50 Greatest Super Villains In Comic Book History

12. Brainiac

(Write-up by Steve Lam, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)

Talk about a coincidence.  The 12th-greatest super villain has a 12th-level intellect. Yep, Brainiac, the Collector of Worlds, an antagonist whose complex mind can only be rivaled by his equally complex history and characterization.

Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, Brainiac made his first appearance in Action Comics #242 (July 1958). The character was initially portrayed as a bald, green-skinned humanoid who shrank Kandor, the capital city of Krypton. With his physical appearance still in heavy development during this era, the famous red diodes on top of his head didn’t even make an in-story appearance until Action Comics #275 (April 1961).

Being reimagined many times throughout DC’s history, the one concept that has persisted in many depictions is him being a great alien scientist named Vril Dox — regardless if he originally merged his consciousness with human psychic Milton Fine, or created C.O.M.P.U.T.O. on Yod-Colu. However, what makes him such a great villain is his ability to rival the greatest super hero of them all — Superman.

Whenever Brainiac is seemingly killed or destroyed, it’s always revealed why he’s considered a 12th-level intellect — the Brainiac that was defeated was never him, which makes perfect sense. Why do the dirty work yourself when you’re able to see the big picture? Not only is he smart, but he’s got the strength to rival the Man of Steel and has telekinesis and a range of other mental powers.

Brainiac’s convictions are just as deadly as his abilities. Seeing himself as someone whose sole mission is to preserve worlds, his determination is almost unmatched. A master strategist, he studies his opponents well and plans every possible scenario. With almost no arrogance, Brainiac’s motivations are carried out by logic and careful assessment, making him a deadly antagonist.

To add to his greatness, here’s a testament to Brainiac’s effect on our real world culture. Even people who have never picked up a comic book know what it means when someone is described as being a “brainiac.”

Next: No. 11: Believe in Harvey