Brain (DC Comics)

The Brain first appeared in Doom Patrol #86 (March 1964) and was created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani.^[2] 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".^[3]

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.^[4]

The Brain and Mallah form the Brotherhood of Evil in hopes of conquering the world and getting revenge on Caulder, recruiting Madame Rouge, General Immortus, and Garguax.^[5] Caulder, now known as the "Chief", through a series of other accidents that he manipulated, forms the Doom Patrol. 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

During Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol run, Mallah has the Brain placed in one of Robotman's bodies. The two confess their love for one another and kiss. However, Robotman's body had developed sentience and vowed never to be enslaved by a brain again. When Mallah places the Brain in Robotman's body, which triggers a self-destruct mechanism and explodes as the two kiss.^[8] The two later resurface (the Brain back to floating in a jar), with no explanation of how they survived the explosion.^[9]

In Salvation Run, Brain and Mallah are among the villains exiled to the planet Cygnus 4019. An altercation between Mallah and Gorilla Grodd ends with Grodd beating Mallah to death with Brain's chassis, killing them both.^[10]

Brain is later resurrected in The New 52 continuity reboot.^[11] This version is a scientist named Ernst who was mortally wounded in an explosion and saved by Monsieur Mallah, who preserved his brain. After becoming distrustful of humans, Brain and Mallah attack humans who they blame for their plight.^[12]

In the Dawn of DC series Unstoppable Doom Patrol, Mallah betrays and kills Brain, believing that their relationship is toxic and no longer loving.^[13][14]

The Brain is highly intelligent and a master of manipulation. His body is armed with a variety of weapons. On the rare occasion when the Brain has been vulnerable without robotic protection or assistance from other villains, he has protected himself by attacking opponents through telekinesis.

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 the Seven Soldiers of Victory.^[15]
• The second villain to use the name Brain was a crime boss who fought Flash.^[16]
• The third villain to use the name Brain is a crime boss who fought Wonder Woman and manipulated her into questioning her own existence.^[17]
• The fourth villain to use the name Brain is a criminal mastermind who fought Superman.^[18]