If you walked into a drug store in 1968 and looked at the spinning wire comic racks, you’d see the usual suspects. Superman was busy being a Boy Scout. Batman was still shaking off the campy vibes of the Adam West era. Then, there was Joe Simon’s weirdest creation: a sentient mannequin in a paisley vest named Brother Power the Geek.
He looked like a hippie nightmare. He acted like a confused philosopher. And frankly, he was gone after only two issues because the powers-that-be at DC Comics—and allegedly some very confused parents—didn't know what to make of him.
But here’s the thing. While it’s easy to laugh at a comic book about a "geek" who isn't a tech whiz but rather a literal circus-performer-style outcast, the book is a fascinating time capsule. It wasn't just a bad comic. It was a genuine attempt by an industry legend to understand the "Summer of Love" while still trying to sell 12-cent rags to kids in the suburbs.
What Actually Happened in 1968?
Joe Simon is a titan. He co-created Captain America with Jack Kirby. He basically invented the romance comic genre. By the late 60s, though, he was trying to capture the lightning of the youth movement. He saw the hippies in Greenwich Village and thought, "There's a hero here."
Enter Brother Power.
The origin story is... a lot. A group of hippies (who are basically caricatures of 1960s youth) dress up a tailor's mannequin in discarded clothes. They name him "The Geek." Then, in a classic comic book trope that makes zero scientific sense even by 1960s standards, the mannequin is struck by lightning. But it's not just regular lightning. It's lightning that hits a weird "power paste" the hippies were using.
Suddenly, the dummy is alive.
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He doesn't have super strength or heat vision. He has a soul. He's a pacifist. He’s a "Geek" in the original sense of the word—an outsider, a freak, someone who doesn't fit the mold. He spends his first issue trying to understand why humans are so obsessed with war and money. Honestly, for a book that looks like a fever dream, it’s surprisingly heavy on the social commentary.
The Cancellation Mystery and the Ronald Reagan Rumor
You’ve probably heard the legend. It’s one of those bits of comic book trivia that gets passed around at conventions. The story goes that Brother Power the Geek was so offensive to "The Establishment" that Ronald Reagan—who was Governor of California at the time—personally complained to DC Comics to get it shut down.
Is it true?
Maybe. Probably not in the "Reagan called the DC offices" kind of way. But it’s widely accepted that the editorial staff at DC, specifically Mort Weisinger, hated the book. They thought it was making fun of the very culture it was trying to represent, or worse, that it was endorsing the hippie lifestyle. In the 1960s, a "geek" was a guy in a circus who bit the heads off chickens. DC’s upper management thought the title alone was a PR disaster waiting to happen.
They yanked it after issue #2. Issue #3 was fully written and drawn but sat in a drawer for decades. Brother Power was effectively banished to the "limbo" of the DC Universe. He was too weird for the Silver Age and too goofy for the Bronze Age.
Why the Character Actually Works (Sort of)
If you read those two original issues today, they aren't "good" in a traditional sense. The dialogue is "groovy" and "far out" in a way that feels like your grandfather trying to use TikTok slang. It's awkward. But there's a sincerity to it. Joe Simon wasn't mocking the youth; he was genuinely fascinated by the idea of a character who refused to fight.
In a medium built on "POW!" and "ZAP!", Brother Power was a weirdly progressive experiment. He was a golem of the flower power era.
The Neil Gaiman Revival
For years, he was just a joke. A footnote in "Worst Comics Ever" lists. Then came the 1990s. The era of Vertigo Comics. This was the time when writers like Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison were digging through the trash bins of DC history to find gold.
Gaiman, in particular, saw the potential. In The Sandman #12, he gave Brother Power a cameo. He reframed the character as a failed "Elemental"—essentially a prototype for a protector of the Earth that didn't quite take. This gave the character a tragic, mythical weight. Suddenly, he wasn't just a dummy in a vest; he was a lost soul that the universe didn't have a place for.
Later, in 1993, we got a one-shot called Brother Power the Geek written by Rachel Pollack. This is where the character finally got his due. Pollack took the absurdity of the 60s origin and leaned into the surrealism. She turned him into a sort of philosophical wanderer, dealing with the fact that the "revolution" of the 60s had turned into the corporate cynicism of the 90s.
The Semantic Shift of "Geek"
One reason this book feels so alien today is how the word "geek" has changed.
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In 1968:
- A "Geek" was a social pariah.
- It was an insult.
- It implied you were "less than human" or a freak show attraction.
In 2026:
- A "Geek" is a person with a specialized interest.
- It's a badge of honor.
- Geeks run the world (and the box office).
If you launched a comic called Brother Power the Geek today, people would expect a story about a guy who hacks servers or builds high-end gaming PCs. But Joe Simon was using the old-school definition. He wanted a hero who represented the marginalized. He wanted someone who was literally a "dummy" but had more humanity than the people around him.
Collecting the "Geek" Today
If you're a collector, finding original copies of issue #1 and #2 isn't as hard as you'd think, but it's getting pricier. Because the run was so short, the supply is limited. However, because it was considered a "bad" comic for so long, many copies were tossed or treated poorly.
A high-grade (CGC 9.0 or higher) copy of Brother Power the Geek #1 can set you back a few hundred dollars. It’s a niche market. You’re not buying it because you want a masterpiece of sequential art; you’re buying a piece of 1968 weirdness. You’re buying the moment DC Comics tried to be "cool" and failed spectacularly.
Notable Appearances to Track Down:
- Brother Power the Geek #1-2 (1968): The original Joe Simon fever dream.
- The Sandman #12 (1990): The Neil Gaiman "Precog" moment that made him cool again.
- Brother Power the Geek Vertigo One-Shot (1993): The best actual story featuring the character.
- The Brave and the Bold #29 (2009): A team-up with Batman that is as bizarre as it sounds.
The Lasting Legacy of a Mannequin
Why are we still talking about this?
Because the comic book industry is currently obsessed with "safe" IP. We get the same characters over and over. Brother Power the Geek represents a time when publishers were willing to throw literally anything at a wall to see if it would stick.
He is the patron saint of the "weird idea." He’s a reminder that sometimes, being a failure makes you more interesting than being a success. Superman is a brand. Batman is an icon. Brother Power is just a mannequin who wanted everyone to be nice to each other.
There's something oddly beautiful about that.
If you're looking to dive into the history of counterculture in comics, you have to start here. You have to look past the goofy vest and the "hip" lingo. Look at the intent. Joe Simon saw a changing world and tried to build a hero out of the literal scraps left behind by the youth. It didn't work, but it was brave.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If this weird bit of history has sparked your interest, here is how you can actually engage with it without spending a fortune on eBay.
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Hunt for the Vertigo One-Shot first.
Don't start with the 1968 issues. They are fun for the "cringe" factor, but the 1993 Rachel Pollack one-shot is actually a thoughtful, well-written piece of fiction. It treats the character with respect while acknowledging how silly he is. It's usually found in back-issue bins for under $10.
Check the Sandman "Doll's House" collection.
If you own the Sandman trade paperbacks, you likely already have a Brother Power appearance on your shelf. Re-read the "Doll's House" arc. Knowing his backstory makes his brief appearance in the "precog" dream sequence much more impactful.
Support the "Weird" Indie Scene.
Brother Power was essentially an indie comic trapped in a corporate body. If you like the vibe of a sentient mannequin fighting social injustice, look into modern publishers like Fantagraphics or Drawn & Quarterly. They are carrying the torch that Joe Simon lit (and DC promptly blew out) in 1968.
Understand the "Geek" Evolution.
Use the history of this character as a conversation starter. It’s a perfect example of linguistic drift. Showing someone the cover of Brother Power the Geek is the fastest way to explain how much "nerd culture" has shifted in the last 60 years. We went from being the mannequin on the fringe to the people running the show.
The Geek didn't die in 1968. He just waited for the rest of the world to get as weird as he was.