Why isn't Clark smart?

[galatians221]

I'm watching Chloe becoming a menza maniac with supernatural intelligence and it occurs to me that Clark (Kal El) is supposed to have super knowledge. Instead he's kind of dumb and has to go to Chloe for help. I guess when he was in high school I could understand that he didn't have all of his abilities yet but isn't it time he was smarter than his friends?

[individuall]

I was wondering the same thing...I thought Clark was supposed to be super smart? I mean Chloe has to be smarter now..She has freakin computer in her head...:/

[RedKRules]

Chloe is that smart because of the Braniac infection, btw could anyone tell me if Clark is suppose to be super smart before or after his trainning?

[Merfish]

Superman has "Torquasm-Vo" which is a kryptonian psychic power.

[Sneefomaster]

maybe it's after his training in the fortress. isn't he supposed to know a buncha languages too? his potential powers are actually pretty ridiculous if you list every invented Superman power...

[Kal-ed]

Chloe is that smart because of the Braniac infection, btw could anyone tell me if Clark is suppose to be super smart before or after his trainning?

Well, in comics he didnt train he travelled, so I dont think the training is the factor, but f he probably couldnt take up and undertand the knowledge of the 28 known galaxies if he werent supersmart.

He has photographic memory and he can process thoughts at the speed of a super computer, he has to unless he wouldnt be able to run that fast without crashing into a tree, he would be 300 miles past the tree before he´s brain processed it, if he thought at normal human speed. Basically he can think as fast as he can move, probably faster. Plus In the comics he has a literaly out of this world IQ. He prob couldnt proces things as fast as brainiac but he wouldnt be as far as he seemed in that scene.

[j-kent]

Superman/CK in the comics possesses a genius-level intellect and eidetic memory. In early smallville episodes his intellect was briefly touched as a straight A student in highschool. CK's mental capabilities, senses and cognitive functions are all super-human so that he may process information very quickly. CK's intellect is far beyond human, but Brainiac is considered "12th level intellect" (and in other continuations more) his knowledge vastly exceeds Kal-EL. I figure that the writers do not put any emphasis on Clark's intellect so that they may advance Chloe's powers and position in the show.

The idea is based on the continuation, for example in Lois & Clark, Clark is repeatedly seen using his superspeed coupled with his ability to process information very quickly to search through computer databases.

[HalJordan4184]

Yes, Clark is a natural genius. His IQ can't be measured using any known scale. He's literally off the charts.

And there was no training!!! THis only happened in SUperman the Movie, and since then, it's been an often criticized point of the movie. It was only in there, because part of Marlon Brando's contract said he had to be the first person to be seen wearing Superman's S, and that he had to be directly responsible for making Clark Superman.

[Bizarrolover]

In the first season Clark had a super mind. He could calculate the kent's balance sheet after a quick look. Maybe they just forgot he has this power or maybe they gave that role to Chloe so they can justify her presence on the show.

[Estro-gen X]

I'm watching Chloe becoming a menza maniac with supernatural intelligence and it occurs to me that Clark (Kal El) is supposed to have super knowledge. Instead he's kind of dumb and has to go to Chloe for help. I guess when he was in high school I could understand that he didn't have all of his abilities yet but isn't it time he was smarter than his friends?

In the comics in 1986 they removed 'super intelligence' but its slowly coming back. This said, Superman was never as smart as Brainiac or his ancestors. Currently he has a photographic memory but can't use it as well as kara or chris (zod's son that clark adopted) however in the last issue of superman brainiac tried to fry his brain by pumping universes of knowledge into him. I suspect this will reinstate super-intelligence. I can't stress this enough though AS OF NOW he is not a genius. Brainaic 5 is the smartest man in the universe, Lex Luthor is a genius, Bruce Wayne is a genius and Mister Terrific is a genius. Not Superman.

In Smallville after his 'training' he will be versed in advanced kryptonian knowledge much like kara who after days on earth was fluent in english and could hack into national security undetected despite no IT lessons.

[RedKRules]

Well, in comics he didnt train he travelled, so I dont think the training is the factor, but f he probably couldnt take up and undertand the knowledge of the 28 known galaxies if he werent supersmart.

He has photographic memory and he can process thoughts at the speed of a super computer, he has to unless he wouldnt be able to run that fast without crashing into a tree, he would be 300 miles past the tree before he´s brain processed it, if he thought at normal human speed. Basically he can think as fast as he can move, probably faster. Plus In the comics he has a literaly out of this world IQ. He prob couldnt proces things as fast as brainiac but he wouldnt be as far as he seemed in that scene.

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my question, I am so naive when it comes to deep Superman mythology !

----- Added 41 Seconds later -----


In the first season Clark had a super mind. He could calculate the kent's balance sheet after a quick look. Maybe they just forgot he has this power or maybe they gave that role to Chloe so they can justify her presence on the show.

I really doubt that!

[DontCha]

as I said in the other thread..if clark was smart and worked things out on his own, chloe would have no real purpose on the show..and so we dont see a clever clark.

[Estro-gen X]

as I said in the other thread..if clark was smart and worked things out on his own, chloe would have no real purpose on the show..and so we dont see a clever clark.

If that means chloe goes I'm fine with that. clark doesn't even have to be super-smart just competant to remove the need for chloe

[DontCha]

honestly, I love chloe but if Clark didnt keep going to her for help...then she wouldnt even be in the show...or even interact with clark.

[Bizarrolover]

The interaction between Clark and Chloe is necessary (even if it makes him look like a BDA) because otherwise we would have Clark talking to himself while resolving things (so we will understand how he arrived to that conclusion) or see him reading the results of his research on the screen, something that would be incredibly boring. I only wish that sometimes he could come up with the answer before Chloe, for a change.

[geminis]

Don't forget Lois, ms. street smart. IMHO Clark has always been smart but he's also surrounded by smart people who can all show each other up. And some of his more formidable villains, namely Brainiac, Myxlptlk, and Lex Luthor, match and possibly even exceed his intelligence. Certainly they don't lack arrogance or confidence in their own smarts and constantly underestimate Clark/Superman, one of the reasons why he keeps winning. They see all the brawn and forget that there is a brain. I think Clark may hide his intelligence; it's another weapon in his arsenal, after all, and one that is easy to overlook, especially considering his rippling muscles.

[HalJordan4184]

In the comics in 1986 they removed 'super intelligence' but its slowly coming back. This said, Superman was never as smart as Brainiac or his ancestors. Currently he has a photographic memory but can't use it as well as kara or chris (zod's son that clark adopted) however in the last issue of superman brainiac tried to fry his brain by pumping universes of knowledge into him. I suspect this will reinstate super-intelligence. I can't stress this enough though AS OF NOW he is not a genius. Brainaic 5 is the smartest man in the universe, Lex Luthor is a genius, Bruce Wayne is a genius and Mister Terrific is a genius. Not Superman.

In Smallville after his 'training' he will be versed in advanced kryptonian knowledge much like kara who after days on earth was fluent in english and could hack into national security undetected despite no IT lessons.


This is almost entirely wrong. Superintelligence was toned down post crisis, but it was till there. Clark had a phenomonal memory, though nowhere near the, "i can remember the first time my cells divided" memory of pre crisis Superman. Hew was a genius, who could speak every earthly language, and multiple alien dialects. He had a better than average understanding of just about every discipline possible. He finished college at an accelerated rate due to never having to study, and needing only an hour of sleep a night. A couple years ago now super intelligence really came back. Clark had microdots printed into the periods of sentences in novels he was reading, so he could increase his knowledge over 1000 fold in a single sitting. His recall is near perfect.

The difference between him and Batman is in where their intelligence is applied. Batman is a tactician and scientist, Superman is not. Superman knows more, possesses the capabilties to remember more, in greater detail, and can learn at a far faster rate. He is every bit the genius. He isn't a 12th level intellect, but then again, neither is Batman or Lex Luthor. He is however, smarter than any human alive. If he doesn't know something, it's not because he's too dumb, he's just never found it necessary to know it.

[Timester]

He isn't a 12th level intellect, but then again, neither is Batman or Lex Luthor. He is however, smarter than any human alive. If he doesn't know something, it's not because he's too dumb, he's just never found it necessary to know it.

Actually, Lex was a 12th level intellect in the DCAU.

[MrZeppo]

The super-genius riff from the comics was something I never really did like. And really if he was a genius, I'd probably would be POed. If he was a genius all these years and still did the BDA things he's done for the last 4 years, I'd want to kick his teeth in. LOL!

[Estro-gen X]

This is almost entirely wrong. Superintelligence was toned down post crisis, but it was till there. Clark had a phenomonal memory, though nowhere near the, "i can remember the first time my cells divided" memory of pre crisis Superman. Hew was a genius, who could speak every earthly language, and multiple alien dialects. He had a better than average understanding of just about every discipline possible. He finished college at an accelerated rate due to never having to study, and needing only an hour of sleep a night. A couple years ago now super intelligence really came back. Clark had microdots printed into the periods of sentences in novels he was reading, so he could increase his knowledge over 1000 fold in a single sitting. His recall is near perfect.

The difference between him and Batman is in where their intelligence is applied. Batman is a tactician and scientist, Superman is not. Superman knows more, possesses the capabilties to remember more, in greater detail, and can learn at a far faster rate. He is every bit the genius. He isn't a 12th level intellect, but then again, neither is Batman or Lex Luthor. He is however, smarter than any human alive. If he doesn't know something, it's not because he's too dumb, he's just never found it necessary to know it.

All your examples are of the benefits of photographic memory and not super intelligence which is how much one understands.(thats not the best way of putting it but read on for clarification) Look at this-
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k318/04nbod/LegionOSHv3-30-03.jpg

you'll see the difference between intelligence and knowledge bank. Clark's memory provides facts as you have said by his memory of language and diciplines. As brainy says, he doesn't know everything but he is sure as hell smarter than you still. He could read dickens and understand it 100 times more clearly than superman even if superman could recite it word for word. That's not to say superman couldn't read literary criticism and apply it he just has an average cognitive process for its application. No one is doubting his photographic memory which has been established as less than average for a kryptonian.

Right another example, say superman and brainy are putting up an ikea table. Superman reads the instructions word for word but its just not working. Superman would be like everyone else, he'd have to bash the table leg in a little more, get a different screwdriver etc. Brainiac would read the instuctions but meet the same snag, Brainiac would process the situation. Probably make calculations faster than you could blink. Work out where the pivot would have to be, the size of hole required and go on accordingly.

By the way, Jamal Igle asked a few months ago what we wanted from supergirl on newsarama. I brought up intelligence considering she learned earth languages in a month and he said she is as smart as a regular human girl why would she be any smarter. He explained that just because he knows about VCRs doesn't mean he can put one together. So no, the official stance on the superbooks is that super-intelligence is not back. Photographic memory yes, intelligence no.

eta: I've edited this around 8 times to make it clear, thats the best I'm getting.

[bobsuncorp]

Clarks intelligence is always a tricky subject, because the different sources can contradict each other (see previous posts). My take on it has always been that Clark has to be a BDA (I think that stands for Big Dumb Alien, thats how I am using it anyway) because otherwise he would be absolutely unstoppable, unbeatable, and very dull to read.

Frankly the only way I can resolve SV with other comics (and the various comics with each other) is to embrace the "Elseworlds" explanation, basically that every single variation is its own story, and that Superman is not a character, it is a genre.

[smallvillefreak24]

remember in season 1 he was really good at math and stuff now he just is duuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh even tho he should have ALL THE KNOWLEDGE IN THE UNIVERSE

[susangail]

Yeah, Clark should be smarter than anyone around him, but then, SV Lex doesn't come off as a genius, either. In the comics, Lex was an evil genius mad scientist before he turned mogul.

Let's just say that Clark's intelligence ebbs and flows as needed for the story...

[HalJordan4184]

Intelligence; Noun:

1. capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.
2. manifestation of a high mental capacity: He writes with intelligence and wit.
3. the faculty of understanding.


Clark is super intelligent. His intelligence is beyond the normal human capacity. It is augmented as such, by his photographic memory. He possesses an above normal capacity for learning, reasoning, and understanding. He connects the dots better than Batman, and has even been told as much by Batman. His photographic memory, does not stand on it's own, for his ability to think and reason, seemingly beyond human capacity. We can chalk the lack of recognition in the comics, up to bad writing. Something the super books have been fond of for years now, but are slowly coming back from.

[galatians221]

Intelligence; Noun:

1. capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.
2. manifestation of a high mental capacity: He writes with intelligence and wit.
3. the faculty of understanding.


Clark is super intelligent. His intelligence is beyond the normal human capacity. It is augmented as such, by his photographic memory. He possesses an above normal capacity for learning, reasoning, and understanding. He connects the dots better than Batman, and has even been told as much by Batman. His photographic memory, does not stand on it's own, for his ability to think and reason, seemingly beyond human capacity. We can chalk the lack of recognition in the comics, up to bad writing. Something the super books have been fond of for years now, but are slowly coming back from.

It's not just super intelligence,they even depict him as having less than super judgement. He wants to rush Oliver to the hospital and wise old Chloe has to tell him that he's wrong and why he's wrong and eventually he agrees with her. It's like the guy is a dolt. It reminds me of how my wife treats me; assuming I'm the dumbest person in the world and giving me instructions on how to do basic things. Tonight we approach our house and the garage door is up but the light isn't on. I lowered the door as we approached our house and she tells me "the door is already up" as if I couldn't see that the door was up. It reminds me of how Chloe treats Clark, not to mention how Lois treats him. I mean he can superspeed down to Brazil but needs Chloe to tell him what to get

[xrayvision]

I'm watching Chloe becoming a menza maniac with supernatural intelligence and it occurs to me that Clark (Kal El) is supposed to have super knowledge. Instead he's kind of dumb and has to go to Chloe for help. I guess when he was in high school I could understand that he didn't have all of his abilities yet but isn't it time he was smarter than his friends?

It all depends on the writing. Before Chloe was lightswitched into the perfect hacker, & all knowing being, she was very different, and realistic. We saw Clark adding up huge numbers in his head like they were nothing. His brain is supposed to have processing power way beyond Chloe's or any human's in order for him to superspeed like that and be able to navigate without crashing, stumbling, and see everything (the images from his eyes must be sent to & processed by his mind at very fast speeds), etc.

The writers made Clark stupid because they wanted to extend the show. But they could have done that while still keeping him smart. I'm glad Clark is much smarter now than he was in seasons 4-7, but I want him to show the Superman type intelligence that rivals geniuses of the world. He's supposed to understand things about the 28 known inhabited galaxies and technology that no human in their wildest dreams could understand. You don't know how mad it made me when the dumb writers had him say that Chloe is smarter than him & Kara together. They should each be much smarter than Chloe and be able to see & understand things that Chloe, Lois, Lana, Ollie, Lex, Jimmy, etc could never do.

In the end, it all comes down to what I've been saying for years. Certain characters in the last 3-4 seasons started to cross into the boundaries of Clark Kent's role. And Chloe is one of them. Ollie is another. It made me sick when Lois one episode made fun of Clark and said that she would go to Chloe. Chloe wasn't meant to be a hacker & a crutch/tool to be used by Clark, nor was she meant to be his brain. She was meant to be a reporter friend of Clark's before Lois entered the picture. Once she started invading on Clark's hero role, that when Clark started looking like an idiot. With Chloe, this really started in season 5 when she knew the full secret. It began right in the hospital room when she told Clark "Go!" (referring to him getting back to Smallville). The same thing happened with Ollie in season 6 as far as Clark's crime-fighting role went. This is clear as day to me. This is what resulted in what I refer to as the format change of the show.

[mistaguitarmasta]

Let's be honest here. Writers have always played around and pushed the limits of super intelligence to suit their needs for a given story. When they need Clark/Supes to solve the unsolveable, his super-intellect clears everything up. When they need him to be stumped, he suddenly can't figure it out. It's been a problem since the Golden Age. They're inconsistent. It held true throughout the Silver Age, including the Adventures of Superman, even in the films, and Lois & Clark, and now Smallville. It's the kind of power that the writers either (A) momentarily forget about or (B) hope the audience will forget about so they can write the story they want. At this point, Superman fans are so used to super intelligence being stepped on, we don't even notice it half the time. It's sad but true.


YAY 500th POST!! And it's also my 1 yr anniversary of joining Ksite! WOO HOO!

[borednow]

Too much exposure to Kryptonite has damaged his brain.

[galatians221]

It all depends on the writing. Before Chloe was lightswitched into the perfect hacker, & all knowing being, she was very different, and realistic. We saw Clark adding up huge numbers in his head like they were nothing. His brain is supposed to have processing power way beyond Chloe's or any human's in order for him to superspeed like that and be able to navigate without crashing, stumbling, and see everything (the images from his eyes must be sent to & processed by his mind at very fast speeds), etc.

The writers made Clark stupid because they wanted to extend the show. But they could have done that while still keeping him smart. I'm glad Clark is much smarter now than he was in seasons 4-7, but I want him to show the Superman type intelligence that rivals geniuses of the world. He's supposed to understand things about the 28 known inhabited galaxies and technology that no human in their wildest dreams could understand. You don't know how mad it made me when the dumb writers had him say that Chloe is smarter than him & Kara together. They should each be much smarter than Chloe and be able to see & understand things that Chloe, Lois, Lana, Ollie, Lex, Jimmy, etc could never do.

In the end, it all comes down to what I've been saying for years. Certain characters in the last 3-4 seasons started to cross into the boundaries of Clark Kent's role. And Chloe is one of them. Ollie is another. It made me sick when Lois one episode made fun of Clark and said that she would go to Chloe. Chloe wasn't meant to be a hacker & a crutch/tool to be used by Clark, nor was she meant to be his brain. She was meant to be a reporter friend of Clark's before Lois entered the picture. Once she started invading on Clark's hero role, that when Clark started looking like an idiot. With Chloe, this really started in season 5 when she knew the full secret. It began right in the hospital room when she told Clark "Go!" (referring to him getting back to Smallville). The same thing happened with Ollie in season 6 as far as Clark's crime-fighting role went. This is clear as day to me. This is what resulted in what I refer to as the format change of the show.

This kind of fits into my pet peeve of having all of these other super heros on the show which in my opinion denigrates the uniqueness of Superman. First we had the freaks of the week and now we get a plethora of other super folks which makes Superman just one of many. The writers don't seem to think that they can have an entertaining show just sticking to the format of the show I grew up with "The Adventures of Superman" with George Reeves. Superman Returns didn't need other ET's to be entertaining and they are making Smallville more of a comic book character in a drama. It's slipping away and as always as you seem to be referring to, there is a minimization of Superman on a show about Superman. I love Smallville but it could have been so much better imho.

[xrayvision]

I don't think the freaks made Clark look dumb. I think other heroes presence in the show takes away from Clark. Villians don't pose that problem, but do wind up making Clark look like an idiot if all he is shown to do is care about Lana, or anything else other than getting off his rear and motivating himself to act without Chloe coming to him (which goes back to the format change I referred to).

See these posts for what I mean by format change:

http://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3990006&postcount=99

http://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3973891&postcount=94

http://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3970430&postcount=24

http://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3961476&postcount=38