There are probably a thousand different ways to approach the ranking of intelligence, and even more than that to rank the intelligence of fictional characters. In the Marvel Comics universe, there are quite a few traditional geniuses that operate as superheroes: Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Tony Stark/Iron Man, Riri Williams/Ironheart, and Hank Pym/Ant Man, for example, are all scientific and mathematical geniuses. Add to that Marvel’s genius villains like Dr. Doom, and they have a strong roster of scientists, engineers, and inventors. The DC Comics universe has a much more open field when it comes to intelligence. Mr. Terrific, easily one of the best parts of the new “Superman” movie, is one of the most tech/science-focused geniuses in the DC universe, but even he is more generically described as having “a natural aptitude for having natural aptitudes.” 

In the Justice League Action animated series, Mr. Terrific lists the top three smartest humans alive, placing himself at number three. He explains in the show that he came up with those rankings, though, and seems to imply that he placed himself third (after Batman/Bruce Wayne at #1 and Lex Luthor at #2) because “nobody ever goes after the third best at anything.” Whether or not Mr. Terrific is downplaying his brain power in peer comparisons, it’s also worth noting that intelligence comes in many forms. Is the most intelligent person someone who has the greatest scientific mind known to humanity, or is it the person who has the most balanced aptitude in different areas of genius? Superman is considered to be the most powerful being on Earth, and yet there are beings on Earth and in space that are more powerful than him. The same is the case for Mr. Terrific, potentially the smartest man alive.

In the DC Universe, there is a planet across the galaxy from Earth called New Genesis. New Genesis is similar to the MCU’s Valhalla in that everyone there is a gorgeous, accomplished, god-like being with incredible quality of life. New Genesis has also been locked in an eons-long power struggle with their planetary neighbor and godly counterpart, Apokolips, which is the hellish opposite of New Genesis’s paradise. Metron is a New God, one of New Genesis’s most distinguished and powerful inhabitants.

Metron actually doesn’t spend very much of his time on New Genesis, though, because he’s usually riding his powerful, all-terrain Mobius Chair. Metron is considered the smartest man on a planet full of beings that are so genetically advanced, they can call themselves gods without anyone rolling an eye. He spends all of his time traveling the universe, attempting to gather all available knowledge that exists or has ever existed. Metron is actually the god that helped Highfather find the life equation, which is the reason they’re officially cosmic deities. 

And then there’s Darkseid, the literal “dark side” to New Genesis and many of its New Gods. Darkseid is obsessed with power, both acquiring it and depriving others of it, and as such, he has focused much of his energy on the procurement of knowledge and the enhancement of his mind and body. Despite Darkseid’s weird comic book history, he is a staple villain both for Superman and for all DC Universe superheroes. He has spent a lot of his time and resources building up military forces to fight the New Gods of New Genesis, but his obsession with infinite conquest and accrual has led him to Earth many times.

Darkseid’s physical power is vast, after all fans have often asked the question, “who would win in a fight between Darkseid and Thanos?” But his tactical and ruthless mind is his most valuable asset. In the Justice League animated series, The New Gods of New Genesis saw to it that Earth remained off limits to Darkseid, but he still sought sneaky and creative ways to destroy Superman — one of the only beings in the universe capable of physically challenging him. At one point in the Superman Animated Series, Darkseid brainwashes Superman into believing that Darkseid is his adopted father. He’s a psycho of cosmic proportions, and has the most conniving mind in the universe.

The DC Comics Universe is a complicated place, and people from different realities and time periods interact with each other all the time. Querl Dox, a.k.a. Brainiac 5, is the fifth iteration of Brainiac, a cybernetic artificial intelligence, and is known as one of Superman’s strongest villains in contemporary times. Because of the original Brainiac’s obsession with constant self-optimization, by the time Earth hits the 31st century, Brainiac’s descendants have become mostly organic (though not entirely organic), super-smart living beings. Querl Dox becomes Brainiac 5 and joins the Legion of Superheroes partially to make up for his ancestor’s horrific legacy.

Querl Dox is considered a 12-level intellect — this means that by the most universal standard of intelligence in the DC Universe, Querl is one of the most genius beings alive. This doesn’t account for every measure of intelligence (Querl does seem to struggle quite a bit with his longtime crush on and relationship with Supergirl, for example), but when it comes to problem solving, critical thinking, adaptability, processing speed, and other abilities usually considered as markers of high intelligence, he’s a foremost expert. For context, the average level of intellect on Earth is a 6-level, and the only other Brainiac to reach a level 12-level intellect was the original. 

J’onn J’onzz is, before anything else, a refugee of a nearly extinct culture. He first came to Earth as a devastated survivor, saved from the brink of oblivion by random chance. Known as the Martian Manhunter while fighting crime on Earth, J’onn has many powers thanks to his Martian physiology. He is super strong, capable of flying, and has enhanced senses. More interestingly, J’onn is capable of using a wide range of telepathic powers, including the ability to read minds, communicate mind-to-mind, and disorient enemies. He also has laser vision and can shapeshift into essentially anything he can fathom. Needless to say, DC’s Martian Manhunter has a rich history, and is a character with an oft-overlooked level of power.  

Martians developed their cerebral and cognitive functions alongside their telepathic abilities, and as a result they were also known to be a highly erudite, peaceful race. J’onn has a brilliant mind for technology, and even served as the Justice League’s eye in the sky before Mister Terrific in “Justice Leage: Unlimited.” Not only could J’onn most likely go toe-to-toe with Superman in physical combat (provided there was no fire around), but he could also beat Batman in nearly every way to measure cerebral aptitude. It is easy to forget J’onn’s superiority, though, because he has limited knowledge of Earth and its customs. 

Now that it’s time to think about humans who could measure up to or potentially overcome Mr. Terrific in a comparison of intelligence, the first figure to take a look at has to be Batman aka Bruce Wayne. Known to the world as a genius detective and strategist, Batman is the kind of hero who keeps his cards very close to his chest, especially when it comes to divesting himself from his human alter-ego, billionaire Bruce Wayne. Bruce is very gifted in technology, engineering, scientific analysis, and code-breaking, and could easily be described as a jack-of-all-trades who has very nearly mastered quite a few of them. Most importantly, though, Bruce is like Dr. Strange without any help from magical resources — he is constantly computing possible outcomes in any scenario, and often the people working with him don’t know his plan until it’s already been executed.

Batman has a particular reputation for having fail safes in place to take down any and every super-powered being on Earth, including his fellow superheroes. Many superheroes who have found themselves on the wrong side of a conflict has been defeated by Batman, and he even keeps a stash of kryptonite safe and in place should Superman ever turn on the people of Earth (“The Death of Superman: The Wake #12”). Bruce can easily be considered the greatest mind on Earth because he uses everything he has to keep, maintain, or regain the upper hand, despite his lack of meta-human abilities. He, much like the Boy Scouts, is always prepared.

This placement in the rankings might make a lot of DC Comics fans raise their hackles, but there is an important point to be made here about both Diana’s education and natural skills, as well as the value of emotional intelligence. Diana, as a treasured daughter of Themyscira, is expertly trained in combat tactics and strategy. She has a traditional Ancient Greek education, thoroughly studied in classics, literature, philosophy, diplomacy, politics, and many other staple subjects. Diana is also omni-lingual, which means that she can speak, read, write, and hear fluently in every language on Earth, ancient ones and modern alike. Diana’s diplomatic skills are actually a big part of the reason that Themyscira has managed to maintain mostly peaceful relations with the human world.

Many have asked if Wonder Woman is powerful enough to be Superman in a physical contest, but the truth is that it has very rarely come to that in the comics, and it’s not likely to happen more frequently. Part of what makes her such a strong figure is her ability to cut to the heart of a matter thanks to her inherent sense of honesty and compassion. Her lasso’s ability, forcing those caught in its ropes to tell the truth, is primarily one of peace and openness, as so often people commit violence because they cannot face the truth behind their motivations. Diana has an inherent emotional intelligence that allows her to understand people and see the best in them despite their failings. There are a million possible situations out of which Diana could talk herself that Mr. Terrific would have to end with outside intervention, thanks to his inability to empathize and build connections with others. 

Another wild card choice, Zatanna represents an important point to consider in the great superhero intelligence debate: Where do magic users fit in? Some magic users in the DC Comics Universe, like Teen Titans’ Raven, are depicted as having a lot of raw, natural power and a difficult time wielding it despite their efforts in studying the arcane arts. Most DC Comics magic users, though, are depicted as diligent students and masters who spend hours of time researching, practicing, and experimenting with various forms of magic (which is distinct from science). The use of magic requires precision, concentration, extensive study, and strong imagination.

Doctor Fate, John Constantine, and Zatanna are a few of the most proficient and recognizable magic users in the DC Comics universe. Most of Doctor Fate’s power and knowledge comes from his symbiotic connection with the Helmet of Nabu, and while John Constantine is an impressive magic user, the core of his talent really resides more in the strength of his magical intuition and his ability to manipulate people. Zatanna seems like the best choice of magic users for this list, as she is both naturally gifted in wielding magic and particularly clever and elegant in her application of it. Zatanna performs her magic by speaking commands backward, either as one word or a full sentence, and she is Batman’s primary contact whenever he encounters mysterious matters that deal with the arcane. 

Lex Luthor would most likely be infuriated to find himself so low on a list of intelligent beings, but it is exactly that fury that keeps him from rising higher in the ranks. Lex is, according to Mr. Terrific, the second smartest natural born earthling in existence, but that ranking doesn’t consider things like interpersonal or intrapersonal intelligence, and Lex is severely lacking in both. Yes, Lex is an accomplished scientist, inventor, and mathematician. He is also a billionaire who has run his company and managed his portfolio with cunning ruthlessness, but all of this means next to nothing to Lex simply because of the existence of Superman.

It is Lex’s obsession with Superman that holds him back from fulfilling his true potential as a genius. He allows his feelings of envy and hatred to cloud the pragmatic parts of his mind that have guided him toward so much success. His inability to cope with difficult feelings and inevitable disappointments is an enormous handicap that has landed him in jail multiple times. That said, Lex is still incredibly smart; he is uncompromising, creative, and subtle in his self-interested pursuits, most of the time understanding that timing and precision are essential for success. Aside from Darkseid, Lex is easily the most devious figure on this list, and even then, that’s really only because Darkseid is several millennia older. 

Unfortunately for Ray Palmer and his alter-ego, The Atom, the MCU’s extensive use of Ant Man (Paul Rudd) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) has made it difficult for the DC Cinematic Universe to introduce the character in theaters. Brandon Routh portrayed Palmer in the CW’s “Arrowverse” as a regular on “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” but otherwise the character has remained relatively low-profile. Ray Palmer is a facsimile of Hank Pym, though, which means that he’s a brilliant scientist who found a way to manipulate the very building blocks of physical matter. Like Hank Pym, as well as Marvel’s Bruce Banner, Reed Richards, Beast, and Tony Stark, Ray Palmer is a scientific visionary, and only one of a handful that are prominent in the DC Comics universe. 

Palmer’s ability to change his size is a considerable boon when it comes to rescues, recoveries, and general combat missions. Like Batman’s many utility belt gadgets, Palmer’s superpower is a result of his incredible intelligence; he’s not a meta human, he’s just a human being with an extraordinary mind. Ray has a far more scientifically focused purview than Mr. Terrific (whose area of expertise lies more in the realm of technology and engineering), which doesn’t necessarily make him smarter, but the product of his work is ultimately far more groundbreaking. 

More than any of Batman’s other cohorts, more than past and current Robins Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, or even Damien Wayne, Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl feels very much like Bruce’s cerebral successor. Barbara, the only daughter of Gotham commissioner Jim Gordon, began her hero career as Batgirl, fighting alongside Dick Grayson’s Robin and Bruce Wayne’s Batman for years under cover of night. In the DC Comic “Batman: The Killing Joke,” Barbara Gordon gets shot in the spine by the Joker, who didn’t know about her alter ego and targeted her because of her father. Barbara survived the shot, but was paralyzed from the waist down and forced to retire as Batgirl. 

The history of the recently shelved “Batgirl” movie is dark, but luckily Barbara Gordon has evolved beyond the Batgirl persona. After her paralysis, Barbara spent many years supporting her fellow Birds of Prey (a Gotham-based superhero team made up of women) and other heroes from her computer chair, adopting the hacker code name Oracle and facing down many cyber threats herself. Barbara is a brilliant thinker, with quick processing skills and an aptitude for clue-solving and code-breaking only surpassed by that of Batman himself (and maybe Tim Drake, who actually discovered Batman’s secret identity as a teenager). Most importantly, Barbara is a genius hacker who understands the mind of a criminal thanks to her father and Bruce’s tutelage. Now that Barbara has regained full use of her legs in the DC Comics universe, she is proving a very formidable figure, thanks to her combination of physical prowess and shrewd brainpower.