As people around the world take this day to celebrate in honor of their biological mothers, we thought it only fitting to also honor the original bad ass mother in gaming: Mother Brain.

Mother Brain is the main antagonist in the original Metroid games for the NES and SNES. While little is said about Mother Brain’s backstory or even greater purpose in the game, some information is provided in the original instruction manual:

In the first Metroid, Mother Brain’s design is pretty basic and mainly looks like a large disembodied alien brain.

Then in Super Metroid (SNES) Mother Brain’s design improved to add a large creepy eye and more spikes (in her first form):

Of course, in typical video game fashion, after you deal enough damage, Mother Brain transforms into a tyrannosaurus-style badass, complete with frickin laser beams, intent on kicking your ass.

While appearing in several other versions and forms over time, Mother Brain’s best “form” might be from the old cartoon Captain N.

In the TV show, Captain N: The Game Master, Mother Brain is the main villain. She is portrayed as a female supervillain with a human-like face, bearing little resemblance to her actual appearance in-game.

Did you know Mother Brain’s voice in the television series was provided by the same actor who previously played Audrey II in the 1986 version of Little Shop of Horrors?

What’s your favorite version of the Mother Brain? Leave a comment below: