Brain (DC Comics) explained

Character Name:	The Brain
Real Name:	Unknown (Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis) Ernst ("The New 52" continuity)
Species:	Cyborg
Publisher:	DC Comics
Debut:	Doom Patrol #86 (March 1964)
Creators:	Arnold Drake (writer) Bruno Premiani (artist)
Alliances:	Brotherhood of Evil Injustice League Secret Society of Super Villains
Aliases:	Ultimax
Partners:	Monsieur Mallah
Powers:	(Currently): Genius-level intellect Bionic surrogacy (Formerly): Mass consciousness

The Brain is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Commonly as a frequent enemy of the Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans, he is a French genius and criminal mastermind.

The Brain appears as the main antagonist in the third season of the HBO Max series Doom Patrol, voiced by Riley Shanahan.

Publication history

The Brain first appeared in Doom Patrol #86 (March 1964) and was created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani.^[1] Drake later commented: "I used that same concept in a Jerry Lewis comic book, and in a Bob Hope comic I had a totem pole that talked to him. Often times, I wrote the same storylines for the comedy stuff that I wrote for the serious stuff. I just turned it on its head".^[2]

Fictional character biography

As a scientist, the Brain performs experiments on animals to raise their intelligence. One of these is on a gorilla, who he names Monsieur Mallah and educates for almost a decade before making him his assistant. His colleague Niles Caulder grows jealous of his work and arranges for the Brain to get caught in an explosion, which destroys his body. Only the brain survives, which Caulder plans on putting into a robotic body. Mallah rescues the Brain, transferring him to a computer network that keeps him functioning.^[3]

The Brain and Mallah form the Brotherhood of Evil in hopes of conquering the world and getting revenge on Caulder where it gains members like Madame Rouge, General Immortus, and Garguax.^[4] Caulder, now known as the "Chief", through a series of other accidents that he manipulated, forms the Doom Patrol (Caulder's involvement in the events which transformed the Doom Patrol, and the Brain, was a retcon decades after the creation of the Doom Patrol and the Brain; originally the incidents were genuine accidents). The Brain, Mallah, and their Brotherhood's criminal activities also pit them against the Teen Titans. The Brotherhood go against the newly formed Justice League, with the Brain using a genetic splicer to take the Flash's legs, Green Lantern's ring, Black Canary's vocal chords, and Martian Manhunter's eyes.^[5] The Brain is defeated by the League and the Doom Patrol, the League using cybernetic implants created by Niles Caulder to compensate for their lost powers. Aquaman is thrown to the Brain, overpowers his control of the ring, and separates the Brain from his makeshift body.^[6]

During Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol run, Mallah places the Brain in Robotman's body. The two confess their love for each other, but Robotman's body activates a defense mechanism and explodes.^[7]

The two later resurface (the Brain back to floating in a jar), with no explanation of how they survived the explosion. The Brotherhood begins raiding genetic research facilities to create a new body for the Brain.^{[8] [9] [10]} After a short while the Brain's new clone body begins to break down, so he has Mallah rip off his head and put his brain in another jar.^[11]

In Salvation Run, Brain and Mallah are exiled to the planet Cygnus 4019, where they are killed by Gorilla Grodd.^[12]

Brain is later resurrected in The New 52 continuity reboot. In the DC Rebirth relaunch, he temporarily gains reality-manipulating abilities via the Bliss drug.^[13]

In the Dawn of DC series Unstoppable Doom Patrol, Mallah betrays and kills Brain while the two are fighting General Immortus.^[14]

Powers and abilities

The Brain is highly intelligent and a master of manipulation. Furthermore, he possesses telekinesis and temporarily gained reality-manipulating abilities via the Bliss drug.^[15]

Other characters named Brain

DC Comics previously had other villains named the Brain:

• The first villain was a human criminal who earned his nickname for his cleverness and battled by the Seven Soldiers of Victory.^[16]
• The second villain to use the name Brain was a crime boss who fought Flash.^[17]
• The third villain to use the name Brain is a crime boss who fought Wonder Woman and manipulated her into questioning her own existence.^[18]
• The fourth villain to use the name Brain is a criminal mastermind who fought Superman.^[19]
• Brain was also the alias used by three identical brothers who commit crimes while the city has been distracted by three giant boxes they have placed in each other after a fog has descended on the city, which the authorities try to open. The Flash jails the first two as they attempt robberies with clever tricks, like a tightrope which the first one cuts and spring-heeled shoes, and jails the last one when he attempts a bank robbery by draining his live wire suit with which he intended to break his brothers out with silver. It is then revealed the last box led into the bank vault.^[20]

Other versions

Earth-S

On Earth-S, the Brain is the name used by Warden Loomis, a serial killer who is an enemy of Mr. Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid.^[21]

In other media

Television

• The Brain appears in The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure episode "The Brain, the Brave and the Bold".
• The Brain appears in Teen Titans, voiced by Glenn Shadix.^[22] This version is the leader of the Brotherhood of Evil.
• The Brain appears in , voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. This version possesses a variety of weapons mounted on extendable robotic arms.
• The Brain appears in Young Justice, voiced initially by Nolan North and subsequently by Corey Burton. This version is a leading member of the Light until he is captured by the Team.
• The Brain appears in Teen Titans Go! (2013), voiced by Scott Menville.
• The Brain appears in the Justice League Action episode "The Brain Buster", voiced by Jim Ward.
• The Brain appears in Doom Patrol, voiced by Riley Shanahan.^[23] This version has had several encounters with the eponymous team, with one seeing him using his Ultimax form before Steve Dayton claimed his robotic body, though the Brain escaped. In the present, the Brain tasks Madame Rouge with attacking the Doom Patrol and stealing Robotman's body for him as her initiation into the Brotherhood of Evil. After taking control of the body however, Monsieur Mallah leaves him before Robotman gains control of Brain's brain jar and discarded giant robot and defeats him. After salvaging Robotman's body, Rita Farr kills Brain.
• The Brain appears in My Adventures with Superman, voiced by Jesse Inocalla.^[24] This version is a kind-hearted but short-tempered German scientist who originally worked for Project Cadmus until Task Force X raided the Brain's base, which resulted in the latter's body being destroyed, though his namesake and heart were saved.

Video games

• The Brain appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Leif Anders.
• The Brain appears as the final boss of the Nintendo DS version of .
• The Brain appears as a character summon in .^[25]
• The Brain makes a cameo appearance in as part of the Insurgency headquarters stage.
• The Brain appears as a non-playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced by Jason Spisak.

Miscellaneous

• The Brain appears in Teen Titans Go! (2004).^[26]
• The Brain appears in Justice League Adventures #6.^[27]
• The Brain appears in Justice League Unlimited #31.^[28]
• The Brain appears in Smallville Season 11 #9.^[29]
• The Young Justice incarnation of the Brain appears in issues #18 and #19 of the Young Justice tie-in comic book series.^[30] This version was originally among a group of scientists, led by an old woman who would become the Ultra-Humanite, who settled in Bwunda to conduct experiments on the native gorillas before having his brain transplanted into a robotic container. After building Gorilla City, the scientists enslaved the gorillas, enhanced their intellect with Kobra venom, placed inhibitor collars on them, and took their offspring hostage. Two years later, the scientists are pursued by the Team, who form an alliance with the gorillas. Despite destroying Gorilla City and freeing the offspring, the Brain and Ultra-Humanite escape.

Notes and References

1. Book: Cowsill . Alan . Irvine . Alex . Korte . Steve . Manning . Matt . Wiacek . Win . Wilson . Sven . The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe . 2016 . DK Publishing . 978-1-4654-5357-0 . 54.
2. Browning. Michael. The Doom Patrol Interviews: Arnold Drake. Back Issue!.
   1. 65
   . 41. TwoMorrows Publishing. July 2013. Raleigh, North Carolina.
3. Book: Rovin, Jeff . The Encyclopedia of Supervillains . Facts on File . 1987 . New York . 0-8160-1356-X . 38–39.
4. Book: Wells, John . American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960-64 . 2015 . TwoMorrows Publishing . 978-1605490458 . 180.
5. JLA: Year One #5. Marvel Comics.
6. JLA: Year One #6. Marvel Comics.
7. Doom Patrol (vol. 2) #34 (July 1990). DC Comics.
8. Teen Titans (vol. 3) #34 (May 2006). DC Comics.
9. Teen Titans (vol. 3) #35 (June 2006)
10. Teen Titans (vol. 3) #36 (July 2006). DC Comics.
11. Teen Titans (vol. 3) #37 (August 2006). DC Comics.
12. Salvation Run #1-7 (January–July 2008). DC Comics.
13. Titans (vol. 2) Annual #2. DC Comics.
14. Web site: Zachary . Brandon . April 2, 2023 . A Classic Doom Patrol Villain Just Suffered a Shocking Betrayal - And an Even Worse Death . November 18, 2024 . Comic Book Resources.
15. Titans (vol. 2) #19-22
16. Leading Comics #2 (Spring 1942). DC Comics.
17. Flash Comics #78 (December 1946). DC Comics.
18. Wonder Woman #58. DC Comics.
19. Superman #83 (July 1953). DC Comics.
20. Showcase #8. DC Comics.
21. America's Greatest Comics #1. DC Comics.
22. Web site: Brain Voices (Teen Titans) . April 9, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
23. Web site: R/DCDoomPatrol - Riley Shanahan (Cliff's on-set actor) has revealed he voiced the Brain in season 3! . 25 December 2021 .
24. Web site: Nelson . Samantha . June 26, 2023 . My Adventures With Superman Review . July 7, 2023 . IGN . en.
25. Web site: Eisen . Andrew . October 4, 2013 . DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide . April 9, 2024 . IGN.
26. Web site: Teen Titans Go! #33 - The Strangest Sports Story Ever Told (Issue) . April 9, 2024 . Comic Vine . en.
27. Web site: Justice League Adventures #6 - Wolf's Clothing : Sold! (Issue) . April 9, 2024 . Comic Vine . en.
28. Web site: Justice League Unlimited #31 - The One-Man Justice League (Issue) . April 9, 2024 . Comic Vine . en.
29. Smallville Season 11 #9
30. Web site: Young Justice #18 - Monkey Business (Issue) . April 9, 2024 . Comic Vine . en.