Does Superman HAVE TO have super intelligence?

[Nite-Wing]

That's a good point about Supergirl though
Is she one of the smartest minds on the planet as well or is this amazing kryptonian genius only restricted to males.

[Agniwolf]

That's a good point about Supergirl though
Is she one of the smartest minds on the planet as well or is this amazing kryptonian genius only restricted to males.

in action comics 22 and superman 0 the narrative of clark about his parents says that lara was on the same scientific level as jor, and that she was even more amazing cause she was a fighter too

[Johnny Thunders!]

That's a good point about Supergirl though
Is she one of the smartest minds on the planet as well or is this amazing kryptonian genius only restricted to males.

Yes of course she should be a super genius! It's not about gender, it's about what their super senses would do to their minds. I think even Nu 52 superman could read flash drives by looking at them, that's brain power of a different order. And yes, Lex is a freak of nature, before Kryptonians showed up, he thought he was the superior being on the planet.

[Lightning Rider]

Sorry to bump an old thread but it's better than starting a brand new one.

I started watching an okay show on Neftlix called "Limitless" (based on a movie I guess?) and it's largely centered around a high-tech "neuroenhancer" pill that gives you complete access to your entire brain. Access to every memory, optimal calculative abilities, instant learning, total sync with your body, anything you can really think of. In the first episode this is demonstrated through simple tricks like going from a basic guitar player to shredding scales with ease, recalling and applying complex physics equations to predict exactly when a halting train will stop, and I couldn't help but think to myself: this is how Superman should be portrayed. Mastery over physical estimation of any kind, computing abilities beyond our best machines, and an instant understanding of the material world. Not just because he has Kryptonian intelligence and yellow sun radiation enhancing that, but because of his senses adding new layers of profound understanding. The guy has to be a quantum physicist by simply existing.

I suppose it's already implied in much of what he does, but I just thought it was a cool demonstration of what I wish they would show more of in fun and creative ways. People should check out the trailer or skim through the first episode for more of what I'm describing.

[JAK]

Sorry to bump an old thread but it's better than starting a brand new one.

I started watching an okay show on Neftlix called "Limitless" (based on a movie I guess?) and it's largely centered around a high-tech "neuroenhancer" pill that gives you complete access to your entire brain. Access to every memory, optimal calculative abilities, instant learning, total sync with your body, anything you can really think of. In the first episode this is demonstrated through simple tricks like going from a basic guitar player to shredding scales with ease, recalling and applying complex physics equations to predict exactly when a halting train will stop, and I couldn't help but think to myself: this is how Superman should be portrayed. Mastery over physical estimation of any kind, computing abilities beyond our best machines, and an instant understanding of the material world. Not just because he has Kryptonian intelligence and yellow sun radiation enhancing that, but because of his senses adding new layers of profound understanding. The guy has to be a quantum physicist by simply existing.

I suppose it's already implied in much of what he does, but I just thought it was a cool demonstration of what I wish they would show more of in fun and creative ways. People should check out the trailer or skim through the first episode for more of what I'm describing.

It also makes sense that he'd have a higher/faster brain function - if not, he'd run into walls every time he used super-speed. He doesn't, because his brain can function fast enough to cover it. That's not to say he thinks like that all the time, none of us think at our 100% potential every second, but still.

[Lightning Rider]

It also makes sense that he'd have a higher/faster brain function - if not, he'd run into walls every time he used super-speed. He doesn't, because his brain can function fast enough to cover it. That's not to say he thinks like that all the time, none of us think at our 100% potential every second, but still.

Yeah he definitely has to.

[llozymandias]

In his second Superman novel, Maggin says that Kal-El is smarter than Jor-El. In the novel's universe kryptonian science actually developed a device that could measure an individual's level of intelligence. Jor used that device to compare Kal's brain to his own. The device told him that his intellect was great, but Kal's was greater. In 1960's origin story for Lex, Jerry Siegel that Lex is smarter than Kal. Jerry had Lex (in this story Lex was in his early teens) create a working antidote to kryptonite. Superman was never able to do that. Even after decades of research & experiments. And yes the pre-coie Supergirl was also a super-genius & a scientist. She accidently created kryptonite-x. As part of an experiment in her efforts to create an antidote to kryptonite.