The Planet-Eater Trilogy is a Superman storyline told by Marv Wolfman and Curt Swan in Action Comics issues #528-530 (February-April, 1982).
As the Daily Planet staff are discussing the frightening prospect of the newspaper being sold by its owner WGBS due to failing circulation, Brainiac, who has recently reformed, comes to Earth bringing terrible news: one of his older, abandoned devices has gone out of control. Now it is running amuck and growing uncontrollably by devouring everything in its path: planets, moons, meteorites...and it will not stop until there is literally nothing left in the universe.
So, Superman and Brainiac must team up to stop the rampant, mechanical Planet-Eater. Though, the humongous machine blasts Superman back to Earth, his memory wiped out and his mind altered so his senses cannot recognize the planet-wide destruction caused by the Planet-Eater. Meanwhile, Brainiac finds out that his reprogrammed self is not cruel and cunning enough to devise a plan to destroy its monstrous creation.
Tropes:
- Antagonist Title: The story is named after the threat whom Superman must fight.
- Apocalypse How:
- Brainiac's Planet-Eater threatens to eat all matter in the universe.
- After taking control over the Planet-Eater, Brainiac uses its machines to unleash earthquakes, volcanoes, floods and tornadoes all over Earth.
- Apologetic Attacker: Superman apologizes before grabbing Brainiac and tossing him into his new planetoid.
- Brainwashing for the Greater Good: Previously, Superman had re-programmed Brainiac to rue his evil past and atone for his actions. Now he must de-program Brainiac back into being evil so he can help him stop the Planet-Eater.
- Combat Tentacles: The Planet-Eater is equipped with several giant, four-pronged, orange tentacles that can digest anything into energy to power the central core.
- Earth-Shattering Kaboom: The Planet-Eater destroys an unnamed planet by activating huge whip-like beams which slice through the surface until it shatters.
- Enemy Mine: Brainiac cannot stop one of his out-of-control creations, so he must team up with Superman to stop the Planet-Eater before it destroys everything.Brainiac: "To think, my own creation nearly destroyed me! And now, to stop it before it destroys all living matter throughout the galaxy— I must seek the aid of the man who was once my most dreaded foe!"
- Failed a Spot Check: As flying towards the Planet-Eater, Superman is so lost in his thoughts regarding Brainiac's post-reprogramming good nature that he fails to notice a monitor light flashing on the planet's surface, and a hatch-door sliding open, before an energy beam strikes him.
- Hanging by the Fingers: Several times Superman finds himself clinging to a metallic ledge to try resist the Planet-Eater's incredible gravity pull trying to drag him into its core and turn him into fuel.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: For the sake of stopping the monstrous planet-eating machine, Superman is forced to reprogram Brainiac back into being a villain, permanently this time.
- Kryptonite Factor: When Superman is traversing the Planet Eater's inner corridors, the humongous machine uses a light cannon powered by red sunlight to weaken him.
- Missing Time: As blasting him back into Earth, the Planet-Eater wipes Superman's memories out. When he comes around, Superman has forgotten everything he learned and did since he left Earth.
- The Needless: When Superman and Brainiac are getting ready to attack the Planet-Eater, the former asks the latter if he will be all right flying across the space void without a helmet. Brainiac replies he does not need to breathe because he is a computer.
- Planet Spaceship: Brainiac devises a mechanical world-ship capable of travelling around the galaxy and swallowing whole planets.
- Punched Across the Room: When Superman tries to approach the Planet-Eater alone, the machine blasts him halfway across the galaxy and back into Earth.
- Sadistic Choice: After announcing he will use their machine to tear Earth asunder, Brainiac states he will save one city...and asks Superman which city wants him to spare.Brainiac: "Soon your Earth will be torn asunder, totally destroyed— just like Krypton was, eh? But I will save one city, even as I spared Kandor from Krypton's unexpected demise. Which city would you save if given the choice? Which city will I save, Superman— New York? London? Moscow? Metropolis? "
- Shout-Out: As telling Superman about the Planet-Eater, Brainiac quotes Julius Caesar:Brainiac: "One of your Earthmen once said— "The evil that men do lives after them.""
- Space Friction: Averted. When Superman is being caught by the Planet-Eater's vacuum mechanism, he notes there is nothing to slow him down because there is not friction in space.
- Spin to Deflect Stuff: Brainiac unleashes a barrage of red-sun laser beams to destroy Superman, so Clark wraps himself in his indestructible cape and whirls around to deflect the beams.Superman: "They've got to be concentrated sun-rays designed to destroy me. But they won't, not if I spin quickly enough...and deflect the beams before they can do their damage."
- Surveillance as the Plot Demands: When controlled by Brainiac, the Planet-Eater's cameras can display images of different catastrophes happening simultaneously in different planets.
- Turned Against Their Masters: The Planet-Eater attempts to destroy its creator Brainiac by activating a barrage of lasers.
- Unexplained Recovery: Brainiac gets dragged into the machine's core, which is supposedly a death warrant. He reappears shortly later, declaring his and Superman's alliance is over, and declining to explain how he survived.
- What Does She See in Him?: Morgan Edge argues the Daily Planet series on "The Girl-friends of Superman" flopped because everyone know Superman only loves Lois Lane...for reasons Edge cannot fathom.Morgan Edge: "Everyone knows old Steel-head only has eyes for Lane. Though only Heaven knows why."
- Zeerust: Brainiac's super-advanced space-ship uses radio transmission to monitor Superman's actions.
