The Living Brain
First appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #8 (original version); Web of Spider-Man #35 (second model)

Early into his tenure as Spider-Man, studious Midtown High School science whiz Peter Parker had his class visited by Dr. Petty of the International Computing Machines Corporation with it's newest creation, a robot called the Living Brain. With vast knowledge at it's disposal, and an ability to compute things instantly, the Brain was marveled at by Parker as well as the other students, who proposed that the Brain figure out Spider-Man's secret identity based on what they knew about him. Luckily for a nervous Peter, the Brain's answer was encoded, though Flash Thompson, a big Spider-Man fan, wanted to learn Spidey's secret right away. The science teacher Mr. Warren, suggested the two students settle their fueding in the school gym, in the boxing ring, while Petty's two assistents plotted to steal the Brain.

As the fight between Peter and Flash continued, Petty was knocked out, and the Brain was reprogramed, though in the process it short-circuited and went on a rampage. Went news hit the gym, Flash turned around and was hit by Peter, and was knocked out. While it was due to his Spider-powers, Flash's defeat was attributed by the other students as a lucky, and unfair, blow. Finally able to handle the Brain, Spider-Man went off and following a lengthy fight through all of Midtown High, the Living Brain was stopped, and the schemeing assistants ended up tripping over Flash who was tying up his shoes after waking up. As the thugs were found by Flash, Peter decided to use this to his advantage and convince everyone that Flash was Spidey, that's why he wanted the slip with the code from Peter, that's why "puny" Parker defeated him, and that's why the thugs were found. His secret safe, Spidey webbed up the Living Brain and the thugs, and the Living Brain was never heard of again. Well, at least not for a long while.

Years after the first fight with the Living Brain, Peter Parker, then wearing his Black Alien Costume, returned to Midtown High to see how it was doing, and was shocked to find that in the years since it's graduation it had gone from a comfortable middle class school, to a more inner-city type school. It was during this return visit that a new Living Brain was introduced, more advanced than the original, but like the first was reprogrammed and went on a rampage. A student tried to use the Brain to get back at a bully, but luckily Spidey was on the scene to defeat his old foe.

The Living Brain has only been seen in current storylines twice, but a recent flashback revealed that Spider-Man webbed up the Brain and Dr. Petty's assistants after their first encounter.

Powers and Abilities: Called the greatest mechanical brain ever built, the first Living Brain had ball bearings on it's feet to swiftly move around, powerful arms, and an emmensly powerful brain. The second version of the Living Brain had similar tools, but instead on moving on the ground, hovered above it.

REFERENCES: Amazing Spider-Man #8, Peter Parker: Spider-Man volume two #20, Web of Spider-Man #35

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