Over the years, the Man of Steel has battled countless evil villains. One of his oldest and most powerful foes recently joined the live-action television series centered around Superman’s home planet, Krypton. This baddie is known by the Kryptonians as the “Collector of Worlds,” how much do you know about him?
Created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, Brainiac first appeared in Action Comics #242 in 1958. Originally from the alien planet Bryak, the Silver Age Brainiac is depicted as a bald, green-skinned humanoid. After arriving on Earth, Brainiac began shrinking various cities, including Metropolis, and stored them in bottles with the intent of using them to restore the planet he ruled. This original iteration of the character was noted for frequently using a shrinking ray and a force-shield. He was also responsible for shrinking and stealing Kandor, the capital city of Krypton. During his early appearances, Brainiac worked mostly behind the scenes to cause problems for Superman.
In Superman #167, Brainiac’s origin was retconned and he was introduced as a machine created by the Computer Tyrants of Colu. This planet intended to use Brainiac as a spy for them to invade other worlds. Superman’s other archenemy, Lex Luthor, eventually discovered the origin of Brainiac and intended to use his twelfth-level intellect to his benefit. In Action Comics #866 in 2008, Geoff Johns introduced a new Brainiac, combining the character’s original backstory with new continuity. This new version depicted Brainiac as a collector who shrank cities across the galaxy, in order to hoard their civilizations’ knowledge.
Developed by David S. Goyer, Krypton premiered on Syfy on March 21, 2018. The live-action television series takes place 200 years before the birth of Superman and the eventual destruction of the planet. English actor Blake Ritson (World Without End) portrays the world stealing baddie, sporting a look similar to the 2008 incarnation.
Airing Wednesdays at 10 PM ET on Syfy, starring Cameron Cuffe as Seg-El, Shaun Sipos as Adam Strange, Georgina Campbell as Lyta-Zod, Elliot Cowan as Daron-Vex, Ann Ogbomo as Jayna-Zod, Rasmus Hardiker as Kem, Wallis Day as Nyssa-Vex, Aaron Pierre as Dev-Em, and Ian McElhinney as Val-El.
