Brainiac 5
	Name: Querl Dox Home Planet: Colu (a.k.a. Yod) Super-Power: 12th-level effector "computer" mind Member Since: 2963

Origin | Super-Power | Personal Data | Membership Record

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"Many years ago, on a distant planet, scientists created huge electronic computers with tenth-level-effector minds, as compared to the sixth-level-effector brains of humans. The machines then revolted against their creators and conquered that world. Deciding that their superior minds entitled them to rule the universe, they created a computer in human form, whose duty would be to spy on human-kind throughout the cosmos, in preparation for conquest. This incredible automaton was Brainiac, Superman's arch-foe.

"In order to add a final touch to Brainiac's disguise, the computers forced a boy of their world, Vril Dox, to masquerade as Brainiac's son. They renamed the lad "Brainiac II," and imprinted his new name indelibly on the palm of his right hand. But Vril was clever. Having learned many of Brainiac's scientific secrets, he ran away; then, while his villainous foster-father went off on his espionage mission, which was to occupy many years, Vril used his knowledge to build a brain-stimulator which raised his mind to the twelfth-level effector. Now he was smarter than the tyrannous computers and led his people in a revolt against the machines.

"Honored by the people he had freed, Vril Dox, alias Brainiac II, lived a long, happy life. Long, indeed - for the green-skinned inhabitants of that world have a life-span far greater than that of an Earthman. When he grew up, Vril married and became a father. He found that his brain-stimulator had affected his genes, so that his children inherited his twelfth-level-effector brain. His son Pran Dox, was nicknamed Brainiac 3. He in turn was the father of Kajz Dox (Brainiac 4), whose son, Querl Dox, became Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Thus it is that Brainiac 5 has a twelfth-level-effector mind, like the original Brainiac. With a mind twice as powerful as ordinary humans, Brainiac 5 can solve the most difficult problems in seconds."

- Adventure Comics No. 335 (Aug. 1965) "Meet the Legionnaires - Brainiac 5"

Comments: Note that Brainiac originally had a tenth-level-effector mind like his computer creators, but it was later increased to the twelfth-level by Lex Luthor (Superman No. 167).

The planet of Brainiac 5's ancestry is called Yod by its inhabitants (Adventure Comics No. 356). It is also referred to, in official astronomical terms, as Colu (362 "Meet the Legionnaires", 378). This is similar to the way Earth is called Terra on maps but is never called that colloquially. The planet was also renamed Bryak for the time that it was under the control of the computer tyrants. The plague that Brainiac refers to in some stories was not as widespread as he believed, since many humans did, obviously, survive (Superboy No. 106).

First Appearance: Action Comics No. 276 (written by Jerry Siegel, drawn by Jim Mooney)

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Brainiac 5's 12th-level-effector "computer mind" is twice as powerful as a human mind. This increased intellect gives him superior calculating abilities, an encyclopedic memory, and innovating scientific know-how. He can learn new things in only a few minutes (Adventure Comics No. 378). By concentrating the power and disciplined nature of his mighty mind he safely operated the extra-dimensional device known as the Miracle Machine, which converts thoughts into reality. Using it, he successfully repelled the Dark Circle armies, repaired all the damage caused by the invasion, and completed the construction of the new Legion headquarters (367). He has played three simultaneous games of three-dimensional chess against three powerful computer opponents (323), retained his memories and clarity of thought after being transformed into a toddler (356), fought off illusion-assisted brainwashing (344), resisted hypnotism (349), and adapted many inventions and experiments (305, 329).

Brainac 5's Force-Shield Belt: The invention Brainiac 5 is most associated with is the force-shield belt, a personal force-field generator that is capable of creating a virtually impervious aura of protection. Brainiac 5's belt is a modified version of the original Brainiac's force-shield belt, which he re-discovered. The belt can protect the wearer against certain types of radiation, including green kryptonite rays. Brainiac 5's belt must be attuned to the vibratory rate of its user before it can work (Action Comics No. 276). While activated, Brainiac 5's movement is not impeded. The belt has been speculated to break down exhaled carbon dioxide to liberate more oxygen thus enabling him to breathe the same air repeatedly while in the field (Adventure Comics No. 380 "The Legion Outpost"). The belt is equipped with a speaker (317), a panic button (340), and an alarm receiver (349).

The belt is not foolproof, however, and the force-shield has been penetrated by sufficiently powerful solar-energies (Adventure Comics No. 348). Also, while inside the protective barrier, Brainiac 5 is still vulnerable to being shaken within it (366). The "life" of the force-shield belt was once shortened radically when Brainiac 5 gave it to Supergirl to take with her into her own era. This probably happened because he was attempting to compromise unalterable history by its presense and so it was "corrected" by the time-stream and disabled (Action Comics No. 276). Brainiac 5 has worn his own belt back in time on later occasions with no such malfunctioning (Adventure Comics No. 349).

Brainiac 5 has adapted the workings of his force-shield belt to produce a force ray - a modified form of the force-field projector circuit that can drill through walls (Adventure Comics No. 365). He has also hooked it up to a force-blaster and projected a force-shield around the entire clubhouse (366).

Other Inventions: Anti-lead serum (Adventure Comics No. 305), a character analysis monitor (320), Computo (340), a miniaturized dust-blower (345), a flying ear for spying (345), an hypnotic drug antidote (360), an inert matter attractor (341), inertron shields (336), an inhibitor gas (334), the Legion flight-ring (329), a neutro-glove (362), a normalizer ray (336), one-man rockets (307), a powerful acid (360), the potential-factors re-organizer complex (325), a safe-cracking tool (360), super-powered costumes (Jimmy Olsen No. 99), a tracer (Adventure Comics No. 362), a truth disc (Action Comics No. 392/2) an ultra-cyclotronic accelerator (Adventure Comics No. 362), an ultra-flight pack (372), and youth water antidote pills (356).

Limitations and Weaknesses: While Brainiac 5 possesses a great intellect, memory, and scientific knowledge, he is still limited by his human creativity and ability for original thought. It was Saturn Girl, not he, who ingeniously solved the "Great Proty Puzzle" (Adventure Comics No. 323), and many of his inventions were actually innovations that built on previous works of other people (i.e. inhibitor gas, anti-gravity flight-ring, anti-lead serum, Computo, etc.).

Although Brainiac 5 has fought off illusion-assisted brainwashing (Adventure Comics No. 344) and resisted hypnotism (349), he has succumbed to the mind-expanding gas known as Preparation L (377).

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Physical Description: Querl has green skin and blond hair brushed back from his high, rounded forehead. He also has a strong, prominent chin.

Personality: Querl is more adaptive than inventive; this is demonstrated in his ability to take other inventions and perfect upon them. This lack of original thinking despite his great intellect has been a source of great frustration for him at times. The normally calm Querl was subject to sudden mood swings during his work on Computo. The resultant rage directed at his fellow teammates was most out of character (Adventure Comics No. 340).

Emotionally, he has a great need to be accepted for who he is, and not to be compared to his evil "ancestor", Brainiac. This comes through in his relationships to his teammates: "I... I'm sorry I'm the descendant of such a wicked man," he once apologized (Adventure Comics No. 303). He has a desire to be accepted by his friends and have normal relationships. "Please remain... and be my girl...!" he once pleaded of Supergirl (Action Comics No. 276). His attraction to the Girl of Steel may extend beyond physical attraction, and may be a subconscious desire to atone for all the problems she and Superman had to endure because of the original Brainiac.

Because of his logical mind, Querl has been accused of being unemotional concerning love (Adventure Comics No. 337, 366). He also doesn't believe in extrasensory phenomena such as ghosts, seances, and the occult (357). Querl can be (somewhat chauvinistically) overprotective of the female members of the team, something that irks Saturn Girl to no end (308, 309, 345).

Querl has no family or friends beyond the Legion Headquarter's walls, where he lives (Adventure Comics No. 378).

Skills: Brainiac 5 has invented many things, each of which he has patented the rights to (Adventure Comics No. 378).

Interests: Querl enjoys tinkering in the lab (Adventure Comics No. 305) and playing games of strategy like Spaceopoly (342), three-dimensional chess (323), and table-top mock combat with his friends. He likes to study advanced nucleo-physics to relax (373). Querl enjoys playing the lumna-organ, which he first learned to play in just a few minutes at his birthday party in 2968. He enjoys drinking Kono juice from ivory chalices, which is a custom for birthday toasts on his planet (377).

Nicknames: "Brainy" (Adventure Comics No. 360, 365, 366), "Brainy-Boy" (362)

Relationships: Querl considers Superboy to be his closest intellectual equal, and so the two are often found playing games of strategy against each other (Adventure Comics No. 342). Other members that he calls good friends are those with similar intellectual interests, such as Invisible Kid (362), whom he has willed his force-shield belt to (378), and Saturn Girl, despite (or maybe because of) her tendency to engage in debate with him (333). Proty II likes being around him (340), and Querl will often feed the protean when Chameleon Boy is busy (Action Comics No. 390/2).

Romantically, he was immediately attracted to Supergirl (Action Comics No. 276). When Querl first met Shadow Lass, he thought she was "Foolhardy... frail and beautiful". She, in turn, showed an attraction to him, thinking him "brilliant... strong-willed... proud, handsome..." (Adventure Comics No. 366), but she backed down from her pursuits when she realized that Supergirl and Brainiac 5 had strong feelings for each other (368). He has admitted to Supergirl that he loves her, but part of her feels they belong to different worlds (Action Comics No. 387/2).

Known Relatives: Kajz Dox (father, deceased); Pran Dox (grandfather, deceased); Vril Dox (great grandfather, deceased); Brainiac (great, great grandfather by adoption, destroyed) (Adventure Comics No. 335 "Meet the Legionnaires"). Querl was orphaned at a young age (356).

At first Querl thought he was descended from the original Brainiac. This was evident in his apologetic attitude regarding his "ancestor": "I understand your loathing for the fiend who was my ancestor! But please... please... don't hate me!" (Action Comics No. 276). Later, as time-scanning technology provided historians with more accurate information, it was discovered that the original Brainiac was an android (and therefore incapable of siring offspring) and that Brainiac II, a human boy the android had adopted, was the true ancestor of Brainiac 5, and also the savior of their world (Superman No. 167).

Brainiac 5 has, in the past, incorrectly referred to himself as being Brainiac's "Great-great-great-great grandson" (Action Comics No. 276, Adventure Comics No. 303) or Brainiac as being his "great-great-great grandfather" (Adventure Comics No. 303) but this would make Querl "Brainiac 7" or "Brainiac 6", respectively. What he should have said was "great-great grandson". Perhaps his error was brought about through his anxieties over his lineage and a deep-set desire to further remove himself from the original Brainiac.

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Application: Brainiac 5 applied for membership in 2963, at the same time as Shrinking Violet, Bouncing Boy, Sun Boy, and Supergirl. His direct competition was with the boys, since one boy and one girl would be selected. Although it was never shown, presumably he made a demonstration of his super-intellect.

Induction: Intelligence aside, what gained Brainiac 5 his membership was actually his display of "noble courage" when he gave Supergirl his force-shield belt to protect her from a kryptonite meteorite. The act could have cost him his own life. This display of good character was what convinced the others that he was indeed unlike his villainous ancestor. Both Supergirl and Brainiac 5 were presented plaques in a colorful ceremony at a Metropolis arena following their induction, where he said: "I shall always uphold the Legion's high traditions" (Action Comics No. 276).

Positions Held: Leader for 4th (2965-66) term (Adventure Comics No. 337); prosecutor in the trial of Star Boy (342); defense attorney in the trial of Colossal Boy (371).

Aliases Used: Prince Projectur (Action Comics No. 392/2)

Career Highlights:

Adventure Comics No. 305 (Feb. 1963) "The Secret of the Mystery Legionnaire"

Brainiac 5 perfected Saturn Girl's serum XY-4 into a longer-lasting anti-lead serum to free Mon-El from the Phantom Zone. He also went along with Mon-El's joke to re-apply for membership under the name of "Marvel Lad".

Adventure Comics No. 309 (June 1963) "The Fake Superboy From Krypton"

In order to help Superboy keep his identity a secret, Brainiac 5 disguised himself as Clark Kent. With his green skin making it look like Clark had died of kryptonite poisoning, a crook was convinced that he must have been having hallucinations the entire time.

Adventure Comics No. 329 (Feb. 1965) "The Bizarro-Legion"

Brainiac 5 unveiled his latest invention: the flight-ring. No doubt it was based on the anti-gravity element Mon-El had created as part of his initiation. The flight-ring replaced the Legionnaires' bulky flying belts.

Adventure Comics No. 337 (Oct. 1965) "The Weddings that Wrecked the Legion"

Brainiac 5 came up with the plan to have Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad, and Phantom Girl and Ultra Boy, pretend to marry and quit the Legion in order to trick the Murran spies into revealing their home planet so they could be stopped.

Adventure Comics No. 340/341 (Jan./Feb. 1966) "Computo the Conqueror" / "Colossal Boy's One-Man War"

Brainiac 5 invented the artificially intelligent Computo, which subsequently tried to conquer humanity by creating a machine army. It seemed like the history of his home-world would be repeated on Earth but the computeroid army was finally destroyed by Brainiac 5 using an anti-matter force-thing projector.

Adventure Comics No. 342 (Mar. 1966) "The Legionnaire Who Killed"

Brainiac 5 had to act as the prosecutor against fellow member Star Boy, who had killed a criminal in self-defense.

Adventure Comics No. 344/345 (May/June 1966) "The Super-Stalag of Space" / "The Execution of Matter-Eater Lad"

He was the first Legionnaire to be captured by Nardo and imprisoned in his "Stalag of Space". After his teammates were captured trying to rescue him, Brainiac 5 was subjected to brainwashing attempts since he was the boy's camp elected "escape officer". The clever devices he managed to contruct while incarcerated helped them all escape.

Adventure Comics No. 349 (Oct. 1966) "The Rogue Legionnaire"

Brainiac 5 resorted to insults in an attempt to trick a Chinese guard from Earth's past into slugging him in the stomach, thereby activating his force-shield belt before the gong he was chained to sounded and shook him apart. Speaking fluent Chinese, his first attempt ("You are an ugly pig with the strength of a gnat!") only got him a sock in the jaw. His second attempt ("You are as brainless as an ox... with muscles of jelly... In fact, you are a slimy worm, not fit to live!") managed to do the trick.

Adventure Comics No. 356 (May 1967) "The Five Legion Orphans"

He and the other orphan Legionnaires were transformed into tots as part of a Baskhian plot to adopt them. "Baby Brainy" alone retained his grown-up memories and found the antidote to the Kandorian Youth Pool water that was mixed into a pond on Zinth.

Adventure Comics No. 367 (Apr. 1968) "No Escape From the Circle of Death"

When the Dark Circle invaded Earth, Brainiac 5 was the only Legionnaire present at the new headquarters who remained uncaptured. Unable to reach the arsenal, Brainiac 5 searched through the storage room for something to help. He accidentally discovered the true nature of the Miracle Machine when he wished Karate Kid was present to hold off the armies - and suddenly he was! Brainiac 5 then used the machine's power to repel the Dark Circle armies, repair all the damage caused by the invasion, and complete the construction of the new Legion Headquarters.

Adventure Comics No. 371/372 (July/Aug. 1968) "The Colossal Failure" / "School for Super-Villains"

Brainiac 5 acted as Colossal Boy's defense attorney after Gim was charged with treason and spying. Colossal Boy waived defense so no vote was held and Gim was summarily expelled. Later, Brainiac 5 devised a way for the Legionnaires to track down Colossal Boy's parents using the life-jewel in Mrs. Allon's brooch. He also came up with the plan to have Superboy and the others inflitrate Tarik the Mute's school for super-villains in disguise.

Adventure Comics No. 378 (Mar. 1969) "Twelve Hours to Live"

For Brainiac 5's birthday celebration, his friends gave him a lumna-organ and imported some kono juice and ivory chalices from Colu for a traditional birthday toast. When it turned out the chalices had been coated with a strange, white powder, Braniac 5 deduced that it was rakurga, the deadliest poison in the universe, and that the five Legionnaires who drank it would all die in twelve hours. However, Braniac 5 refused to give up, especially knowing that the death of Superboy could mean a time-paradox that could destroy the space-time continuum, and spent his remaining hours trying to find a cure for the "impossible" antidote. Although he failed, at the last minute Brainiac 5 remembered the Miracle Machine, but was unable to break through the inertron it was sealed in to use it. He and the other Legionnaires were eventually cured by the Seerons (Adventure Comics No. 380).

For information concerning Brainiac 5 after 2969, click here.

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