IIRC (memory is faulty as always), in his first Silver Age appearance, Brainiac's force field was able to shrug off Superman's best punches as if they were feathers. If that's the case, just how powerful was that force field? Was it ever quantified?
Additionally, I'm assuming that Brainiac 5's force field was the same technology. Was that ever confirmed? Also could hte force field do anything else, like absorb energy?
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IIRC, Brainiac's force field was his greatest invention as not even Luthor or Grax could duplicate it. It was fully capable of warding off Superman and could be extended over long distances including the entire Earth.
As for Brainiac 5, he adapted the technology to create his force field belt. It may not have been as strong as the original but it was more portable and could be projected to cover multiple people. The Legion's Resident Genius could also use it to power larger fields and even project an energy beam if needed. That being said, he didn't use it as imaginatively as the Invisible Woman uses her force fields.
I think Philip nailed it one.
In Action Comics #275 Superman overcame it with x-ray vision, but the power of his x-ray vision had been temporarily increased. (The trick he used makes sense if his eyes deliver x-ray pulses rather than a continuous x-ray stream. Otherwise, it doesn't!)
In Action Comics #339 Brainiac tried to kill Supergirl with it. Apparently, at full strength and used as a ray it could disintegrate a Kryptonian.
In Action Comics #489-#491 Brainiac afflicted Superman with a condition such that whenever he saw a flash of light he experienced a surge of energy and lost control. Superman overcame him - spoiler warning - by dragging Brainiac's craft to the vicinity of a star about to go supernova. In his supercharged condition he was able to smash his way through Brainiac's field.
In Adventure Comics #348 Dr Regulus's Cosmic Boy robot smashed through Brainiac 5's field when Regulus quadrupled its power. Regulus's source of power was solar power harnessed via radioactive gold.
In The Legion of Super-Heroes #303 Brainiac contained the Emerald Eye with his field, but it would've burned it out if the Empress had not been quickly KOed.
...One of my fave rave BBlue/ACTION covers EVER!!!!!!!!!!!:-!
Philip Portelli said:
Thanks Luke and Philip.