"House of Brainiac" is a Supermancrossoverstory arc published by DC Comics in April 2024. The series is co-written by Joshua Williamson with artwork by Rafael Sandoval, Miguel Mendoca, Rico Ossio, and Edwin Galmon.
Teased in Superman Annual 2023 #1, the story arc is told in Action Comics and Superman, where Superman and Lobo have to deal with an invasion from Brainiac. The event was released to critical acclaim from critics, with critics praising Joshua Williamson's writing, the art, the characters, and the action.
Publication history
On October 23, 2023 during New York Comic Con, DC Comics announced that the next Superman event will be "House of Brainiac" released in April 2024.[1] It was also revealed that Green Lantern and Power Girl will have tie-ins to that event.[2][3] The event will also debut a new villain called the Brainiac Queen, a female variant of Brainiac.[4]
Plot
Prelude
Lex Luthor removed Superman's identity by using technology from Warworld (home planet of Mongul), Henry Bendrix's machines to amplify Manchester Black's psychic ability because he wants the world to not see Superman and Jon Kent as humans. Superman confronts Lex Luthor, and sends him back to prison.[5]
Superman is then asked by Lex Luthor to be the head of Supercorp (a company that will assist Superman in his heroics). Although Superman is hesitant, he begrudgingly agrees to work with Lex.[6]
Before Superman's first arrival to Metropolis, Luthor had aspired to be the city's first hero, first clashing and then teaming up with Doctor Pharm and Mr Graft to work in their research on green kryptonite, discarding them both when he has no more use of them and stealing their research, which leads them to be vengeful and attack Lex Luthor. Superman and Lex Luthor eventually team up to defeat Doctor Pharm and Mercy Graves.[7] It's secretly revealed that Brainiac put Czarina (Lobo's city) in a bottle, and Doctor Pharm captured Lobo to run experiments on him.[8] After Superman teams up with Lex Luthor to defeat Doctor Pharm and his team, Lobo is freed and Brainiac starts heading to Earth.[9]
Main story
Lois Lane is enjoying her first day off in years and greets Connor Kent (Superboy), Kong Kenan, Othul-Ra and Osul-Ra (children her and Clea adopted after Warworld Saga), Supergirl, Lana Lang, Natasha Irons, Steel, and Perry White on her way to a yoga session with Jimmy Olsen and Silver Banshee. As Clark joins them, he overhears an army of Czarnians and robots descending upon Metropolis. As Superman and his allies started fighting off the robots and Czarnians, Steel reveals he tried calling for backup but something is interfering with their systems. Superman realizes that Brainiac is the one behind the invasion, just as Brainiac sends General Chacal (a Czarnian similar to Lobo) to attack Supercorp where Lex Luthor is being detained. Brainiac captures Metallo, Mercy Graves and Lena Luthor (Lex's daughter), while Lex barely escapes during the chaos. Brainiac captures all of Superman's allies including Silver Banshee and Lex, and teleports away before Superman can catch him.[10]
Superman confronts Lobo at the Warriors Bar in Coast City about the Czarnians' invasion in Metropolis but Lobo denies his involvement. Brainiac tortures Silver Banshee, when he starts coughing up blood, and asks his Brainiac clones to take him to the cooling chamber. Superman explains to Lobo what happened, and Lobo recognizes General Chacal, with Supercorp creating vehicles for Superman and Lobo to head toward Brainiac's ship due to the United Planets quarantining Earth. As they are heading toward Brainiac's ship and pass the United Planets headquarters, they are attacked by General Chacal and his minions. Brainiac heals himself and frees Lex Luthor, where Lex Luthor tells Brainiac if he leaves Lena Luthor alone, he will give him Superman. Brainiac is about to take Lana Lang to experiment her, but Supergirl realizes Brainiac's technology is from a planet called Colu, and deactivates their prison because of her experience with a Future Brainiac. However, Superboy and Supergirl realize they still don't have their powers, and have shrunk.[11]
Superboy and Supergirl hide from Brainiac's wolves, and convinces Livewire and Parasite to free themselves and go to Brainiac's station. Livewire and Parasite return Superboy and Supergirl to their normal size, and encounter Lex and Brainiac experimenting on Lana Lang. Brainiac captures the duo, and transports him, Lex, and Supergirl to his homeward Colu. Supergirl escapes from her bonds and takes Lex with her, with Brainiac sending reinforcements to capture them. Superman and Lobo fight off the Czarnians but retreat once they realize General Chacal is stalling them for Brainiac. They go to Hardcore Station, a place where intergalactic aliens stop to rest, and meet Space Cabbie. Lobo asks where Brainiac is, and General Chacal finds them by tracking Lobo's scent. General Chacal asks Lobo to take his position as leaders of Czarnians and asks Lobo to take out Superman.[12]
Superman initially gains the upper hand, but General Chacal helps Lobo capture Superman. Brainiac decides to run his experiments on Lena, while deciding to capture Lex and Supergirl after Lex tells Supergirl that Brainiac is starting to lose part of his memories after bonding with him. Both of them are saved by Colu (Brainiac's race) people, with one of them claiming to be Brainiac's son. Brainiac takes the captured Superman, Parasite, Livewire, Superbly, Livewire, and Parasite to his room, where he uses their energy to create his wife Brainiac Queen. Lobo and General Chacal plan to leave, but Brainiac betrays them by ordering Brainiac Queen to slaughter the majority of Lobo's people and General Chacal in order for her to gain more power.[13][14]
Brainiac tells Superman he plans to let Brainiac Queen devour him and his allies and destroy other worlds in order to end all of existence. Lobo frees Superman, Livewire, and Parasite in order to hold off Brainiac Queen. Brainiac goes to Lena and tells her that due to her having Lex's spirit and her mother's immortal DNA, he will have his ship absorb her. Brainiac explains that his experience in absorbing knowledge has caused him to lose part of his memory and gotten weaker. Connor Kent use his tactile telekinesis to extend his field of control, which deactivates Brainiac Queen and disrupts Brainiac's ship. [15]
The Colu residents and Superman allies return to normal size, while Superman plans to free all of Brainiac's imprisoned cities. Lex Luthor arrives and tells Superman that Brainiac wanted to spread out across multiple bodies in the multiverse due to his body can not sustain the level of knowledge and power. While working with Brainiac, Lex discovered a hidden back entrance in his programming, and plans to take over Brainiac's entire ship in order to save Lena. Brainiac realizes what is happening, and orders his family and Colu Residents to attack Superman, Lobo, and Supergirl. [16] While Lex is trying to save Lena, it's revealed that Brainiac offered Lena in exchange for futuristic alien technology. Brainiac experimented on her and forced her to be his avatar, but Superman saved her. Just when Lex manages to free Lena from Brainiac's programming, Brainiac's Sentries start to attack them. [17]
Superman, Lobo, and Supergirl are initially overwhelmed by Brainiac's forces, with Brainiac forcibly taking control of the Colu residents. Superboy arrives with the rest of Superman's allies to help Superman. Lex and Lena manage to take out the rest of Brainiac's sentries and they arrive at the core of Brainiac's hive mind. Lex is tempted to betray Superman, but decides to connect his mind to the hive in order to shut down Brainiac's ship and intelligence. Lena warns him that it will overload his mind, but Lex does it nonetheless, which causes Brainiac's army to shut down. [18]
Lobo shrinks Brainiac's army so he can carry them to safety, while Superman confronts Brainiac. Brainiac reveals to Superman that his intelligence has been shutting down, which allows him to experience with emotions for the first time. Superman realizes that Brainiac has been seeking is love and family. Brainiac makes Superman promise to save his city and family, and Superman agrees. Brainiac warps Brainiac Queen away before the ship explodes and killing him, but not before telling Superman that he has looked at the secret of the universe and realizes that everything will end. Everyone reunites with each other in Metropolis, while Vril enlarges the rest of Brainiac's cities and creates a new planet called Colu 2.0 in order to house them. Superman thanks Lobo for his help, and Lobo leave but not before promising Superman that they will have a real fight. Superman reunites with Lois Lane in Metropolis, but is shocked to learn from Lena that Lex Luthor has his intelligence removed due to his exposure with Brainiac's ship and no longer remembers who he is. Meanwhile, Doomsday is pounding away [19]
Tie-ins
Green Lantern
The United Planets order Guy Gardner to bring Lobo in due to his dangerous behavior. Guy Gardner finds out Lobo has seemingly been wrestling and calls Booster Gold to confront him on letting Lobo be in a wrestling match, but Booster Gold hangs up. Guy Gardner interrupts the match, and takes Lobo into custody, but is confronted by space dolphins.[20] Guy Gardner and Lobo hide from the space dolphins, and goes to a planet to ask for an interspace transmitter for backup. Guy Gardner learns that this "Lobo" is just a random Czarnian, and the Czarnian accidentally reveals their location to where all the bounty hunters will want to attack "Lobo" due to the high bounty.[21]
Superman: House of Brainiac Special #1
Brainiac reminisces on how similar Krypton and Czarnia (Lobo's home planet) origins were, except Czarnians unlocked the secret to immortality. This caused conflict between the Czarnians where one side wanted to spread their knowledge across the universe, while the other wanted to spread destruction. One Czarnian name General Chacal rebelled the benevolent Czarnians and led a rebellion. The leader of the benevolent Czarnians named Tribb discovered Brainiac and asked for his help.
In exchange for Brainiac taking care of General Chacal, Tribb would give him one city of her planet, and give him the secret to immortality. Brainiac agreed, but discovered that Czarnians are inherently violent, and one day the benevolent Czarnians will be just as ruthless as General Chacal. Brainiac betrayed Tribb and captured the city of Paz, overrun by the General's forces, for his collection, but felt slight regret over seeing what he had done.
In the present day, Perry White is running for mayor who is nervous about his debate against Garon Blake who wants to deport aliens living in Metropolis. Perry White is uncomfortable with the increase in xenophobia in Metropolis and talks to a bartender on what to do. During the debate, Garon Blake thanks Brainiac for abducting the aliens during the recent invasion. Perry White points out that thanks to the aliens living in Metropolis, people are safer and all Garon Blake wants is their money. An alien girl is discovered in the debate, which leads to a riot. However, one of Garon Blake's supporters decides to join Perry White's side after seeing how violent and xenophobic the supporters were to the alien. Amanda Waller meets with the Council of Light, which turns out to be multiple versions of Brainiac.[22] It's revealed that Brainiac teleported Amanda Waller and her Suicide Squad when they fought the Crime Syndicate before Dark Crisis. Amanda is angry that Brainiac used her, and warns him to stay out of her way.[23]
According to Comic Book Roundup, the entire event received an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 based on 214 reviews. [25] Gabe Hernandez from Weird Science wrote, "Superman #13 has the makings of a rock-solid Superman adventure. The plot developments are intriguing, Williamson's possible motivations for Brainiac could open the door for a new status quo for the character, and the action is on-point."[26] David Brooke from Action Comics wrote "Action Comics #1065 further proves that "House of Brainiac" is a great superhero adventure worth checking out. Combining the space opera with action works wonders to keep readers entertained with a story they've never seen before."[27]
Future
The end of "House of Brainiac" will lead to "Absolute Power", DC's next company-wide event, which features the Brainiac Queen into the "Trinity of Evil" alongside Amanda Waller and Failsafe, working together into a campaign to drain the powers of all metahumans, regardless of being heroes or villains.[28]
