The Living Brain

Amazing Spider-Man #8

by Steve Ditko, 1964

I.C.M. brought The Living Brain to Midtown High School for a exhibition. Billing The Living Brain as the greatest mechanical brain ever built. As a demonstration of its computing ability, it was asked what Spider-Man's secret identity is. After a few minutes of computer, it generated the answer in code.

Thinking that the Brain could help them pick horse racing winners and predict elections, two would-be thieves tried to steal The Brain but were interrupted by the I.C.M. representative. During the confrontation, The Living Brain short-circuited and started rolling along and whirling its arms wildly.

As the rampage carried through Midtown High School, Spider-Man tried to stop the machine. Unable to approach the Brain through the whirling arms, Spider-Man tried webbing up the machine. That failed when the Brain snapped through the webbing like it wasn't even there.

The Brain's thinking capacity made him a formidable foe, but Spider-Man was eventually able to reach the Brain's control panel and deactivate the machine.