Who is the smartest person in the DC Universe?

[LifeIsILL]

It has to be Brainiac 5, or some other cosmic character.

I remember there was an alien from a silver age Superman comic who had 20th level intellect, forgot his name though.

But on Earth it should be Lex Luthor.

[Jim Kelly]

Apparently, William James Sidis (born in 1898) was one of the smartest people in the history of the world, with an IQ estimated to be close to 300 (if such can be measured). He was already proficient in English by one year of age and by six he knew Russian, French, German, Hebrew, Turkish, and Armenian--and had his own invented language. Between the ages of four and eight, he had written two books on anatomy and two books on astronomy. He was lecturing in mathematics at Harvard by age eleven. We don't know how many books he wrote and published in his lifetime, because he often used pen names for his works. However, the burden of so much intelligence didn't make for a very happy life.

I wonder if the example of William James Sidis influenced the creation of Terry Sloane, the original Mr. Terrific, as they appear to have similar characteristics--and Sidis would have been known to folks in the early 1940s, as James Thurber had written about him (not kindly) in the NEW YORKER in 1937 (which became the subject of a lawsuit).

[Ascended]

Batman should never be the smartest person on earth.
Thats fucking asanine and character shilling of the highest level. Luthor ? Maybe. His whole schtick is to be the Brains to Supermans brawn. But Batman ? **** off.

So much this. I'm fine with Bruce being the world's greatest detective. But smartest in a general sense is just way too much.

I think, as far as humans go, Lex makes the most thematic sense. If Clark's the strongest, Lex is the smartest.

But Terrific really should get more credit for his intellect too.

If I had my way it would be Mr. Terrific as the smartest man in the hero column. Lex Luthor the smartest man in the villain column.

So this would be my choice.

[Flash Gordon]

2 people you never heard of that are wasting away somewhere, and then Mr. Terrific.

Lex Luthor is up there though.

[Frontier]

So much this. I'm fine with Bruce being the world's greatest detective. But smartest in a general sense is just way too much.

I think, as far as humans go, Lex makes the most thematic sense. If Clark's the strongest, Lex is the smartest.

But Terrific really should get more credit for his intellect too.

I think in a raw intelligence sense Batman doesn't compare to Luthor, Michael Holt, or Ray Palmer. He's not a hard scientist.

I think what Batman is smartest is in instinctual and reactive intelligence where he can take and process a lot of information and use that to his advantage in outsmarting villains or coming up with clever solutions aided by his genius detective skills.

He can also read people enough to be able to figure out what they're doing to counterattack and subdue them.

So he's not a genius scientist and not the world's smartest, but he's smart in what he needs to be.

[KangMiRae]

Batman should be number one.

[lemonpeace]

I think in a raw intelligence sense Batman doesn't compare to Luthor, Michael Holt, or Ray Palmer. He's not a hard scientist.

I think what Batman is smartest is in instinctual and reactive intelligence where he can take and process a lot of information and use that to his advantage in outsmarting villains or coming up with clever solutions aided by his genius detective skills.

He can also read people enough to be able to figure out what they're doing to counterattack and subdue them.

So he's not a genius scientist and not the world's smartest, but he's smart in what he needs to be.

I prefer this approach to Bruce's intelligence. I don't understand the school of thought that Batman needs to be even in the conversation for the top 3 world's smartest, especially in a world with the likes of Cyborg*, Flash*, Ray Palmer, Mr. Terrific, and Luthor running about, because it makes him look pathetic that despite being "the smartest man" Gotham is still so insanely terrible to live. smartest man alive but can't figure out the revolving door criminal justice system problem in Gotham and his best solution for Gotham is to beat on the criminally insane in creative and expensive ways. he doesn't need to be the smartest, he just needs to be the best at what he does; being motherf***ing Batman.

[jetengine]

Smartest Man alive Batman, yet cant figure out running around at night in a fabric costume will get you killed.

[The True Detective]

Smartest Man alive Batman, yet cant figure out running around at night in a fabric costume will get you killed.

Too bad he wears Kevlar body armor then? Lex Luthor's the smartest man alive yet makes an enemy of one of the strongest beings in the universe? No too smart imo.

I don't get this nonsense about "if Batman's so smart why is Gotham so crappy?" Because they need stories to tell? If Bruce built inescapable cells who does he fight? Why does this argument only get used on him? If the DC earth is crawling with superheroes and super geniuses why do crime and disease still exist period? Because it would be boring if the characters existed in perfect utopias.

[jetengine]

Too bad he wears Kevlar body armor then? Lex Luthor's the smartest man alive yet makes an enemy of one of the strongest beings in the universe? No too smart imo.

I don't get this nonsense about "if Batman's so smart why is Gotham so crappy?" Because they need stories to tell? If Bruce built inescapable cells who does he fight? Why does this argument only get used on him? If the DC earth is crawling with superheroes and super geniuses why do crime and disease still exist period? Because it would be boring if the characters existed in perfect utopias.

I get that you Stan Batman but be realistic. He's not the smartest man on DC Earth.

[The True Detective]

I get that you Stan Batman but be realistic. He's not the smartest man on DC Earth.

Cool, we're in agreement cause I never said he was.

[Dark-Jacket]

That's an insanely hard question because I'm not even sure we all agree on what smart is...

There are several kind of intelligence, several domains of proficiency and, it is generally acknowledge you can't be good everywhere.

This being said, if we're talking galactic levels and all, maybe the new gods or beyond the source wall.

On earth, not easy, Mr. Terrific seems a good candidate.
Lex Luthor not figuring out Supes identity where Rah's could deduce Batman's one makes me doubt is the smartest. Let's not forget the plethoria of geniuses which with no education nor budget, invented crazy stuff (hence why to me, Peter Parker is one of the smartest people around).

I'd say, Ted Kord, Lucius Fox, Will Magnus, Niles Caulder, Barbara Gordon and The Calculator are other strong contenders all of them in their own category.

Storywise being the smartest person on earth is not that interesting, either you get a non functionnal character(yoi can't be that smart without social consquences, either the character is so broken and overpowered you can't write stories either he is a gary stu..

[qwertyuiop1998]

That's an insanely hard question because I'm not even sure we all agree on what smart is...

There are several kind of intelligence, several domains of proficiency and, it is generally acknowledge you can't be good everywhere.

This being said, if we're talking galactic levels and all, maybe the new gods or beyond the source wall.

On earth, not easy, Mr. Terrific seems a good candidate.
Lex Luthor not figuring out Supes identity where Rah's could deduce Batman's one makes me doubt is the smartest. Let's not forget the plethoria of geniuses which with no education nor budget, invented crazy stuff (hence why to me, Peter Parker is one of the smartest people around).

I'd say, Ted Kord, Lucius Fox, Will Magnus, Niles Caulder, Barbara Gordon and The Calculator are other strong contenders all of them in their own category.

Storywise being the smartest person on earth is not that interesting, either you get a non functionnal character(yoi can't be that smart without social consquences, either the character is so broken and overpowered you can't write stories either he is a gary stu..

I don't think Lex not figuring out who superman is. In Action Comics 1000 Snyder's story he seems know Clark identity from them childhood, He just never cared about

[Denirac]

Simple: Darkseid is

[Knightmare]

Wow how has no one mentioned Metron of the new gods yet!