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Quote1 For years, sudden inspirations came to me, when my brain appeared to go into a turmoil and-- I got sensational ideas! I realized after a time that these "brain storms" occurred when radio-energy emanations from the stars were at their height! Just as unleashed atomic energy is all around us, so is stellar energy-- That vast radiation that comes to Earth from the stars. Radio telescopes pick it up-- But only I have been able to master it! Albert Einstein taught the world how to harness atomic energy. I did the same with stellar energy-- during which time I learned that a certain metallic compound gathered in that star-radiation, heightening my brain-power so I could put it to any use I desired! Quote2
Brain Storm src

Brain Storm created a special helmet that allowed him to absorb stellar energy, which he could use to create virtually anything his imagination could conceive.

This invention, having warped his mind, caused him to hallucinate his brother Fred's death. In his twisted ideals, Brain Storm captured the Justice League so that they could witness him taking justice into his own hands by killing the man responsible for his brother's demise. Part of his plan involved stealing the powers and abilities from the Justice League members and redistributing them to random people.

However, a side effect to Brain Storm's power was that whoever the power was used upon could also access the energy abilities and the JLA members were suddenly mentally linked to the people who gained their abilities. Transporting them to Brain Storm's base, their arrival freed the Justice League from Brain Storm's trap and they fought against him.

They battled a group of stellar-energy powered threats, and came to realize who it was that Brain Storm blamed for his brothers death - the Green Lantern. However, Green Lantern explained that due to Brain Storm's interference with his attempt to capture Fred (who just robbed a bank), the combination of both their powers transported Fred to France and erased his memories.

Bringing Fred to them and restoring his memory, the Justice League convinced Brain Storm to end his vendetta against the Green Lantern. However, Brain Storm realized that escape was the best course of action and teleported away without a trace, leaving the JLA to turn his brother over to the police.[1]

Brain Storm soon returned however to plague the League once again. This time, he used his powers to give each team member a severe physical disability. Superman was struck blind, Flash's legs were fused together, Green Arrow suddenly had no arms, Green Lantern began to stutter both literally and mentally, and Hawkman developed breathing problems. In spite of these handicaps, the JLA managed to overcome the odds and fight back against Brain Storm. After the battle, Brain Storm restored all the JLA members back to normal.

Brain Storm retaliated though, and used his power to create duplicates of himself. He also succeeded in capturing the League, turning all but Batman into his drone slaves. Finally determining which foe was the real Brain Storm, Batman knocked him out, relinquishing his control over the JLA members.[2]

Years later, Brain Storm caused the entire population of Earth to disappear into thin air while Superman was on a mission out in space, part of an experiment to harness the radio-frequency emissions of a quasar to become more powerful than ever before. The experiment required that all other human beings must disappear from the face of the planet though, in order so that the stellar energy stream would feed directly into Brain Storm's helmet and thereby exclusively boost his mental powers.

Superman ruined Brain Storm's plot by letting him know that Clark Kent was "somehow" not vanished with the rest of humanity, leading Brain Storm on a desperate chase to eliminate Clark before the arrival of the quasar's energies. Ironically, Superman's Kryptonian brain activity would not have interfered with the experiment at all, but by distracting Brain Storm using his secret identity as bait, Superman exhausted the critical time window in which Brain Storm could take advantage of the quasar and then knocked the villain out, forcing him to restore the people of Earth to corporeal reality upon his regaining consciousness.[3]

On another occasion, Brain Storm kidnapped Jimmy Olsen and placed his mind inside a computer simulation for a day, during which Jimmy was given false memories of quitting his job at the Daily Planet for the Metropolis Eagle and having been assigned to uncover Superman's true identity by the Eagle's editor-in-chief.[4]

Brain Storm released Jimmy into the real world, hoping that Jimmy would pursue his imagined task for the Eagle and put together the relevant information to deduce Superman's alter ego. Brain Storm trusted Jimmy to succeed in this mission due to Jimmy's phenomenal record in investigative reporting and his intimate familiarity with Superman's personality and background as his best friend. Brain Storm mind-controlled certain individuals that Jimmy encountered to prevent him from discovering that his recollection of the previous day's events was implanted.

Nevertheless, Jimmy learned the truth when he saw that the latest published issue of the Eagle lacked his byline that was slated to be added in the simulation, so he decided to confound his manipulator by accusing Clark Kent (whom Jimmy ironically thought to be the least likely person) of being Superman.[5]

Brain Storm subsequently used a machine to extract Superman's power of flight from Clark and imbue it upon Jimmy, then psychically compelled Jimmy to present in his warehouse lair and make use of the flying power to make sure the process worked. Upon witnessing Jimmy fly under his own power, Brain Storm attempted to execute Jimmy and transfer Superman's powers into himself, but Superman himself burst in at that moment, demolished Brain Storm's machine, defeated Brain Storm, and fabricated a believable excuse for how Jimmy appeared to fly.[6]

Even after incarceration, Brain Storm had Jimmy kidnapped again by proxy of his gang, under the theory that his experiments on Jimmy would have granted him powers of precognition. Brain Storm's henchmen held Jimmy captive and threatened his life to produce a winning million-dollar lottery number, but thankfully, Lois Lane learned of Jimmy's plight and extricated him from his situation with a little ingenuity.[7][8]

One of the regulars at the Dark Side bar, Brain Storm briefly lost his special helmet in a card game to one Wally Tortolini, but eventually regained it.[9]

Some years later, Brain Storm turned up again, this time without the benefit of his powers. He kidnapped the Terrorsmith in the hopes of using his powers to reactivate his own lost abilities. This plan proved unsuccessful however, and the Terrorsmith was able to escape.[10]

Brain Storm, or someone dressed like Brain Storm, was one of many costumed villains who attended Roulette's "House of Pain", although he did not participate in any of the exhibition events. It is unclear whether this was actually Brain Storm himself, or perhaps one of the other spectators who enjoyed dressing up as a famous super-villain.[11]


Abilities

Other Characteristics

  • Delusional: The effects of his helmet warped Axel Storm's mind, twisting his ideals, and making him see things as he wants to see them, not necessarily as they truly are.

Equipment

Transportation

  • Occasionally summons a hover-platform into existence with his Stellar Helmet


  • Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.

Related

Footnotes


Injustice League Unlimited 002
Justice League Villain
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This character is or was primarily an enemy of the Justice League, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Justice League Villains."

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