Warning! Spoilers ahead for Justice League Infinity #2!
In Justice League Infinity #2, Superman meets an alternate version of Brainiac who works as a mere minion instead of being a real threat. Brainiac is known as one of DC’s smartest villains. To defeat Superman, the AI villain often uses his extreme brain power to get the upper hand. This normally entails meticulously calculating the probability of certain events and seeing how to outsmart Superman, instead of trying to best him physically. Essentially, Brainiac’s intellect is his greatest weapon.
Justice League Infinity takes place in the world of the animated series, Justice League Unlimited. It’s been teased that while the series is bringing back many familiar elements, it will be introducing many new characters and stories. One of those new faces is Ultraman, who suddenly appears at the end of the first issue. He has switched places with Superman, who finds himself stuck in the middle of a world controlled by Nazis.
In Justice League Infinity #2 by J.M. DeMatteis, James Tucker, and Ethen Beavers, Brainiac is downgraded to being a minion. His villain status is nothing like the normal version of Brainiac from Superman’s world, who can be presumed to be just as cunning as any other version of himself. Here, on Overman’s Earth, Brainiac is a servant to a master. That master is none other than the immortal Vandal Savage. This version of Brainiac doesn’t impress Superman at all, as it seems he’s more muscles than brains.
He also sports a different look. In this universe, Brainiac is an enormous robot. It’s unknown whether the humanoid version of Brainiac is inside the mech or not, but the story makes it seem that Brainiac’s consciousness has been downloaded into the robot body. Either way, it’s clear that this Brainiac is far less powerful than the one Superman is used to dealing with, especially since he is no longer a one-man team. Serving a master is the complete opposite of how Superman’s normally great foe operates. It seems that he is no longer a calculating genius in Overman’s world.
It’s rather pitiful to see Brainiac fall so low in the supervillain food chain. Superman isn’t impressed with this version of Brainiac as he easily rips him into pieces. Superman even notes that he’s a “heap of junk.” To take him down, Superman didn’t even have to come up with any sort of clever plan. He is able to approach Brainiac like he would a normal non-superintellect villain and physically best him with ease. It’s quite shocking. Nevertheless, it’s exciting to see the differences between the Justice League’s normal Earth and this alternate one. Justice League Infinity #2 is available in comic book stores and on digital platforms now.
