This list will contain what I believe and hopefully hard to argue smartest characters in Marvel starting with the 8 Smartest and adding two more. Please note, only one of the 8 to my knowledge has ever been given a rank and he will be placed in that slot. As always feel free to comment, debate, add things.
Bruce Banner aka the Hulk. Why is he being put at the top? Well on more than one occasion in past and recent stories, characters like Tony Stark, Reed Richards and Hank Pym have commented they thought Banner was the smartest. So if they're willing to comment on it. His ego also doesn't get in the way much. His desire to be known as something other than a walking WMD and add where the Hulk has taken pushes him hard.
Reed Richards seems to be the one who does the most with his inventions. The Baxter and Future Foundations as well as various other gadgets. It was hard to choose between him or Banner. Both have been contributing alot in the stories I read.
I know I know. Hold the phone shouldn't this be Stark alot of you are saying. The answer is no. Head of the most technologically advanced nation on Marvel's earth he UNDERSTANDS all of the technology and magic of not just his country but around the world. This is a guy who Stark hands his designs too and ask for input when there's a team of geniuses around him. And he not only helps Stark focus but easily understands and gives that input. He also understands magic very well something that Iron Man shies away from quite often. And even if the top two don't like it they don't shy away from it either. If he wasn't running a country I have no doubt he'd be show cased better and be an easy number one.
Tony Stark is here (que music) while I will admit Tony is one of my favorite characters in Marvel. There are times he's not. But there will never be anyone denying he's a top spot on this list. And why not? Inventor of the Iron Man armors that keep getting matched up with the DC Power rings (for some reason) he doesn't do shoddy work. But seems to still have the weapons edge to him. You want someone disintegrated with little chance of them finding a defense he can whip up a design that few could rival. He's also able to talk shop on advanced concepts with the others on this list and advance them even more.
This is another spot I went back and forth on. And yes some are saying he should be at number one considering what he's done recently. He shouldn't. He did that with the help of a Molecule Man. As far as will to take a dangerous step forward he'd be one or two on this list. He's a ruler he knows sacrifice. So why number 5 and almost number 6? His ego shorts his intelligence a few points. And on this list a few points is all it takes. This is a guy who refuses to believe he can make a mistake, who refuses to believe he can lose, and refuses that there are other ways. If it wasn't for that he'd be higher on the list.
Well the rage will start (did you see it?, lol) Scientist Supreme at number 6? Well yes. As he was told by Eternity, he has the POTENTIAL, to be the greatest mind on the planet. And there in lies the problem. His self esteem and confidence are about as easy to collapse as a house of cards. He doesn't recover from mistakes to well, he's almost like the intelligent version of the Sentry.. And that's a shame.
The only one confirmed to be number 7 of the top 8. That's why he's here. He's brilliant and still learning. I can only hope his transformation into the Totally Awesome Hulk (who here didn't see that coming after the title was revealed). Brash and intelligent, I can only hope what made this character into this list and great doesn't get over shadowed for a slug fest
From what I can tell he was always listed as number 8 of the top 8. A Brilliant geneticist and able to grasp concept theories, Hank McCoy is the smartest of the X-Men, the one all the telepaths are looking for at exam time he's a beast in the lab and in the field.
Adam Brashear is a genius in theoretical physics and probably the only person who can surprise Reed Richards in a conversation about anti matter. He's a genius and adept at using his brains on and off the Battlefield. Even being able to see an attack on the molecular level, know immediately what it's doing and not only counteract it and heal his teammate but make he stronger at the same time.
Alot of people don't know this but Apocalypse is extremely intelligent. Born in ancient Egypt and the first mutant, he was exposed to alien tech and not only mastered it improved upon it and expanded into other fields including genetics, theoretical physics, and bio engineering. So why not Mr.Sinister or High Evolutionary? They're considered brain wise to be about same level, and Apocalypse is just a step above mentally and physically so he told them to give him the spot or he'd rewrite their genetic code.
