The DC Universe is filled with super geniuses, both human and alien. These big brains have conquered time and space, discovered the origins of the universe, and even explored other realities. While some heroes and villains struggle with basic math, these are the characters who make Will Hunting look like a dope.
While it can be difficult to gauge which genius is truly the smartest being in the DCU, careful inspection makes it clear which ones rise to the top of the crop. They have done things that no one else could imagine, and likely find small talk to be an annoyance. These are the heroes and villains who can — and have — changed the multiverse with just the power of their minds.
10
The Atom (Ray Palmer)
Looking for an answer to overpopulation, physicist Ray Palmer stumbled across the fragment of a white dwarf star and, grinding it down into a lens, discovered a way to shrink objects down without affecting their mass. Sadly, most objects he tried this on exploded, but thanks to his metagene, Ray is able to shrink himself and become the Atom.
In time, Atom learned that, by shrinking himself to subatomic sizes, he could access the quantum level and travel to other dimensions and even explore the multiverse. Sadly, Atom has never worked out how to keep most objects from exploding, so his invention has yet to fix the problem he has focused his life on solving.
9
T.O. Morrow
Thomas Oscar Morrow, better known as T.O. Morrow, is an evil genius who possesses an I.Q. over 200 and loves to build robots. He is, in fact, the leading authority on robotics on Earth and created both Red Tornado and Tomorrow Woman.
The first invention T.O. Morrow created was a device that allowed him to see 100 years into the future. Morrow then built a “Fourth-Dimensional Grapple Beam” that he could use to steal future tech, which gives him a leg up on the competition. While stealing equipment from the future is a bit of a cheat, coming up with a way to do it shows just how inventive Morrow is.
8
The Flash (Barry Allen)
Even before being struck by lightning and doused in electrified chemicals, which granted him the gift of super speed, Barry Allen had a genius-level intellect. But once his brain was super-charged, the Flash started to create devices that no one had ever even dreamed of. First came the amazing way Flash hides his costume. By soaking his suit in a specialized liquid, he can shrink it down to fit in a secret compartment in his ring.
After that, Flash built the Cosmic Treadmill, which gave him the ability to not only travel through space and time, but also explore the multiverse. Before he lost his powers, Barry Allen set off to catalog every reality in the multiverse, making him not only a genius, but one of the most important explorers of all time.
7
Mister Terrific
The self-proclaimed third-smartest man alive, Mister Terrific has obtained 14 Ph. D.s and an eidetic memory, meaning he has perfect recall of every event in his life. An Olympic Gold Medalist, Mister Terrific built his own company and is one of the few self-made billionaires in the DCU.
While his skills as a fighter are unquestionable, Mister Terrific’s greatest gifts are the inventions he has used to fight crime. His T-Mask makes Terrific invisible to any electronic detection systems. His T Spheres can do just about anything Terrific wants, from creating holograms to beating the tar out of his enemies.
6
Batman
The World’s Greatest Detective, solving riddles isn’t Batman‘s only talent. The Caped Crusader has shown his genius in many forms, from creating battle strategies that even he can’t beat to building amazing technology that allows him to take on the toughest beings in the universe.
Batman’s analytical mind has saved the world countless times, and while his emotional intelligence leaves much to be desired, there is no questioning his genius. No one has more gadgets than Batman, or is a master of more fighting techniques. As the old joke goes, Batman can think of a way to take down anyone or anything with enough prep time.
5
Lex Luthor
The smartest human alive, Lex Luthor sadly uses his genius to get revenge on those he feels wronged him instead of helping humanity. From his business acumen to his Lexosuit, Lex is ready to take on his adversaries in the boardroom or in the deep reaches of space.
In the DC Universe, intellect is broken down by levels, going from 1 to 12. Most humans land at the 2nd-level. The very smart, like Lois Lane, are at the 3rd-level. Batman and Mister Terrific reach the 5th-level. Lex Luthor is the only human with an intellect higher than that, with some stories claiming that he is as high as a 9th-level.
4
Krona
The greatest example of how someone can be so smart, but also so dumb, is Krona. A member of the ancient race of Maltusians, who later became the Guardians of the Universe, Krona’s greatest desire was to witness the beginning of time. Ignoring all warnings from his fellow Maltusians and the universe itself, he continued his experiment.
Krona was the first being to ever see the Hand of Creation, but doing so caused his machine to explode, leading to the universe fracturing, creating the multiverse. While it was his genius that allowed him to see the birth of reality, it was his hubris that doomed that very reality to a never-ending cycle of death and rebirth.
3
Brainiac
A cybernetically enhanced Coluan, Vril Dox built an advanced artificial intelligence called C.O.M.P.U.T.O. and used it to look at the Fifth Dimension. There, he saw a devastating war that would leave his planet destroyed. Feeling he had no other choice, Vril Dox decided to shrink his city and keep it in a bottle, ensuring that at least some part of his world would survive.
Dox liked shrinking the city so much that he decided to do it with every planet. Going by Brainiac, he has become one of the most feared beings in the universe. Brainiac is so intelligent that his name has become a common ironic retort when someone says something stupid.
2
Brainiac 5
Looking to make up for the evil of his ancestor Brainiac, Querl Dox, better known as Brainiac 5, works with the Legion of Super-Heroes to protect the universe. A 12th-level intellect, Brainiac 5 is the most intelligent mortal to ever exist, beating his nefarious ancestor by two levels.
Along with the Legion Flight Ring and his Force Field Belt, Brainiac 5 invented the Time Bubble, which has become the primary method of time travel in the DCU. He also built a new version of Computo, tough it turned against him and the Legion. Brainaic 5 can be difficult to work with, but, to him, everyone else is as smart as an ant, so it’s hard to blame him for getting annoyed by their questions.
1
Metron
A member of the New Gods, Metron does not come from New Genesis or Apokolips, but from another unknown place. Metron’s intelligence goes beyond DC’s intellect levels. His genius gave him the ability to build the Mobius Chair, a vehicle that allows him to traverse time, space, and all dimensions with ease.
The Mobius Chair also grants Metron, or anyone who sits in it, nigh-omniscience, giving the person controlling it an otherwise impossible understanding of the universe, and the ability to see all of time and space at once. And while others have been able to use the Mobius Chair, only Metron has the ability to truly understand its power.
- Created by
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Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- Cast
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Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena
- Movie(s)
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Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold
- Character(s)
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Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam
