Brainiac
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Real Identity: Unknown
Powers/Skills: Enhanced Intelligence, Enhanced Strength, and Technokinesis
Voiced By: John Noble
Brainiac was once a fully organic being from the planet Colu. He later incorporated extensive motor, skeletal and cybernetic enhancements into himself. Brainiac then set off to explore the galaxy in his Bio Shell spacecraft, upload knowledge into his neural core from the worlds he encountered, and then destroyed these worlds. A bug in his cyborg core made Brainiac obsessed with wanting to know everything there was to know in the galaxy. That obsession conflicted with the natural progression of civilizations so Brainiac chose one city from a planet, shrunk it, and stored it aboard his Bio Shell. Thus with the bottled cities stifled from making any progress, Brainiac became the sole repository of data and scientific knowledge from each culture he encountered. In order to keep another layer of control, Brainiac provided the specimens with sustenance and had sentries monitor for any subversive activity. This practice went on for centuries. Brainiac eventually accumulated at least 10,000 cities.
On planet Krypton, the Zor-El family happened to be in Kandor visiting friends when Brainiac began his invasion. At first, people were killed at random by probes but as they downloaded more and more knowledge, the probes started sparing those that needed to be kept alive. After Brainiac took Kandor, it detected Krypton reached its natural end and didn't bother destroying it with a Solar Aggressor like with the others before it. Fearing Brainiac's return, the Zor-El's sent their daughter Kara to Earth, where her cousin Kal-El was sent. Zor-El and other scientists decoded the memories of robots left behind and began compiling data on Brainiac. They soon started adapting his technology and planned to find and fight him in order to save Kandor. The very act attracted Brainiac back to Krypton. He took Argo and integrated it with Kandor.
Over 30 years later, one of Brainiac's Probes reached the planet Earth and approached a suburb north of Phoenix, Arizona. Superman engaged the probe and deactivated it in the nearby desert. Superman took the probe back to his Fortress of Solitude for further study. Supergirl immediately recognized it as Brainiac's and told Superman about the invasion of Kandor. Superman used his technology to isolate the probe's communication signal then guided it to scan for others like it to find Brainiac. Superman found a match at the planet Larroo. Superman intervened but was too late. The Bio Shell took a city and detonated Larroo's sun. Knocked unconscious, Superman was taken aboard the Bio Shell along with his starship. Brainiac deemed Superman was an error that needed to be rectified as no Kryptonians should be outside his sphere of control. He proceeded to integrate Superman into Kandor and learned of Earth through the starship's guidance system.
Brainiac set course for Earth and prepared an environmental simulator. Superman overwhelmed three sentries and caught a teleportation beam back outside. Superman attacked Brainiac, took Kandor, disabled systems and returned to Earth. The Bio Shell did not stay marooned for long and Brainiac set out for Earth. Brainiac stole Metropolis but found Earth to be unexceptional and redundant. He found Superman's affection for humans nauseating. Before destroying Earth, Brainiac sought to have Kandor back and set a course for the North Pole, where Superman's Fortress of Solitude was located. Superman broke free of the Spinal Station and tossed Brainiac down a chasm. Brainiac summoned his drones to stop Superman and Supergirl from leaving with Metropolis.
During the battle, the Bio Shell fired a Solar Aggressor at the Sun. Irritated by the resistance, Brainiac decided to forego Kandor and keep Superman as a specimen. Superman knocked Brainiac out of the Bio Ship into a marsh below. Brainiac quickly became overwhelmed by the noises and life forms around and on him. Brainiac quickly began to short out then combusted just as Supergirl stopped the Solar Aggressor from reaching the Sun. Superman confiscated the remains of Brainiac and kept them in the Fortress of Solitude. However, while Superman and Supergirl were away relocating Kandor, Brainiac's core reactivated.