WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Action Comics #1027 by Brian Michael Bendis, John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Brad Anderson and Dave Sharpe & Legion of Super-Heroes #11 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ryan Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger, Jordie Bellaire and Dave Sharpe, on sale now.
Over the years, various relationships that existed in previous DC continuities have been reset. While many of the most memorable ones were eventually were recreated in some shape or form, a classic romance from the distant future has finally gotten an apparent tease.
A minor beat in Action Comics #1027 hints at a potential new incarnation of the Supergirl/Brainiac-5 romance -- if the future can survive the chaos currently erupting across the galaxy.
The Superman family has been working together (and alongside Brainiac-5) in a bid to stop Red Mist and Marisol Leone during their last desperate attempt to bring them down. While Leone escapes, Red Mist is brought down by the combined might of the present heroes. They even threaten her with time spent in the Phantom Zone, with Brainiac-5 operating the Phantom Zone projector. After everything is said and done, Brainiac-5 thanks Superman for the chance to explore the past and to be a part of the Superman legacy.
But before he goes, Supergirl makes sure to ask if she can have an invitation to visit the Legion in the distant future at some point. Brainiac-5 casually reveals that Supergirl actually already has visited the distant future, at least from his perspective. An enthusiastic Supergirl asks for a tease of what's to come of her time in the future, and Brainiac-5 whispers something to her that takes her by surprise -- in a good way. She promises to see Brainiac-5 "there then," and he departs back to the future with a smile on his face.
It's possible that Brainiac-5 is teasing Supergirl's eventual role as President or another potential connection to the Legion of Super-Heroes. But given the history that Supergirl and Brainiac-5 have across the various incarnations of the DC Universe, there's a chance that the secret he shared with her is more of the romantic variety. In the Pre-Crisis DC Universe, Brainiac-5 fell in love with Supergirl after she came to join the team in the future. Harboring a crush on her even years after she left the team, Brainiac-5 even once subconsciously constructed a false Supergirl in his sleep in Superboy #204 by Cary Bates and Mike Grell. The teased romance was ended by Crisis on Infinite Earths, however, with Supergirl sacrificing her life and being retconned from existence shortly thereafter.
However, the romance has resurfaced with other incarnations of the Legion of Super-Heroes once Supergirl was restored to the DC Universe in the Post-Crisis Universe. The looks shared between Brainiac-5 and Supergirl are surprisingly tender compared to the more wide-eyed excitement Brainiac-5 has had for the rest of the 21st century. It's possible that the meeting is just the first hint towards a blossoming romance in the future.
However, that depends if there's a future at all. Legion of Super-Heroes #11 sees the entire galaxy plunged into chaos while an unsuspecting Brainiac-5 can only watch. Perhaps the Brainiac-5 and Jon who've been appearing in Action Comics are from after the Legion have settled the conflict erupting in the distant future. That's not even considering the looming threat of the Great Darkness. If so, then there's plenty of other interactions Brainiac-5 could've had by this point -- including forming a relationship with Supergirl.