House of Brainiac

"House of Brainiac" is a Superman crossover story arc published by DC Comics in April 2024. The series is written by Joshua Williamson with artwork by Rafael Sandoval, Miguel Mendoca, Rico Ossio, and Edwin Galmon.

Teased in Superman Annual 2023 #1, the story arc is told in Action Comics and Superman, where Superman and Lobo have to deal with an invasion from Brainiac. The event was released to critical acclaim from critics, with critics praising Joshua Williamson's writing, the art, the characters, and the action.

DC Comics released "House of Brainiac" storyline in April 2024. Green Lantern and Power Girl have a tie-ins to that event. The event also made a debut of new villain called the Brainiac Queen, a female variant of Brainiac.

Lex Luthor removes Superman's identity by using technology from Warworld (home planet of Mongul) and Henry Bendrix's machines to amplify Manchester Black's psychic ability because he wants the world to not see Superman and Jon Kent as humans. Superman confronts Lex Luthor, and sends him back to prison.

Superman is then asked by Lex Luthor to be the head of Supercorp (a company that will assist Superman in his heroics). Although Superman is hesitant, he begrudgingly agrees to work with Lex.

Before Superman's first arrival to Metropolis, Luthor had aspired to be the city's first hero, first clashing with and then teaming up with Doctor Pharm and Mr. Graft to work in their research on green kryptonite, discarding them both when he has no more use for them and stealing their research, which leads them to attack Lex Luthor. Superman and Lex Luthor eventually team up to defeat Pharm and Luthor's mother, who was working against her own son. It is later revealed that Brainiac put Czarina (Lobo's home city) in a bottle, and Pharm captured Lobo to run experiments on him. After Superman teams up with Lex Luthor to defeat Pharm and his team, Lobo is freed and Brainiac starts heading to Earth.

Lois Lane is enjoying her first day off in years and greets Conner Kent (Superboy), Kong Kenan, Othul-Ra and Osul-Ra (children she and Clark adopted after "Warworld Saga"), Supergirl, Lana Lang, Natasha Irons, Steel, and Perry White on her way to a yoga session with Jimmy Olsen and Silver Banshee. As Clark joins them, he overhears an army of Czarnians and robots descending upon Metropolis. As Superman and his allies started fighting off the robots and Czarnians, Steel reveals he tried calling for backup but something interfered with his systems. Superman realizes that Brainiac is the one behind the invasion, just as Brainiac sends General Chacal (a Czarnian similar to Lobo) to attack Supercorp where Lex Luthor is being detained. Brainiac captures Metallo, Mercy Graves and Lena Luthor (Lex's daughter), while Lex barely escapes during the chaos. Brainiac captures all of Superman's allies including Silver Banshee and Lex, and teleports away before Superman can catch him.

Superman confronts Lobo at the Warriors Bar in Coast City about the Czarnians' invasion in Metropolis but Lobo denies his involvement. While Brainiac is torturing Silver Banshee, he starts coughing up blood, and asks his clones to take him to the cooling chamber. Superman explains to Lobo what happened, and Lobo recognizes Chacal. Supercorp creates vehicles for Superman and Lobo to head toward Brainiac's ship due to the United Planets quarantining Earth. As they pass the United Planets headquarters, they are attacked by Chacal and his minions. After Brainiac heals himself and frees Luthor, Lex Luthor tells Brainiac if he leaves Lena Luthor alone, he will give him Superman. Brainiac is about to take Lana Lang to experiment her, but Supergirl realizes Brainiac's technology is from the planet Colu (because of her experience with Future Brainiac) and deactivates their prison. Superboy and Supergirl, however, realize they still do not have their powers, and have shrunk.