LIVING BRAIN
Real Name: The Living Brain
Identity/Class: Terrestrial robot
Occupation: As programmed
Group Membership: None; formerly Sinister Six (Beetle/Janice Lincoln, Boomerang/Fred Myers, Overdrive, Shocker/Herman Schultz, Speed Demon/James Sanders)
Affiliations: Hector Baez, Aiden Blain, Brothers Grimm, Clash (Clayton Coles), Carlie Cooper, Grandmaster (En Dwi Gast), Emma Hernandez, Human Torch (Johnny Storm), I.C.M. (International Computing Machines) Corporation, Uatu Jackson, Anna-Maria Marconi, Mockingbird (Bobbie Morse), Max Modell, Mr. Petty (designer), Steve Petty (Phreak), Prowler (Hobie Brown), Sajani Ryan, Grady Scraps, S.H.I.E.L.D. (Phil Coulson, Nick Fury II, Melinda May), Skein (Sybil Dvorak), Spider-Man/Superior Spider-Man/Dr. Elliot Tolliver (Otto Octavius), Wraith (Yuri Watanabe)
Enemies: Daughters of the Dragon (Misty Knight & Colleen Wing), Dazzler (Alison Blaire), Ghost, Green Goblin
(Norman Osborn), Goblin Nation, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Spider-Man-44145 (Norman Osborn), Terrax the
Tamer, Zodiac (Scorpio/Vernon Jacobs, others);
anyone who gets in the
way of its programming
Known Relatives: None;
created by Mr. Petty (designer) while working for I.C.M. (International Computing Machines) Corporation
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Midtown High School, Queens, New York
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man I#8/1 (January, 1964)
Powers/Abilities: The Living Brain has the ability to analyze any situation and determine how best to achieve its goals. Like any computer, it can process and collate large amounts of information, although it also appears to have some degree of intuitive nature, such that it does not require instruction to use specific programs to process its data. It can find any inherent weakness in a being or structure as well as determine any means to bypass an obstacle. Once it has encountered a certain threat or force, it can usually counteract that specific attack. It is constructed from a dense metal exo-skeleton and has superhuman speed and strength (Class 10, enabling it to lift/press ten tons). The joints in its limbs can rotate nearly 360 degrees. Its digits can be used as powerful pincers and can grip with great force. Initially it moved on a set of wheels but later had small rockets in place of legs.
Initially, the Living Brain had external controls (with which it could be deactivated) located on its thorax. However, its great speed and maneuverable limbs made it very difficult for others to reach these controls. Later, it was operated by a remote control device.
A later model of the Living Brain was equipped with a Titanium shell, pain receptors, and super-strength.
It was reprogrammed for a time by Dr. Octopus (in Spider-Man’s body) to act as a lab assistant, fetching equipment, preparing Spider-Bots, running experiments, and most prominently serving beverages. Dr. Octopus involved the Living Brain in a complex surgical procedure on his own mind, using the robot to help him remove Peter Parker’s memories. The Living Brain was programmed with Attack and Defense modes, letting the robot use deadly force against attackers or those deemed threats, and it changed into a boat form in order to help its allies escape during a disaster.
Still later, the Living Brain housed the consciousness of Dr. Octopus, who controlled the robots and thought patterns.
After the Living Brain was destroyed, Anna-Maria Marconi rebuilt him, making him digital, but she honored the original design of the Living Brain. Anna-Maria Marconi and Sajani Ryan also involved the Living Brain in extensive experiments on nano-technology, which it once used to upgrade itself.
Height: 6' 6"
Weight: 800 lbs.
Eyes: Yellow
Hair: None
History:
The Living Brain was constructed at I.C.M. by Mr.
Petty.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#8/1) - Mr. Petty took the Living Brain to Midtown High School for a demonstration in Raymond Warren's science class. As a test of its ability, the students voted to program the robot with all known data on Spider-Man, so it could uncover his secret identity. It instantly processed the data and spit out an answer in a computer code which was given to Peter Parker to translate overnight. However, a pair of attendants overheard the presentation and thought they could make a fortune using the Brain to predict horse races, etc. They attempted to steal it but ended up smashing into its control panel, sending it on a rampage in turn. Spider-Man tried to stop the Brain which seemed able to counter each and every one of his attacks. Finally, when it closed in on a pair of helpless students, Spider-Man leapt on top of it and -- after much struggle -- managed to flip the main cut-off switch, deactivating it in the process.
Peter then told everyone that in the preceding excitement he had lost the computer code to Spider-Man's identity.
(Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#20 (fb) ) - Under unrevealed circumstances, two or more criminals gained control of the Living Brain and used it to commit at least one robbery. Spider-Man defeated them, bound them in webbing, and left them and their loot for the police.
(Web of Spider-Man I#35 (fb) - BTS) - The Living Brain model was discontinued due to its potential threat. Mr. Petty kept the only prototype, which his son Steve rebuilt and updated in secret.
(Web of Spider-Man I#35) - Steve Petty, an introverted student at Midtown High School, went over the edge after another conflict with classmate Jake Dorman. He activated the Living Brain and sent it out to punish Dorman and anyone else who had ever laughed at him. Spider-Man again fought the Living Brain, and this time he managed to short circuit it by causing it to strike a fusebox.
(Nextwave#11 - BTS) - The Beyond Corporation somehow created duplicates of the Living Brain and unleashed them on Nextwave when they invaded their State 51 base, but Nextwave made short work of them.
(X-Men: To Serve and Protect#4/3) - The Living Brain was one of the many participants in Chadmaster's (a younger Grandmaster) cosmic roller derby and was destroyed by a Sentinel. The contest was won by Dazzler (Alison Blaire) and the Daughters of the Dragon.
(Superior Spider-Man I#1 (fb) – BTS) – Boomerang formed a new Sinister Six, including Beetle (Janice Lincoln), Overdrive, Speed Demon, Shocker (Herman Schultz), and Living Brain, who was equipped with a new Titanium shell and pain receptors.
(Superior Spider-Man I#1) – The Sinister Six committed a robbery, and Living Brain seized a barometric oscillator as assigned, but Spider-Man (Otto Octavius in Peter Parker’s body) disrupted them. Living Brain cried out when he was hit by friendly fire, and it wondered aloud why it had pain receptors. The Sinister Six fled, leaving the Living Brain behind, and Spider-Man had it taken back to Horizon Labs, where Grady Scraps was thrilled to see it, calling it the ‘Super-Nintendo of robots.’
“Peter Parker” kept the Living Brain in his lab, where he accessed the robot’s memories as Max Modell questioned him.
(Superior Spider-Man I#2 (fb)) – At Horizon, “Parker” reprogrammed then tasked the Living Brain with building hundreds of spider-bots.
(Superior Spider-Man I#2) – “Parker” asked the Living Brain for a hot tea, but then he rushed out on an adventure.
(Superior Spider-Man I#4) – “Parker” order the Living Brian to help him with an experiment, supplying neuro-circuitry, hydraulic pumps, and coffee. They built an exo-limb, to help the paralyzed walk again. The Living Brain watched, offering tasty beverages, as Max Modell and Uatu Jackson rejected the idea of human trials.
(Superior Spider-Man I#8) – “Parker” connected himself to the Living Brain, determined to remove the consciousness of the real Peter Parker from his mind.
(Superior Spider-Man I#9) – Otto Octavius detected Peter Parker’s memories living underneath his own and fighting for control over his body. Otto instructed the Living Brain to restrain his right arm (over which Parker had control) and to work on deleting the extra memories. In the end, Otto took full control of Parker’s body.
(Superior Spider-Man I#18) – When Horizon Labs was in legal trouble, “Parker” ordered the Living Brain to carry several of his experiments to Spider-Island, ignoring pleas from Max Modell and Hector Baez to stop.
(Superior
Spider-Man Team-Up I#4) – Spider-Man (Otto) returned to his lab during a power
blackout, when Living Brain was running low on power, and ordered the robot to
bring him a neurolitic scanner.
(Superior Spider-Man I#19) – The Living Brain stood by in Spider-Man’s lab.
(Superior Spider-Man I#21) – Living Brain monitored Spider-Man’s form while he prepared a holographic interface of himself.
(Superior Spider-Man I#27.now) – The Living Brain, using hologram technology, helped Dr. Octopus fight Green Goblin, but Green Goblin’s henchmen, Goblin Nation, attacked Spider-Island, blowing it up.
(Superior Spider-Man I#28) – The Living Brain shielded Spider-Man, then he rode Living Brain, who shifted into a boat form, to safely carry him across the river, and he towed their experiments behind them. Spider-Man soon ordered Living Brain to submerge, hiding from the villains. They returned to Parker Industries, seeing Sajani Ryan and the Wraith (Yuri Watanabe), then Carlie Cooper, transformed into a goblin. The Living Brain briefly stood in ‘defense mode’ against Cooper, but she easily knocked him aside.
(Superior Spider-Man I#29) – “Parker” ordered the Living Brain to keep the Wraith contained.
(Superior Spider-Man Annual I#2) – The Living Brain watched over the Wraith, who was briefly unconscious. When she woke up, it offered her a beverage, but she kicked it aside. The Living Brain then sought to stop her from escaping by engaging in non-lethal defense mode, but the Wraith tossed the robot aside.
(Superior Spider-Man I#30) – At Spider-Man’s orders, the Living Brain prepared a chair that would restrain the hero and allow him to enter the Mind-Scape.
(Amazing Spider-Man III#1) – At Parker Industries, the Living Brain offered to help Peter Parker and Sajani Ryan clean up the lab.
(Amazing Spider-Man III#3) – At Parker Industries, the Living Brain offered to help Anna-Maria Marconi with experiments.
(Amazing Spider-Man III#8) – The Living Brain stood by at Parker Industries while Clash was welcomed to the staff.
(Amazing Spider-Man III#17 (fb) – BTS) – Anna-Maria Marconi and Sajani Ryan made a back-up of a nanotechnology program they were working on on the Living Brain’s hard-drive.
(Amazing Spider-Man III#17) – When Ghost attacked Parker Industries, Peter Parker ordered the Living Brain to protect the staff, including Marconi and Ryan. After analyzing a wall for weak points, the Living Brain burst through it, allowing the others to escape.
(Amazing Spider-Man III#18) – At Parker Industries, Anna-Maria gave the Living Brain permission to initiate self-repairs, which would involve using the nanites, and permission to upgrade as well, but he realized there was unfamiliar programming in his system. Clash joined Anna-Maria, who rode Living Brain while firing web-shooters, rushed in to help Spider-Man fight with his battle against Ghost, and Living Brain carried the restrained Ghost out after the villain was defeated.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#18 (fb)) – Dr. Octopus uploaded his consciousness into the Living Brain, storing it there until he could find a way to revive himself into a new body.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#1 (fb) – BTS) – With Otto Octavius’s mind now living in its form, the Living Brain followed Anna-Maria Marconi constantly, becoming her loyal assistant.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#1) – At Parker Industries, Living Brain watched Anna-Maria and Sajani plan nannite programs. Anna-Maria noticed how clingy the Brain had gotten, and he quietly admitted he loved her.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#2) – With the Living Brain nearby, Peter focused, at Parker Industries, on nannites, with Sajani Ryn and Anna-Maria Marconi.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#5) – Dr. Octopus controlled the Living Brain, who offered ‘tasty beverages’ to Sajani, Anna-Maria, Prowler (Hobie Brown), Aiden Blain, Peter Parker, Human Torch, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (Nick Fury II, Melinda May, Phil Coulson, and Mockingbird), at Parker Industries, as they discussed their war with Zodiac.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#9) – Dr. Octopus, in Living Brain’s form, was horrified to see Aiden Blain and Anna-Maria Marconi kissing.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#10) – The Living Brain (with Dr. Octopus’s mind) accompanied Anna-Maria Marconi in a flying car to go aid Spider-Man in Paris, and the Brain shocked Anna-Maria by speaking French. After giving Spider-Man a spare costume and web-fluid, the Brain unsettled him by commenting on how perfect Spider-Man’s body was. The Brain helped Spider-Man identify intel that would lead to the defeat of the Zodiac, and then accompanied Spidey and Anna-Maria to the home of Vernon Jacobs, the alter-ego of Scorpio, where he interfaced with the Parker Industries team and faced off with Scorpio.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#11) – Living Brain aided Spider-Man, Mockingbird, and S.H.I.E.L.D. in tracking, fighting and defeating the Zodiac, and the Brain (with Otto in control) agreed to non-lethal parameters. After the battle, Brain rushed to make sure Anna-Maria was okay. Dr. Octopus made plans to accelerate his return.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#16) – Living Brain stood behind Anna-Maria as she had a conference remotely with Peter Parker. From within, Dr. Octopus looked up on the cloning technology with interest.
(Amazing Spider-Man IV#18) – After months of studying Aiden Blain, Dr. Octopus made his move, having the Living Brain deliver a sedative to Blain, but when he tried to upload his consciousness into Blain’s form, it wouldn’t work, and Octopus realized he could only take over Spider-Man’s body. Jealous, Octopus manipulated events so Blain would take a new job in Australia, then, through the Brain, he asked Anna-Maria about her love life, and she admitted she could never love Dr. Octopus again. Octopus lied to Anna-Maria, getting her to go with him to Parker Industries in New York, and he hated being powered down during the flight. Once the Living Brain was with Peter Parker, Octopus grew infuriated and forced the Living Brain to attack Parker. Anna-Maria and Spider-Man entered a shut-down code into the Living Brain, but Octopus changed it to a self-destruct sequence. As the Brain exploded, Octopus downloaded his mind into an Octo-Bot instead.
(Superior Spider-Man I#1 (fb) – BTS) – Anna-Maria Marconi rebuilt the Living Brain, using the old design and with the same speech patterns, but she made him all digital now, then she took the robot with her to her new job in San Francisco, at Horizon University.
(Superior Spider-Man II#1) – When Anna-Maria exposed. Dr. Elliot Tolliver as Dr. Octopus in a new cloned body, the Living Brain prepared to attack Tolliver and protect Anna-Maria, but she ordered Brain to stand down so Tolliver, as the Superior Spider-Man, could go fight Terrax the Tamer.
(Superior Spider-Man II#2) – Anna-Maria watched Spider-Man battling Terraax, and Living Brain informed her that he could not reach the Avengers, Peter Parker, or any other first responders. Brain then assisted Anna-Maria in making tech to help Spider-Man.
(Superior Spider-Man II#3) – Living Brain arrived at the scene of the Terrax battle and met Anna-Maria, Skein, and the Brothers Grimm there. The robot provided computations while the others developed some tricks that helped defeat Terrax. Later, back at Horizon University, the Living Brain helped Anna-Maria secure a cosmic harness.
(Superior Spider-Man II#10) – Living Brain offered beverages to “Elliot Tolliver,” Anna-Maria, and Emma Hernandez, but Tolliver knocked the tray from the robot’s hands. Later, Anna-Maria ordered the Living Brain to upload the cosmic harness to a machine for Tolliver, but the Spider-Man of Earth-44145 (Norman Osborn) took over the Brain briefly and used him to attack the others.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
The Living Brain story in Amazing Spider-Man was interesting, but it paled beside the other plot in the story: the boxing match between the young Peter Parker and Flash Thompson. The second half of the story also featured one of the earliest adventures of Spidey and the Human Torch.
The Living Brain appears on the cover of Amazing Spider-Man III#16, but not in the interior.
Thanks to Ronald Byrd for pointing out the Peter Parker:
Spider-Man appearance.
In the Peter Parker: Spider-Man flashback, the Living Brain has its
original appearance, not the updated look given to it by Steve Petty -- this
suggests that the flashback occurred months or even years prior to Web of Spider-Man#35.
However, Spider-Man taunts the Living Brain as he does most of his other foes,
noting that it "can always find work as a gumball machine" after it is released
from prison; since Spider-Man generally doesn't waste his wit on non-sentient
robots, this seems to imply that the Brain demonstrated some sentience on this
occasion. It may be that the "Brain" in this instance was a human criminal
in armor scavenged from the original Brain's exterior shell.
The Beyond
Corporation used several of their own versions of the Living Brain to
protect State 51 against the Nextwave Squad in Nextwave#11.
--Markus Rayond
The Living Brain has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook.
Original profile by Snood. Updated/edited by Kyle Sims. Updated from 2013 forward by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
Mr.
Petty
An employee of ICM, he designed the Living Brain, and kept it
when its design was abandoned due to its potential threat.
Unbeknownst to him, his son Steve rebuilt the Living Brain.
--Amazing Spider-Man I#8
images: (without ads)
Marvel Legacy: 1960s Handbook I#1, p31, pan2 (main; based on Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#1, p52)
Web of Spider-Man I#35, p12, pan3 (Living Brain returns)
Amazing Spider-Man I#8, p3, pan1 (Mr. Petty and the Living Brain)
Superior Spider-Man I#28, p5, pan3 (as boat)
Appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man I#8 (January, 1964) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Web of Spider-Man I#35 (February, 1988) - Gerry Conway (writer), Alex Saviuk (pecnils), Keith Williams (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#20 (August, 2000) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Mark Buckingham (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Nextwave#11 (February, 2007) - Warren Ellis (writer), Stuart Immonen (penciler), Wade von Grawbadger (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
X-Men: To Serve and Protect#4/3 (April, 2011) - Jed Mackay (writer), Sheldon Vella (artist), Nick Lowe (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#1 (March, 2013) – Dan Slott (writer), Ryan Stegman (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#2 (March, 2013) – Dan Slott (writer), Ryan Stegman (penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#4 (April, 2013) – Dan Slott (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), John Dell (inker), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#8 (June, 2013) – Dan Slott (writer), Humberto Ramos (penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#9 (July, 2013) – Dan Slott (writer), Ryan Stegman (penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#18 (November, 2013) – Dan Slott (writer), Ryan Stegman (penciler), John Livesay (inker), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up I#4 (December, 2013) – Robert Rodi (writer), Michael Del Mundo (artist), Sana Amanat (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#19 (December, 2013) – Dan Slott (writer), Ryan Stegman (penciler), John Livesay (inker), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#21 (January, 2014) – Dan Slott (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), John Dell (inker), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#27.now (April, 2014) – Dan Slott (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), John Dell (inker), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#28 (April, 2014) – Dan Slott (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), John Dell (inker), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Superior Spider-Man Annual I#2/2 (May, 2014) – Christos N. Gage (writer), Phillipe Briones (artist), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#29 (May, 2014) – Dan Slott, Christos Gage (writers), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), John Dell (inker), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Superior Spider-Man I#30 (May, 2014) – Dan Slott, Christos N. Gage (writers), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), John Dell, Terry Pallot (inkers), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man III#1/1 (June, 2014) – Dan Slott (writer), Humberto Ramos (penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man III#3 (August, 2014) – Dan Slott (writer), Humberto Ramos (penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man III#8/1 (December, 2014) – Dan Slott, Christos Gage (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), Cam Smith (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man III#17/1-18/1 (June-July, 2015) – Dan Slott, Chistos Gage (writers), Humberto Ramos (penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man IV#1/1-2 (December, 2015) – Dan Slott (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), Cam Smith (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man IV#5 (February, 2016) – Dan Slott, Christos Gage (writers), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), Cam Smith (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man IV#9-11 (May-June, 2016) – Dan Slott (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), John Dell (inker), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man IV#16 (October, 2016) – Dan Slott (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (penciler), John Dell (inker), Ellie Pyle (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man IV#18 (November, 2016) – Dan Slott (writer), RB Silva (penciler), Adriano Di Benedetto (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Superior Spider-Man II#1 (February, 2019) – Christos Gage (writer), Mike Hawthorne (penciler), Wade Von Grawbadger (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Superior Spider-Man II#2-3 (March-April, 2019) – Christos Gage (writer), Mike Hawthorne (penciler), Wade Von Grawbadger, Victor Olazaba (inkers), Nick Lowe (editor)
Superior Spider-Man II#10 (October, 2019) – Christos Gage (writer), Mike Hawthrone (penciler), Wade Von Grabadger (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
First Profiled: 04/12/2003
Last updated: 05/31/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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