Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Help Support the Channel: patreon.com/ZCInfinity
Let's take a look through DC Comics' first alternate universe series Imaginary Stories, and discover the What Ifs of the Comic Silver Age!
Transcript:
The Demon With a Cape. In an alternate path than taken in Action Comics 544, Brainiac is able to free himself of his planet prison without Superman's help, thus is never converted into his new form. Months later, Superman changes back into Clark at the Galaxy Communications Building where he's employed, where Jimmy convinces him to assist him in his upcoming magic show. Meanwhile, an alien cargo ship is abducted and brought down to an unknown planet, where the inhabitants tell them their world is being transported across the galaxy by their supreme leader Drod. Whom they soon find is actually Brainiac, who happened across this planet as he floated aimlessly through space, and merged his intellect with that of the existing supercomputer the inhabitants worshipped as a god. He announces he has use of the ore they were transporting, before vaporizing the pilots. Brainiac displays Superman's image to his planet's population, proclaiming that he's an evil demon and that the weapons they have built will be necessary when he soon arrives on their world. Superman halts a stampeding herd of elephants, then rushes to help Jimmy with his magic tricks, but has to abruptly leave when he detects a distress signal across the solar system, flying in the direction of Brainiac's planet. He explores the surface for a time, when he's suddenly under attack by a barrage of weapons. He easily deflects the first few waves, but is hit by a density beam and collapses to the ground below, as the population emerge and begin to call him caped demon. He manages to make his way to a nearby pool, where he spins with such force, it creates a cyclone that knocks the beam transmitter away and allows him to escape. He tries to tell the people he's not evil, but they don't listen, Superman quickly realizing the stones they're throwing are starting to hurt, and discovering the shield surrounding the planet is bombarding him with red sun energy. He tries to escape, but falls just short of the shield, recognizing the mocking voice of Brainiac as he plummets the the ground. He's taken to a holding cell, continuing to protest that he's not the evil Brainiac claims he is, but is soon rescued by Olpha, a telepathic member of the planet's species who only detects emptiness from Brainiac, yet warm auras from Superman. He tells her about his predicament and instructs her in a plan to restore his powers, but she's quickly found and captured by Brainiac. The villain then frees Superman just to prove the hero is no longer a match for him, before imprisoning him again and leaving. The next day, Superman is brought to the Throne of Agony, where he tries to stall whatever it does to him by mentioning maybe Brainiac should show his face to his people. The population agree and all demand Brainiac show his face, but are silenced when he reminds them of the city he vaporized the last time his will was questioned. However, one of his closest and bravest followers rips the hood from Brainiac, revealing he's alien to the world and not of their god. But since he has the controls, Brainiac is still able to activate the throne, which he immediately does. Except at that moment, the throne is obliterated and Superman flies away, using his heat vision to destroy the projector beaming the red sun energy down on him, before punching out Brainiac. He reveals that Olpha getting captured was part of his plan, as she used her telepathy to command her guards to sabotage the red sun projector enough for Superman to regain his powers, as he then smashes through the prison to rescue her. He finally convinces the population to stop worshipping their supercomputer and regain their scientific ways, before things end with him flying away to dump Brainiac in a suitable prison. Again, why was this an Imaginary Story? It's a decent yet typical superhero story, the only difference that Brainiac never became the machine being he was reborn as in the official continuity. It feels like they just had a Brainiac story lying around, that they now couldn't use due to canon, so they made the excuse that this is a slightly different reality to the one now established. And talk about a bait and switch! The comic gave the impression it was going to be about an evil Superman, but it was just the population being told he was evil while he does nothing wrong. As a generic story, it's fine, but it leaves no impact and you'll miss nothing by not reading it. And no, Olpha never shows up again.
Help Support the Channel: patreon.com/ZCInfinity
Let's take a look through DC Comics' first alternate universe series Imaginary Stories, and discover the What Ifs of the Comic Silver Age!
Transcript:
The Demon With a Cape. In an alternate path than taken in Action Comics 544, Brainiac is able to free himself of his planet prison without Superman's help, thus is never converted into his new form. Months later, Superman changes back into Clark at the Galaxy Communications Building where he's employed, where Jimmy convinces him to assist him in his upcoming magic show. Meanwhile, an alien cargo ship is abducted and brought down to an unknown planet, where the inhabitants tell them their world is being transported across the galaxy by their supreme leader Drod. Whom they soon find is actually Brainiac, who happened across this planet as he floated aimlessly through space, and merged his intellect with that of the existing supercomputer the inhabitants worshipped as a god. He announces he has use of the ore they were transporting, before vaporizing the pilots. Brainiac displays Superman's image to his planet's population, proclaiming that he's an evil demon and that the weapons they have built will be necessary when he soon arrives on their world. Superman halts a stampeding herd of elephants, then rushes to help Jimmy with his magic tricks, but has to abruptly leave when he detects a distress signal across the solar system, flying in the direction of Brainiac's planet. He explores the surface for a time, when he's suddenly under attack by a barrage of weapons. He easily deflects the first few waves, but is hit by a density beam and collapses to the ground below, as the population emerge and begin to call him caped demon. He manages to make his way to a nearby pool, where he spins with such force, it creates a cyclone that knocks the beam transmitter away and allows him to escape. He tries to tell the people he's not evil, but they don't listen, Superman quickly realizing the stones they're throwing are starting to hurt, and discovering the shield surrounding the planet is bombarding him with red sun energy. He tries to escape, but falls just short of the shield, recognizing the mocking voice of Brainiac as he plummets the the ground. He's taken to a holding cell, continuing to protest that he's not the evil Brainiac claims he is, but is soon rescued by Olpha, a telepathic member of the planet's species who only detects emptiness from Brainiac, yet warm auras from Superman. He tells her about his predicament and instructs her in a plan to restore his powers, but she's quickly found and captured by Brainiac. The villain then frees Superman just to prove the hero is no longer a match for him, before imprisoning him again and leaving. The next day, Superman is brought to the Throne of Agony, where he tries to stall whatever it does to him by mentioning maybe Brainiac should show his face to his people. The population agree and all demand Brainiac show his face, but are silenced when he reminds them of the city he vaporized the last time his will was questioned. However, one of his closest and bravest followers rips the hood from Brainiac, revealing he's alien to the world and not of their god. But since he has the controls, Brainiac is still able to activate the throne, which he immediately does. Except at that moment, the throne is obliterated and Superman flies away, using his heat vision to destroy the projector beaming the red sun energy down on him, before punching out Brainiac. He reveals that Olpha getting captured was part of his plan, as she used her telepathy to command her guards to sabotage the red sun projector enough for Superman to regain his powers, as he then smashes through the prison to rescue her. He finally convinces the population to stop worshipping their supercomputer and regain their scientific ways, before things end with him flying away to dump Brainiac in a suitable prison. Again, why was this an Imaginary Story? It's a decent yet typical superhero story, the only difference that Brainiac never became the machine being he was reborn as in the official continuity. It feels like they just had a Brainiac story lying around, that they now couldn't use due to canon, so they made the excuse that this is a slightly different reality to the one now established. And talk about a bait and switch! The comic gave the impression it was going to be about an evil Superman, but it was just the population being told he was evil while he does nothing wrong. As a generic story, it's fine, but it leaves no impact and you'll miss nothing by not reading it. And no, Olpha never shows up again.
