WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Dark Nights: Death Metal - Infinite Hour Exxxtreme #1, by Frank Tieri, Becky Cloonan, Sam Humphries, Tyler Kirkham, Rags Morales, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Arif Prianto, Andrew Dalhouse, Chris Sotomayor, Dave Sharpe and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
While being one of the smartest supervillains in the DC Universe, Brainiac's vast intellect has not spared him from enduring countless defeats and setbacks serving as a constant insult to his cosmic intelligence. And while the sinister Coluan has finally resurfaced to play a role in the crossover event Dark Nights: Death Metal, Brainiac is subjected to one of his greatest humiliations at the hands of the brutish Lobo shortly after his return.
At the end of Scott Snyder's Justice League run, Brainiac had been among the prominent members of the Legion of Doom betrayed by Perpetua as she triumphed over the DCU's heroes. Setting her sights on the wider DC Multiverse, Perpetua imprisoned the Legion of Doom members she had betrayed in her cosmic throne to serve as a vital power source as she expanded her rampage, with Brainiac's technology in particular used to craft the throne. A ragtag group of heroes had formed the Death Metal iteration of the Justice League, tasked with dismantling Perpetua's throne and freeing the Legion of Doom to cut off her power source. At great cost, the team was able to accomplish this mission, with Brainiac among the liberated figures.
Now free, Brainiac immediately tracked down Lobo shortly after the antihero recovered the mythical Death Metal on assignment from Lex Luthor. Confronted by the Coluan and whisked away to the Hall of Doom, Lobo quickly embarrasses the super-genius by using the Death Metal to transform Brainiac into a vision of his fourth-grade teacher Ms. Tribb, complete with a frilled dress. Brainiac is, understandably, both insulted and confounded by what Lobo has transformed him into as his normally stoic demeanor quickly gives way to pure, unbridled rage at the injustice that has been levied upon him.
As Brainiac steadily berates Lobo for what he has done to him, the confrontation is halted before Lobo can retaliate by the sudden appearance of the Batman Who Frags. A villainous version of Bruce Wayne who spliced his own DNA with a Czarnian to gain the appearance and abilities of Lobo, the Dark Knight previously fought Lobo to a standstill in search of the Batman Who Laughs before the Ultimate Bastich was recruited by Lex Luthor for his ambitious odyssey. Using the Death Metal, Lobo is quickly able to banish the Batman Who Frags this time, before turning his attention back to Brainiac, begrudgingly agreeing to restore the Coluan to his classic appearance.
From being outsmarted and betrayed by Perpetua to becoming a plaything and living joke to Lobo, Brainiac's recent experiences have been a bit humiliating to his superior intelligence.
Transformed into a grade school teacher by the Main Man proved to be the straw that ultimately broke Brainiac's cold, calculating back as months of frustration quickly erupted in a heated confrontation between the Coluan and the Czarnian. The Batman Who Frags' timely interruption broke the tense showdown, allowing Brainiac to work with Lobo and inform him of his greater importance in saving the DC Multiverse, mysteriously linked to his Czarnian blood. And with reality beginning to collapse in the wake of the Darkest Knight and Perpetua's showdown, this unlikely alliance couldn't have come any later.