DC Declares Its New Smartest Hero, Surpassing Batman By Miles

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Batman holding his cape up in front of his face in variant cover illustrated by Gabriele Dell’Otto

Published Oct 26, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT

Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots.

Some superheroes get by with the powers they gained through natural or artificial means, while others have to make do in other ways. Batman is the most well-known example of a superhero who accomplishes without any powers. This is thanks to a combination of his fighting skills, vast resources, unbreakable will, and, perhaps most importantly, his exceptional intelligence.

Bruce Wayne ranks as one of the smartest DC characters, using his genius-level intellect to become an expert in various fields, disciplines, and skills. Other members of The Bat Family, like Barbara Gordon and Tim Drake, are intellectual heavyweights in their own right, and other non-powered heroes who put their smarts to good use in the DC Universe include Ted Kord (Blue Beetle), Michael Holt (Mr. Terrific), Renee Montoya (The Question), and John Henry Irons (Steel).

In a few months, though, one of these characters will officially become the smartest DC superhero, far surpassing Batman and the others thanks to a massive power-up. Unfortunately, it sounds like this intellectual enhancement will lead said character down a path where absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Mr. Terrific Is Becoming God-Level Smart

Justice League Unlimited #27, Written By Mark Waid, Art By Dan Mora

Mr.Terrific sitting on a throne with The Atom standing on his shoulder

Since being introduced in 1997’s Spectre #54 and inheriting the Mr. Terrific mantle from Terry Sloane shortly thereafter, Michael Holt has frequently been called the third-smartest man on Earth. In January’s Justice League Unlimited #27, he’ll officially take the #1 spot, with the issue’s solicitation teasing that “his amplified genius is about to span the cosmos as he prepares to ascend to godhood.” However, this might not be for the best, as it’s also mentioned that “only the Justice League can hold him back!”

Mr. Terrific’s already-impressive intelligence being enhanced comes as a result of him absorbing all the powers contained within the Justice League power bank on the planet Dronnda. Michael easily beat Despero with these copies of his teammates’ powers, but then decided to keep them rather than put them back in the power bank. As Michael told Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl, his “brain now processes at super-speed,” and he felt that he could do the most good with these powers.

Mr. Terrific’s Allying With Another Justice Leaguer Who’s Going Down A Slippery Slope

Ray Palmer aka the Atom stands on Batman's Batarang in DC Comics

Along with the information provided in the Justice League Unlimited #27 solicitation, the accompanying artwork shows Ray Palmer, a.k.a. The Atom, standing on Mr. Terrific’s shoulder while he’s seated on a throne with an upside-down omega symbol. Ray’s been going down a slippery slope of his own in Justice League Unlimited, and it seems like his and Michael’s paths will converge and lead to them working towards a common goal, for better or worse.

First, Ray expressed his misgivings to Batman about the Justice League Unlimited’s amnesty program for select former supervillains, but the Caped Crusader dismissed his concern. Then Ray told Airwave, Blue Beetle, Black Canary, The Question, and Doctor Occult that he believes everyone who participated in the DC K.O. event’s fighting tournament is under Darkseid’s control. His attempt to prove this in Issue #24 backfired, but he remained convinced that his Justice League teammates were being “manipulated” by “the most absolute evil the multiverse has ever known.”

Between The Atom’s paranoia and Mr. Terrific developing a god complex, there’s a recipe for disaster potentially brewing. At the very least, the Justice League Unlimited #27 solicitation makes it clear that Batman and the title’s other superheroes are concerned about Michael’s newfound power. This could lead to them retaliating against him and Ray if they take action that they believe is for the greater good and looking at the bigger picture, but will actually endanger a lot of people. These two may even end up inadvertently aiding Darkseid before he finally reemerges from the shadows.

Justice League Unlimited #27 will be released Wednesday, January 27 by DC Comics.

Justice League 2018 Comic Series Jim Cheung Cover Image

Writer Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Brian Michael Bendis, Gardner Fox, Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Joe Kelly, Geoff Johns

Penciler Jim Cheung, Jorge Jiménez, Mike Sekowsky, Dick Dillin, Kevin Maguire, Howard Porter, Doug Mahnke, Jim Lee, Ivan Reis, Jason Fabok

Penciler(s) Jim Cheung, Jorge Jimenez, Mike Sekowsky, Dick Dillin, Kevin Maguire, Howard Porter, Doug Mahnke, Jim Lee, Ivan Reis, Jason Fabok

Publisher(s) DC

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