Brain Drain (Werner Schmidt) is a fictional character who first appeared in American comic books published by Marvel Comics in 1975 as a villain, but later becoming an ally of Squirrel Girl.

Brain Drain first appears in The Invaders #2 (Oct. 1975) and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Frank Robbins.

Werner Schmidt is a Nazi scientist whose crew was killed in the crash of the Tekeli-Li spaceship. Its alien passengers rescue him and transplant his brain into a robotic body with mind-control abilities. Schmidt dubs himself "Brain Drain", takes control of the aliens - which he calls "Star Gods" - and renames them after German gods Donar, Log, Froh, and Brunnhilde. After being freed from Brain Drain's control, the aliens commit suicide by jumping into a vat of chemicals.^[1][2][3]

In Alpha Flight, Brain Drain allies with the Master, an enemy of the superhero team Alpha Flight. Joining the Master's team Omega Flight in a new robot body, Brain Drain and other villains battle the heroes on several occasions, before finally being defeated.^[4][5]

Brain Drain returns as an antagonist in The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, but is quickly defeated due to his outdated technology and design flaws. After Squirrel Girl upgrades him, he reforms and becomes a student at Empire State University.^[6]

Werner Schmidt was a brilliant scientist. After his brain was transplanted into a robot body by aliens, Brain Drain gained the power of mind control.

Brain Drain appears in Marvel’s Squirrel Girl: The Unbeatable Radio Show, voiced by Peter Hermann.^[7]

• Brain Drain at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• AlphaFlight.Net Alphanex Entry on - Brain Drain