2027 is shaping up to be a huge year for Brainiac, with the iconic Superman foe set to make his live-action debut in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman: Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to Superman (2025). Lars Eidinger is reportedly set to play the character, and fans are eager to get their first look. Until that moment arrives, DC has given fans something to hold them over by releasing a first look at the villain’s upcoming appearance in 2026.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow will bring the Man of Steel and Lex Luthor together in an uneasy alliance as they set aside their differences to combat the greater, intellect-based alien threat of Brainiac. However, this isn’t the only highly anticipated team-up Superman has coming.
On March 24, 2026, the Man of Steel will officially team up with Spider-Man as the two take on the double threat of Brainiac and Doctor Octopus in DC / Marvel: Superman / Spider-Man #1 by Mark Waid and Jorge Jiménez. And now, DC has dropped a sneak peek at the two villains’ upcoming appearance.
DC Drops Brainiac First-Look Ahead of Superman x Spider-Man Team-Up
Instagram Post by DC Comics, Art by Jorge Jiménez
DC Comics took to its official Instagram page and posted a cheeky teaser for the upcoming DC / Marvel: Superman / Spider-Man #1. The post features art by none other than Jorge Jiménez, spotlighting Brainiac and Doctor Octopus in their respective ships and labs. The artwork also poses the question: “Which Would You Invite to Trivia Night?”
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To answer Jiménez’s question, I’d first have to ask: Is whoever I choose a teammate or an opponent? Luckily, DC clarified in the caption, stating, “Two genius-level intellects, but who’s sitting on your team: Brainiac or Doc Ock?” Therefore, if I’m choosing a teammate, I’m definitely going with Brainiac. While Otto is an elite-level genius, Brainiac is an alien superintelligence with a 12th-level intellect whose entire existence revolves around collecting and optimizing knowledge across the universe.
Brainiac is essentially a living supercomputer, so when it comes to a trivia partner, it’s a no-brainer for me to choose the DC villain. While Otto is known as one of the smartest humans in the Marvel Universe, his intelligence is still fundamentally human and therefore limited in ways that Brainiac’s is not.
Brainiac Is Taking the DC Universe by Storm in Comics & Movies
Main cover by Jorge Jiménez for DC / Marvel: Superman / Spider-Man #1 (2026)
Superman Spider-Man #1 DC
When it comes to Brainiac’s design for his upcoming appearance, Jorge Jiménez appears to have opted for a relatively classic look for the character, much like Doctor Octopus’s design. And while DC / Marvel: Superman / Spider-Man #1 has no connection to James Gunn’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow, fans can likely expect the live-action version to resemble something similar.
Since this will be Brainiac’s debut in the DCU, it would be surprising if Gunn gave the character a major design overhaul. Instead, we will likely get a Brainiac that is instantly recognizable and classic, unlike the villain’s debut in Jason Aaron’s Absolute Superman series, which pushes the design to extremes with heavy body-horror elements.
It’s honestly wild how many Brainiac designs we’re seeing within such a short span of time, from main continuity to the Absolute Universe and even live-action by 2027. DC is truly going all-in on the villain, and the fact that he is playing such a major role across multiple comic titles only makes his upcoming appearance in the Superman sequel all the more exciting.
CBR Exclusive · Quiz
WHICH MARVEL CHARACTER ARE YOU?
Your Powers Are About to Be Revealed
The Marvel Universe is full of extraordinary people — genius billionaires, super-soldiers, sorcerers, and gods. Twenty questions stand between you and the truth. Answer honestly. Your true self will assemble.
⚡Iron Man
🛡️Captain America
🗡️Black Widow
☘️Thor
🕷️Spider-Man
FIND OUT WHICH HERO YOU ARE →
01
You’re outnumbered and outgunned. What do you do?
A hero’s instinct is defined in their darkest moment.
AImprovise a solution on the spot — I always find a way.
BStand my ground. Someone has to hold the line.
CAssess the threat, identify the weakness, strike precisely.
DCall down the storm. Power solves most problems.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
02
Your team disagrees with your plan. How do you handle it?
Every Avenger has their own idea of teamwork.
AListen, adapt — the best plan wins, whoever thought of it.
BMy plan is right. I’ll convince them or go alone.
CBuild consensus. Unity is our greatest strength.
DObserve the disagreement — the truth usually becomes obvious.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
03
What does your hero identity mean to you?
The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
AIt’s my brand. My name is the message.
BIt’s a symbol — bigger than any one person.
CIt keeps the people I love safe. Anonymity is armor.
DI am who I am, wherever I go. No disguise needed.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
04
How do you typically make big decisions?
A hero’s process shapes their outcome.
ARun the data, model the outcomes, pick the optimal path.
BAsk: what’s the right thing to do? Then do it.
CGather intel, weigh every variable, then commit.
DTrust my gut — experience and power get me through.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
05
Someone takes credit for your work in front of everyone. You:
Pride is the armor and the weakness of every hero.
ACorrect the record immediately — with receipts.
BLet it go. The mission matters, not the glory.
CFile it away and address it privately, strategically.
DLaugh it off. My reputation speaks for itself.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
06
A government agency wants to oversee your activities. Your response?
Accountability is the line every hero must face.
ASign nothing. I answer to my own moral code.
BOversight makes sense — even heroes need checks.
CCooperate on my terms. I choose what I share.
DI operate above earthly jurisdictions.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
07
When facing a villain, your strategy is:
Every fighter has a philosophy.
AOverwhelm them with superior tech and tactics.
BShield up, take the hits, look for the opening.
CGet inside their head — information wins fights before they start.
DHit first, hit hard — lightning ends it fast.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
08
Your biggest personal flaw is:
Every hero has a crack in the armor.
AMy ego — I sometimes think I’m the smartest person in the room. (I usually am.)
BStubbornness — when I believe in something, I don’t bend.
CI keep people at arm’s length. Trust is a liability.
DArrogance — I had to learn humility the hard way.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
09
A rookie hero is overwhelmed on their first mission. You:
How a hero mentors others reveals their character.
AJump in and handle it — debrief and mentor them after.
BTalk them through it step by step. They need to learn.
CCover their back silently — let them think they did it alone.
DInspire them with a rallying call. Belief is half the battle.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
10
What drives you more than anything else?
The “why” behind the hero is everything.
ALegacy — I want to prove I’m more than my past.
BDuty — protecting people is a responsibility, not a choice.
CSurvival — I protect myself and those close to me.
DHonor — I must be worthy of the power I carry.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
11
You’ve just suffered a crushing defeat. What’s next?
A hero is measured by how they get back up.
ARebuild and upgrade — I come back with a better suit.
BI could do this all day. Get back up and go again.
CRetreat, reassess — then return when the odds are mine.
DChannel the loss into fury. Wrath has its uses.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
12
You could end a threat permanently — but it crosses an ethical line. You:
The hardest choices define a hero from a weapon.
AFind a smarter solution that doesn’t require crossing that line.
BRefuse. There are lines I will never cross. Period.
CWeigh the numbers coldly. Sometimes the math is ugly.
DEscalate the power. No threat survives overwhelming force.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
13
What do you actually fear most?
Even the mightiest hero has something to lose.
AFailure — being the person who could have stopped it and didn’t.
BA world that loses its belief in what’s right.
CBeing truly known — and rejected for it.
DBecoming a monster. Losing control of my own power.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
14
People who just met you would describe you as:
First impressions carry a grain of truth.
ABrilliant, confident, maybe a little much — but magnetic.
BSolid, trustworthy — the kind of person you rally behind.
CReserved, sharp-eyed — clearly assessing everything.
DCommanding — the presence in the room everyone notices.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
15
What’s your ideal base of operations?
Where a hero operates reveals how they think.
AA state-of-the-art tower with every tool at my fingertips.
BWherever the mission takes me — I travel light.
CAn off-grid safe house. Low profile is the advantage.
DAn ancient palace above the clouds. I prefer altitude.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
16
What does “being a hero” actually mean to you?
The philosophy behind the power is the real definition.
AUsing your advantages to solve problems others can’t.
BDoing what’s right even when it costs you everything.
CProtecting people who can’t protect themselves — quietly.
DEarning the right to carry great power through sacrifice.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
17
What do you want to leave behind?
The mark a hero leaves is their truest measure.
ATechnology that protects humanity long after I’m gone.
BProof that one person’s character can change the world.
CA world where the next generation doesn’t need me.
DA realm that stands in peace, protected and free.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
18
Someone you love is in danger. Your first move is:
Crisis strips away everything but the truth.
ADeploy every asset immediately — no hesitation.
BPut myself between them and the threat. That’s the job.
CExtract them quietly. They never need to know I was there.
DSummon every ounce of power I have. Nothing is off the table.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
19
Your power — where does it come from?
Origin shapes destiny in the Marvel Universe.
AI built it. Every advantage I have, I engineered myself.
BIt was given to me. I chose to be worthy of it.
CIt’s earned through training, sacrifice, and sheer will.
DIt’s ancient — cosmic and beyond mortal understanding.
TRANSMIT ANSWER →
20
The final battle. Everything is on the line. You:
This is the moment that defines everything.
AMake the one genius move no one saw coming — even if it costs me.
BNever surrender. I fight until there’s nothing left in me.
CStrike from the shadows at the exact right moment.
DBring the full force of my power down. No holding back.
REVEAL MY HERO →
THE MARVEL UNIVERSE HAS SPOKEN
YOUR HERO IDENTITY
Your scores are shown below. The character with the highest number is your match. Read their description to discover which hero the universe chose for you.
⚡
Iron Man
🛡️
Cap. America
🗡️
Black Widow
☘️
Thor
🕷️
Spider-Man
Brilliant, driven, and uncompromising in your ambition. You believe that the right technology — in the right hands — can solve any problem, and you’re confident enough in your own abilities to back that up. Beneath the armor and the bravado, you carry the weight of responsibility deeply. When it truly matters, you’re willing to sacrifice everything.
Principled, courageous, and steadfast. You have an unshakeable sense of right and wrong, and no amount of pressure, politics, or power can make you compromise it. People trust you instinctively — not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it. You lead not by authority but by example, and you will always get back up.
Strategic, precise, and formidably self-reliant. You don’t need a suit or a superpower — your greatest weapon is your mind and your nerve. You keep your cards close, trust slowly, and operate three steps ahead of everyone else. Your past is complicated, but you’ve turned it into something that makes you nearly impossible to stop.
Powerful, honorable, and ultimately humbled by what truly matters. You came into your power believing it was your birthright — and then you learned it had to be earned. Your strength is immense, but your greatest growth came from learning to serve rather than reign. Loyal to your people, terrifying to your enemies, and always magnificent.
Quick-witted, deeply compassionate, and driven by a responsibility you didn’t ask for. You’ve learned the hard way that great power comes with great cost — and you show up anyway. You stay grounded when others would ascend, and your humanity is your greatest strength. You make it look effortless. It never is.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
DC / Marvel: Superman / Spider-Man #1 from DC Comics is available on March 25, 2026!
Created By
Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
First Appearance
Action Comics