Monsieur Mallah and the Brain were a very welcomed addition to my weekly viewings of My Adventures with Superman, now streaming on (formerly HBO) Max. Monsieur Mallah and the Brain (voiced by André Sogliuzzo and Jesse Inocalla, respectively) are a m/m couple that’s both weird and wonderful. Given a major upgrade from their comic counterparts, the two scientists now have more nuance, personality, and the potential to make a greater impact in the media as queer icons. 

My Adventures with Superman follows titular Clark Kent in a way we haven’t ever really seen him: adorkable. They also made him incredibly buff and, dare I say, beautiful. Like, look at this hot man!

Superman is Hot and Smart

Along with sporting his signature blue and red spandex, Superman also wears his huge heart on his sleeve. He is considerate to everyone and just an overall gem. An internship at the Daily Planet newspaper leads Clark and his best friend Jimmy to meet fellow aspiring journalist, Lois Lane. The trio finds their groove while investigating stolen alien tech, all while Clark secretly keeps transforming into Superman whenever he’s needed as the Man Of Steel. With dangerous weapons falling into the wrong hands, Clark must learn to trust his friends, embrace his wild powers, and fight for a future he believes in.

Monsieur Mallah and the Brain appear in Episode 6 of M.A.W.S. and are introduced as territorial, threatening, and very much GAY! The two bicker over whether they should harm Jimmy, whom they catch trespassing in their hidden lab. When Jimmy laments about his frustrations with Clark and Lois missing his special trip, the two ‘monsters’ reveal their relatable humanity. It’s then that Jimmy’s captors become his emotional counselors who spare Jimmy’s life and become his friend. Monsieur Mallah and the Brain change course, from isolationists to loyal pals who genuinely bond over their bad blood with humanity. 

Two Scientists, One Love

In a great backstory, the two scientists came from the same secret lab, Project Cadmus. Monsieur Mallah was a gorilla injected with a serum to give him genius intellect and the Brain was a human scientist. They used their big brains to help the world but were attacked for their tech. When their science was seized for evil, the two faked their deaths by exploding an experimental black hole and scaring their enemies off. This caused the Brain to lose his body, as he now operates in a metal robotic suit with a human brain inside. Monsieur Mallah doesn’t love him any less because of it, saying “I regret nothing because it left me with the one person I love most in the whole universe.” Monsieur Mallah, the ‘glass-half-full’ one in the relationship, is optimistic that they can one day find a society to accept them. His partner isn’t so sure.

The Brain is a bitchy Germanic floating robot with one eye and a very expressive unibrow. The two argue over simple things, eavesdrop for tea, and bring an energy of realness to characters that aren’t even human. We gain empathy for the duo because they’ve hidden away from a society that would reject them, something many queer folks don’t need to try hard to envision. Monsieur Mallah and the Brain truly believe that humanity will only see them, and their love, as monstrous.

Monsieur Mallah is funny as he is French, and he gives the Candle from Beauty and the Beast a run for his money. Through moments of stress, like when their home is under threat, the two act like any power couple and put aside their differences for the sake of protecting what they’ve built. Shared isolation gave Monsieur Mallah and the Brain time to start a family of random mutants because they hilariously got bored “about a year in and wanted” a family. After protecting Monsieur Mallah and the Brain from a robot invasion at Cadmus, the aforementioned black hole becomes a gateway to an unknown universe. 

Why Stay on Earth?

After the day is saved, Monsieur Mallah and the Brain say au revoir and tschüss respectively, to Lois, Jimmy, and Clark/Superman. The Brain, always a straight shooter and pragmatic thinker, senses Superman’s inner struggle to balance his alter-ego. Brain tells Clark he sympathizes with his “strangeness” and that they’re similar because society would still reject them both. In an act of unexpected kindness, the Brain offers Superman a home in that new world the black hole opened. While we never see what’s inside the portal, we assume it’s a new and safe place for queer non-humans to exist without society’s wrath. The Brain offers Superman to join them and to wait until people are ready to accept them, inviting him to travel to the new universe. Superman thanks them for the offer, but stands confident in staying to “make the world better for all of us”. A true ally, not many cis straight white guys give a shit about anyone but themselves so it was great to see a selfless one! After their farewell, the episode ends with Monsieur Mallah and the Brain entering that new universe through the stabilized black hole, searching for a new place to call home.

Gay folks have always felt the unfair target that's been set on them, and that grows into stress, resentment, repression, and more. Monsieur Mallah and the Brain represent the quiet strength you can find in isolation, finding power in knowing that people who won’t accept you don’t even deserve you. While their plight against humanity is less about homophobia and more that they’re literally a giant French gorilla and snarky German robot dating whilst gay, the point remains the same.

Superman is Super, Man

Usually, it’s easy to dub the world as bigoted and worth staying away from. Countless years of disappointment and homophobic experiences have begrudgingly hardened many of us away from finding the joy that is authentic and out there. This is frustrating and maybe not even true, but: the only way we can change the world is by impacting it ourselves. Clark/Superman is patient and is willing to keep fighting for a world that accepts anyone considered ‘different.’ I think that’s a refreshing take on combating ignorance and I can appreciate Clark’s confidence in his own empathy to lead the world to a brighter future. I’m impressed with the show’s characters, stories, and writing of authentically weird, queer characters. There are no MCU-grade quips and the Brain and Gorilla’s hardships are a large focus point of the episode.

This iteration of Superman, voiced by the awesome Jack Quaid, openly loves his friends and finds it hard to keep his super secret from them. The reason he didn’t tell his friends his secret identity is very reminiscent of queer people’s coming out journey. Clark admits he didn’t want to tell his friends so they wouldn’t see him differently. Jimmy, his supportive best friend, roommate, and photographer for the paper, explains “We don’t care what you are, we're friends because of who you are!” And if that’s not the exact correct response to someone’s coming out… you’re delulu.

Also, shoutout to the animators and writers for making Lois, Clark, Jimmy, Monsieur Mallah, and the Brain so flushed out. I’m invested in these characters not just because Superman looks like THIS…

But because the struggle of balancing your identity is universal, something the team at My Adventures With Superman greatly understands.