We all know Tony Stark as the resident genius in the Marvel Universe. With his high tech and ability to solve any situation using his mind, we are no one to doubt his genius. But we all know, in the Marvel universe, where extreme dangers lurk around in every corner, our heroes need to be on their toes all the time. We mean, more like never a dull moment for their minds at least and well, knowledge is power after all.
The more knowledgeable a character is, the more likely he is to get out of a situation faster. And even though our beloved Iron Man is one of the more brainy ones, there are other Marvel characters whose genius makes him look dumb.
Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man
He came up with the technology that can literally shrink a normal human to an ant-sized, well, a human. Even with an altered body size, the person has the same strength and power. This should be enough to prove Hank Pym is way ahead of Stark in matters of the brain, especially considering our heroes at the Stark Tower were also surprised after seeing that technology.
Hank made his first appearance in Tales to Astonish #27 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He may have created the nearly unstoppable Ultron but with a Ph.D. in biochemistry and nanotechnology, Pym is an expert in almost every field of science. It is his emotional family-related issues in his life that have held him back from his true potential.
Reed Richards, the smartest man on the Earth
Reed Richards was regarded as the smartest person in the Marvel Universe and for good reason. Reed was the first true explorer, but an accident led to the Fantastic Four becoming superheroes, and as their leader he has seen some difficult situations, using his intelligence to come out of them. The Fantastic Four, on most occasions, are able to continue their journey because of his unbeatable intellect.
He’s also an exceptional inventor who discovered more things than anyone else on the planet. When heroes use their powers, Reed’s Unstable Molecules prevent their costumes from being destroyed. He is not only the master of time travel, space travel, and extra-dimensional travel but also the person you would go to for scientific advice if you were living in the Marvel universe.
Valeria Richards, surpassing her father
Reed Richards’ daughter Valeria Richards is not far behind her father in matters of intelligence. In fact, she has most definitely surpassed him. Reed himself said that his daughter outsmarted him when she was just three years old. This kid beat both Reed Richards and Victor Don Doom in the competition for the title of the smartest man on the Earth.
As a three-year-old, she hid her intelligence from her family because she realized it would be disastrous. She may be powerless but she’s got her intellect to save herself and others from dangerous situations. Reed also stated that she invented things and came up with solutions he couldn’t have thought of himself, which easily makes her the smartest person in the Marvel universe.
Lunella Lafayette, the Moon Girl
It might be little hard to admit that a young character like Lunella Lafayette is smarter than Tony, but she has created inventions with little to no resources that prove she’s a match to Tony Stark, if not smarter because she doesn’t even the access to high tech equipment as he does.
She has also solved a Banner B.O.X, or Brain Omnicompetence Examiner, that Bruce came up with to test one’s intelligence, in seconds. No one up until that point had been able to solve it. Known as the Moon Girl, she’s the youngest Marvel super genius and definitely not humble about it (we wouldn’t be either if we possessed even half of the intelligence she does) and loves to flaunt her brainpower.
Amadeus Cho, the brawn and the brains
As a child, Amadeus Cho was deemed one of Marvel Comics’ smartest characters. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #2 in 2005 and was created by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa. The original superpower of his supercomputer brain was seeing everything happening around him and solving problems instantly. Later he became the Hulk, our very own brawns with the brains.
He can recognize patterns and make calculations instantly, one of the perks of having a supercomputer brain. This has been referred to as a “natural ability to identify the variables and quantum possibilities in any situation.” He is smarter than most of the enemies he faces, but impulsive and immature, which may put him behind many of the other heroes in Marvel Comics, but he could still easily outsmart Iron Man.
