While Marvel Comics are jam-packed with powerful, superhuman, and even cosmic heroes and villains, they also feature a great many characters who are just as notable for their smarts. Many of these characters, such as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Shuri (Letitia Wright), have featured in the MCU and become iconic figures of the screen. However, there are also plenty of fiercely intelligent characters from the comics who are yet to make their cinematic debut.

There can be little doubt surrounding the fact that the creators behind Marvel Comics place a high value on intelligence, often making it the brainiest heroes whose ingenuity proves to be the decisive factor in saving the day. While this has seen dozens of brilliantly brainy characters emerge from the epic comic book saga, these 16 stand tall as the smartest the Marvel Universe has produced.

16 Shuri

First Appearance: 'Black Panther (Vol. 4) #2' (2005)

While T’Challa has been a major figure in the Marvel comic books since the 1960s, his brilliant younger sister Shuri wasn’t introduced until 2005, and later made her first appearance as a Black Panther in “Black Panther vol. 5 #5” released in 2009. While she is a capable leader, Shuri’s true gift is her genius-level intelligence which, when combined with her ingrained knowledge of Wakandan technology and vibranium, makes her one of the most important scientific minds in the Marvel universe.

This brilliance comes to the fore in the form of her innovation as an inventor, thriving as an excellent engineer and mechanist whose most brilliant creations range from black hole-reversing devices to smart spaceships and portable supercomputers. Additionally, she is also revealed to be a masterful strategist both on the battlefield and in politics.

15 Charles Xavier

First Appearance: 'X-Men #1' (1963)

One of Marvel’s most iconic characters, Charles Xavier (who also goes by Professor X) is famously the founder and occasional leader of the X-Men. A powerful telepath dedicated to nurturing and educating young mutants, Professor X is a pivotal political figure in the X-Men universe, not only as a mentor to some of the most powerful people in the world but also as an advocate for peaceful relations between mutants and humans, one willing to stand against Magneto’s desire for tyranny.

Additionally, Xavier is also a scientific genius with a vested interest in genetics. The character’s appearance was initially based on movie icon Yul Brynner, but he was made a noteworthy film character with Sir Patrick Stewart portraying him in the X-Men movies, bringing the character’s composed, graceful demeanor to the screen with aplomb.

14 Riri Williams

First Appearance: 'Invincible Iron-Man (Vol. 3) #7' (2016)

Marvel’s vast universe is loaded with innovative teenage geniuses who make the absolute most of the resources at their disposal to excel alongside Earth’s mightiest heroes. One of the most noteworthy of them is Riri Williams, who also comes to be known as Ironheart, a 15-year-old engineering dynamo studying at MIT who reverse-engineered one of Tony Stark’s Iron Man suits to create her own advanced armor suit.

Her ambitions to become a superhero were endorsed by her idol Tony Stark after he met her upon hearing of her incredible feats. Coming into Marvel Comics in 2016, she is one of the comic series’ newest and most popular heroes – Riri also recently debuted in the MCU, with Dominique Thorne portraying her in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

13 Doctor Stephen Strange

First Appearance: 'Strange Tales #110' (1963)

As the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Stephen Strange is tasked with safeguarding the Earth from all manner of magical threats and is imbued with the knowledge of all Sorcerer Supremes who held his post before him. He was even a brilliant mind before his superhero days, with his backstory detailing him as an esteemed though egotistical neurosurgeon who searches the world for alternate healing methods when his hands are irreparably damaged in a car accident (as depicted in 2016's Doctor Strange).

From there, he met the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme who predated him, and honed his magical abilities to become one of humanity’s most important defenders. Armed with an arsenal of powerful artifacts, he fought some of the Marvel universe’s most powerful beings including Gods and demons from other dimensions.

12 Steve Rogers

First Appearance: 'Captain America Comics #1' (1940)

In a comic series that features everything from decorated theoretical physicists to innovative engineers operating at the peak of their fields, a super soldier from WWII might not seem like a stand-out intellectual among his peers, but Steve Rogers has a certain nobility and mental dexterity that makes him a phenomenal leader. While Steve Rogers is far from the sharpest academic mind in the universe, his true brilliance lies in the heat of battle as an astute military tactician.

An often overlooked enhancement that Rogers received was an advanced cognitive ability that enabled him to assess overwhelming situations quickly, imbuing him with terrific instincts under pressure which allowed him to react both quickly and effectively. While Chris Evans' portrayal of Captain America was fantastic, the MCU only ever offered a mere glimpse of the strategic excellence Rogers so frequently exhibits throughout the comic books.

11 The High Evolutionary (Hubert Wyndham)

First Appearance: 'Thor #134' (1966)

While his introduction in the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marks him as one of the cinematic franchise’s newest figures, the High Evolutionary is one of Marvel Comics’ oldest villains, dating as far back as 1966. A brilliant Oxford-educated scientist from the 1930s, Hubert Wyndham became obsessed with genetics and evolution.

His obsession led to him transforming himself into the High Evolutionary, a being with almighty powers that allowed him to travel across the universe and create new species, including his highly evolved humanoid animals known as the New Men. Throughout his time, he has fought many heroes, ranging from Spider-Man to the Avengers, and even the X-Men as well. The High Evolutionary remains one of the franchise's most threatening villains with his advanced powers and intelligence.

10 Peter Parker

First Appearance: 'Amazing Fantasy #15' (1962)

Before he was everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Peter Parker was a student with a natural aptitude for science, which he demonstrated throughout his high school and college years. After being bitten by a radioactive spider and gaining various spider-like abilities, Peter applied his knowledge of chemistry and engineering to devise homemade tools he would use as a crime-fighter. This included his signature web fluid and web shooters, as well as tracking devices.

While possessing superhuman strength, agility, and foresight, he has needed to rely on his smarts in tandem with his powers to outwit his cunning enemies. Peter's intelligence, since youth, was noted to be of genius caliber and earned him praise from some of the Marvel Universe's finest minds.

9 Henry McCoy

First Appearance: 'X-Men #1' (1963)

The vast world of X-Men is full of brilliant figures, ranging from the aforementioned Professor X to intellectually gifted heroes like Cypher, but few are as brilliant as Hank McCoy. While better known by his superhero sobriquet "Beast" - a name given to him on account of his towering, ape-like appearance which also gives him superhuman strength - McCoy is still one of the smartest people in Marvel.

Being an accomplished polymath with expert knowledge in biochemistry, genetics, and electronics, he has acted as the X-Men's medic and technician as well as being an invaluable warrior for them. Arguably the defining moment of his intellectual brilliance was when he found a cure for the Legacy Virus, a deadly plague that threatened to wipe out the mutant population.

8 Amadeus Cho

First Appearance: 'Amazing Fantasy (Vol. 2) #15' (2005)

With his gamma radiation seeing him transform into a massive green beast known as Brawn, Amadeus Cho is easy to liken to Bruce Banner, but it is more appropriate to draw comparisons between him and Jen Walters/She-Hulk as he is able to remain in control of his emotional state when transformed. This proves to be a good thing as Cho's intelligence is undoubtedly his greatest asset, with the teenage genius so brilliant he has even been targeted by malicious forces on account of his high IQ.

It has also seen him earn acknowledgment from other intellectual giants in the Marvel universe, with Amadeus Cho's analytical and problem-solving skills drawing comparisons to the functionality of a hypercomputer. Cho was introduced to the comic books in 2005 and will finally get his MCU debut in the 2024 animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year.

7 Hank Pym

First Appearance: 'Strange Tales #75' (1960)

A maverick biochemist who invented a serum that could do the impossible, Henry "Hank" Pym cemented his place among the greatest scientists who ever lived through his discovery of subatomic particles with size-altering properties, which he refined into a chemical compound. Using these "Pym Particles," he could shrink to become as small as an insect or grow into a behemoth of proportionate mass and strength – as demonstrated in the Ant-Man movies.

Pym has adopted multiple costumed identities over the years, utilizing his patented breakthrough, most notably as Ant-Man, Giant-Man, and Yellowjacket. Additionally, he has demonstrated proficiency in several other fields, like nanotechnology, quantum physics, robotics, and artificial intelligence. The latter two notoriously led to him becoming the unwitting creator of the powerful supervillain Ultron.

6 Bruce Banner

First Appearance: 'Incredible Hulk #1' (1962)

Behind the green, rage-filled, and unimaginably strong beast that is the Hulk lies the man Dr. Bruce Banner, a renowned theoretical physicist who specialized in nuclear physics and gamma radiation. His exposure to the latter in an experimental explosion resulted in the birth of Banner's incredible, emerald-skinned counterpart.

Just as the Hulk is a brute of abundant physical power in the Marvel universe, Banner is a human with remarkable mental acumen. It has been said that Banner's intellect is of a level that traditional standards could not quantify. Beyond his realm of expertise, Banner's scientific understanding extends to biology, medicine, and even computer sciences, making him one of the smartest Marvel characters. While the character was often used for laughs in the MCU, Mark Ruffalo was given ample room to showcase Banner's braininess throughout the franchise.

5 Tony Stark

First Appearance: 'Tales of Suspense #39' (1962)

Billionaire industrialist Anthony "Tony" Stark endured a life-altering experience when he was kidnapped by terrorists and suffered a grievous injury that endangered his heart. Using materials at his disposal, he managed to bootstrap a mechanical suit of armor to keep him alive and escape captivity. After that, he continued using his invention and subsequent upgrades to protect the world as Iron Man (even though Stark sometimes creates the villains himself).

Tony Stark is nothing short of a brilliant inventor. His prowess as a machine smith is nearly unparalleled, enabling him to forge marvels of technology that would otherwise be deemed inconceivable. But more than that, Stark's ingenuity is such that he is considered a futurist, able to predict future events and human behavior through observation of existing trends and deductive reasoning.

4 Victor Von Doom

First Appearance: 'Fantastic Four #5' (1962)

A major antagonist of The Fantastic Four, Dr. Victor Von Doom is a criminal mastermind, practically peerless in terms of influence, arrogance, and brilliance: he is the ruler of the fictional nation of Latveria, with horrific disfigurements hidden behind an ominous metallic visage. His aspirations for world conquest have put him in conflict with many of Earth's mightiest defenders while making him something of a fan-favorite character.

Thanks to a keen scientific mind, Doom has built a veritable empire of machinery and weapons to aid him in his villainous endeavors. In addition to science, Doom is well-versed in a variety of disciplines, including, surprisingly enough, sorcery. Doom's Machiavellian methods and vast intellect have made him a dangerous adversary for not only superheroes but even powerful cosmic beings.

3 Valeria Richards

First Appearance: 'Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #15' (1999)

As far as genetics go, Valeria Richards comes from good pedigree as the daughter of The Fantastic Four's Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards and the Invisible Woman/Susan Storm, not to mention the goddaughter of their nemesis and the aforementioned Marvel genius Victor Von Doom. An intellectual equal to her parents and godfather, Valeria's intelligence is presumed to be a benefit of the cosmic radiation she inherited.

"Prodigy" is far too small a word to describe her promise and potential, with Valeria designing advanced gadgetry and displaying incredible acuity when she was still only a child. Reed Richards believes she may grow to be smarter than even he is and many fans already view her as being one of the smartest characters in Marvel.

2 Lunella Lafayette

First Appearance: 'Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1' (2015)

Nicknamed "Moon Girl" because of her daydreaming, Lunella Lafayette is nothing short of gifted. A passionate inventor, Moon Girl constructed her own secret laboratory under her school, replete with the fruits of her tinkering. When one of her creations inadvertently summons the interdimensional Devil Dinosaur, Lunella bonds with the creature over a series of misadventures.

Her latent Inhuman DNA would later activate, allowing her to exchange consciousnesses with Devil Dinosaur depending on her emotional state. Needless to say, that is nothing compared to how smart she is, the extent of which was established after Lunella completed the Banner B.O.X., a test that no other super-genius on Earth had ever solved, including Bruce Banner himself. Lunella is portrayed as a super-genius in Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, a charming animated series from Marvel.

1 Reed Richards

First Appearance: 'The Fantastic Four #1' (1961)

An astronaut and physicist bombarded with cosmic rays alongside his fiancée, best friend, and future brother-in-law, Reed Richards was forever changed into Mister Fantastic, the leader of the newly birthed super team, The Fantastic Four. Yet, it is not his uncanny elasticity that warrants his colorful nom de guerre, but rather his supreme brainpower.

Throughout the character's history, he has been consistently cited as the most intelligent being in the Marvel Universe, justifying this affirmation time and again with his discoveries and innovations. Reed's scientific focuses are in physics, mathematics, and engineering, yet his knowledge stretches far and wide. The groundbreaking work that he has been credited with encompasses too many areas to name. There is still debate whether Reed is technically the smartest Marvel character: however, his reputation is indisputable.

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