Superman has a long and rich history on film, dating back to the 1940s. From Christopher Reeve to Henry Cavill, the man of tomorrow has championed truth, justice and hope on the big screen for nearly a century.
However, unlike other comic book legends Batman and Spider-Man, the gallery of Superman’s villains has remained largely unexplored – Lex Luthor and General Zod are his only antagonists to have been given the real-time spotlight, while Doomsday and Darkseid have only played minor roles in Batman vs Superman and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, respectively. There are plenty of long-standing Superman villains that have never appeared on film before, but would make perfect adversaries for the next live action incarnation of the Man of Steel, whatever it may look like. And there’s no better candidate for that role than Vril Dox, aka the cybernetic space invader Brainiac.
There are a few key reasons Brainiac should be the next supervillain adapted for filming, unlike, say, Bizarro, Mongul, Metallo, Parasite, or Mr. Mxyzptlk. First and foremost, he is arguably the most iconic Superman villain yet to appear in a live-action movie. Originally created in 1958 by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, Brainiac has been one of Superman’s most persistent enemies, both within and outside the comics. After all, while he may not have made his big screen debut yet, Brainiac is no stranger to adaptations.
As early as 1978, Brainiac threatened the television world with his famous appearance as a member of Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom in the super friends cartoons. The prolific voice actor Corey Burton played the character in 1996 Superman: the animated series, who re-imagined him as a rogue Kryptonian AI. This new origin was revisited in the live action series smallvillein which Brainiac was played by James Marsters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. Most recently, he appeared as the main antagonist of the Syfy series kryptonplayed by Blake Ritson.
Brainiac was also the boss of the 2017 fighting game injustice 2, in which he was voiced by famous actor Jeffrey Combs. And finally, he is also ready to serve as the main antagonist of the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League video game. Looking at all the many tweaks Brainiac has gone through over the years, it’s safe to say he has enough name recognition to carry a whole as his main villain. The name “Brainiac” has even entered popular culture as a synonym for genius, being used even by people who don’t know the origins of the comic book.
In a superhero’s villain gallery, the most enduring villains are the ones who serve as an effective defense for the hero. Lex Luthor challenges Superman’s humble, honest selflessness with narcissistic manipulation and greed. General Zod’s status as a belligerent nationalist is in stark contrast to Clark’s immigrant story. Darkseid, the embodiment of tyranny and fear, serves as an ideological polar opposite to Superman, the symbol of hope and champion of the common man. And Brainiac is of course no exception to this pattern. If Superman is the ultimate alien hero, a dead world survivor who uses his power to protect his adoptive homeworld, then Brainiac represents the ultimate alien villain.
He’s a character ripped straight out of a classic sci-fi short story or a campy B-movie – hailing from the planet Colu, Brainiac is a vicious, calculating cyborg who traverses the universe in search of knowledge. Using a skull-shaped spaceship and other advanced technology, he invades every inhabited world he encounters, shrinking a single city from each planet and keeping it aboard his ship for further study. Like Superman, Brainiac is a strange visitor from another planet, endowed with incredible abilities beyond what normal humans can achieve. But while Superman has devoted his powers to aiding and defending all life, Brainiac uses his intellect and technology to pursue his own twisted goals. He sees other people not as individuals to be protected, but as lesser beings to be examined and collected, or destroyed as he sees fit.
Brainiac would make a perfect villain for a film that focuses on Clark Kent’s struggle to make himself at home on Earth. In many Superman stories, Clark is depicted as someone who literally feels alienated from humanity because of his powers, fearing that he will never really fit in. Brainiac could serve as an effective narrative film in such a film, embodying everything Superman doesn’t want to be, but fears he could become. Additionally, by proving the kind of threat aliens can pose, Brainiac would lend credence to Luthor’s claims that Superman’s presence is a danger to humanity — at least in the eyes of the public. And if the film follows the example of previous adaptations and connects Brainiac with Krypton, it would make things between him and Superman even more personal.
Finally, using Brainiac as the main antagonist would also address another common complaint about Superman: that he is too powerful and never encounters enemies that can really challenge him. While that’s true for most criminals, Brainiac is one of the few villains powerful enough to pose a real threat to Superman. His exact abilities vary depending on the story, but he is often portrayed with immense psychic power, as well as strength and speed to rival those of Superman thanks to his cyborg improvements. Brainiac’s greatest weapons, however, are his advanced alien technology and his brilliant intellect. He is the rare rival who can test not only Superman’s strength, but also his wits.
In summary, Brainiac is a remarkable and powerful villain who has a lot of potential to serve as a thematically rich character. Of all Superman’s comic book villains, Brainiac is arguably the greatest yet to appear on film. As such, he’s the ideal nemesis for the Last Son of Krypton when he receives his next standalone film.
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