# How intelligent is Superman(comics version)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-intelligent-is-superman-comics-version/813523>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 3, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-intelligent-is-superman-comics-version/813523 "2018-05-03T17:23:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2018, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-intelligent-is-superman-comics-version/813523/21 "2018-05-05T03:12:08Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> …During times when he loses his powers, he should display a degree of confusion comparable to face-blindness. Having to rely on just visible light to recognize people; that’s barely 1% of the information he would normally and automatically gather. Being reduced to just that would put him in a virtual fog.

We need people like you writing superhero comics and movies.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-intelligent-is-superman-comics-version/813523/22 "2018-05-05T03:31:58Z")

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> [@digs](#):
>
> We need people like you writing superhero comics and movies.

That’s exactly what I told them when I challenged the restraining order.

I’m way behind on _Supergirl_ but from the first season, as I recall:

It turns out the boss at the shadowy government agency is actually J’onn J’onzz, i.e. the Martian Manhunter, using his shapeshifter abilities to appear as human. I don’t recall the episode when this was revealed, but I’d’ve liked it if Supergirl was blasé about it - she knew instantly that he wasn’t human, but didn’t mention it just to be polite.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2018, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-intelligent-is-superman-comics-version/813523/23 "2018-05-05T12:15:50Z")

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Makes sense, since after all, she’s not human, either.

(anyone else remember that court case where real lawyers were arguing that Superman was human, but that Wolverine wasn’t?)

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**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2018, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-intelligent-is-superman-comics-version/813523/24 "2018-05-05T12:33:28Z")

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As Superboy, he was smart enough to be able to make Superboy robots, but not smart enough to deploy them on a regular basis so as to dispell the notion that he was Clark Kent.

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