"Superman: Brainiac" is a five-issue comic book story arc published by DC Comics in 2008, running through Action Comics #866–870. Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank, the storyline reintroduces the classic Silver Age version of the supervillain Brainiac, a coldly logical alien android who travels the universe stealing and miniaturizing cities, including the Kryptonian capital of Kandor. The arc is notable for its darker tone and significant consequences for Superman's personal life, most prominently the death of his adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, from a heart attack during the chaos of Brainiac's attack.
The story explores Superman's first true encounter with the real Brainiac, revealing that all his previous battles were merely against robotic probes. Supergirl plays a key role, as she carries the trauma of witnessing Brainiac abduct Kandor before Krypton's destruction. The arc serves as a major turning point in modern Superman mythology, leading directly into the "Superman: New Krypton" crossover event, which expanded the bottled city of Kandor into a full-sized planet of Kryptonians.
Critically acclaimed for its emotional weight and Gary Frank's cinematic, Christopher Reeve-inspired artwork, "Superman: Brainiac" is considered one of the defining Superman stories of the 2000s. It balances large-scale science fiction action with intimate character drama, examining Clark Kent's dual identity and his relationship with Lois Lane against the backdrop of an existential threat to Earth.