The Marvel Universe has some of the most powerful characters in comic books, but more than that, it also has some of the smartest heroes and villains. From the start of Marvel Comics, scientists and inventors operated as some of the world's greatest heroes, in opposition to the godlike heroes in DC.

From teenage scientist hopefuls bitten by radioactive spiders to industrialist geniuses who created a suit of armor to save their lives, scientists ruled the day. This was no more evident than in Fantastic Four comics, where Reed Richards was the smartest man in the world. However, as time moved on, new brainiacs popped up and the smartest Marvel characters in the universe have a new pecking order.

30 Deadpool is Smart Enough to Have Comic Awareness

Smart, Just Without the Genius

Some readers will be ready to scoff at the thought of Deadpool being ranked among super-geniuses, and in some respects, would be right to do so (hence why he's ranked so low). However, Deadpool is smarter than he pretends to be. Everyone knows he hides his tragedy through his humor, but he also uses his humor to mask his smarts, allowing his opponents to underestimate him.

His first mission saw him invade the X-Mansion, which takes as much brain power as it does stealth. He may not be skilled with test tubes in a lab, but Deadpool proves there are other ways to be smart in the Marvel Universe. Even when ignoring his legitimate intellect, he is smart enough to know he's in a comic book, which has to count for something.

29 Prodigy Doesn’t Get His Nickname For Nothing

His Mutant Power Makes Him a Temporary Genius

ittedly, Prodigy isn’t always considered a genius. Thanks to his mutant ability , Prodigy has the power to mimic the skills and knowledge of anyone within proximity to him. Whether it be something as simple as learning to cook or as complex as theoretical physics, Prodigy’s mind is constantly adapting to absorb and apply that information.

However, as soon as other minds leave the range of his power, he loses all the information he had previously accessed. That said, it’s unclear whether this limit was removed via the Resurrection Protocols . If so, Prodigy could hypothetically absorb all possible knowledge. With that level of intellect, Prodigy would easily climb to the top of this list.

28 Peter Parker is One of Marvel's Original Geniuses

As the List Grows, Spider-Man is Still One of Marvel's Smartest Heroes

There was a time during the Golden Age of comics when Peter Parker would rank among the smartest names in the Marvel Universe. He was one of the first superheroes and super-geniuses that Marvel had to offer at the time and, thus, naturally, he was ranked among their smartest practically by default. Obviously, as the Universe has grown with new super-geniuses ing its ranks, the original Spider-Man's status continues to diminish.

Even worse, most of these super-geniuses don't respect Parker's intelligence (mostly because they don't respect Spider-Man's education from Empire State University). However, his advancements as a teacher, scientist, inventor, and Parker Industries CEO are too great to deny him as he continues to improve. He may not be on same genius level of more recent heroes to Marvel's Universe, but it's saying something that after all these years, he still belongs in the conversation.

27 Doctor Octopus Has Superior Intelligence to His Foes

Otto outsmarted Peter Parker to become the Superior Spider-Man

When Doctor Octopus first showed up, he was an older super genius who clashed with Spider-Man both mentally and physically. While Peter was a high school student at the time, he was always one step behind Otto Octavius. That was proven even more when Ock took over Peter Parker's body and became the Superior Spider-Man, one of the smartest Marvel characters ever.

While in Peter's body, Otto Octavius achieved things Spider-Man never could have imagined. Otto created a large business that helped Peter compete with Tony Stark in inventions. He also upgraded Spider-Man's tech and weapons system and proved his intelligence was always higher than Peter dreamed. The best part is that it's not like he got a brain power boost merely from stealing the body of a fellow super-genius. Otto could still achieve all these feats with his standard intellect, proving just how smart he is.

26 Black Panther is Wakanda's Leader Thanks To His Brain

One of Marvel's Most Cunning Avengers

T'Challa is often praised for the physical prowess he brings to the table as the Black Panther, but seldom is he credited for brilliance. This is understandable, there are smarter heroes out there, including his sister who edges him out.

However, his brilliance is what recently earned him entry into the Avengers, with leader Captain Marvel praising him for being "cannier" than any of the other heroes. He may not be smarter than Tony Stark, but he's smart in a way that Iron Man's own intelligence can't compete with.

25 Maximus Boltagon Is the Definition of a Mad Genius

The Inhuman Prince Has Schemed His Way to Kinghood

Despite Maximus Boltagon’s overwhelmingly dangerous insanity, he is still considered to be a genius inventor and strategist. Partially thanks to his Inhuman abilities , the Mad Prince has become a master of engineering and genetic biology. Often creating complex machinery out of simple objects, Maximus’s inventions have an exorbitant ingenious flare.

His magnum opus, the Terrigen Bomb, was designed to harness Black Bolt’s voice to spread weaponized Terrifgen throughout the cosmos. Had he not been defeated, the Terrigen bomb would have effectively powered every latent Inhuman in the universe, while exterminating incompatible species like mutants. Some of his other inventions have included sonic weaponry, hypnotic devices, and numerous weapons of mass destruction.

24 Charles Xavier’s Mind Is More Than Just Telepathic

The X-Men’s Ex-Leader Invented Immortality

While he is primarily known for being a gifted telepath, Charles Xavier's intellect is his greatest power. Professor X is the leading mind in human genetics and genetic mutations, unmatched in his academic field. Surprisingly, he is just as intellectually gifted an engineer. Many of the X-Men’s most fantastical inventions, like the Danger Room, were Xavier’s personal products.

However, Professor X’s greatest intellectual talent is strategy. On numerous occasions, Xavier has devised long-term plans that span multiple lifetimes to achieve the desired result. Xavier’s greatest invention , Cerebro, later became the key to the mutant Resurrection Protocols. By harnessing Xavier’s powerful mind, Cerebro cataloged the mind of every mutant in the world to later impart on their cloned body.

23 Shuri is Wakanda's Brilliant Tech Guru

Equal to T'Challa's Intelligence as a Fellow Black Panther

In the MCU, Shuri has proven to be one of the smartest Marvel characters on Earth. She was able to construct things for Wakanda that rivaled anything in the world, and she was even smarter than Bruce Banner in some areas. However, the comic book version is not quite up to that level.

In the comics, T'Challa is a brilliant genius and inventor. His sister is also accomplished, and may be even smarter than her brother. Since her MCU appearance, her comic book character has improved in many areas, and she now matches up to T'Challa in her intelligence and use of Wakandan technology.

22 Quentin Quire is as Smart as He Is a Nuisance

Omega-Level Genius with an Ego to Match

Quintin Quire is a mutant whose increased intelligence came about thanks to his mutations. He is also someone who proves that being one of the smartest Marvel characters can make him more insufferable.

Quire is an Omega-level telepath and a psionic of the highest order. As for his secondary mutation, he has advanced cognitive and mental abilities. He can organize and construct his thoughts at accelerated rates, process data at high speeds, and formulate his thoughts with vast quantity and quality. Basically, Quire thinks ten million brilliant thoughts per second.

21 The Leader is the Hulk's Perfect Counterpart

Just as Gamma Made Hulk Strong, it made The Leader Brilliant

Samuel Sterns is one of The Hulk's greatest enemies. He was the perfect match, offsetting Hulk's massive gamma-infused strength with his own gamma-infused intelligence. It was always the best battle, brains vs. brawn, and few could match The Leader's massive intelligence. Thanks to the gamma radiation, Leader developed superhuman mental acumen, which includes enhanced intuition and pattern solving.

Much like Hulk's strength has no upper limit and increases as the need arises, Leader's intelligence is the same and there is no limit to his knowledge. While he has never reached that level, Leader could theoretically master every worldly subject and solve any problem he faced, and if he reaches it, he could jump to the top of the rankings of the smartest Marvel characters.