Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Is "Anibrainiac" really all THAT bad?

Tonight, I finally got around to watching the "Timber Wolf" episode. I enjoyed it generally, then read thru the thread that discussed it to see how everyone reacted to it.

In general it was received positively, but the most nearly unanimous complaint was about how Brainy is portrayed in it and the series in general. The main complaints:

1) He has all these gadgety powers where all he really needs is his intelligence.

2) The above is being done to cater to the young children and sends a message that being smart is not a good enough quality for a superhero.

3) His personality is so far afield from all the different versions of Brainy thru the different LSH continuities.

But is he really all THAT bad? Maybe I'm too easy to please, but there's never, EVER been a perfect comics-to-cartoon (or to TV, or to film) adaptation of comics material that I've seen--short of some old programs I remember watching that would show still shots of panels directly taken from actual comic books complete with voiceovers (hell, maybe people even complained about those with the voices! ). So as long as the cartoon or whatever is reasonably well-done, I'm usually pretty happy. AND I enjoy Anibraniac! Does that make me not a true LSH fan?!?!

Here's why he works for me:

1) Their version of Brainy is clearly inspired not by any comic version of Brainy but by the version of Brainiac (I) from "Superman: the Animated Series". I thought that vision of Brainiac was a pretty darn interesting take on the character though much different from the comics. For some folks that's the only version of Brainiac they know, so it would make sense that a character called 'Braniac 5' would resonate more with Brainiac from that series. It would be interesting to see how evolution between the two got B-5 where he is.

2) If you accept number 1, it's easier to accept that Brainy's a visually fun character to watch! Nothing wrong with "fun" in a cartoon is there? I'll bet the kids are loving him--is that bad? This is supposed to be for them, remember?

3) I believe strongly that future episodes will spotlight the 12th level intelligence effectively.

4) I dunno how to explain it, but he somehow feels true to the Silver Age Brainy from the 60's to me. Even to near the end ofthe Levitz era there was a subtle childishness and innocence to the character. Okay, it's not subtle at all here, but subtlety is not a huge goal in a Saturday morning cartoon, y'know?

Now, I'm not saying that I'll necessarily like every leftfield move the animaters might take, but Brainy doesn't bother me. If they did something like having Blok talking Hulkspeak, that would bother me. But so far, I like what the cartoon is doing with the characters, and 'Anibrainiac' is no exception!

I really like the animated version of Brainy, he’s just adorkable. Is he like the comic versions we are used to (and some of which I, for one, liked even more)? No, not really. Still, I’d rather like him to be judged on his own merits – or demerits, for that matter - than to be rejected upfront because of what he is NOT. Since this is a kid’s show we just won’t get threeboot Machiavellian Dox. Hatin’ on poor lil Anibrainy won’t bring back any old versions, either. So liking him, I think, certainly doesn’t make anyone not a “true LHS fan”.

As for the target audience, they’ll probably dig him, completely unencumbered by any old Legion-fan baggage - after all, look at all the cool gadgety skills, they make him visually interesting and able to physically contribute to a fight, which might be more interesting to watch for the kids than him just sitting around and thinking his way out of things, if I try looking at it from a producer-logic POV.

And they seem to be toning down his fighting prowess already (at least I hope so). Forty-store-high Stompy the Robot Boy from the pilot was what I thought might overpower his role as the brains of the ensemble, but so far there thankfully wasn’t a repeat of that, and his smarts are still emphasised as his main asset (even if portraying super-smarts might prove difficult in children’s programming, I guess? So far they just keep telling the viewers, not showing. That’s a whole different matter, though). I can live with him like that.

Hmm, you christening him Anibrainy makes me wanna go all Elmira on him, actually.

Actually, I didn't come up with "Anibrainiac"--that was a derogatory term I saw oft-used in the "Timber Wolf" thread!

My only issue is the same as if they made Karate Kid have the power to turn into a fire-breathing dragon or shoot plasma bolts out of his butt. Brainiac (and Karate Kid, and Triplicate Girl, to an extent) are the Legionnaires who best replicate the sorts of lessons that, IMO, kids most need.

Being smart *is* a super-power. Being dedicated and working hard to better yourself makes KK as good as any other hero. Working together allows a group of 'normal girls' to be as effective as a super-hero.

Superboy, Lightning Lad, etc. are all not just collections of powers (even if they started out that way...). They've got very real, very human qualities that make them heroes. (Hence them not being members of the LSV or Fatal Five.)

IMO, the three characters I've listed are the most important to get right, as it makes them accessible to people (including those short ones called children).

Brainiac isn't just a tinker-toy transformer bot, he's *smart,* and that's supposed to be his power. I'm totally fine with them making him emotionally immature, and having a case of hero-worship of Superboy. I'm fine with him being a robot. I'm fine with him not being a mustachio-twirling manipulator or snarky jerkhole ('cause I always hated that stereotype, that 'smart' automatically equals 'jerk' or 'socially inept'). I'm not fine with him having all sorts of funky super-powers to fall back on, instead of using his *brain* to solve problems. He's *Brainiac* not 'Giant Super-Robotiac,' just as Karate Kid should be based on *Karate* not some other pseudo-related thing like Tao Alchemy.

It's not perfect cut-outs of powers, or even personalities I want to see, it's character who accurately represent the *theme* of the characters. Brainy, KK and Triad all embody the concept that *you* can be 'super,' if you study hard, train yourself or work together with friends to accomplish more than you could do solo.

Same with other Legionnaires, *theme* trumps 'perfect accuracy,' IMO.

Wildfire and Dawnstar aren't popular with long-term fans because she can't shut her trap about her darn tracking sense or because he's got the power to shoot energy from his hands ('cause really, as powers go, that's hardly rare...). It's their humanity, and their *characters* that matter, and make them more than 'chick who talks too much about her powers' and 'dude who whines too much about being immortal, unkillable and freakishly powerful.'

A lot of Legionnaires work that way. Shadow Lass is *vastly* unlikely to have made it through the Legion recruitment, since just about every excuse ever applied to rejecting someone applies to her lame power. But she's an amazing fun *character,* and that makes her 'work.'

Giving Vi the power to grow larger, as Leviathan, was, IMO, an example of a mistake. Too much of her personality stemmed from a Napoleon Complex, a need to prove herself, and kick the holy living crap out of anyone who 'sold her short' or 'belittled' her contributions, so to speak. (Puns intended) Giving her the powers of Colossal Boy, IMO, cheapened her character.

As the actual inventor of said term, I'll chime in and mention that it wasn't intended as derogatory. I was kind of hoping it would catch on...

I agree with Set.

But, I've come to accept Anibrainiac despite it all.

I, personally, am just fine with Brainy being a robot, which kind of makes sense since the original Braniac was a robot. Although I can see where the fans are coming from,with only needing his mind to solve problems, I think him being able to turn into a giant robot or whatnot makes him more effective in battle. As far as personality goes, before the show even started, I thought he was going to be completly emotionless, and then I thought he was going to be like, this happy-go-lucky type, but I'm glad they didn't go to either extremes.
I know this is kindof off topic, but I wish people( an I don't mean you guys) would stop complaining about how Saturn girls eye brows are weird, or how its Superman instead of Superboy, or how Bouncing Boy shouldn't be in the main cast because he's too "lame"( he's one of my favorites by the way)I mean, I guess those things just don't bother me as much, but still.

Okay, I'm done ranting now

Good points have been raised on both sides of this debate (and thanks, Lardy, for starting this thread. A good debate keeps things lively).

I agree with Set that characters such as Triplicate Girl and Karate Kid are important because they send a message that ordinary kids can be powerful, too. I would add Bouncing Boy to that list, as well, since his overweightness and misjudged power make him the most universally "ordinary" Legionnaire of all.

But I've never thought of Brainy as belonging to that group. Brainy's super-intelligence always struck me as harder for kids to identify with than, say, the powers of Lightning Lad or Superboy/man -- and less desirable than either because, let's face it, intelligence isn't as flashy as lightning or strength, speed, and x-ray vision.

For this reason, I don't think that "Anibraniac" hinders the theme of the character. Rather, since Brainy is so intelligent, he (presumably) has built or rebuilt his own body and, therefore, is a living testimony to the power of his own intelligence. (Of course, I could be wrong, as they haven't given us an origin yet.)

I'm liking the character more and more -- not because of his robotic abilities, but in spite of them. As long as a character has an engaging personality and believable interactions with other characters, I can forgive almost any alteration to powers and costumes.

Hmm... while I'm not a huge fan of the changes to Anibrainiac, I guess the thing is that I find them far less offensive than many of the other changes we've had to endure through various adaptations of the Legion. At least it's grounded in the history of the character.

Although, it's probably worth pointing out that the original Brainiac being a robot was itself a retcon.

You know... this may be why I'm actually kind of digging the animated version. I'm actually tired of the arrogant/anti-social Brainiac that we've gotten since '94 or so, and this is really a refreshing change of portrayal for the character, which does kind of seem like a cartoony version of the original.

I'll echo this sentiment.

Sometimes I forget that the Brainys who've been around since the Zero Hour reboot are a LOT different than Classic Brainy in some ways. He was a romantic at heart, very emotional and usually pretty social...not the sort of Vulcan/Romulan blend he's evolved into post-ZH. I'm not saying at all that the modern portrayal is necessarily a bad thing, but Anibrainy is actually closer to the classic version. And that's not a bad thing either!

Yeah, hence my caveat above that I don't mind him being *nice* or even a robot (and I actually like both of those parts), it's the whole transformer war-bot thing I'm not so keen on since it detracts, IMO, from his super-power of being really, really smart.

I don't want loyalty to the nitpicky details (which have changed a half-dozen times since I started reading these comics), I want loyalty to the characters theme.

Well... episode 4 made him just a little darker... and I like Brainy dark... You get the impression he is playing the cute kid for the advantage that it gets him. Maybe by next season we will see something a little less fisher price.

I think the "war-bot" thing would be better if he didn't "transform" into it, but if it were something he kept at base and could plug into.

Y'know, after watching "Phantoms" on DVR today, I must say that Anibrainy's easily my favorite character on the show. He's a very complex character, and "Phantoms" shades him that way very well! I like how they are apparently giving him very close ties to the robotic animated Brainiac from the Superman cartoon. There's definitely a slow-burn story here that'll have a big payoff someday, I'm sure.

Why did Anibrainy have Kryptonite? Is there some kind of programmed revenge routine courtesy of his ancestor? Is he having doubts about it or following it methodically? Is something else going on?

I don't think it was just guilt over the original Brainiac's bad deeds, or he wouldn't have the Kryptonite. Is it possible, since historic details are sketchy, that Anibrainy thinks the legends are possibly wrong and that Supes may have become a villain eventually and caused some great wrong? If so, that would explain why he brought Supes to the future and is keeping a close eye (and some Kryptonite handy) to see if he steps out of line?

I know this is a kid's show and the payoff may turn out to be a letdown, but this has the potential to be the best Brainy story (of any media or era) EVER TOLD!

I know this seems like hyperbole, but I think the potential is there. I mean, really, what is the best Brainy story ever, anyway? No immediate candidates come to mind.

So basically, because of the story potential, I'd say Anibrainiac kicks ASS! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Animated Brainiac has Kryptonite for the same reason The W/K version does "protection" he's not as naive as he looks.

I don't know. It may be nothing more than he inherited the kryptonite from his ancestor. And of course he doesn't want the other Legionnaires to know that he has the kryptonite, since then he'd have to tell them who his ancestor was. It's interesting that the Phantom Zone villains now have the kryptonite, because you know it means that it will pop again when they do.

Yeah, Anibrainy is cool. No doubt whatsoever. By making him part machine, you tie him that much more closely to the original, and his heroism becomes that much more remarkable. Besides, how can you really tell the difference between replicating nano-machinery and organic life? His transformer act is sometimes great, sometimes overdone. But it makes him part of the action. Lardie's right -- this could be the best Brainy story ever. It'll keep me tuning in (which I would anyway, of course).

DC, you're an intelligent man--possibly worthy of my old avatar, after all!

I've never read any of the comics but due to my recent obbsession with the show (mostly Anibrainiac) I have looked up as much information on the Legion as possible. But since I was first introduced to Anibrainiac, I like him way better. (plus he's really cute...yes I have weird tastes) yes his story seems very interesting so far. especially after Fear Factory and his fear of being taken back to Colu. I can't wait for the next episode.

Y'know, since I first started this thread, it seems like the Anibrainy-haters have been won over! Personally, I've come to feel that he's the best part of the show!

Any haters, or at least jury's-still-outs, of Anibrainy still out there? If so, tell us why the hate's still a-burnin' in you!

If anyone says they hate Brainy, I'll keel them!!!!!

Let's face it, boobs are magnetically attracted to Brainy's head. LOL, it's actually a fanfic idea that I have featuring three busty women from a world of Amazons. They hate most men, but they adore Brainy. This is basically the scene when they first meet him:

Holly: Oh my Goddess, look at how cute he is!
Brainy: I'd really appriciate it if you didn't call me--
Charlotte: *hugs him, shoving his head into her cleavage*
Brainy: *muffled* ...nevermind...

lmao oh! my! god! you totally have to write that! and if you do, PLEASE tell me where I can read it!