Brainiac (character)

Brainiac
Brainiac in Superman: Secret Files 2009 (October 2009). Art by Francis Manapul.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Action Comics #242 (July 1958)
Created by	Otto Binder (writer) Al Plastino (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Vril Dox
Species	Coluan
Place of origin	Colu
Team affiliations	Anti-Justice League
Partnerships	Lex Luthor
Notable aliases	Dr. Milton Fine, Pulsar Stargrave, The Terror of Kandor, Collector of Worlds
Abilities	Cyborg/Android Body grants: Super Strength Super Durability Super Speed Super Stamina Super Longevity Flight Regenerative healing factor Technopathy Supergenius engineer and inventor Super Intellect ("twelfth-level") Energy projection Projection of super-strong and durable tendrils Ability to take possession of other beings Projection of force fields Utilizes advanced weaponry and equipment Vast psychic powers (sometimes) Mind reading Mind control Telekinesis Matter manipulation Astral projection Ability to mimic Kryptonian superpowers

Brainiac is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, usually as an adversary of Superman, his 2nd Archenemy after Lex Luthor and as a frequent enemy of the Justice League.

Brainiac is typically depicted as an extraterrestrial cyborg or android. He is one of Superman's primary enemies, and is responsible for shrinking and stealing Kandor, the capital city of Superman's home planet Krypton. In some continuities, he is also responsible for Krypton's destruction. Due to multiple revisions of DC's continuity, several variations of Brainiac have appeared. Most incarnations of Brainiac depict him as a green-skinned being in humanoid form. He is bald, with a set of linked electrode-like objects (sometimes glowing) protruding from his skull.

His name is a portmanteau of the words brain and maniac. In 2009, Brainiac was ranked as IGN's 17th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.

Brainiac first appeared in Action Comics #242 (July 1958), and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino.

First appearing in Action Comics #242 (July 1958), Brainiac is a bald, green-skinned humanoid who arrived on Earth and shrank various cities, including Metropolis, storing them in bottles with the intent of using them to restore the then-unnamed planet he ruled. He is originally notable only for his having shrunk the bottle city of Kandor, for having a shrinking ray, and for using a force-shield.