The Smartest in the Marvel Universe?

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Well you did say smartest person in the Marvel Universe....

 

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

person
I know... it's the crack again.

 

[KangConquers]

The Intelligencia of Marvel according to the 2004-2007 editions of of the official Handbook. I'm not putting these up for debate; I'm just putting them up as a reference of what marvel's current stance is on these characters. More will be added in coming days.

Omniscient:

Aron The Rogue Watcher
Beyonder
Celestials
Death
Eternity
Galactus
Galaxy Master
Infinity
Living Tribunal
Mephisto
Merlyn
The One Above All
Shuma Gorath
Uatu The Watcher


Super-Genius:

Abraxas
Apocalypse
Amadeus Cho
Cassandra Nova
Danger
Doctor Doom
Eon
Epoch
Hulk
In-Betweener
Iron Man
Kid Omega
The Leader
MODOK
Malstrom
Maestro
Man-Beast
Mandarin
Master of the World
Mastermind (Computer)
Mr. Fantastic
Mole Man
Nathaniel Richards
Scarlet Centurion (Kang)
Supreme Intelligence
The Stranger
Tom Thumb
Thanos


Genius:

Baron Zemo
Beast
Black Panther
Captain Britain
Carrion
Cobalt Man
Dark Beast
Deathlok
Doctor Octopus
Goliath (Bill Foster)
Graviton
Gremlin
Lizard
Loki
M
Madman
Magneto
Mr. Hyde
Mr. Sinister
Mojo
Mojo II
Alyssa Moy
Modulus
Mole Man
Morbius
Onslaught
Professor X
Henry Pym
Radioactive Man
Radius
Ramades
Monica Rappaccini
Red Skull
Valeria Richards
Sasquatch
Sentry
Allistair Smythe
Spencer Smythe
Stegron
Stryfe
Zarrko


Gifted:

Ant-Man (Lang)
Baron Mordo
Baron Zemo XIII
Beetle
Black Knight (Whitman)
Black Widow (Belova)
Collective
Demogoblin
Doctor Strange
Enchantress
Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
H.E.R.B.I.E.
Maria Hill
Hulkling
Immortus
Iron Lad
The Jackal
Jocasta
Daisy Johnson
Kang
Klaw
Madame Web
Victor Mancha
Mandarin (Temugin)
Marduk
Layla Miller
Morgan le Fay
Mercy
Mystique
Mysterio
Mysterium
Nebulla
Phantasia
Prowler
Psycho-Man
Puppet Master
Red Ghost
Cecilia Reyes
Franklin Richards
Rocket Racer
Ronan The Accuser
Shadowcat
Spider-Man
Strikeback
Task Master
Ultron
Vision
Vulture
Wonder Man

Interesting that every Richards Family member (Nathaniel, Reed, Franklin, Valeria, Kang and his counterparts, Ramades) is at least gifted. Some heavy intellect genes in that family.

 

[KangConquers]

Some of the above average (Learned characters)...Will add more later.

If a character doesn't appear on any of the lists...they're just average (and in rare cases impaired.) or I just haven't added them.

Learned:

Angel
Annihilus
Asgardian
Baron Von Strucker
Beret
Bi-Beast
Beta Ray Bill
Black Bolt
Blackheart
Black Tarantula
Black Widow (Romanova)
Cable
Calypso
Captain America (Rogers)
Cardiac
Chameleon
Count Nefaria
Cyclops
Daredevil
Doc Samson
Elektra
Firebird
Emma Frost
Nick Fury
Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
Green Goblin (Harry Osborn)
Green Goblin (Bart Hamilton)
Jean Grey
Havok
Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)
Hobgoblin (Kingsley)
Invisible Woman
Iron Fist
Justice
Kraven
The Kingpin
Man-Wolf
Mantis
Margali of The Winding Way
Master Hate
Master Khan
Mastermind (II)
Alicia Masters
Mephista
Microibe
Ms. Marvel (Danvers)
Mistress Love
Morlun
Morwen
Motormouth
Nightcrawler
Quicksilver
Rawhide Kid
Razor Back
Red Queen
Betty Ross
Thunderbolt Ross
General Ryker
Glenn Talbot
Saturnyne
Sat-YR9
Scarlet Witch
Shadow King
Shamrock
She-Hulk
Silver Surfer
Starfox
Sub Mariner
Viper
War-Machine
Wasp

 

[Silicon Surfer]

Several humans have had their intellects artificially enhanced. The High Evolutionary, the Futurist, the Leader, and Modok are all well beyond Reed or Doom. The Psycho Man also has a superhuman intellect.Thanos is also well beyond the uppermost limits of human genius. The Mandarin has the most advanced technology on earth, probably beyond Kang's as well. The Makluan technology that he has is more advanced than Kree, Skrull or Shi'ar.

 

[harley_quinn]

in terms of knowing about life and having ways of wisdom, although the whole villain thing i'd consider magneto perhaps the smartest in a 'way of the world' way. despite his opinion of humans his general thoughts are usually quite correct and speak an anti hero way, regardless of what he then ends up doing.

 

[Miss Webb]

Several humans have had their intellects artificially enhanced. The High Evolutionary, the Futurist, the Leader, and Modok are all well beyond Reed or Doom. The Psycho Man also has a superhuman intellect.Thanos is also well beyond the uppermost limits of human genius. The Mandarin has the most advanced technology on earth, probably beyond Kang's as well. The Makluan technology that he has is more advanced than Kree, Skrull or Shi'ar.

The funny thing about all that is, how smart can anyone be at a certain point? There's only so much you can do without being something else in the MU. The great beings don't rely on technology because they're immortal and basically an 'essence'. Mortal or limited beings are defined by technology and mechanical perks. I wouldn't say Eternity strikes me as being extremely intelligent, but you never know...knowing what everyone ELSE knows is a plus, but that doesn't prove his own personal intellect.

 

[KangConquers]

Several humans have had their intellects artificially enhanced. The High Evolutionary, the Futurist, the Leader, and Modok are all well beyond Reed or Doom. The Psycho Man also has a superhuman intellect.Thanos is also well beyond the uppermost limits of human genius. The Mandarin has the most advanced technology on earth, probably beyond Kang's as well. The Makluan technology that he has is more advanced than Kree, Skrull or Shi'ar.

Unfortunately the 7 point scale (which is the official marvel standard now) makes no distinction between a super human intellect and a super-genius.
It's also worth noting that a lot of characters with enhanced intellect only retain average creative abilities. MODOK for example, realized that his creative ability was much lower than his processing ability. Essentially only equal to that of an average man, Not even an above average one (It's implied in his profile that MODOK's pre-mutation intelligence score was average.)

It's tough to rate the intelligence of characters who have total recall abilities; they don't necessarily have the creativity of a Reed Richards. That's probably why Sage gets a 4 out of 7.

As for the Mandarin's technology being beyond Kang's, I'm not sure. Kang's certainly had more success with his than the Mandarin has, Though perhaps that's just because Kang is a better general. Mandarin's technology is pretty out there though.

 

[LexCorp]

It's been stated more than once that the smartest human, without any brain enhancements, is either Victor von Doom or Reed Richards. I personally believe it to be Victor, but opinions differ on that.

I would agree with that

 

[KangConquers]

The funny thing about all that is, how smart can anyone be at a certain point? There's only so much you can do without being something else in the MU. The great beings don't rely on technology because they're immortal and basically an 'essence'. Mortal or limited beings are defined by technology and mechanical perks. I wouldn't say Eternity strikes me as being extremely intelligent, but you never know...knowing what everyone ELSE knows is a plus, but that doesn't prove his own personal intellect.

The abstractions are all knowing, and persumably, have knowledge that humans could never begin to wrap their minds around.

 

[KangConquers]

The smartest without brain enhancements + cosmic powers would probably be:

Apocalypse
Amadeus Cho
Cassandra Nova
Doctor Doom
Hulk
Iron Man
Kid Omega
Mandarin
Mr. Fantastic
Mole Man
Nathaniel Richards
Scarlet Centurion (Kang)
Tom Thumb

 

[kedrell]

I guess I'm just sorta looking to boil it down to basic I.Q. numbers. That would help.

 

[Tropico]

Good luck with that.

 

[kedrell]

I know. Ahh well.

 

[KangConquers]

I guess I'm just sorta looking to boil it down to basic I.Q. numbers. That would help.

well, given usual IQ charts:


Impaired: Under 84
Average: 85-114
Above Average: 115-129
Gifted: 130-144
Genius: 145-160
Super Genius: 160-200
Super Human: 200+
Omniscient: Inapplicable.


granted that range gives characters borderline opportunities.

For example, Tony Stark might have a 165 while Doctor Doom has a 200.

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

The old standard,was that Reed Richards was the smartest man in the world..but im not sure that holds anymore..

 

[Silicon Surfer]

The old standard,was that Reed Richards was the smartest man in the world..but im not sure that holds anymore..

Especially after Civil War.

 

[LexCorp]

Hey I wish I had a 200 IQ.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

No you don't some people are so damn smart they don't know what to do with themselves.

How smart is Stephen Hawking.

 

[KangConquers]

No you don't some people are so damn smart they don't know what to do with themselves.

How smart is Stephen Hawking.

How high is Hawking's IQ? The physicist replied that he didn't know. "People who boast about their IQ are losers," he said.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Ha ha awesome. What was Einstien's? I think I remember hearing around 180 somewhere.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

I don't see Peter Parker on that list anywhere?

 

[Silicon Surfer]

Einstein never took an I.Q. test so it is unknown. Some have estimated it as between 160 and 180.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Well that makes sense.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Why can someone not test beyond 200 again?