Think about it: "seventh smartest person" aside, his intelligence is definitely played as far more of a bona-fide super power than his "peers," even requiring fuel in order to operate at the level of the other superhero geniuses. While this could be chalked up as a simple affectation due to his age, the way it works in-universe does seem to place it closer to Sage's "computer brain" than true super-intelligence...although the downside means he'd risk getting spirited away to Utopia. 
 
Thoughts?

He's not a mutant, he has a hypermind, basically a computer that evaluates every possible action and consequence and determines which is most advantageous to him. His brain just needs junk food to operate at the level. Taskmaster has photographic reflexes he was born with but isn't a mutant. Sometimes these quirks just happen in comics.

Maybe it's like that Vargas dude who was born a super-soldier.

I think it could be a possibility... and it appears he sees all of these possible outcomes to situations through a HUD like feature... though Pythagoras displayed this too, and it might simply be what's going on in their heads.

I wouldn't rule it out though.

@kramotz: I always figured that was meant as like a stylized version of a thought balloon.