Five brightest (smartest) heroes in the DC Universe?

Question

This question is based on an article I read in Business Week at:
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/may2006/pi20060531_495737.htm

I noticed that there were more Marvel heroes listed in the article and am interested in digging up as many of the super bright heroes at DC.
(note: I am asking a similar question re: DC Villians)

Feel free to include more than 5. Thanks!

For future reference... adding a few more names to those listed below: Steel (John Henry Irons) // Mr. Miracle // Niles Caulder (Doom Patrol) // Adam Strange

Answer 1

1) Batman- At the very end, the only one smart enough, whether hero or villian, to finally beat Superman when all the gloves are off as seen in Dark Knight Returns. And he just did it to show he could.
2) Oracle
3) Silver age Superman (In the precrisis era, he was able to use super-intelligence to solve a complicated crime problem by having his kryptonian supercomputers show him every possible permutation in a matter of a few minutes to save the world)
4) Brainaic 5- Who is smarter than a living computer from the 30th century who is even considered smart for that era? Also he is smart enough to jock Supergirl over Saturn Girl and Shadow Lass.
5) Doc Mangus- Has the style of Hugh Hefner with his pipe and yet has the intellect to be able to construct five robots out of various liquid metals in the 1960s including one who can be his girlfriend.
6) Dr. Manhattan- Don't know if he really counts as a hero, but someone who knows almost everything makes him pretty smart.

Ray Palmer was excluded because he couldn't even figure out who was the killer in Identity Crisis until it was too late.

Edit addition: Also excluded Mr. Terrific 2 because of an absolutely idiotic conversation he had in the Infinity Crisis which was covered in a long article on CBN or Superman Homepage or other review site. While doing on the spot open heart surgery is impressive, this conversation will change your mind.

Edit addition 2: Also excuded the Martian Manhunter. Although he is a good detective, he is frequently trapped or beaten until the other heroes can save him. Also, I would have expected the top six on my list to have been able to develop some sort of fireproof outfit if that was their weakness.

Answer 2

In no particular order...

Batman- posseses a keen intellect, is a scientist and detective has some medical knowledge. Detective skills rival and in some ways surpass even Sherlock Holmes.

Martian Manhunter- has been around a long long time. Remember the green skinned superman has psychic capabilities so not much escapes him. His mental faculties are to the point where he can mentally control every molecule of his body..pretty aware.

Morpheus- okay the lord of dreams is technically a Vertigo character but that is the DC Universe and he is the most imaginative and creative of the Endless.

Atom- Perhaps one of the brightest scientists in the DC Universe.

Blue Beetle- besides being the wittiest super hero in the DC canon he's a top notch inventor and scientist pretty much the Tony Stark of the DC Universe but without armor.

Answer 3

5) The late Blue Beetle. Ted Kord was an exceptionally gifted young man, able to design machines the rest of us could hardly imagine.

4) The Atom. Probably the Earth's greatest scientific genius, especially in particle physics and chemistry. It really helps that he can observe experiments on the subatomic level. And that's he's a genius level intellect.

3) The Batman. While a brilliant strategist, and hailed by Superman as the "most dangerous man alive", his plans have turned against him so many times, recently, that he's definitely been bumped out of the number one slot.

2) Mr. Teriffic 2, chairman of the JSA and the third highest IQ on Earth. He learned how to perform open heart surgery on the spot when Alan Scott was impaled through the chest. He helped the Batman shut down Brother Eye. He's damn good.

1) J'onn J'onzz. Combination scientist and detective who never ceases to amaze me with what he knows or finds out.

Answer 4

Batman
Mister Terrific
Ray Plamer/Atom
Vril Dox
Doctor Magnus

Answer 5

As far as DC Villians go, I would say Brainac and Lex Luthor are at the top. As for heroes the only person who comes immidately to mind is Martian Manhunter.

Answer 6

a million. Brainiac (great computing device) 2. Lex Luthor (you won't be in a position to run a multi-billion enterprise without smarts) 3. Mr. Freeze (Scientist) 4. 2 Face (lawyer) 5. Riddler (Inventor, and his puzzles are large)

Answer 7

You can t really just give a top 5, and its almost impossible to order them. I m just going to throw names out- Ivo, Magnus, Oracle, Batman, Mr. Terrific, J onzz J onzz.

Most of the smart guy are villains, though, like Lex Luthor, Brainiac, the Riddler, Sivanna and Ultra-Humanite.

Answer 8

Batman
Nightwing
Robin
Batgirl
Green Arrow

Answer 9

1. Batman (World's greatest detective)
2. Cyborg (Parents are scientists)
3. Original Firestorm (Nobel prize winner)

This is truly pathetic, but that's all I can think of.

Answer 10

Plenty of great answers already for this