DC’s Brainiac: Powers, Origin, and His 12th-Level Intellect

DC Studios is running on a streak of giving out hits under the leadership of James Gunn, and we are not even halfway through what he has planned for the DCU. The next big thing coming out of the studios is Supergirl, and while there is widespread anticipation regarding the movie, fans are quite excited by the news of David Corenswet returning as Superman in Man of Tomorrow. On top of that, there are rumors of Brainiac being the main villain of the movie, which makes it even more exciting. Now, if you are into comics, you must be familiar with the character, but if not, here is your complete guide to everything regarding Brainiac’s powers and origin.

What Are Brainiac’s Powers in DC?

Brainiac’s powers are primarily rooted in technology and mentalism, or you can say that he is a psychic. His powers arise from his being a level 12 intellectual and the cybernetic enhancements that have been done to him.

He can control anything technological, can manifest superhuman abilities with his enhancements, and on top of that, he can also use energy projection as a weapon. However, what makes him truly menacing is his ability to transfer his consciousness into other bodies or technology, which is the reason why he never truly dies in DC comics and keeps coming back in one form or another.

What Is the Origin of Brainiac in DC?

In DC comics, Brainiac does not have a linear origin story; his origin story has been rebooted quite a few times in the DC universe, but there are a few constants that always remain. Brainiac has always been shown to originate from the planet of Colu and is always portrayed as either a superintelligent alien or a highly advanced Artificial Intelligence.

The first reference to Brainiac comes to light in 1958, during the Silver Age of comics, when he appeared in Action Comics #242 (1958). There, he appeared as a green-skinned alien who shrank cities, one of which was Kandor from Krypton. However, later on, he was rebooted into a robot or an AI created by the “Computer Tyrants” of his home world. This adaptation was in the pages of comic books till 1985, but was then changed in the post-crisis world of DC in 1986.

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, Brainiac was once again rebooted as Vril Dox, a radical evil scientist from the planet of Colu, who transferred his consciousness into a human psychic named Milton Fine, who performed under the name of “The Amazing Brainiac”. Eventually, he started losing his human features as his skin started to turn green, and he started developing a Coluan-looking body.

Brainiac’s Origin Was Changed Later

However, this version of the character was once again scrapped in 2008, and it was revealed that every version of Brainiac Superman that has fought till now was either robots, clones, or nanite-controlled bodies. The real Brainiac behind everything was a biomechanically enhanced being of ancient origins, hailing from the planet of Colu. He was described as a being of twelfth-level intellect who scouts the galaxy for planets and collects cities, destroying the rest of the planet to make his collection of cities and knowledge unique to him. This version of Brainiac stuck the longest and was the most popular one.

However, in the new 52 storyline, this plot point was given more context and somewhat of a spin. In this storyline, we are told that Brainiac is a being from Yod-Colu who developed an AI named C.O.M.P.U.T.O. and warned his world of an imminent 5th-dimensional threat called the Multitude. When his warnings were dismissed, he took matters into his own hands and saved the capital city, and let the rest of the planet be destroyed. He then continued to do so across the universe to “save” other worlds.

Brainiac’s 12th-Level Intellect in DC Comics

So, now that we have talked all about Brainiac and his origin stories, you must have wondered what a 12th-level intellect is, as mentioned above. Talking about DC comics, a 12th-level intellect is the highest possible intellect level that one can have. In the world of DC, very few characters possess this kind of intelligence.

Brainiac and some of his relatives are among them. When it comes to humans, Lex Luthor is considered the smartest man on Earth, and his intelligence is capped at 7th-level. So, that gives you an idea of how smart Brainiac really is, which is one of the factors that make him a formidable foe to the Justice League, especially Brainiac.

If you are new to understanding this character, I am almost certain that knowing all this about Brainiac will definitely have you intrigued about him. So, let’s wait and see if Man of Tomorrow brings in Brainiac as the big bad or not, and if they do, you’d be fully aware of everything there is to know about the villain.