The Living Brain is a fictional comic book character and robot in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by writer Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #8 and has made few subsequent appearances since.
A foe of the hero Spider-Man, the Living Brain was created by the fictional International Computing Machines Corporation and billed as the most intelligent computer and robot in existence, capable of solving virtually any question asked of it.
Publication history
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the Living Brain's first appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man #8 (Jan. 1964).
Fictional character history
The Living Brain, soon after its creation, is brought to Midtown High School by its creator Dr. Petty as a part of a demonstration of its ability to solve any problem. The students agreed to ask Spider-Man's secret identity, and a nervous Peter Parker fed it the given information about the wall-crawler. The answer was given in mathematical code for Peter to decode that night (because of this, it is unknown if the Living Brain had correctly deduced Spider-Man's true identity). After the Living Brain's demonstration, two workmen hired to transport it overhear the Living Brain's ability to answer anything and decide to steal it in order to use its abilities for gambling purposes. Caught in the middle of stealing the Living Brain by Dr. Petty, the two workmen get into a scuffle with him, which ends with one of them being knocked into the control panel on the Living Brain's chest, which causes the Living Brain to malfunction. Going on a rampage through Midtown High, the Living Brain is eventually defeated by Spider-Man, who shuts it down, in a brief fight. Peter walked home, thinking that the next day he'd tell everyone he'd lost the code during the confusion.
The Living Brain reappears several years later, now discredited and broken-down. Dr. Petty plans to donate it to Midtown High School's science lab. The Living Brain ends up being stolen by Dr. Petty's son Steve Petty who modifies the robot, giving it a gold and red color scheme, clawed hands and the ability to fly. Remotely controlling the Living Brain to attack a bully who had been tormenting him, Steve is eventually defeated by Spider-Man (who had been on a visit to Midtown High as Peter Parker) and the Living Brain is shut down once more. The Living Brain, restored to its pre-upgrade appearance, was then acquired by a group of criminals, who used it to commit robberies. The robot and its controllers were apprehended by Spider-Man, who mockingly referred to the Living Brain as "a talking gumball machine".
The Beyond Corporation somehow created duplicates of Living Brain and unleashed them upon Nextwave at the time when they invaded the Beyond Corporation's State 51 base. Nextwave managed to make short work of the Living Brain duplicates.
Living Brain was among the contestants in a cosmic roller derby held by Chadmaster (a younger version of the Grandmaster). It was destroyed by a Sentinel.
As part of the Marvel NOW! event, Living Brain appears as a member of Boomerang's incarnation of the Sinister Six. Following the Sinister Six's defeat at the hands of the Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus's mind in Peter Parker's body), Living Brain's body is in the custody of Horizon Labs. Living Brain has been reprogrammed by Otto and now serves as his assistant.
Living Brain later preps Otto's lab for a "Parker-Ectomy."
When Spider-Island II is attacked by the Goblin Underground, the Superior Spider-Man gets Living Brain out and rides it away from Spider-Island II while evading the pursuers from the Goblin Underground. The Superior Spider-Man later uses Living Brain to help fight Monster (the Goblin form of Carlie Cooper).
After Peter Parker reclaimed his body, Living Brain was kept as his assistant.
Powers and abilities
Living Brain has the ability to analyze any situation and determine how best to achieve its goals. Like any computer, Living Brain can process and collate large amounts of information. Living Brain can find any weaknesses in a being or structure as well as determining the best situation to overcome this obstacle. Living Brain has dense metal exo-skeleton and possesses super-strength and speed. It can also fly and has clawed hands. The joints of Living Brain's limbs can rotate nearly 360 degrees. Originally, Living Brain had external controls on its thorax, with which it can be deactivated, yet Living Brain has always countered any attempts to reach it. Living Brain was later operated by remote-control. The Living Brain has great strength, ability to move upon command and its limbs can perform various motions...It has the ability to think due to its great computerized "brain"...It was short-circuited after its first introduction in the school and went hay-wire until Peter readjusted the machine back to normal...The "souped-up" later version had the ability to hover or fly and was quite stronger.
Other versions
Marvel Age
In the Marvel Age Universe, the Living Brain (radically redesigned, with a humanoid shape somewhat similar to the DC Comics character Chemo) appears in a more modern re-telling of its original appearance in the comics. The Living Brain, was developed by Roxxon to demonstrate itself at Peter's school, Midtown High. It is taken down due to an inability to deduce Spider-Man's identity, however two students decide to use the robot to steal for them. However they accidentally switch him into defense mode, tearing through the school, until de-activated by Spider-Man.
In other media
Television
- In the Spider-Man episode "The Return of Hydro-Man" Pt. 2, a robot in the toy shop resembles Living Brain.
References
External links
- Living Brain at Marvel Wiki
- Living Brain at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe