As I have mentioned a couple times, Brainiac 5 is my favorite Legionnaire.
But which version would I consider the best? And also, how does every version deal with relation with his villainous ancestor? Are they as smart as they should be? Do they have a crush on Supergirl?
First of all, the versions that are not in a particular order because I don’t know enough about them.
Not ranked: Supergirl version
First appearance: 2018, Supergirl Season 3 Episode 10 (“Legion of Super-Heroes”)
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? Organic with cybernetic implants
Link to Brainiac: Possibly none? I couldn’t find references.
As smart as he should be? You tell me, I haven’t watched his episodes.
Crush on Supergirl? Not really.
The only one that I don’t plan to review.
Not because he’s from live action, but because he has 65 appearances on the TV show!
I’ve seen VERY little of the show and I don’t find it particularly appealing. I might eventually end up reviewing those episodes anyway only after I have reviewed literally anything else even remotely connected to the Legion.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? This gets complicated, because he has wildly different looks.
Green skinned blond: 8/10
Probably as close as you can get in live action and with a TV budget.
Regular human: 0/10
From what I have seen, for budgetary reasons he looks like this for the vast majority of his screen time. That’s not Brainiac 5, that’s just some dude!
Original version: 3/10
This is how he looks the first time he shows up. At least he has the three thingies on his forehead that have been associated with the character since the 90s, but the rest? Yeeesh.
Not ranked: Smallville version
First appearance
As Brainiac: 2005, Smallville Season 5 Episode 1 (“Arrival”)
As Brainiac 5: 2010, Smallville Season 10 Episode 4 (“Homecoming”)
Origin: Kryptonian construct
Organic or not? 100% artificial, but he can possess organic characters.
Link to Brainiac: it’s literally the same character
As smart as he should be? 4/10 Even by the standards of this show he doesn’t sound impressive.
Crush on Supergirl? Does he even know she’s in the show?
Had I ranked him, I would’ve placed him at the very bottom because he’s Brainiac 5 in name only.
He’s even given a lame origin for his name, which stands for “Brain InterActive Construct”.
By Season 8 he got mixed up with the Legion and the 31st Century, and in Season 10 he went back in time to help Clark as new good Brainiac 5.
He probably shows up again in the “Season 11” comic book series that continued the story, since the rest of the Legion does. But I haven’t read those yet, and I’ve seen him on the show only a couple of times. He was extremely underwhelming as Brainiac, let alone as Brainiac 5.
But I will eventually cover both the Legion episodes and the comic book follow-ups in a later retrospective, so perhaps I’ll change my mind.
Though I doubt it.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 0/10
He doesn’t even look like Brainiac.
Not ranked: Young Justice version
First appearance: 2022, Young Justice Season 4 Episode 19 (“Encounter Upon the Razor’s Edge!”)
Origin: presumably Coluan
Organic or not? presumably organic with some level of cybernetics
Link to Brainiac: descendant of the original
As smart as he should be? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Crush on Supergirl? I don’t even know if they meet.
He’s not in the ranking for the very simple reason that I haven’t watched Young Justice yet.
I plan to do a retrospective on the animated Legion universes, so I’ll definitely cover Young Justice as well.
I know absolutely nothing about him, although that’s a pretty good design: you can see influences from several other versions.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 8/10
Not ranked: Bendis version
First appearance: 2019, Superman vol.5 #14
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? Organic, possibly with cybernetic implants?
Link to Brainiac: Descendant of the original
As smart as he should be? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Crush on Supergirl? Not sure if they meet.
This is the most recent reboot of the Legion. I’ve read too little about this one to really make a judgment.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 8/10
I think the design is a bit too busy, but that’s Brainiac 5 alright.
Alright, that’s the only ones I’m not ranking. Now for the real stuff!
#13: fairy tale version
First appearance: 1994, Legion of Super-Heroes Vol.4 Annual #5
Origin: presumably Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic
Link to Brainiac: there’s no Brainiac here.
As smart as he should be? 1/10
He’s not even called Brainiac 5, he’s just 5. Because he’s the fifth person from “his village” that attempts to solve a maze… and he fails.
Crush on Supergirl? She doesn’t exist in this version.
This story is a sort of Elseworld, a fairy tale (and Wizard of Oz ripoff) that involves Legion characters.
Some parts of this are charming but I found it a bit of a waste of pages.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 4/10
He’s younger on purpose, but nothing really screams Brainiac 5 here.
#12: Golden Age version
First appearance: 1997, Legionnaires #54
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic
Link to Brainiac: he doesn’t exist in this version
As smart as he should be? 5/10
Crush on Supergirl? she doesn’t exist in this version
This is a cute Elseworld taking place in the Golden Age. It’s a very heartwarming story, but “Brainiac Minus One”… not my joke, he calls himself that… is not a very good version.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 1/10
Besides the green skin and blond hair, this has nothing to do with him.
#11: fantasy version
First appearance: 1994, Legionnaires Annual #1
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic
Link to Brainiac: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As smart as he should be? 3/10
Crush on Supergirl? She doesn’t exist in this version.
This is an Elseworld where the Legion universe is re-imagined with several fantasy tropes in place, although it’s not exactly fantasy.
Aside from the very solid artwork, I found the story incredibly boring and its version of Brainiac 5 does very little.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 9/10
It’s literally the reboot Brainiac with different clothes.
#10: Tiny Titans version
First appearance: 2009, Tiny Titans #13
Origin: Coluan android
Organic or not? Android
Link to Brainiac: descendant of the original. Despite being androids, SOMEHOW.
As smart as he should be? 4/10
Crush on Supergirl? They’re both like five years old…
This will be covered in the apocrypha retrospective. Because why not.
It’s a comedy series aimed at a VERY young age, and since most character are in kindergarten it’s not like he gets to do much of anything.
The fact that other versions managed to get lower thank him tells you what a bad job they did.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 10/10
He is SUPPOSED to look like you asked a six year old to draw Brainiac 5.
#9: Superboy version
2001, Superboy’s Legion #1
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic
Link to Brainiac: Descendant of the original
As smart as he should be? 10/10
Crush on Supergirl? She doesn’t exist in this version. Plus he’s like ten years old.
This Elseworld will get discussed in detail very soon in the Apocrypha retrospective, so no sense to dwell too much here. He’s fine, although I still don’t get why he’s significantly younger than the rest of this Legion.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 9/10
That’s just a preteen version of the pre-Crisis one.
#8: DCAU version
First appearance: 1998, Superman: The Animated Series Season 3 Episode 3 (“New kids in town”)
Origin: biological descendant of an artificial Kryptonian construct (???)
Organic or not? Organic, SOMEHOW.
Link to Brainiac: This is the messiest link I have ever seen attempted.
The Brainiac from the Superman series is a Kryptonian computer that gets himself a robot body.
Brainiac 5 has just a cameo in that show, but when he fully appears in the follow-up series Justice League Unlimited, he says that “over time” Brainiac learned to pass on his code organically.
Whatever the heck THAT is supposed to mean!
As smart as he should be? 4/10
Crush on Supergirl? It’s the whole focus of his first appearance.
As mentioned he has only a cameo on the Superman series, but his full appearance on the otherwise excellent Justice League series is a huge disappointment.
He doesn’t come off as smart enough or confident enough, his force field barely gets any use, and most of his screen time is spent on his crush on Supergirl.
One of the very, very few misfires of this series.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? Another case of different looks.
Superman The Animated Series: 9/10
Mullet aside… it’s the 90s… and the fact that I would’ve preferred a brighter shade of green, that’s almost perfect. This still image is all we get, though.
Justice League Unlimited: 10/10
I have lots of problems with him as a character, but at least they nailed his look. And of course he has the three thingies on his forehead, this is the same universe that introduced the symbol as representing Brainiac.
#7: Five Years Later
First appearance: 1990, Legion of Super-Heroes volume 4 #4
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic
Link to Brainiac: descendant of the original
As smart as he should be? 10/10
Crush on Supergirl? She doesn’t exist in this version.
This is also supposed to be the same character of the pre-Crisis version, but I’m counting him as a separate character as well because A) the era includes several major retcons, including completely removing his links to Supergirl B) he’s just too ineffectual and boring here.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 6/10
He’s mostly seen with his lab coat look, but somehow this doesn’t say Brainiac 5 to me.
Aged-up look: 0/10
We don’t talk about this.
6: 2022 movie version
First appearance: 2022, Legion of Super-Heroes (animated movie)
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? Organic, presumably with cybernetic implants
Link to Brainiac: Clone of the original
As smart as he should be? 8/10
Crush on Supergirl? They start as hating each other, but guess what happens.
I have my gripes against that movie’s version of several parts of Legion lore… it’s definitely going to be discussed, at length, in the animated retrospective… but I like this Brainy.
He has several points to his favor. He has BY FAR the best use of his force field technology, he has plenty of personality, and his relationship with Supergirl is well-written.
How he fits with the rest of the Legion, not so much.
I am still placing him higher than the 5YL version because at least he gets to do enough interesting stuff. And I’ll take his relationship with Supergirl over the Brainiac 5 one with Andromeda any day.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 7/10
Not giving him his characteristic blond hair is… a choice. It makes sense in-context, since he’s a Brainiac clone, but it’s the only thing that I don’t think really fits.
#5: Retroboot
First appearance: 2007, Justice League of America Vol 2 #9
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic
Link to Brainiac: descendant of the original
As smart as he should be? 10/10
Crush on Supergirl? This is tricky: does he remember the pre-Crisis Supergirl that doesn’t exist anymore? The Supergirl that co-exists with the Superman that this Brainy interacts with is still a teen, while he’s an adult.
The so-called Retroboot is supposed to be the continuation of the original continuity, skipping the Five Year era. So technically speaking this should be the pre-Crisis version… but I don’t think he really acts like him.
He has the smarts, but he’s WAY too hysterical and secretive.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 10/10
I don’t like this version of Brainy much, but I reluctantly admit the jacket suits him.
#4: animated series version
First appearance: 2006, Legion of Super-Heroes Season 1 Episode 1 (“Man of Tomorrow”)
Origin: Coluan robot
Organic or not? 100% robotic (except perhaps in the final episode)
Link to Brainiac: “updated version” of the original
As smart as he should be? 9/10
Crush on Supergirl? She doesn’t exist in this version.
Probably the most drastic deviation from the comics, if we exclude the Smallville stuff.
Here he’s just a robot, possibly because they realized the earlier explanation from Justice League Unlimited made no sense whatsoever.
Probably a divisive incarnation among fans, but I really like this version. Being one of the main characters of the show, it’s the one that gets the most screen time (potentially even more than the Supergirl TV show), which leads to character development.
He has great interaction with lots of Legionnaires, his eventual fight with the original Brainiac one of the few highlights of the otherwise disappointing Season 2, and it’s one of the few adaptations that really sells how smart he can be.
His robotic nature means that he gets to be WAY more physically active than most other versions, which also means that his force field is barely a footnote.
But I rank him THIS high for the character development that I feel the 5YL and the Retroboot versions lack.
Does he look like Brainiac 5?
Season 1, regular look: 8/10
Robotic parts aside, that’s just the reboot look.
Season 1, full robot look: 0/10
Having said that, I am not a fan of the fact that this Brainiac 5 can turn into a huge robot.
Season 2, regular look: 9/10
One of the very few improvements the second series has over the first one.
Season 2, organic look: 10/10
In the finale he gets turned into a fully organic being, which is basically just the reboot look.
#3: Threeboot version
First appearance: 2004, Teen Titans/The Legion Special
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic
Link to Brainiac: descendant of the original
As smart as he should be? 10/10
Crush on Supergirl? Surprisingly no, he doesn’t think highly of her.
Probably the most arrogant version, but he grew on me and he eventually learned to respect his fellow Legionnaires. His interactions with Dream Girl and Cosmic Boy are top notch.
Also he has one of my favorite Brainiac 5 moments of all versions.
Does he look like Brainiac 5?
Original look: 7/10
Not a huge fan of the hairstyle, and his costume looks like it has random bits.
Shooter relaunch: 10/10
The second half of the series gets little attention, but in terms of looks it’s a VAST improvement for Brainy.
#2: pre-Crisis version
First appearance: 1961, Action Comics #276
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic
Link to Brainiac: descendant of Brainiac 2, who was the sidekick of the original Brainiac
As smart as he should be? 10/10
Crush on Supergirl? Absolutely!
What more can I say about this guy? Probably just why I don’t place him at #1. More on that soon.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 10/10
It’s literally the blueprint.
#1: reboot version
First appearance: 1994, Legionnaires #0
Origin: Coluan
Organic or not? 100% organic at first, cyborg later
Link to Brainiac: descendant of the original
As smart as he should be? 10/10
Crush on Supergirl? Doesn’t come up often, but he does have a soft spot for her
A controversial position perhaps, but I prefer the reboot to the original for several reasons.
I think he has more personality here. The original got along with everyone, but this version has to warm up to other people. All Legionnaires have a hard time working with him at first, but eventually he develops strong relationships with several.
Yes the original had Supergirl, Saturn Girl and Superboy as close friends, but he tended to act the same with all the others. Same with the threeboot version, who only interacts strongly with two.
The reboot version, on the other hand, has very unique ways to interact with several of them.
Invisible Kid replaces Rond Vidar as the supersmart friend and Andromeda replaces Supergirl for the crush, and his relationship with Saturn Girl is basically the same of the original.
But you have Spark (the reboot Lightning Lass) as the kid sister, Gates as the friend with a philosophy you disagree with, Umbra (the reboot Shadow Lass) as the fellow asocial, Shikari as another kind of sister, and many more.
Not to mention we delve WAY deeper into his relationship with his psychotic mother than we EVER get with the original Brainiac, and his dealings with Computo are vastly superior to the original.
Overall, while the original pre-Crisis is still the blueprint, I find the reboot version to be the most complex and fascinating Brainiac 5 so far.
Does he look like Brainiac 5? 10/10
The look is not exactly from THIS version… it’s from the “SW6 Legion” that would take WAY TOO LONG to describe here… but it definitely integrates the original look with the uniform-style of the reboot.
He also looks great with the lab coat!
Brainiac 5.1 version: 9/10
Once he gets the cybernetic implants and the three head thingies, it’s a bit of a downgrade.
