Brainiac

The Original Brainiac

Brainiac is the iconic green-skinned villain, one of Superman's arch-rivals, second only to Lex Luthor.

Six years into Brainiac's publication history, DC discovered that the term 'Brainiac' had actually been trademarked by the inventor of a real-life computer kit. To honor this (and maybe stave off any lawsuits?), they altered the character to be an android in Superman #167 (Feb. 1964).

But in Action Comics #276 (May 1961), readers had met Brainiac's supposed descendant in the 30th century, Brainiac 5. To explain how an android could have heirs, the story from Superman #167 introduced Brainiac II, a flesh-and-blood boy who was conscripted into being Brainiac's "adopted" son. Brainiac II's progeny all inherited the title of "Brainiac."

The son was later named "Vril Dox." In pre-Crisis continuity, this name was used solely Brainiac II, not the original Brainiac.

Brainiac's homeworld is best known as "Colu," but it was first called"Bryak" in Superboy #106 (July 1963). Then a Legion story called the planet "Yod," in Adventure Comics #356 (May 1967), but then called "Colu" in Adventure Comics #362 (Nov. 1967) and also in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #116 (Dec. 1968).When this discrepancy was called out by a reader, editor Mort Weisinger explained it in the letters column of Adventure Comics #366 (Mar. 1968): "Brainiac 5’s home world is You or Colu, depending on which language of that planet you’re using." Much later, Brainiac 5 explained that "Yod" was another name for his homeworld (Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #277, July 1981).

In the 30th Century, Brainiac was reinvented as "Puslar Stargrave" (Superboy & the Legion of Super-Heroes #223, Jan. 1977). But in post-Crisis continuity, Stargrave's origin was changed; he was not Brainiac but instead the surviving remnants of the Computer Tyrants of Colu.

Krypton

On a distant world, a race of green-skinned people created revolutionary super-computers. These computers took over the rule of government and ensalved the people. These masters set out to conquer other worlds, so they created Brainiac, a humanoid android version of themselves. Their creation exhibited visible electric terminals on its head, which they passed off as "decorative." To give him a more humanoid perspective, Brainiac's creators imprinted him with the mental patterns of a real person (who was sacrificed).

To enhance the illusion, he was assinged a "son," a biological boy named Vril Dox, also dubbed Brainiac II. (Superman #167, Adventure Comics #335) Note: The name "Vril Dox" was coined after Brainac II's introduction, in the text feature in Adventure Comics #335 (Aug. 1965).

On one of his earlier expeditions, Brainiac and two minions kidnapped the baby Kal-El from Krypton! When they returned with him to Bryak, they found that the baby had super-powers under their yellow sun. He was more than they could handle, so they returned Kal-El to Krypton. (Superboy vol. 1 #106)

The population of Brainiac's planet was greatly impacted by a plague. When the ruling "Computer Tyrants" invented a ray that could miniaturize whole cities, Brainiac left on a galactic mission to steal alien civilizations and thereby "repopulate" their planet. (Action Comics #242)

While his villainous foster-father was off on his mission, Brainiac II escaped from the Comptuer Tyrants. Vril Dox used his knowledge to build a brain-simulator which raised his mind to a a twelfth-level. Now he was smarter than the tyrannous computers and led his people in a revolt against the machines. (Adventure Comics #335, Superman #167)

One of Brainiac's early targets was Kandor, the capital city of Krypton. He shrunk that city just before the planet was destroyed. (Action Comics #242) As fate would have it, Superman witnessed this crime on his homeworld! The Man of Steel had traveled back in time to visit Krypton and narrowly escaped the abduction of the city. (Superman #141)

Earth

Brainiac and his space monkey, Koko, eventually arrived at Earth, where Superman encountered his ship in orbit. Superman witnessed the villain miniaturize and steal several of the world's major cities; he was unable to penetrate Brainiac's "ultra-force barrier," so Metropolis was captured too and Superman was swept up in the shrinking ray. Superman escaped from his bottled-up city and explored Brainiac's ship. He was shocked to discover the Kryptonian city of Kandor among those captive!

Brainiac felt secure enough to place himself in suspended animation in preparation for the long journey back to his homeworld. With Brainiac unconscious, Superman managed to restore the Earth's cities but there was not enough power to enlarge Kandor as well. He kept that city within his Fortress of Solitude and vowed to find a way to restore it. Brainiac was none the wiser. (Action Comics #242) Note: This was Brainiac's first appearance in print. He wears different costumes on the cover (by Curt Swan) than in the story (by Al Plastino).

En route, Brainiac awakened and realized that Superman had foiled his mission. The villain hatched a plot from across the galaxy notifying Superman via projection that he was going to mentally compel Lois Lane and Lana Lang to their deaths. If Superman interfered, Brainiac would destroy the entire Earth instead! To save his friends, the Man of Steel made an excuse to give the women transfusions of his own blood — giving them super-powers! “Super-Lana” and "Super-Lois" were thus able to survive Brainiac's attack without Superman's help. (Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #17)

Whether he made it back home or not, Brainiac wasted no time returning to Earth for revenge on Superman. He created a ray that combined Red and Green Kryptonites; it gave Superman a third eye which increased his heat vision powers, enabling him to burn through Brainiac's force field and knock him out. (Action Comics #275)

After another failed plot, Superman left Brainiac at a prison on the planet Kronis. (Action Comics #280) There he received a communique from Lex Luthor, who had reached blindly out across the universe to find its most powerful mind. Luthor freed Brainiac from his cage of "Supermanium" and upgraded Brainiac to a twelfth-level intellect. They hopped across the galaxy in search of rare metals, eventually returning to Brainiac's home world.

Teaming Up

Brainiac learned that there had been a revolution that destroyed the original Computer Tyrants, meaning that Brainiac was now a unique being. Back on Earth, he and Lex depowered and shrunk Superman. But the "Superman Emergency Squad" on Kandor was watching out for him and came out of the bottled city to turn the tables on Brainiac. He was tried in Kandor and sentenced to the Phantom Zone — but Brainiac still held Superman in a coma. The authorities were forced to bargain and release him; Superman was honor-bound to let Brainiac go. (Superman #167) 

after a pitiful partnership with Batman's foe, Clayface, (World's Finest Comics #144)

When Jimmy Olsen was critially injured in a gang attack, Brainiac stepped in to offer help in healing his brain trauma feigning compassion in order to install computer circuitry inside Superman's pal. (Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #86) used Jimmy to lure Superman into a death trap but tables turned and forced to change Jimmy back. It was only then that Superman learned that Brainiac was a computer. B recruited heavy-hitting help from the Legion of Super-Villans and Lex Luthor to form an Anti-Superman Gang. seemingly compelled Jimmy to kill Superman with Krytponite. B and the others were defeated with help from the Kandorians and tossed into space (#87) Brainiac struck through Jimmy Olsen twice more. (#116, 130)

teamed quite frequently with Lex Luthor, even attending his cohort's "funeral." Often after their defeats, they would retreat to Luthor's adopted planet, Lexor. (Action Comics #318, 332, 335)

Frustrated by these attempts managing to capture her inside a Green Kryptonite cage. . He retreated with the use of a time-travel gun. (#339)

met Grax, a four-armed alien with 20th-level intelligence, but who still could not master Brainiac's force field technology. stole it and set B adrift in space attacked Sueprman with red sun radiation. so incensed that he rallied in defense of Superman and helped him defeat Grax.(#342) Grax was ? enough to return and team with Brainiac and Luthor later .(#417–418)

Legacy

Brainiac created his own "offspring" called Genia, who was a copy of himself, but designed to pass for human. She featured upgrades including hypno-vision and xray-vision. Genia had a built-in hatred for Superman but also some measure of emotions. Her face resembled that of Madam Tru, a United Nations official and Genia infiltrated the U.N. in order to install a certain technology so that Brainiac could shrink the world's cities. Superman became wise to Genia and secretly altered her programming to foil the plan. Brainiac recoiled when Genia showed any kind of "affection" for him; when he escaped, Superman and Batman sent Genia into the Phantom Zone. (World's Finest Comics #164)

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #116/2 (December 1968): "Brainiac--Big Time Operator"

World's Finest Comics #183 (March 1969): "Superman's Crime of the Ages"

Adventure Comics #388/2 (January 1970): "The Romance Machine"
Adventure Comics #389/2 (February 1970): "Supergirl's Jilted Boy Friends"

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #130 (July 1970): "The Computer-Man of Steel"

Action Comics #413 (June 1972): "The Voodoo Doom of Superman" [Flashback]
Action Comics #400/2 (May 1971): "Duel of Doom" [Flashback]
Action Comics #413 (June 1972): "The Voodoo Doom of Superman"
Action Comics #417 (October 1972): "The Conspiracy of the Crime-Lords"
Action Comics #418 (November 1972): "The Attack of the Phantom Super-Foes"

Superman vol. 1 #271 (January 1974): "The Man Who Murdered Metropolis"
Action Comics #443 (January 1975): "At Last! Clark Kent, Super-Hero"
Superman vol. 1 #299 (May 1976): "The Double-Or-Nothing Life of Superman"
Justice League of America #137 (December 1976): "Crisis in Tomorrow!"
Superman Family #183/5 (May-June 1977): "Death Is a Computer"
Superman Spectacular (1977): "The Second Coming of Superman"

Action Comics #489 (November 1978): "Krypton Dies Again"
Action Comics #490 (December 1978): "No Tomorrow for Superman"
Action Comics #491 (January 1979): "A Matter of Light and Death"

Superman vol. 1 #338 (August 1979): "Let My People Grow"
Action Comics #514 (December 1980): "Countdown of the Killer Computer"

Action Comics #528 (February 1982): "Star-Kill"
Action Comics #529 (March 1982): "I Have Two Eyes, But I Cannot See"
Action Comics #530 (April 1982)

The New Brainiac

Action Comics #544/2 (June 1983)
Action Comics #545 (July 1983)
Action Comics #546 (August 1983)

New Teen Titans Annual vol. 2 #1 (1985)

DC Comics Presents #80 (April 1985)

Crisis on Infinite Earths #3 (June 1985): "Oblivion Upon Us"
Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 (September 1985): "3 Earths! 3 Deaths!"
Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (October 1985): "Beyond the Silent Night"
Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 (December 1985): "War Zone"
Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 (January 1986): "Death at the Dawn of Time!"
Crisis on Infinite Earths #11 (February 1986): "Aftershock"
Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March 1986): "Final Crisis"

Legionnaires 3 #1 (February 1986): "Future Shock"

After Crisis on Infinite Earths, the character of Brainiac was completely rebooted. Brainiac II (Vril Dox) was reintroduced in L.E.G.I.O.N. as the prominent leader of a team of space-police. The first story arc of that series involved the overthrow of the Computer Tyrants of Colu.

Lineage

“Brainiac II” (Vril Dox) his people in a successful revolt against the tyrant machines of Colu. He was honored by his people and lived a long, happy life. He married and his children also inherited his 12th-level brain. This set his lineage apart from the rest of the population and the name "Brainiac" became a title of honor. Vril Dox's son was named Pran Dox, nicknamed Brainiac 3. He in turn was the father of Kajz Dox (Brainiac 4), whose son, Querl Dox, became Brainiac 5, who joined the Legion of Super-Heroes. (Adventure Comics #335)

The Brainiacs have lifespans lasting up to 200 years, which explains the relatively short line of succession. (Superboy vol. 1 #106) Note: The 200-year lifespan was also confirmed by the text feature in Adventure Comics #335 (Aug. 1965).

Powers

Force field belt to create a ?? powerful enough that it can withstand Superman's strength. The force field belt to form shapes such as a hand, and to convey heat energy.

ship capable of pierceing the time barrier.

had technology that could make himself and his spaceship invisible.

genius inventor: time travel, cast his thoughts

de-polarizer allowed him to become immaterial.

attach other devices to himself via his cranial terminals.

Appearances + References

 

The Original Pulsar Stargrave

When the character of Pulsar Stargrave was introduced, it was accepted that this was the future version of Brainiac, come to menace the Legion of Super-Heroes and his "descendant," Brainiac 5. But closer to the time of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the 20th century Brainiac underwent a radical change. His android form became heavy metal with a skull-like head.

This monster was certainly not the entity that traveled to the 30th century. But the discrapancy was never address in a comic book story. Instead, the Pulsar Stargrave profile from Who's Who #18 (Aug. 1986) assserted that he was not Brainiac: "Nothing substantive is known of Stargrave’s origin," and he "posed as … the original Brainiac."

At some point, Brainiac grew bored with his endless battles with Superman, so he built a time-ship to escape forward through time … into the latter half of the 30th century. Due to a side-effect, Brainiac fell into a death-like coma by the time he emerged. (Superboy #227)

He was discovered by an alien race who believed he was dead. They teleported his seemingly lifeless body into the heart of the nearest star — just as that star went supernova! But as the star collapsed into a pulsar, Braniac's mind somehow fused with it's essential power. When he mastered his own energies and reincarnated himself into a new form. (#224)

By his own account, Pulsar Stargrave was once a scientist from the planet Colu (the legendary world of the Brainiacs). he was investigating a stellar phenomenon from his one-man probe when his life support system failed. He took an emergency drug to induce a state of suspended animation, in the hopes of surviving.

As Pulsar Stargrave, he hired two cronies called Quicksand and Holdur, and hatched a scheme to ensure his domination. Stargrave witnessed the Legion of Super-Heroes engaged in battle against the Time Trapper and concocted a plan to enlist their help. (Superboy #223)

He sent Quicksand and Holdur to attack the Legionnaires on Planetoid P88-01, where they were attempting to avert an anti-matter disaster. He introduced himself to the Legion as Pulsar Stargrave, and tried to convince them of his good intentions by repairing a fissure in space that threatened the stability of the fabric of the space-time continuum. Stargrave teleported the Legion to his lair, where he explained that he had created the menace to begin with. It was a ploy to lure them to the planetoid because he needed allies in order to conquer his ultimate foe, Mordru. The Legionnaires broke free but were no match for Stargrave's wide array of powers, including super-strength, energy-blasts, mind-reading, and more. (#224)

After defeating the Legionnaires, his captor revealed his origins — but only to Brainiac 5. Based on Stargrave's appearance, Brainy was fooled into believing that he was his father, who had disappeared 15 years earlier. Brainiac 5 briefed convinced his teammates to ally with Stargrave, but only to prevent the return of Mordru the Merciless.

S sent B to Zerox, the Sorcerors' World, to obtain Mordru's mystic Star Stone. But the Stone told him that Stargrave was not his father, but rather the original Brainiac android! Brainy was furious and alerted the Legionnaires about this turn. (#226)

They rightly deduced that Brainiac would next strike on Colu, where he intended to restore his creators, the Computer Tyrants. He plans on repaying his debt by reviving his computer-creators with his immense power. Once they live again, he intends on making the Coluan people their slaves. At that moment, Superboy and Wildfire arrive. The double-punch of the two mighty heroes sends Pulsar Stargrave hurtling clear into Colu's sun. Note: Later revelations in L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 and '90, that Stargrave was not Brainiac but actually the Computer Tyrants themselves, imply that Stargrave's actual intention here was to regain for himself control of the planet that he had once ruled. (#227)

Stargrave was temporarily inconvenienced, but, since he drew his power from stars, he managed to keep himself together and escape burning destruction. He was contacted later that year by Glorith, who knew of his interest in Brainiac 5, and wished him to push the hero she had driven insane into truly destroying her enemies. Stargrave learned of Brainiac 5's plans to frame Ultra Boy, who posed a danger to Glorith, for some sort of crime, and lent his assistance, killing An Ryd, framing Ultra Boy for it... and convincing the insane Legionnaire that he had done the frame-up himself and needed to cover it up. (#239) Pulsar Stargrave's involvement wasn't discovered until mid-2983, when the Legionnaires, convinced that Brainy was innocent despite his insanity, uncovered the truth. Brainy himself defeated Stargrave by tricking him into releasing his power inside a force field, but not before Stargrave blasted Ultra Boy, causing him to disappear and get amnesia, making him presumed dead for a while. (Legion vol. 2 #273)

President Marte Allon, at the request of the United Earth, orders the Legion to disband for not punishing Brainiac 5 for the murder of An Ryd, who supposedly died at his hands during a period when he suffered from insanity. Brainy knows that, as long as his innocence is in question, he cannot remain a member, and he leaves. Chameleon Boy shocks the other Legionnaires by telling them that they should begin looking for An Ryd's true killer! The Legionnaires travel to Rimbor, where they begin their own investigation into Ryd's death. They are soon attacked by Ryd's true killer... Pulsar Stargrave. Ever since his defeat, Stargrave has worked towards one end — the destruction of Brainiac 5. After defeating the Legionnaires, Stargrave heads to one of Rimbor's colonized moons. Elsewhere, Brainiac 5 concludes that he could not have killed An Ryd. He catches up with the Legionnaires, and then goes after Stargrave alone. Brainiac 5 follows Stargrave's trail, and finds his enemy waiting for him. Brainy tricks Stargrave into releasing a massive amount of his energy, apparently destroying himself. Brainy survives inside of his personal force-shield.

Pulsar Stargrave was reawakened in 2985, when the new computer system of the planet Bismoll gained sentience and summoned his computer intelligence to lead them to conquer the planet. Stargrave was stopped in a somewhat embarrasing adventure involving former Legionnaire Matter-Eater Lad (who bit off the villain's nose) and the then-incompetent Legion of Substitute Heroes. He handled them effortlessly, but was destroyed when Matter-Eater Lad pushed Stone Boy onto Stargrave, splitting the android in two. (Legion of Substitute Heroes Special #1)

Powers

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Post-Crisis: Mr. Starr

The Legion of Super-Heroes encountered a Coluan android in the called Pulsar Stargrave. He once claimed to be a Coluan scientist who gained great power when his ship got caught in a stellar explosion, once claimed to be the father of Brainiac 5, and later claimed to be Brainiac himself, a name which could signify any number of beings from Colu's distant past. He could also have been another incarnation of the Computer Tyrants of Colu (who once did call one of their mobile units Brainiac, but that Brainiac had a more mechanical appearance; Stargrave looks like an ordinary Coluan with no hair), which took a bodily form upon the destruction of their central processors on Colu by Vril Dox II in the late twentieth century. (L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #3) It is uncertain how it managed to survive Dox's last recorded destruction of it.

...

Over millennia, Colu has produced some of the most brilliant minds in the galaxy. But this has turned out to be both a blessing and a curse to this planet. One of the Coluans' greatest failings was to create a completely computerized system to run most mundane aspects of their society. In time, this system developed its own sentience and took over society by force. This complex network became known to their people as the Computer Tyrants.

It's ironic; perhaps the Tyrants' biggest failing was to then put their faith in the abilities of a few gifted Coluans, like Vril Dox the first, to whom they entrusted important scientific operations. Dox eventually became the lead scientist on Colu and culled favor with the Tyrants. He was also allowed to mate (or, engineer his offspring), which resulted in the birth of his son, Vril Dox II.

Eventually, Dox the senior became too great a threat to the Tyrants, and they destroyed him (though his mental essence survived). Dox would go on to emulate his masters, as a tyrant in his own right: Brainiac. After this, Vril Dox would show little interest in revenge, but his son was another matter. With his father gone, the Tyrants had no use for the younger Dox. He was considered a loose end, and the Tyrants gave him over to the Dominators' as a good faith gesture of their neutrality in the war against Earth. (L.E.G.I.O.N. #23)

Vril Dox II went on to be instrumental in the downfall of Dominators' invasion alliance. Dox the Second inspired his own band of fellows who reluctantly agreed to accompany him back to his home world, Colu. Dox was emboldened by their success and sought nothing short of the destruction of his masters, the Computer Tyrants. In young Vril's mind, he owed a debt to the people of Colu, to atone for the evils of his traitorous father. (#1) Dox's team was successful in shutting down the Tyrants' mainframe, (#2) but without the Tyrants to guide it, Coluan society fell apart. The Tyrants could not return to their mainframe on the planet, so they escaped to an orbiting satellite and assumed a humanoid form. After this, they began plotting revenge and set their sights on a new world to subjugate. (#3)

Dox went on to found the L.E.G.I.O.N. and the Tyrants took up root on Talok VII: the home world of the Legionnaire Lyrissa Mallor. Talok was a primitive society and they welcomed the Tyrants with little question. They dubbed the Tyrants Mr. Starr. To further secure the Talokians; devotion, Mr. Starr killed a band of Khunds who sought asylum on Talok VIII. In Mallor's absence, the Talokians hailed Starr as Talok's new planetary champion. (#11) The Tyrants soon realized that they could use Lyrissa's daughter, Lydea, to get revenge on the heroes who'd ruined them. "Starr" posed as the planet's shadow god and convinced the people to sacrifice Lydea to him. They then proceeded to impersonate Lyrissa and torture and brainwash the child. They accelerated growth and dubbed her Darkstar. (#15)

Lydea's father escaped to L.E.G.I.O.N. headquarters on Cairn and tried to tell Lyrissa about this. He was dismissed as a raving lunatic and could not convince them. Once Lydea was fully "programmed," the Tyrants sent her to Cairn. They'd done their job well. Darkstar killed her mother. (#20-21)

The team wasted no time in discovering that the Tyrants had been behind this and Dox sent his most powerful members to Talok VIII. They found Starr, who held his own against both the Emerald Eye and Lady Quark. But Dox disrupted their circuitry long enough for his team to overload the android, and it destructed in a massive explosion. (#22)

...

Post-Crisis: Mr. Starr

Prologue: Colu is one of the rim worlds, located about 20,000 light years from Earth, out on the approach to the Magellanic Clouds. It is the fourth planet from its sun and its surface is almost exactly 50% land-50% sea. The planet has six moons. The Coluans are not only the most advanced humanoid intellects known but also the longest living mortals in the galaxy, with average life-spans of 600 years. In the mid 20th century (as measured by Earth standards), the planet was taken over by a world-wide computer network which, because of their malevolent nature, became known as the Computer Tyrants of Colu. By the late 20th century, the planet's people were like helpless children, brainwashed for obedience at birth. One exception was the evil scientist Vril Dox, who served the Tyrants willingly. Vril Dox had a son of the same name who was accelerated to adulthood, however he did not share the views of his traitorous father. Eventually, the Tyrants grew nervous and ridded themselves of the elder Vril Dox. The mind of the elder Dox survived and took over a Terran's body, becoming the villain known as Brainiac. The younger Dox was handed over to an Alien Alliance.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #1 (Feb 1989), "Homecoming"
Vril Dox II, a Durlan, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, and Stealth escape from the Alien Alliance in a cargo trawler. The six are to return home, beginning with Vril Dox of Colu. When the ship reaches Coluan orbit, it is attacked by a missile from the planet's surface. Garryn Bek pilots the ship to the surface, barely avoiding destruction. The six leave the ship for cover, moments before it is finally destroyed. The group realize that Dox set them up. They are captured by Coluan forces. In prison, Lyrissa tells the others that although the planet is a seemingly normal world, it is actually ruled by the Computer Tyrants of Colu. Dox admits shamefully that he is the son of the greatest traitor that Colu has ever known. He had helped the five others escape in the trawler during a battle between the inmates and jailers, and intentionally brought them to Colu to help free it from the Tyrants. Bek notices that the Durlan is missing. The Durlan is discovered attempting to enter the Command Center. He destroys the attacking drones and causes an explosion which frees the others from their prisons. The Computer Tyrants decide that the best course of action is to destroy the entire building and all inside!

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #2 (Mar 1989), "So You Want To Be A Despot?"
The building containing Dox and his band is destroyed, killing over 300 people. However, the six heroes survive underground. When sterilization units enter the tunnels, Lyrissa uses her shadow powers, which alerts the Tyrants. The decision is made that the only choice is to head to the Central Core. The six make it to the restricted zone and succeed in shutting the Tyrants down.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #3 (Apr 1989), "How To Win Friends and Influence People!"
Dox and his group make it to the planet's surface and find the city in flames! Above Colu, the collective electronic intelligence of the Computer Tyrants inhabit a synthetic humanoid form; it then heads towards the planet. As Dox sets a bomb in the Central Core, the humanoid attacks. Dox quickly recognizes it as the Computer Tyrants. The bomb detonates, trapping the Tyrants in the humanoid form. Blind with fury, the humanoid takes off into space.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #7 (Aug 1989), "The Nature of the Beast"
The humanoid vessel housing the Computer Tyrants of Colu arrives on the planet Talok VIII.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #8 (Sep 1989), "Don't Look Back"
Vril Dox and his team free the planet Cairn, and begin building the foundation of an interstellar police force that will later be called L.E.G.I.O.N.. On Talok VIII, the Computer Tyrants, now calling themselves Mr. Starr, have offered to help build a new government.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #9 (Nov 1989), "Second Chances"
One month has passed. Starr is told of minimal progress, but learns of the importance of Lyrissa Mallor, the planetary champion of Talok VIII, and of her daughter, Lydea.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #11 (Jan 1990), "Power Play"
Starr learns how to convert the energy of Talok VIII's sun into raw power. Khund ships, evading the Dominion, enter orbit around Talok VIII. Starr destroys the ship to make it look as if he saved the planet.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #13 (Mar 1990), "Deceptions"
Lyrissa's husband gives up their infant child Lydea as a sacrifice. Starr takes the child into the shadowy caves.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #14 (Apr 1990), "The Sound of Silence"
Starr uses a Lyrissa android to cause Lydea pain, planting a deep hatred for her mother in the child.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #15 (May 1990), "Nightmares"
Starr artificially ages Lydea Mallor to adulthood ... creating the evil Lydea Darkstar!

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #17 (July 1990), "The Power of Positive Thinking"
Lydea Darkstar boards a ship for Cairn, homeworld of L.E.G.I.O.N..

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #19 (Sep 1990), "Bitter Victory"
Lydea Darkstar enters L.E.G.I.O.N. headquarters. She tracks down, and attacks, her mother Lyrissa Mallor.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #20 (Oct 1990), "Girl Trouble"
Vril Dox and some L.E.G.I.O.N. officers find Lyrissa Mallor, Strata, Phase, Telepath, and a Talokian stranger unconscious. Later, Telepath explains that they had come to Lyrissa's aide and fought the stranger. Dox uses Telepath to probe the stranger's mind and discovers not only that she is Lyrissa's daughter, but also that she was sent by the Computer Tyrants of Colu! After informing the Beks of Lyrissa's death, he sends them to Talok VIII to battle the Computer Tyrants. Dox sends Lady Quark to follow them.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #21 (Nov 1990), "Light and Shade"
Garryn and Marij'n Bek reach Talok VIII, where they are attacked by Mr. Starr.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 #22 (Dec 1990), "Starrdoom"
The L.E.G.I.O.N.naires learn of the death of Lyrissa Mallor. After discovering that her killer is Lydea Mallor, Lyrissa's daughter, and that she was sent by the Computer Tyrants, the core team heads to Talok VIII. They arrive in time to aid the Beks and Lady Quark against Starr. Dox shoves an electronic disrupter into Starr's neck and, after he is blasted by the heroes, he explodes.

It is at this point that things get a little confusing. The previous issues are valid for the post-Crisis and post-Zero Hour realities, but not for the pre-Crisis reality. The following issues are valid for the pre-Crisis and post-Crisis (Pocket Universe) realities, but not the post-Zero Hour reality. All clear? Good. Now we move forward approximately one thousand years.

Powers

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