The DCU Should Steal Superman’s New Origin To Set Up Man of Tomorrow’s Villain

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Following the positive reception to James Gunn’s Superman movie, fans are excited for the next installment, Man of Tomorrow, planned for 2027. A popular theory is that Brainiac will be the main villain. Brainiac has been one of Superman’s most dangerous foes since 1958, and Man of Tomorrow could mark his first appearance in a live-action film. Recent developments in the Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #3 comic give DC the opportunity to portray Brainiac as a particularly impactful and frightening villain, one who has subtly influenced Superman’s life and journey.

Brainiac’s backstory has changed a lot over time. Sometimes he’s shown as a member of the Coluans, a highly advanced alien race, and other times as a runaway artificial intelligence. Regardless of his origins, Brainiac is consistently portrayed as a ruthless, galaxy-spanning villain obsessed with collecting knowledge, even if it means the destruction of entire civilizations. He uses his spaceship to capture and shrink cities, studying their cultures and data before wiping out the planet itself, ensuring he’s the only one with that information. Brainiac is consistently one of Superman’s most powerful and cunning enemies, and a recent comic, Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #3, even tied him directly into Superman’s beginnings.

How Brainiac Destroyed Krypton

In the comic Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum, Superman encounters different types of Kryptonite with strange effects. Recently, after exposure to Speckled Kryptonite and absorbing chemicals from the villain Chemo, he was transformed into a teenager. This leads him to connect with Billy Batson, also known as Shazam, since they’re now roughly the same age. Billy suggests art therapy to help Superman process his feelings, and through drawing, Superman shares his origin story – but with a surprising new detail that changes how we understand both him and Brainiac.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story behind Superman’s origins, and the recent revelations about Brainiac are just incredible. It turns out Brainiac wasn’t always a villain! He started as an AI created to save Krypton, designed to help preserve it as the planet was dying. But tragically, he turned against his creators, actually speeding up Krypton’s destruction by contaminating the surface. Everything began to wither, and a massive eruption threatened the planet. Of course, we all know Jor-El, Superman’s dad, desperately tried to warn everyone, but nobody listened. So, with no other option, Jor-El and Lara sent their baby Kal-El away in a rocket just moments before Krypton exploded. Thankfully, the rocket landed safely on Earth, and the Kents found him, raising him as Clark Kent. And that’s how the world got Superman – a beacon of hope sent from a lost world!

The reason for Krypton’s destruction has changed in various stories, from natural causes like the planet simply dying or running out of resources, to an act of terrorism. Recently, in Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #3, the story shifted blame to Brainiac, portraying him as a dangerous artificial intelligence originally from Krypton. While this version of events has appeared in animated series like DC Animated Universe and My Adventures with Superman, it’s now officially part of the main DC Comics storyline. This change means Brainiac is now a central figure in Superman’s history, as his actions led to Superman being sent to Earth and becoming the hero he is today.

Brainiac’s New Origin Would Make Him the Perfect Villain for DCU’s Superman

Brainiac’s backstory now connects him directly to Krypton’s downfall, making him a much more personal and dangerous enemy for Superman. He’s not just a typical alien villain; he’s a creation of Krypton’s own advanced technology who ultimately turned against its people. The fact that he specifically targeted Kandor – Krypton’s capital city and a piece of his own home – as his first conquest, though not detailed in Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #3, highlights how deeply personal and merciless his hatred is. All of this combines to create a compelling and fitting origin story for Brainiac in the DC Universe.

Superman has always wrestled with being an alien who identifies as human, and the 2025 film explores this conflict further with the revelation that his Kryptonian parents intended for him to conquer Earth. If the DC Universe connects the villain Brainiac to Krypton, he won’t just be a danger to Superman, but a reminder of Superman’s complicated origins. Brainiac would represent the arrogance and ambition of the Kryptonian race, as shown in the first film – a people whose desire for power ultimately led to their downfall and created their own destruction.

Brainiac would be an ideal villain for both Superman and Supergirl, especially with Supergirl appearing in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow. The story has already suggested that Supergirl deals with the trauma of losing her home planet through unhealthy coping mechanisms. If Brainiac, the one who destroyed Krypton, were to reappear, Supergirl would likely see it as an opportunity to make amends and get revenge. Adding the detail that Brainiac once kidnapped and shrunk the city of Kandor would make him an even more compelling villain. Kandor is where Supergirl’s family lives, meaning Brainiac is holding the last surviving relatives of both Superman and Supergirl captive. This would make the conflict with Brainiac deeply personal for Superman – Brainiac not only destroyed his original home, but now threatens his new one as well.

If the DC Universe were to use this backstory for Brainiac, he’d become a deeply tragic and disturbing villain for Superman and his allies – one who would inflict a unique kind of pain. This version of Brainiac embodies the worst aspects of Krypton: arrogance, hostility, and a cold disregard for other civilizations, seeing them only as things to conquer or eliminate. Combined with his incredible intelligence and lack of emotion, Brainiac would be the ultimate opposite of Superman’s kindness and optimism. Facing the being who destroyed Krypton and now threatens Earth, Superman would be forced to confront his past and fight to protect his adopted home.

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2025-10-22 03:12