 James Marsters appears in eight episodes of season five , as well as four episodes of season seven , as the Kryptonian artificial intelligence known as Brainiac , referred to on the series as the " Brain InterActive Construct " . Brainiac first appears in the season five episode " Arrival " , and in the episode " Splinter " he assumes the identity of Central Kansas A & M professor Milton Fine , a fellow Kryptonian , in order to befriend Clark . His ultimate plan is revealed in the episode " Solitude " when he attempts to use Clark 's Fortress of Solitude to release General Zod from the Phantom Zone ; Clark stops Zod from being released . In the season five finale , Brainiac unleashes a computer virus that cripples the world 's cyber infrastructure . He then transplants Zod 's spirit into Lex when he tricks Clark into stabbing him with a Kryptonian dagger , providing Brainiac with a link to the Fortress so he can release Zod . 
