Superman Symbolism: What 10 Most Famous Villains Really Mean

5. Brainiac - His Alien Side

Brainiac emphasises to Superman the fact that he is an alien, despite the fact that he may look like a human and walk in a human world. He looks like the stereotypical "green man" that we've seen in so many fictional sources over the years and, to Superman, despite the obvious differences in their physical appearances, he is basically a mirror of the Man of Steel by virtue of the fact that he represents how Superman feels, having been sent to an alien world. He represents every nightmare that stems from aliens, creatures or forms of artificial intelligence from space and represents what some people actually see or perceive when they look at Superman and, as such, his very existence antagonises the hero - let alone the fact that he is both a physical rival to him and by far his intellectual superior.