Supergirl has introduced a wide variety of characters over the years, ranging from humans to aliens to visitors from parallel dimensions. The show has been teasing the introduction of Legion of Super-Heroes of DC Comics fame for quite a while, and we now know just when the superhero group will make its debut. In fact, the very first superhero has already been cast. Jesse Rath of Defiance and No Tomorrow fame will tackle the role of Brainiac 5.
Episode 10 of Supergirl Season 3 will be called "Legion of Super-Heroes." Brainiac 5 will make his big Supergirl debut in that episode, presumably with a number of other superheroes (including Saturn Girl) in tow. TVLine reports that Brainiac 5 will be a half organic/half computer hero whose brilliance can be measured at a 12-level. He travels all the way from the 31st century to assist the DEO and Supergirl in the battle against Reign. He'll also come around to like Kara an awful lot, so it seems that he'll bring some romantic interest along with his intellect to Earth-38. The role will be recurring, so we should see a fair amount of Jesse Rath as Brainiac 5 on the show.
Fans of DC Comics may know Brainiac 5 as a native of the planet Colu, where he was a genius even by the standards of the highly intellectual inhabitants. Although he was distantly related to the infamous supervillain known as Brainiac, Brainiac 5 was firmly on the side of the good guys and took on the name of "Brainiac" to try and redeem his family. Thanks to his intellect, he's a brilliant scientist, a creative inventor, and a skilled combat strategist.
The Brainiac 5 of DC Comics was also a romantic partner of Supergirl, so it's a fitting nod to canon that he develops a bit of a crush on her on Supergirl. We'll have to wait and see if Supergirl fully explores a mutual love story between them, as Kara is still hung up on Mon-El. Of course, the Mon-El of DC Comics also became a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, so it's possible that Supergirl's Mon-El will return around on the same time. A love triangle could be in the works.
Personally, I'm curious to see how Supergirl will handle Brainiac 5's look. He has green skin in the comics, but the show might not want to commit to always applying green makeup or special effects to Jesse Rath. This version of Brainiac 5 may look very different, just as Reign looks very different from her comic counterpart. We'll have to wait and see. The good news is that we don't have to wait too long. Episode 10 isn't exactly going to air in May sweeps.
You can catch new episodes of Supergirl on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Don't forget to take a look at our fall TV guide for your other options.
