Star DC Comics contributor Alex Jaffe gives us the answer to a fan question: Were older versions of Superman smarter?
By Alex Jaffe
A DC fan sends this question:
I seem to recall something in the prime universe canon about his kryptonian physiology giving him a perfect memory and allowing his brain to process information faster than a human. However, the only feat of intelligence that I remember in recent times was reading some medical journals and performing an open heart operation with the nail (I think it was in Grant Morrison’s New 52 Action Comics series) .
Are there any other canon examples of the main universe Superman being a genius? Which version of Superman showed more intelligence? Were older versions of Superman smarter?
Here our answer:
“Superintelligence” is one of Superman’s least demonstrated powers, but it’s one that the writers remember to bring up from time to time. In the Silver Age, it was Superman’s “super memory” that allowed him to remember his own birth and the destruction of Krypton. Kryptonian superintelligence was also mentioned as the reason why Krypto, when exposed to our yellow sun, could think and reason on a human level. Throughout the Pre-Crisis comics, we see Superman carrying on his father Jor-El’s work as a scientist and inventor, constantly working on projects in his Fortress of Solitude.
Morrison, as mentioned, is probably the modern Superman writer who uses “superintelligence” the most, from absorbing all the texts in a medical library to performing complex interstellar calculations faster than a supercomputer. The most impressively intelligent Superman, in fact, is probably Morrison himself in All-Star Superman, who creates an entire universe in miniature as one of his last exploits on Earth.
That said, I personally don’t really like it when Superman is capable of superthinking. It’s like letting him outrun the Flash, you know? I prefer other members of the Justice League to do some things better. Despite this, some versions of Superman have been smarter than others, not just the older ones.
Via: DCComics.com
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