Darin wrote:
Roger, I have a question about Brainiac that I'm hoping you may be able to clarify for me.
You see, I've always thought that originally his name was a combination of "brain" and "ENIAC" (ENIAC* being the first electronic computer). When Brainiac introduces himself to Superman in a story I remembered as a kid, he refers to himself as a computer.
On a recent dvd featurette, it's explained that his name is a cross between "brain" and "maniac."
Which is right? Or is there truth in both statements?
*Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer
Don't know from that dvd, but from the era when Brainiac first showed his green kisser, I'm sure that ENIAC -- and followups like Univac -- were much on writers' minds. As I recall there was also an early -- and very primitive -- computer hobby kit called "Brainiac" which was being marketed around the time of the comic book villain's introduction...and there was later some acknowledgment of that kit in the letters pages of the Superman comics (and perhaps some sort of settlement, but I'm not sure of that).
-- Uncle Rog
