Muscles Can't Win You Every Battle
While we usually think of super speed and strength when it comes to superheroes, there's more to saving the day than pure muscle. For some, they rely on their brains and incredible intellect to help them win battles and beat their enemies. And on the flip side, there are supervillains who are awfully tough to beat just because they're unbelievably smart. So today, let's take a look at 20 comic book characters who use their brains for good or bad.
1. Bruce Wayne
When you're face to face with super powerful aliens from other planets, you're going to need to rely on a bit more than your human strength to beat them. For someone like Batman, this masked vigilante knows this all too well. While he has great combat skills and cool gadgets, Bruce Wayne's true strength lies in his intelligence; his ability to come up with strategic plans and use his opponent's weaknesses to his advantage is how he typically wins.
2. Lex Luthor
Despite being a normal mortal man for the most part, how is it possible that Lex Luthor is Superman's greatest enemy? When it comes to beating the Man of Steel, you need to exercise your noggin and not your strength. Lex Luthor is able to be one of DC's most iconic supervillains purely because of how smart he is. He's even been stated to be the most intelligent human on the planet before!
3. Shuri
The younger sister of T'Challa, the Black Panther, Shuri's strengths are different from her brother. As one of the smartest scientists, engineers, and inventors in the Marvel universe, she is able to keep up with other heroes thanks to her intellectual capacity. It wouldn't be far-reaching to call her a genius at all.
4. Bruce Banner
While the Hulk is incapable of seeing reason when he goes green, Bruce Banner is a completely different story. Vastly different from his aggressive and violent alter ego, Dr. Banner is a quiet, timid, yet incredibly intelligent scientists often deemed one of the greatest on the planet. It's a drastic contrast, which is what makes this character so engaging and interesting for readers.
5. Hank Pym
As the original Ant-Man and one of the founders of the superhero team, the Avengers, Hank Pym isn't just a strong fighter. Just learning that he was the creator of Ultron should give you enough information as to how brilliant he is. And if you really need more convincing, this man has PhDs in multiple sciences like biochemistry and nanotechnology while also being incredibly knowledgeable about quantum physics, robotics, and more.
6. Peter Parker
Sure, everyone loves this friendly, web-slinging neighborhood hero who is capable of doing cool tricks, but one aspect of Peter Parker that is often overlooked is his intelligence. While the radioactive spider granted him superhero strength and speed, he wouldn't be the Spider-Man we know and love if he didn't have the brains to back it. Most of the times, it's his ability to apply his intellect in dire situations that makes us fall for him.
7. Professor X
Professor X, aka Charles Xavier, isn't just one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel universe, he's also one of the smartest. He's always been known as a genius and an expert in certain topics like genetics and psychology. And with his ability to read and control everyone's minds, it's safe to say his ability to learn and absorb knowledge is limitless.
8. Beast
Though he may look like a scary beast, Hank McCoy has a brilliant brain hiding beneath all that fur. Often considered one of the smartest heroes around, he tends to get overshadowed by Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, and others of the like when he shouldn't be. While he often is quite playful and has an ego, don't let those traits make you forget his standing when it comes to brains.
9. Barbara Gordon
Arguably one of the most intelligent members of the Bat family, Barbara Gordon, sometimes better known as Bat Girl, should never be underestimated. Particularly skilled when it comes to technical knowledge, she's great with computers and works incredibly well with an array of high-tech gadgets and gizmos.
10. Tony Stark
Tony Stark, better known under his alias as Iron Man, isn't just a billionaire playboy philanthropist, he's also an incredible genius and inventor. While he can come across as super smug and arrogant, it shouldn't downplay his intelligence. He's right up there next to Reed Richards and Bruce Banner in terms of brains!
11. Reed Richards
Speaking of Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic is often deemed the smartest alive in the Marvel universe. His inventions are simply ground-breaking and his creations regularly help to save the day. While his IQ may be high, he's still capable of making terrible decisions that cost him though. That's how Marvel was able to create this rounded character who is brilliant yet flawed.
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12. Brainiac
It's already in his name, isn't it? You shouldn't be surprised to hear that Brainiac from DC comics is one of the smartest characters around. Possessing something called "twelfth-level" intellect, his brain is far more superior than most. From absorbing information from others to transferring his consciousness, let's just say everything strong about Brainiac is brain-related. Fitting for his character!
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13. Doctor Doom
On par with Reed Richards, Doctor Doom isn't just an iconic Marvel villain for his superpowers and evil plans, he's just as intelligent as some of the smartest heroes. Deemed a brilliant scientist and inventor with a genius-level brain, he's a tough cookie to go up against. Because not only do you have to face his overwhelming powers and abilities, he's smart enough to know the best way to use them.
14. Amadeus Cho
At just 19 years old, Amadeus Cho is already has one of the greatest minds on Earth. Though lesser-known than many others on this list, this Marvel character is characterized by his super-genius intellect, even having been called the "7th most intelligent person" by none other than Reed Richards.
15. Doctor Octopus
As one of Spider-Man's greatest villains, Doctor Octopus aka Doc Ock, has more than just several robotic arms. Dr. Otto Octavius is one of the leading physicists in atomic physics and even has a PhD in nuclear science. Not only is he incredibly knowledgeable about these various fields, he's also a talented inventor and engineer (just look at what he did to himself!).
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16. Mister Terrific
Michael Holt is a superhero in DC comics that goes by the name Mister Terrific. And if you're thinking that's a cringey title, you'll be eating your words when you find out he's a genius. Not only is he great at physical combat thanks to learning martial arts, he's well-versed in various fields such as medicine, science, and engineering.
17. Cyborg
Half-man and half-cyborg, it makes sense that Cyborg from the world of DC has got a brilliant brain beneath all those metal parts. Because the mechanical side of him works essentially as a high-tech computer, he's able to process so much information all at once. But even if we were to take that away from him, he's still noted for being incredibly smart.
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18. Ray Palmer
Also known as The Atom, outside of being able to shrink down to subatomic levels, Ray Palmer is known for being exceptionally gifted. Even before he became a superhero, he's noted to have had multiple PhDs, supporting his genius-level intellect.
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19. High Evolutionary
You may not like him, but it's hard to deny that the High Evolutionary is beyond smart. As far as the Marvel universe is concerned, he is the only man who is able to reach limitless knowledge to match even some of the most powerful otherworld beings. From experimenting on himself to forging weapons, the High Evolutionary has been able to demonstrate his impressive abilities time and time again.
20. Arnim Zola
You likely know him from the Captain America storylines, but Arnim Zola is a Marvel supervillain who's truly a master in his own field. Recruited into Hydra for his extreme intelligence, he is especially gifted when it comes to areas of genetics and cloning. So much so that he built himself a robot body and transferred his own mind so that he could continue to preserve his brain.
