume included a chest symbol comprising three circles forming an inverted triangle. This closely resembled the discs on the animated Brainiac's forehead (and his icon when he was a computer program), suggesting some kind of connection between them. It was revealed on commentary on the Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
Vol. 3 DVD box set that this character was in fact Brainiac 5.
Justice League Unlimited
He reappeared in an episode of Justice League Unlimited ("Far From Home") voiced by Matt Czuchry. It is revealed that Brainiac learned to pass its code biologically and created Brainiac 5 as an organic being; unfortunately for Brainiac, Brainiac 5 rejected evil and joined the Legion of Super Heroes. Here, he brings Green ArrowGreen Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
, Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
, and Green Lantern
John Stewart (comics)
John Stewart is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2, #87 , and was created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.-Publication history:...
into the future to help him battle the Fatal Five
Fatal Five
The Fatal Five are fictional characters, a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
. In the short time of meeting each other, Brainiac 5 and Supergirl fall in love. After the Fatal Five are defeated, Supergirl chooses to remain in the future with him and the Legion. Back in the present, Superman receives a holographic message explaining why she stayed, one of them being that, "I met this boy...", when he finishes watching the video, he asks Green Arrow and John, "so this boy Kara likes so much, does he have a name?" The scene and episode end with Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
and Green Lantern
John Stewart (comics)
John Stewart is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2, #87 , and was created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.-Publication history:...
exchanging an awkward look as they begin what, it is implied, will be a long explanation.
Legion of Super-Heroes animated series
In the new Legion of Super-Heroes animated series, airing Saturday mornings on The CW, Brainiac 5 is a part of the core Legion team and its youngest member (in season 1). His voice is provided by actor Adam WylieAdam Wylie
Adam Augustus Wylie is an American television and motion picture actor, as well as a Broadway musical performer and a former Crayola spokesman.-Early life:...
. In the series, Brainiac 5 is Coluan, a nano-based cybernetic organism that not only possesses 12th-level intelligence, but can assume a human-like form. His human-like form can also alter its shape to create tools and weapons, much like the reboot Legion member, Gear. His AI core is based on the original Brainiac 1.0 (voiced by Corey Burton
Corey Burton
Corey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...
), from whom he tries to distance himself as best as possible.
Unlike many versions where he is portrayed as cold and unfeeling, this version of Brainiac 5 is considerably more emotional. He often appears eager to prove himself to his older teammates, particularly the original Superman; Brainiac 5, unlike his villainous ancestor, idolizes Superman. However, his high intellect and his emotional nature often cause him internal conflict; for example, he idolizes Superman, but knows intellectually that he cannot reveal many of the things he knows lie in the future for Superman once he is returned to his own time, as Superman's knowledge of 'future' events could change what is, for the Legion, history. In the second season episodes "Chained Lightning", and "Message in a Bottle" Brainiac 5 grows close to Shrinking Violet; however, as the series ended it remains unknown if this was an intended romance or not. Though it is argued that he seems to have feelings for Superman himself, because of the simulation he produced that involved him and Superman shown at the premiere of season 2 of the series and many other incidents in the series.
In the second season premiere, Superman X (a clone of Superman from the 41st century) hints that someday, Brainiac 5 will be responsible for something terrible in the future. The starting phase occurs in "Message in a Bottle", when Brainiac 5 was forced to tap into the data of Brainiac, who had been observing Brainiac 5 since he came online. Brainiac 5 travels within himself to meet with his ancestor, where he is offered data from the original Brainiac. Brainiac 5 forcefully accepts the 'gift' of data he needed to stop Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
from his ancestor, who hinted it to 'open new avenues of possibilities'.
Soon after using the info he obtained to save Kandor and restore it to original size, Brainiac 5 begins to suffer data corruption as Imperiex intended from the start, becoming cold and unfeeling in the process. Once completely under his ancestor's influence during the "Dark Victory" series finale, Brainiac 5 assumes a new form in homage to his ancestor and leaves the Legion to join Imperiex's army, taking command after killing Imperiex. Once overpowering the hivemind on his homeworld of Colu
Colu
Colu is a fictional planet in DC Comics whose primary inhabitants are called the Coluans. Another name given for the planet was "Yod" , which has appeared only once in comics, was later pointed out in a letter by a fan...
with his will, Brainiac 5 intends to bring "order" to the universe, destroying any who interfere. Thanks to Superman and Superman X, Brainiac 5 managed to regain control over himself and overpower his ancestor. In the process, Brainiac 5 becomes a pure organic being as he discards his robotic armor. To cope with this new state and his recent actions, Brainiac 5 leaves the Legion. The robotic parts, in turn, combine to form a new evil Brainiac, leaving Season 2 with a cliffhanger, which Season 3 was intended to finish until it was canceled.
Smallville
In the SmallvilleSmallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
episode "Legion", Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
and three Legionnaires (Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl
Saturn Girl
Saturn Girl is a fictional character appearing in DC comic books. A talented telepath from the 30th century, Imra first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 as a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, and Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy
Cosmic Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 . He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was the original leader in all incarnations of the Legion...
) extract Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
from Chloe Sullivan
Chloe Sullivan
Chloe Sullivan is a fictional character from the television series Smallville. Series regular Allison Mack has portrayed the character since the pilot episode; two other actresses performed the role of Chloe Sullivan as a child. The character was created exclusively for Smallville, by series...
's body, leaving his nanobots a condensed ball of metal. Shortly before leaving, Rokk (Cosmic Boy) states that the Legion will attempt to repurpose any programming they can use from the core. Imra hopes that "Brainiac 5" will be friendlier. Brainiac 5 appears in the 4th episode of the 10th season ("Homecoming"), visiting Clark to show him his past, present and future. Actor James Marsters
James Marsters
James Wesley Marsters is an American actor and musician. Marsters first came to the attention of the general public playing the popular character Spike, a platinum-blond yobbish English vampire in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel from 1997 to 2004...
, who plays Brainiac in Smallville, returned to play Brainiac 5. Brainiac 5's character has been described by producers as "a slippery fish with a questionable moral compass" despite the reprogramming.