In 'Action Comics' (2013) #15, Lex Luthor imprisoned at a military facility, states Superman's mind is second to his.

Super Power: The DC Hierarchy Of Intelligence From 12th Level Intellect And Down According To The Races

 

SUPER POWER

Variant Comics

IN POWER LEVEL

THE DC HIERARCHY OF INTELLIGENCE HAS COLUANS AS ITS STANDARD

Coluans. AP Photo/DC Comics.

Firstly, the DC hierarchy of intelligence includes alien races, gods, metahumans, cosmic beings and humans. At the top of the classic DC hierarchy of intelligence are the Coluans. Second, the ranking system stems from the intelligence system from the planet Colu.

Originally, Coluans are aliens from the planet Colu. Historically, heir political system is as advanced technarchy where machines rule the everyday lives of Coluans. In fact, Colu is ruled by the Computer Tyrants, sentient machines that regulate every aspect of Coluan life.

To contrast, this is different from Krypton’s former system of government. Here, an advanced state of science and technology created a caste system. However, In both regimes, genetic engineering has reached a very advanced state. Indeed, disease is eradicated and the lifespan is prolonged.

As matter of fact, Coluans through genetic manipulation are able to live up to 3600 Earth years.

Certainly, Coluans have a very advanced state of technology and science. As a result, the average citizen on Colu has an 8th-level intellect. Clearly, Colu’s intelligence system is the product of its super-science and of a world ruled by logic, not emotion. In fact, on Colu, life is conserved in immortal cybernetic forms.

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THE DC HIERARCHY OF INTELLIGENCE

Since the SILVER AGE, Brainiac has been recognized as the most intelligent being in the DC Universe. By Coluan standards, Brainiac is a 12th level intellect. Some time ago, Vril Dox I escaped Colu and Vril Dox II liberated the planet from the Computer Tyrants.

Finally, Vril Dox I’s psyche inhabited a robot and became Brainiac. According to his programming, Brainiac can to convert all life in the Milky Way galaxy to digital information. As matter of fact, this process may occur in a matter of hours and bottle life on his Skull Ship.

IN “SUPERMAN’S TOP 10 MOST WANTED,” BRAINIAC IS LISTED AS A 12TH-LEVEL INTELLECT

In Action Comics Annual (2007) #10, Brainiac is listed as a 12th-level intellect. AP Photo/DC Comics

FEATS:

POST-CRISIS
  • Shrinking entire cities into bottles.
  • Creating impenetrable force-fields.
  • Sending armies of Brainiac probes to invade planets.
  • Telepathic attacks on the Justice League.
  • Converting life into digital information on his Skull-ship.
  • Creating a solar aggressor in order to detonate a sun.
  • Displaying superhuman strength to hold his own against Superman.
  • His Coluan brain can process the knowledge of “seventy times seven octodecillion beings.”1
VISIT FEAT: BRAINIAC, ‘ACTION COMICS’ #868.

THE ENTIRE 31ST CENTURY EARTH IS A 9TH LEVEL INTELLECT

In ‘Legion Of Superheroes’ (2020) #3, Robin visits 31st century Earth with Superboy. AP Photo/DC Comics

SEVERAL KRYPTONIANS OF THE HOUSE OF EL ARE LISTED BY THE COLLECTOR AS 8TH LEVEL INTELLECTS

JOR-EL

In 'Action Comics' (2012) #3, Jor-El warns Lara to leave the party in Kandor with baby Kal-El.
In ‘Action Comics’ (2012) #3, Jor-El warns Lara to leave the party in Kandor with baby Kal-El.. AP Photo/DC Comics

FEATS:

POST-CRISIS
  • Predicted the destruction of Krypton.
  • Created Superman’s birthing matrix and rocketed him to Earth.
  • Discovered the Phantom Zone and housed Kryptonian criminals there.
  • Member of the Kryptonian Science Council.
REBIRTH
  • Survived the destruction of Krypton.

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SUPERMAN

In 'Action Comics' (2012) #7, the Collector identifies Superman as an 8th-level intellect.
In ‘Action Comics’ (2012) #7, the Collector identifies Superman as an 8th-level intellect.In ‘JLA’ (1997) #3, Flash (Wally West) uses the Infinite Mass Punch in order to knockout Zum. AP Photo/DC Comics

FEATS:

POST-CRISIS
  • Built the Fortress of Solitude.
  • Engineered the super robots.
  • Invented the Vanishing device to open wormholes to Metropia, a pocket dimension in the Phantom Zone.
  • Can operate the Phantom Zone projector.
  • Built Jimmy Olsen’s signal watch.
  • Memorized the entirety of the Miracle Machine in an instant.
  • Can calculate air pressure when flying.
  • Creates a serum to heal Mon-El of lead poisoning.
POST-FLASHPOINT
  • Memorized a library of medical information in seconds.
  • Articulated the Unified Field Equation.
  • Located Krypton with his radar sense.

IN THE 21ST CENTURY, LEX LUTHOR IS THE HIGHEST RATED INTELLECT, BETWEEN A 7TH AND A 9TH-LEVEL INTELLECT

In 'Action Comics' (2013) #15, Lex Luthor imprisoned at a military facility, states Superman's mind is second to his.
In ‘Superman’ (2013) #15, Lex Luthor imprisoned at a military facility, states Superman’s mind is second to his. AP Photo/DC Comics.

FEATS:

POST-CRISIS
  • Creates the Warsuit, a high powered mech armor/suit designed to take down Superman.
  • Outhacked Brainiac.
  • Turned the sun red in order to kill 100,000 Supermen.
  • Created an alternate timeline with the Worlogog where Darkseid enslaved the Earth with the Anti-Life Equation.
  • Created JLA duplicates with the Worlogog.
  • Cured an incurable disease.
  • Split Supergirl into Good Supergirl and Evil Supergirl.
VISIT FEAT: LEX LUTHOR, ‘SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN’ #2
POST-FLASHPOINT
  • Hacked into the Hellbat armor, the most advanced tech on DC’s Earth.
  • Hacked into the Justice League communications systems.
  • Lex Luthor armed Superman with a syringe containing solar fuel that will cause him to explode with a 200 megaton blast, to stop an alien armada.

IN THE 21ST CENTURY, THE ENTIRE EARTH IS AT A 6TH-LEVEL INTELLECT

Metropolis. AP Photo/DC Comics.

The 21st century Earth is connected by a network connecting machines and computers called the Internet.

Some pieces of technology more advanced than the Internet:

  • The Batcomputer.
  • The Justice League Watchtower.
  • The Justice League Teleporter.
  • Mister Terrific’s T-spheres.
  • The Atom’s Bio Belt.
  • Steel’s Steel Power Armor.
  • Lex Luthor’s Warsuit.
  • Flash’s Cosmic Treadmill.
  • BATMAN’s Brother Eye.
  • Superman’s Phantom Zone Projector.
  • WONDER WOMAN’s Purple Healing Ray.
  • Dr. Will Magnus’ Responsometer.
  • The Thanagarian Absorbascon.
  • T.O. Morrow’s Computer Forecaster.
 

GENIUSES ON 21ST CENTURY EARTH

Similarly, the DC hierarchy of intelligence uses the Coluan system of intelligence. However, Earth continues to use the term “genius”. To this end, the term denotes individuals with tremendous or superhuman intellectual capabilities.

On Earth, there are different geniuses by category, specialty and capability.

NEAR SUPER-GENIUS:

Here, these are individuals that are the apex of human achievement. Incredibly, they have the resources to conquer the Earth, stop alien invasions and destabilize other planets. In fact, their achievements in science, technology, business and politics involve power over a planet.

Or, the ability to conquer other alien races, and plan against/for universal catastrophes.

LEX LUTHOR

Lex Luthor in his Warsuit.
Lex Luthor in his Warsuit. AP Photos/DC Comics.

INVENTORS AND SCIENTIFIC GENIUSES

Incredibly, these individuals display tremendous scientific and technological achievements. Similarly, they have specialties in robotics, engineering, physics, weaponry and science. Moreover, they invent advanced technology, weaponry and make contributions to science.

MR. TERRIFIC, THE ATOM, STEEL

Mr. Terrific flying with his T. spheres in space.
Mr. Terrific flying with his T. spheres in space. AP Photo/DC Comics.

POLYMATHS

Spectacularly, these individuals are experts in multiple fields. Incredibly, they are able to create revolutionary technology, solve problems at the local all the way to the universal scale. Moreover, they have enough planning to conquer the world, or the universe.

To sum, they are experts in fields such as engineering, medicine, science, physics, chemistry. Also, are included various forms of human skills such as planning, strategy, management and business.

BATMAN, VANDAL SAVAGE, JOKER

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Batman in the sewers of Gotham City.
Batman in the sewers of Gotham City. AP Photo/DC Comics.

INVENTORS IN SPECIALIZED FIELDS

Creatively, these individuals are extraordinary geniuses in their fields of expertise. In a true sense, they are inventors that made ground-breaking or revolutionary inventions. In fact, their discoveries further human technology. These include artificial intelligence, engineering and mathematics.

To sum, they are geniuses in the true sense and are able to think in creative ways.

PROFESSOR IVO, DR. WILL MAGNUS, T.O. MORROW, HIRO OKAMURA, CYBORG

Professor Ivo.
Professor Ivo. AP Photo/DC Comics

RESOURCES

VISIT QUORA

Quora: How smart is Superman?


SOURCES

Legion of Super-Heroes Vol 8 3 in DC Database.
Action Comics Vol 2 3 in DC Database.
Action Comics Vol 2 7 in DC Database.
Superman Vol 3 15 in DC Database.
9 Questions About Lex Luthor, Answered in CBR.com.

FOOTNOTES

  1. Action Comics #868.

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