Brainwave (comics)
Encyclopedia
Brainwave is a name shared by two characters in the DC Comics
Universe
, who are father and son.
in the 1940s, first appearing in All-Star Comics #15 (February/March 1943). He was a member of the Injustice Society
.
with vast mental attributes. An introvert, he found solace in reading books, which he one day learned to create three-dimensional images of, such as Sir Lancelot of the Round Table. He had developed a crush
on a neighbor girl named Lucy who eventually married his acquaintance Edwin Ackerman, causing King tremendous jealousy.
As an adult, King was a college and later medical school graduate, obtaining a psychiatry
degree. He decided to use his now more fully developed image projecting abilities in a secret life of crime. His first criminal act was creating thought-constructs that stole money needed by him to fund his new activities. He then became a crime lord.
In early 1942, Brain Wave contacted Professor Elba, developer of the "insanity serum", augmented by Brain Wave's mental abilities. It was administered to people around the nation causing them to commit crimes. Professor Elba was defeated by the Justice Society and when he tried to inject Johnny Thunder
with it, but Doctor Mid-Nite
caused him to inject himself, he was killed when falling out of a window.
Noticing this team of vigilantes, Brain Wave approached individual members of the JSA as psychiatrist Dr. Henry King. Implanting a post-hypnotic suggestions to assemble at the 1939 World's Fair
Perisphere
, he attached each of the JSAers (except Green Lantern) to a mental chamber which immersed them in a fantasy of wartime conflict. Brain Wave next assembled the All-Star Squadron at the World's Fair's Trylon tower, imprisoning each of them in the same device. However, once Green Lantern was connected to the device, his willpower proved too great for the chamber and its orchestrator, leaving it in ruin and King mentally unstable.
In 1943, Brain Wave again battled the Justice Society, when its individual members traced various criminal operations back to Dr. King. At this time, he vented his revenge on Edwin Ackerman. Starman tracked King to his office of psychiatry, however he was unable to produce sufficient proof to arrest the villain. Each of the JSAers, plus heroines Wonder Woman
, Hawkgirl
, Inza Cramer, Dian Belmont, Doris Lee and Peachy Pet Thunder who were dressed as their male counterparts, eventually converged on King's Sharktooth Bay tower. However he used images of their boyfriends to capture them, but when he tried to gas the group Wonder Woman broke her fetters and went after King, who jumped off of his tower to his assumed doom.
However, King's smock was caught on the limb of a tree by him throwing it over. Thus saved, he sought revenge by utilizing his shrinking ray device to shrink the JSAers to a height of 8 inches. Wonder Woman was lured away by the minutes from the past JSA meetings had been stolen and she was getting the copies. Storing them as trophies in his lair, King left his foes to meet with his minions. With the aid of Hawkman
's bird allies, the JSAers left to confront the criminal henchmen directly as they attempted to commit crimes. Eventually, Johnny Thunder
commanded his Thunderbolt to help restore each member to their proper height, and when he got into trouble his Thunderbolt got the other members to the Tower. The JSA then converged once more at the Sharktooth Bay tower, the road to which was mined by King. However, Thunderbolt teleported the bombs to under the tower, which again seemed to have ended the life of King.
Having once again survived by the stones shielding him from the blast though he was cut and scratched, King adopted the alias of dream psychologist Dr. Forest Malone. In 1946, he petitioned his adversaries to subject themselves to his experimental dream analyzer. This device slowly drove each member except for Johnny Thunder towards insanity, such as making Hawkman think he was a thermometer, the Atom think he was a sponge, Mid-Nite he was an infectious disease, the Green Lantern that he was the sun and the three balloons were his little planets. As Johny Thunder was a wacky thinker anyway he was immune to it and actually became sane. With the assistance of Thunder's Thunderbolt, King was this time apprehended and placed in jail, though a blow to the head restored Johnny to his normal state.
However, King escaped confinement in 1947 as he joined the Wizard's first incarnation of the Injustice Society of the World. Each member was assigned to steal a key item from the Government, while leading an army of prison escapees from one of five mass jail breaks the ISW had orchestrated and capture or kill a JSA member. Green Lantern arrives in Uthorium Town just as the armed forces are closing in on the criminals that control the city. Suddenly, the town disappears in a flash of light. G.L. begins a search for the criminal army, when he discovers the town has re-appeared a few miles away, and the felons are looting uthorium from a lab. The Emerald Crusader zooms in for the attack, when the Brain Wave appears on the scene, opening a canister of uthorium in his presence. Blinded, G.L. forms an energy bubble for protection while Brain Wave and his men finish their job. Recovering later. Green Lantern discovers a radioactive trail left behind by the uthorium and follows it, discovering some of the thugs with an invention called the "Mirage-Thrower," which fools the Army tanks into crossing a frozen lake which really isn't frozen. G.L. saves the tanks and men, then follows the trail to discover Brain Wave inside a weird glass box. Firing his power ring at it, the ray bounces back, knocking the Emerald Crusader off a cliff, apparently to his death! However Lantern 's power ring saved him at the last moment and he freed his fellow teammates, who had all been captured by the ISW and put on a mock trial, by capturing and impersonating the Thinker and captured King and his colleagues. When Superman disappeared for a year due to a spell cast by the Wizard, it is mentioned that Brainwave claimed he had been behind it. However the Wizard is eventually persuaded to bring Superman back (it turned out only Sperman's memory of being Superman had been taken), proving the Wizard was behind it.
In 1976 King appeared again as a villain, this time insane after his many years in solitary confinement. He blamed the Justice Society for his punishment. Using the sheer power of his brain as well as devices reconstructed from his days with the Injustice Society, he created a space station headquarters which orbited the earth. His desire was to collect many of the beautiful art objects of the earth, to have a new body constructed for himself, and to eventually destroy the JSA.
In order to accomplish his second goal he sought out and found a very diminished Per Degaton
, another JSA villain and founding ISW member, now nothing but a homeless vagrant. He brought the man to his space station and used his scientific devices to rejuvenate the old man. This was accomplished by tapping into the "will energy" of the JSAers and feeding that energy into Degaton.
Brain Wave set up three disasters and transmitted the information, anonymously, to the JSA computer. The disasters would take place in Seattle, Washington; Cape Town
, South Africa
; and Peking, China
. The transmission also caused the JSA computer to conclude total destruction of life on Earth if these disasters were not averted. The JSA (Hawkman
, Flash
, Dr. Mid-Nite, Wildcat
, Doctor Fate
and Green Lantern
) split into teams and traveled to those cities in an attempt to investigate and stop the destruction. Their actions resulted in the team gaining the help of Robin
, the Star-Spangled Kid
, and a woman they had never yet met before: Power Girl
who helped stop a volcano.
It was Power Girl who discovered that the cause behind the disasters was the Brain Wave. Using the JSA Sky-Rocket (a re-usable spacecraft) the Flash, Wildcat and Power Girl entered Earth orbit in search of Brain Wave's satellite. They were later joined by the other heroes. Together they fought Brain Wave and Degaton, yet they almost lost the battle when Brainwave used his powers to set the Earth on a collision course with the Sun, until Power Girl pushed the satellite away from Earth and towards the sun, the heat causing the villains to pass out. The electronic devices shorted, the battle ended, and the powerhouses of the JSA brought the team and the villains back to Earth.
In 1977, less than a year later, Brain Wave appeared again, no longer incarcerated, but within the JSA HQ as a member of the regathered Injustice Society
(Icicle
, the Wizard
and the Thinker
). The villainous team had captured both Hourman
and Wildcat and issued a challenge to the JSA: "You must battle us for their lives at places of our choosing, the land of frozen gold and the isle of the ever-burning flame." In the end, both heroes were saved.
In Blackest Night crossover, Brain Wave has been identified as one of the deceased entombed below the Hall of Justice
. Brain Wave's corpse is reanimated as part of the Black Lantern Corps
.
superhero
, sometimes supervillain
, who is the son of Merry Pemberton
and the original Brain Wave, from whom he inherited his powers. Created by Roy Thomas
, Jerry Ordway
and Mike Machlan, he first appears in All-Star Squadron
#24 (1983).
, daughter of the original Green Lantern
.
When Hank's father dies, he passes on his mental powers to his son, greatly increasing them and causing him to become somewhat unhinged. He drops the "Jr.". After Infinity Inc. disbands, Hank drops out of the public eye.
He shows up years later, with a group he calls the Legion of Doom
. They fight several members of the Justice League
. After that adventure, he reappears in a mental institution. This facility had been specifically created for him; its funds come from the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott
. Brainwave is still very ill and is almost slain by Obsidian
. He appears again later in New York City, causing riots and general chaos with his telepathy, even mind controlling Jade and Green Lantern (Alan Scott)
until finally confronting Kyle Rayner
. He leaves peacefully.
's team, including Infinitors Northwind
and Atom Smasher, helping to liberate Kahndaq
. In an attempt to stop Hank, considered the most dangerous member of the team, Hawkman
has Ray Palmer
shrink and enter Brainwave's body. Guided by Dr. Mid-Nite, Palmer plans to operate on King's brain, specifically the abnormal mass of nerve fibers leading from the auditory cortex to a growth on the side of the inferior colliculus
, the supposed source of Brainwave's powers.
While a member of Black Adam's group, Brainwave acts both malicious and calculating, seemingly being depicted as a supervillain again. His telepathy is also portrayed at a high point, being able to will the powerful Captain Marvel
to turn back into young Billy Batson by forcing him to say "Shazam!"
The source of these actions are found in Hank's brain, where Palmer encounters Mr. Mind, a Captain Marvel villain, who is feeding on Brainwave's growth. He finds it especially delicious, unlike regular humans. Palmer eventually gets past the worm and successfully incapacitates Brainwave. He is taken back with the JSA
and left in the care of his mother Merry Pemberton
. It is unknown when Brainwave became a host for Mr. Mind.
Later, Brainwave is recruited by Doctor Fate
to save Sand
from The Dreaming
. In that mental plane, he is able to destroy the brainwashing that has been done to Sand and returns him to the waking realm. He has given up his heroic identity and is currently in the country of Parador.
Henry King, Jr. is portrayed differently over his many appearances, being heroic at first, appearing as a villain secondly, and with a third portrayal as a mixture of the two, but largely heroic.
Chief among their powers is telepathy
. Both are able to dominate many minds at once and cause people to see illusions or even have complete control over them. Proximity seemed key to the effectiveness of this power, even though it had no defined range. King Jr. had mentioned how even strong wills could not resist him when he was right next to them. While many telepaths filter out the thoughts of others, King Jr. allows the millions of minds he constantly comes across to flow freely through his mind.
Lesser used powers of the Kings include telekinesis, the creation of realistic three-dimensional holograms, and the ability to fire blasts of psionic energy.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, who are father and son.
Henry King, Sr.
The Brain Wave was Henry King, a super-villain who used his psionic powers to battle the Justice Society of AmericaJustice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
in the 1940s, first appearing in All-Star Comics #15 (February/March 1943). He was a member of the Injustice Society
Injustice Society
The Injustice Society is a group of fictional supervillains in the . They are the main antagonists of the Justice Society of America.-Original team:...
.
Fictional character biography
Henry King, Sr. was born in the early 1910s as a metahumanMetahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
with vast mental attributes. An introvert, he found solace in reading books, which he one day learned to create three-dimensional images of, such as Sir Lancelot of the Round Table. He had developed a crush
Puppy love
Puppy love is an informal term for feelings of love or infatuation felt by young people during childhood and adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful affection that may be felt by a puppy. 'Simple infatuation is often called a "crush" or "puppy love"...
on a neighbor girl named Lucy who eventually married his acquaintance Edwin Ackerman, causing King tremendous jealousy.
As an adult, King was a college and later medical school graduate, obtaining a psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
degree. He decided to use his now more fully developed image projecting abilities in a secret life of crime. His first criminal act was creating thought-constructs that stole money needed by him to fund his new activities. He then became a crime lord.
In early 1942, Brain Wave contacted Professor Elba, developer of the "insanity serum", augmented by Brain Wave's mental abilities. It was administered to people around the nation causing them to commit crimes. Professor Elba was defeated by the Justice Society and when he tried to inject Johnny Thunder
Johnny Thunder
Johnny Thunder is the name of three fictional characters in comics published by DC Comics. A fourth character has the variant name Jonni Thunder.It is also the name of an unrelated Lego character.-Fictional character biography:...
with it, but Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Mid-Nite is a fictional superhero physician in DC Comics. The figure has been represented in the comics by three different individuals, Charles McNider, Beth Chapel and Pieter Anton Cross. Dr. Mid-Nite was originally created by writer Charles Reizenstein and artist Stanley Josephs Aschmeier...
caused him to inject himself, he was killed when falling out of a window.
Noticing this team of vigilantes, Brain Wave approached individual members of the JSA as psychiatrist Dr. Henry King. Implanting a post-hypnotic suggestions to assemble at the 1939 World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
Perisphere
Perisphere
The Trylon and Perisphere were two modernistic structures, together known as the "Theme Center," at the center of the New York World's Fair of 1939-1940. Connected to the spire-shaped Trylon by what was at the time the world's longest escalator, the Perisphere was a tremendous sphere, 180 feet in...
, he attached each of the JSAers (except Green Lantern) to a mental chamber which immersed them in a fantasy of wartime conflict. Brain Wave next assembled the All-Star Squadron at the World's Fair's Trylon tower, imprisoning each of them in the same device. However, once Green Lantern was connected to the device, his willpower proved too great for the chamber and its orchestrator, leaving it in ruin and King mentally unstable.
In 1943, Brain Wave again battled the Justice Society, when its individual members traced various criminal operations back to Dr. King. At this time, he vented his revenge on Edwin Ackerman. Starman tracked King to his office of psychiatry, however he was unable to produce sufficient proof to arrest the villain. Each of the JSAers, plus heroines Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
, Inza Cramer, Dian Belmont, Doris Lee and Peachy Pet Thunder who were dressed as their male counterparts, eventually converged on King's Sharktooth Bay tower. However he used images of their boyfriends to capture them, but when he tried to gas the group Wonder Woman broke her fetters and went after King, who jumped off of his tower to his assumed doom.
However, King's smock was caught on the limb of a tree by him throwing it over. Thus saved, he sought revenge by utilizing his shrinking ray device to shrink the JSAers to a height of 8 inches. Wonder Woman was lured away by the minutes from the past JSA meetings had been stolen and she was getting the copies. Storing them as trophies in his lair, King left his foes to meet with his minions. With the aid of Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
's bird allies, the JSAers left to confront the criminal henchmen directly as they attempted to commit crimes. Eventually, Johnny Thunder
Johnny Thunder
Johnny Thunder is the name of three fictional characters in comics published by DC Comics. A fourth character has the variant name Jonni Thunder.It is also the name of an unrelated Lego character.-Fictional character biography:...
commanded his Thunderbolt to help restore each member to their proper height, and when he got into trouble his Thunderbolt got the other members to the Tower. The JSA then converged once more at the Sharktooth Bay tower, the road to which was mined by King. However, Thunderbolt teleported the bombs to under the tower, which again seemed to have ended the life of King.
Having once again survived by the stones shielding him from the blast though he was cut and scratched, King adopted the alias of dream psychologist Dr. Forest Malone. In 1946, he petitioned his adversaries to subject themselves to his experimental dream analyzer. This device slowly drove each member except for Johnny Thunder towards insanity, such as making Hawkman think he was a thermometer, the Atom think he was a sponge, Mid-Nite he was an infectious disease, the Green Lantern that he was the sun and the three balloons were his little planets. As Johny Thunder was a wacky thinker anyway he was immune to it and actually became sane. With the assistance of Thunder's Thunderbolt, King was this time apprehended and placed in jail, though a blow to the head restored Johnny to his normal state.
However, King escaped confinement in 1947 as he joined the Wizard's first incarnation of the Injustice Society of the World. Each member was assigned to steal a key item from the Government, while leading an army of prison escapees from one of five mass jail breaks the ISW had orchestrated and capture or kill a JSA member. Green Lantern arrives in Uthorium Town just as the armed forces are closing in on the criminals that control the city. Suddenly, the town disappears in a flash of light. G.L. begins a search for the criminal army, when he discovers the town has re-appeared a few miles away, and the felons are looting uthorium from a lab. The Emerald Crusader zooms in for the attack, when the Brain Wave appears on the scene, opening a canister of uthorium in his presence. Blinded, G.L. forms an energy bubble for protection while Brain Wave and his men finish their job. Recovering later. Green Lantern discovers a radioactive trail left behind by the uthorium and follows it, discovering some of the thugs with an invention called the "Mirage-Thrower," which fools the Army tanks into crossing a frozen lake which really isn't frozen. G.L. saves the tanks and men, then follows the trail to discover Brain Wave inside a weird glass box. Firing his power ring at it, the ray bounces back, knocking the Emerald Crusader off a cliff, apparently to his death! However Lantern 's power ring saved him at the last moment and he freed his fellow teammates, who had all been captured by the ISW and put on a mock trial, by capturing and impersonating the Thinker and captured King and his colleagues. When Superman disappeared for a year due to a spell cast by the Wizard, it is mentioned that Brainwave claimed he had been behind it. However the Wizard is eventually persuaded to bring Superman back (it turned out only Sperman's memory of being Superman had been taken), proving the Wizard was behind it.
In 1976 King appeared again as a villain, this time insane after his many years in solitary confinement. He blamed the Justice Society for his punishment. Using the sheer power of his brain as well as devices reconstructed from his days with the Injustice Society, he created a space station headquarters which orbited the earth. His desire was to collect many of the beautiful art objects of the earth, to have a new body constructed for himself, and to eventually destroy the JSA.
In order to accomplish his second goal he sought out and found a very diminished Per Degaton
Per Degaton
Per Degaton is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain who can travel through time. Per Degaton made his first appearance in All Star Comics #35 and was created by John Broome and Irwin Hasen...
, another JSA villain and founding ISW member, now nothing but a homeless vagrant. He brought the man to his space station and used his scientific devices to rejuvenate the old man. This was accomplished by tapping into the "will energy" of the JSAers and feeding that energy into Degaton.
Brain Wave set up three disasters and transmitted the information, anonymously, to the JSA computer. The disasters would take place in Seattle, Washington; Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
; and Peking, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The transmission also caused the JSA computer to conclude total destruction of life on Earth if these disasters were not averted. The JSA (Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
, Flash
Jay Garrick
Jay Garrick is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe and the first to use the name Flash.-The Flash:...
, Dr. Mid-Nite, Wildcat
Wildcat (comics)
Wildcat is the name of several fictional characters, all DC Comics superheroes. The first and most famous of these is Ted Grant, a long-time member of the Justice Society of America...
, Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
and Green Lantern
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
) split into teams and traveled to those cities in an attempt to investigate and stop the destruction. Their actions resulted in the team gaining the help of Robin
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
, the Star-Spangled Kid
Sylvester Pemberton
Sylvester Pemberton, alternately known as The Star-Spangled Kid and Skyman, is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe. Sylvester first appeared in Action Comics #40 and was created by Jerry Siegel and Hal Sherman....
, and a woman they had never yet met before: Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
who helped stop a volcano.
It was Power Girl who discovered that the cause behind the disasters was the Brain Wave. Using the JSA Sky-Rocket (a re-usable spacecraft) the Flash, Wildcat and Power Girl entered Earth orbit in search of Brain Wave's satellite. They were later joined by the other heroes. Together they fought Brain Wave and Degaton, yet they almost lost the battle when Brainwave used his powers to set the Earth on a collision course with the Sun, until Power Girl pushed the satellite away from Earth and towards the sun, the heat causing the villains to pass out. The electronic devices shorted, the battle ended, and the powerhouses of the JSA brought the team and the villains back to Earth.
In 1977, less than a year later, Brain Wave appeared again, no longer incarcerated, but within the JSA HQ as a member of the regathered Injustice Society
Injustice Society
The Injustice Society is a group of fictional supervillains in the . They are the main antagonists of the Justice Society of America.-Original team:...
(Icicle
Icicle (comics)
Icicle is the name of two fictional DC Comics supervillains.-Dr. Joar Mahkent:When noted European physicist Dr. Joar Mahkent arrived in America with his latest scientific discovery, spectators at dockside were astonished to witness the luxury liner upon which Mahkent was traveling suddenly frozen...
, the Wizard
Wizard (DC Comics)
The Wizard is a fictional DC Comics Golden Age supervillain.-Fictional character biography:Born approximately 1913, William I. Zard grew up living a life of crime. As a gun man for various crime bosses, he ultimately ended up in jail. With the passage of time, he formulated a strategy to become a...
and the Thinker
Thinker (DC Comics)
The Thinker is the name of four supervillains in the DC Comics universe.-Clifford DeVoe:Clifford DeVoe was a failed lawyer who bitterly ended his career in 1933. Realizing that many of the criminals he had encountered had the skills but not the brains to rule Gotham City's underworld, he started a...
). The villainous team had captured both Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
and Wildcat and issued a challenge to the JSA: "You must battle us for their lives at places of our choosing, the land of frozen gold and the isle of the ever-burning flame." In the end, both heroes were saved.
In Blackest Night crossover, Brain Wave has been identified as one of the deceased entombed below the Hall of Justice
Hall of Justice (comics)
The Hall of Justice is the fictional headquarters of the Super Friends, in the eponymous animated series. It has subsequently been incorporated into the DC Comics main shared universe, the DC Universe as the new headquarters of the Justice League....
. Brain Wave's corpse is reanimated as part of the Black Lantern Corps
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
.
Henry King, Jr.
Henry "Hank" King, Jr. is a DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
, sometimes supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
, who is the son of Merry Pemberton
Merry Pemberton
Merry Pemberton, also known as Gimmick Girl and Merry, Girl of 1000 Gimmicks is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. She first appeared in Star-Spangled Comics #81 in June 1948. -Fictional character biography:...
and the original Brain Wave, from whom he inherited his powers. Created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, Jerry Ordway
Jerry Ordway
Jeremiah "Jerry" Ordway is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books.He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining classic Crisis on Infinite Earths , his long run working on the Superman titles from 1986–1993, and...
and Mike Machlan, he first appears in All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
#24 (1983).
Infinity, Inc.
As Brainwave Jr., Hank is a founding member of Infinity, Inc., doing so in an attempt to bring honor to his family name. During the run of Infinity, Inc. Brainwave develops a relationship with fellow team member JadeJade (comics)
Jade is a fictional character, a superheroine in the . Known affectionately as "Jennie" or "Jen", she is the daughter of Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. Her mother is Rose Canton, the Golden Age villain known as Thorn...
, daughter of the original Green Lantern
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
.
When Hank's father dies, he passes on his mental powers to his son, greatly increasing them and causing him to become somewhat unhinged. He drops the "Jr.". After Infinity Inc. disbands, Hank drops out of the public eye.
He shows up years later, with a group he calls the Legion of Doom
Legion of Doom (comics)
The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains led by Lex Luthor that appeared in Challenge of the Super Friends, an ABC animated series that starred superheroes from DC Comics.-History:...
. They fight several members of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
. After that adventure, he reappears in a mental institution. This facility had been specifically created for him; its funds come from the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
. Brainwave is still very ill and is almost slain by Obsidian
Obsidian (comics)
Obsidian is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to an Infinity, Inc...
. He appears again later in New York City, causing riots and general chaos with his telepathy, even mind controlling Jade and Green Lantern (Alan Scott)
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
until finally confronting Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
. He leaves peacefully.
JSA
He resurfaces again as part of Black AdamBlack Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
's team, including Infinitors Northwind
Northwind (comics)
Northwind is a fictional avian human hybrid published by DC Comics.Created by Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway and Mike Machlan, Northwind first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25...
and Atom Smasher, helping to liberate Kahndaq
Kahndaq
Kahndaq is a fictional Middle Eastern country in the DC Comics Universe. Its real world location is on the continent of Africa, between Egypt and Israel...
. In an attempt to stop Hank, considered the most dangerous member of the team, Hawkman
Carter Hall (comics)
Carter Hall is a DC Comics superhero, the original Hawkman. Created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville, he first appeared in Flash Comics # 1 . The history of this character is somewhat confusing, due mainly to the fact that his origins were retroactively changed with the Crisis on Infinite Earths...
has Ray Palmer
Ray Palmer (comics)
The Atom is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero introduced during the Silver Age of comic books in Showcase # 34 . He was named after Raymond A...
shrink and enter Brainwave's body. Guided by Dr. Mid-Nite, Palmer plans to operate on King's brain, specifically the abnormal mass of nerve fibers leading from the auditory cortex to a growth on the side of the inferior colliculus
Inferior colliculus
The inferior colliculus is the principal midbrain nucleus of the auditory pathway and receives input from several more peripheral brainstem nuclei in the auditory pathway, as well as inputs from the auditory cortex...
, the supposed source of Brainwave's powers.
While a member of Black Adam's group, Brainwave acts both malicious and calculating, seemingly being depicted as a supervillain again. His telepathy is also portrayed at a high point, being able to will the powerful Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
to turn back into young Billy Batson by forcing him to say "Shazam!"
The source of these actions are found in Hank's brain, where Palmer encounters Mr. Mind, a Captain Marvel villain, who is feeding on Brainwave's growth. He finds it especially delicious, unlike regular humans. Palmer eventually gets past the worm and successfully incapacitates Brainwave. He is taken back with the JSA
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
and left in the care of his mother Merry Pemberton
Merry Pemberton
Merry Pemberton, also known as Gimmick Girl and Merry, Girl of 1000 Gimmicks is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. She first appeared in Star-Spangled Comics #81 in June 1948. -Fictional character biography:...
. It is unknown when Brainwave became a host for Mr. Mind.
Later, Brainwave is recruited by Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
to save Sand
Sandy Hawkins
Sanderson "Sandy" Hawkins, formerly known as Sandy, the Golden Boy, Sands, Sand, and currently as Sandman, is a fictional character, superhero in the DC Comics universe created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #69.-Golden Age:The Character of Sandy the Golden...
from The Dreaming
The Dreaming (comics)
The Dreaming is a fictional place, a comic book location published by DC Comics. The Dreaming first appeared in the Sandman vol. 2 #1, , and was created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth. The Dreaming is the domain of Dream of the Endless....
. In that mental plane, he is able to destroy the brainwashing that has been done to Sand and returns him to the waking realm. He has given up his heroic identity and is currently in the country of Parador.
Henry King, Jr. is portrayed differently over his many appearances, being heroic at first, appearing as a villain secondly, and with a third portrayal as a mixture of the two, but largely heroic.
Powers and abilities
Both King Sr. and Jr. have a variety of mental powers. King Sr. is originally much stronger, but upon his death, he somehow passes his powers on to his son, vastly increasing King Jr.'s power level.Chief among their powers is telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
. Both are able to dominate many minds at once and cause people to see illusions or even have complete control over them. Proximity seemed key to the effectiveness of this power, even though it had no defined range. King Jr. had mentioned how even strong wills could not resist him when he was right next to them. While many telepaths filter out the thoughts of others, King Jr. allows the millions of minds he constantly comes across to flow freely through his mind.
Lesser used powers of the Kings include telekinesis, the creation of realistic three-dimensional holograms, and the ability to fire blasts of psionic energy.
Television
- Brainwave appeared in the 1988 television special SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
: 50th Anniversary where he was portrayed by Robert SmigelRobert SmigelRobert Smigel is an American actor, humorist, comedian and writer known for his Saturday Night Live "TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.-Early life:...
.
- A character similar in some ways to Brainwave appeared in the Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
episode "Legends". Here, his name is Ray Thompson (voiced by Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
), and he resides in an alternate dimension where the Justice Guild of AmericaJustice Guild of AmericaThe Justice Guild of America is a superhero team featured in the Justice League animated series two-part episode Legends, an homage to the Golden Age Justice Society of America, and to a degree the Silver Age Justice League of America.-Synopsis:...
was real (they were John StewartJohn Stewart (comics)John Stewart is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2, #87 , and was created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.-Publication history:...
's childhood comic heroes). A devastating nuclear war, that the Justice Guild died in, had all but destroyed the world; the aftereffects of the nuclear war had granted him psychic powers, but mutated and deformed him into a hideous monster. The transformation drove him insane, and he used his powers to restore his ruined home city and resurrect his heroes. When Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, the Martian ManhunterMartian ManhunterThe Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
, and the FlashWally WestThe Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
arrive in the dimension as a result of their battle with Lex LuthorLex LuthorLex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, Ray initially seems to be nothing more than the Justice Guild's boy sidekick; he even takes a cue from the 1966 live action Batman showBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
by shouting corny exclamations. As the heroes discover, however, the world is all an illusion, and the disturbances J'onn felt come from Ray. Determined to keep things the way they are, Brainwave distracts the Guild with a giant robot, while he battles the League with his powers. Ultimately, the Guild makes the decision to fight him, despite the fact that they will disappear with his illusion. The shock of his heroes turning against him, and the combined stress they put on him is too much for Brainwave, and he collapses. The city returns to its normal ruined self, but its future has returned.
- Bruce TimmBruce TimmBruce Walter Timm is an American character designer, animator and producer. He is also a writer and artist working in comics, and is known for his contributions building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, the DC animated universe.-Animation:Timm's early career in animation was varied; he...
has commented that Ray Thompson is based on both Roy Thomas, who collaborated on the animated series, due to his famous admiration of the Golden Age comics, and science-fiction writer Ray BradburyRay BradburyRay Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
, because many of Bradbury's stories deal with nostalgia compared to the harshness of the present. The original script of Legends had Ray calling himself BrainwaveBrainwave (comics)Brainwave is a name shared by two characters in the DC Comics Universe, who are father and son.-Henry King, Sr.:The Brain Wave was Henry King, a super-villain who used his psionic powers to battle the Justice Society of America in the 1940s, first appearing in All-Star Comics #15...
.
- In the SmallvilleSmallvilleSmallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
TV series, villain Molly Griggs (played by Missy PeregrymMissy PeregrymMelissa "Missy" Peregrym is a Canadian actress and former fashion model. She made her feature film debut in the 2006 gymnastics comedy drama Stick It. She played a recurring role as Candice Wilmer on the NBC television series Heroes, and starred in the CW television series Reaper...
) (episode "Delete") can control the minds of others through computer-aided hypnotism, and her internet handle is "Brainwave", suggesting she is Smallville's version of Brainwave.
- In the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode Powerless!, AquamanAquamanAquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
is seen portraying Brainwave Jr. telekinesis.
Video game
- Brainwave is mentioned in, Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The VideogameBatman: The Brave and the Bold – The VideogameBatman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame is a video game based on the comic book character Batman and the television cartoon series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It was developed by WayForward Technologies and distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
by Hawkman when he is talking about villains that he used to face. Hawkman states that Brainwave had a head "that must've been three feet tall". BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
comments that he always got Brainwave and Doctor SivanaDoctor SivanaDoctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional comic book supervillain. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, he first appeared opposite superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics...
mixed up, to which Hawkman replies "You're not the only one, kid."