Brainiac has always been numbered among the most dangerous foes of Superman. Whether as an alien genius, a cyborg, or an artificial intelligence, they have always been presented as a major threat. However, the latest chapter of the House of Brainiac event has revealed an aspect of the villain that makes them more dangerous than ever.
Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Rafa Sandoval, Superman #14 finds Supergirl and Lex Luthor forming an uneasy alliance. Both captives of Brainiac, the two are forced to work together to free themselves and their respective families. This is easier said than done, however, as Kara Zor-El does not believe Luthor’s recent efforts at redemption are sincere.
Despite this, Luthor tries to justify his apparent betrayal of Earth and why he was seemingly working with Brainiac. Luthor recalls the events of the 2018 Justice League series, where he rebuilt Brainiac while reforming the Legion of Doom. It was here that Luthor made a frightening discovery, which pushed him to play along with assisting his former ally while hoping for a chance to aid Superman later.
Brainiac Has Gone Completely Insane
Luthor explained that Brainiac had acquired more information than any organic brain could comprehend. Some of it was derived from sources outside of their own universe, comprising “all the knowledge of the universe, time, space, and beyond.” However, there were gaps within that knowledge base that made no sense to the logic-driven alien. This denial of reality and the idea it did not know everything made Brainiac as mad as it was brilliant.
Brainiac refused to acknowledge the data missing from its database. This led it to create something to fill the gaps. It also led Brainiac to join with the Brainiacs of other realities, creating “a new creature of death and destruction.” The issue ends with Superman facing this creation — a new AI dubbed the Brainiac Queen.
Superman #14 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
