7 Smartest Heroes in DC, Ranked

Superheroes are well-known for their incredible abilities. Their choices and their incredible skills are what elevate them from being heroes to superheroes. Everyone knows that Superman can fly like a bird and Wonder Woman can deflect bullets with her bracers, but not all heroes have powers beyond the normal. In fact, many heroes save the day with nothing more than their intellect. They think, plan, and invent a dozen new ways to save the world, finding solutions that would never even occur to the average person. There are plenty of super-smart villains out there, but you could argue that heroes need to be smarter, since they have to plan out how to save everyone the right way.

Today, we’re going to be celebrating the heroes who get by with only their minds by listing the seven smartest superheroes in the DC Universe. There is no shortage of super-intelligent heroes out there, but these seven have all shown themselves to be a cut above the rest. Now, intelligence is impossible to actually quantify in any meaningful way, but it gets a lot easier when the characters are fictional and regularly state their intelligence levels. Intelligence manifests in all kinds of different ways, as no one can be the best at everything, but these seven are definitely better than just about everyone else.

7) Toymaster

Hiro Okamura is the youngest hero on this list, but don’t let his age fool you. Already, he’s one of the world’s leading experts on robotics and engineering, which he uses to help Superman whenever the Man of Steel needs a tech expert. When a Kryptonite meteor threatened to destroy the world, he was the only one capable of creating a massive Composite Batman-Superman robot on such short notice, which destroyed the space rock. He’s reported to have one of the highest IQs on the planet, and when he grows up, he’s going to reshape the world with his brilliance. Right now, though, he’d rather make robots of his favorite heroes to hang out with.

6) Doc Magnus

https://comicbook.com/comics/list/7-marvel-comics-super-geniuses-ranked-by-intelligence/William Magnus is the world’s leading robotics expert, hands down. His greatest achievement is undoubtedly his Metal Men, living robots created out of various elements. He gave these robotic people life by creating the Responsometer, a miniature supercomputer capable of giving life to any metal it comes into contact with, and allowing the new person the ability to reshape their body in whatever way they see fit while retaining the properties of their original metal. He was the student of T. O. Morrow, the only other person to accomplish something similar with Red Tornado and the like, but even Morrow’s robots appear less human than Magnus’s. 

5) Steel

When Superman died at the hands of Doomsday, John Henry Irons stepped up to fill the void that the Man of Tomorrow left behind. He created a battlesuit and, when Superman returned, christened himself Steel. John Henry designed this suit to let him replace Superman, and it’s more than capable of doing that. Despite being a normal man, Steel can trade blows with villains like Cyborg Superman without breaking a sweat. He’s one of the greatest weapon designers in the entire world, and currently runs Steelworks, a new business that is aiming to uplift the world with the advanced technology DC’s heroes possess. Anyone who can fight like Superman with just a suit of armor definitely deserves a spot on this list.

4) The Atom

When he was still a graduate student, Ray Palmer found a white dwarf star fragment that he theorized could be used to shrink or grow objects. His theory proved correct, and he became the costumed hero, the Atom. He soon joined the Justice League, and since then, has stood as their de facto smart guy when they encounter something they don’t understand. He’s almost always been in the background, but he’s always been present, guiding the League and the greater superhero community as a whole towards the right answers. He’s a master in about every scientific field there is, and has studied more alien tech than almost anyone. When the Justice League needs answers, they always turn to the Atom.

3) Batman

Batman has often been called the second-smartest person in the world, right behind Lex Luthor, and it’s easy to see why. Bruce Wayne is a certified genius on every level, able to pick up and master practically any skill with an ease that baffles the mind. He might not be the top dog in most fields, but he is top ten in every field. He’s one of the greatest detectives, engineers, and scientists the world has ever seen at the same time. Batman regularly solves crimes with seemingly no clues and builds machines and contingency plans to take down veritable gods. The Dark Knight is definitely one of the smartest people to ever live, especially when it comes to deductive reasoning, but he’s just outshone by our first two slots.

2) Mister Terrific

Michael Holt is the person that everyone turns to when they need a question answered. For years, he’s been called the third smartest man on the planet, but recently, he’s revealed that he allowed himself to be called third so that he could be underestimated and work in the shadows more. Mister Terrific is the premier expert on all things technological and otherworldly, easily standing as the Justice League’s new de facto genius. Even Batman turns to Mister Terrific when he can’t come to an answer himself, and Mister Terrific has yet to fail to solve a problem. He’s the smartest member of the Justice League, but even he’s not the smartest hero out there.

1) Brainiac 5

Who could be the smartest person alive but the person with brain in his name? Brainiac 5 is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes from the 31st Century, and despite not having any explicit powers, is easily one of their most important members. He’s the smartest person alive, easily outshining even the original Brainiac from the present day. Superman, who is close with every hero on this list and regularly battles Lex Luthor and Brainiac, has repeatedly called Brainiac 5 the smartest person he’s ever met. Besides the original Brainiac, he’s the only 12th-level intellect in the universe, and his spectacular inventions include the ever-important Time Bubble and the Legion flight ring. He’s the smartest cookie around, and given his competition, that’s saying a lot.

So there we have the seven smartest DC heroes around. Who else do you think deserves a spot on this list? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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