Iron Man vs. Hank Pym: Who's the bigger brain?

#1 Posted by VampireSelektor (719 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Until recently, Hank Pym and his intelligence have been mitigated in favor of depicting Tony Stark and Reed Richards as these creative dynamos of science. Which leads me to my question:

Pound for pound (or lobe for lobe), who is the smarter science hero: Hank or Tony?

Keep in mind that both characters possess different specialities (Hank = Biochemistry (with expertise in robotics, A.I., and quantum physics; Tony: Engineering (with expertise of mathematics, computers, chemistry, and a little quantum mechanics).

VS.

#2 Edited by EdwardWindsor (13189 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

For a sceintific mind Pym , for a creative mechanical mind Stark. Overall i would call it 50/50 depedning on your needs

#3 Posted by DEGRAAF (7250 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

I would say overall Hank Pym. He might not be as smart in mechanics (Which is highly debateable looking at his robot projects) but seems to me that Hank beats Tony in every other area of science. I would honestly put Hank second only to Reed. I dont even think tony is as smart as Bruce Banner

#4 Posted by Video_Martian (5631 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Tony's the smartest, followed by Hank and Reed... What about Bruce Banner?!? Dude's exceptionally smart, doesn't he get any love?!??

#5 Posted by EdwardWindsor (13189 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@DEGRAAF: what about current Tony? whos iq went up dramaticly with last upgrade

#6 Posted by DEGRAAF (7250 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@lazystudent:
Thats true. I forgot about that. Until I see real things coming out of that (like say a new element that is as strong as or stronger than Adamantium without being poisonious, or correcting Reed on multiple equations or creating something that all other geniuses thought was impossible) I still would rank them in the order i stated them in my last post. He's the smartest he ever has been but he still went to Noha-Var to help create a time machine. I havent seen him come up with anything huge since he gained his intelligence (besides his new suit) which although is cool, doesnt scream out smartest man through out all of history

@mr.obvious:
I think even in the MU the characters all agree Reed is the smartest

#7 Posted by jloneblackheart (5190 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Reed is the smartest, and when he needs some help, it's usually Hank Pym he talks with.

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#8 Posted by ShirEPanjshir (581 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@DEGRAAF said:

" @lazystudent: I havent seen him come up with anything huge since he gained his intelligence (besides his new suit) which although is cool, doesnt scream out smartest man through out all of history

@mr.obvious: I think even in the MU the characters all agree Reed is the smartest "

What about that egg-shaped doomsday device? That seemed pretty, uhm, huge?
But yeah. I'm thinking Reed's the overall smartest guy in the MU. Tony and Hank, don't know .. I think Hank might be smarter, but he isn't as ambitious and grand-thinking as Tony is.

#9 Posted by PumpkinBomb (493 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@ShirEPanjshir said:

"Tony and Hank, don't know .. I think Hank might be smarter, but he isn't as ambitious and grand-thinking as Tony is. "

That's pretty denigrating for a guy with a universe in his pocket.

#10 Posted by Gambit1024 (9878 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Hank has the bigger brain... Like literally. A dude who grows 100 ft tall's gotta have a big noggin at that point, right?

#11 Edited by Icon (2022 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Iron Man is more prolific in terms of inventiveness. Also, Pym's inventions can have a way of going wrong on him (Ultron for instance). The A.I.'s Stark has created are all more stable/reliable with the exception of one suit which gained sentience by accident, and only because of a freak injury.

I'm inclined to think Stark is smarter.

#12 Posted by Backflip (1937 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

I think for the most part, they cover different areas. In overall science, I believe Hank is smarter, although, I do remember that time in Mighty Avengers when he got seriously pimped by Reed after it was found out that Richard's knew more about the Pym Particles than even Hank. Still, in terms of Robotics and the likes, Tony stomps...

#13 Posted by pooty (7792 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@Icon: @Backflip: I'm going to disagree. Pym is smarter in robotics than Tony is. He's smarter overall. Pym created Utltron which in turn created Vision and Jocasta, and Alchemy. Hank has created beings with the ability to create. Has Tony done anything like that? Ultron took over the Phallanx in Annihilation. He became a galactic threat. Tony makes machines. Pym creates life. Yeah they turn on him but atleast they have that choice. Tony's robots are mindless drones. Add to that Pym particles, becoming giant man, the building that can take you anywhere. pym has done things that far surpass tony. atleast from what i know.

#14 Posted by tensor (3314 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@mr.obvious: wrong reed is the smartest

#15 Posted by PrinceIMC (5340 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

I think Tony is smarter but Hank devotes more of his time, effort and brainpower to science. So his specialties are more spread out than Tony's.

#16 Edited by Icon (2022 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@pooty said:

" I'm going to disagree. Pym is smarter in robotics than Tony is. He's smarter overall. Pym created Utltron which in turn created Vision and Jocasta, and Alchemy. Hank has created beings with the ability to create. Has Tony done anything like that? Ultron took over the Phallanx in Annihilation. He became a galactic threat. Tony makes machines. Pym creates life. Yeah they turn on him but atleast they have that choice. Tony's robots are mindless drones. "

Yes, he has. Tony has created multiple artificial intelligences like HOMER and PLATO that were far more than "mindless drones". He even created an armour that was so advanced it developed sentient life (and even fell in love) despite safeguards Stark had in place to hold it back from becoming sentient (an injury to the armour negated those safeguards). And that's an important point. Stark has shown himself capable of creating "life" as you put it, but he refrains from doing so because of the ethical dilemmas involved. It is not because he isn't smart enough.

#17 Posted by PrinceIMC (5340 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@Icon said:

"@pooty said:

" I'm going to disagree. Pym is smarter in robotics than Tony is. He's smarter overall. Pym created Utltron which in turn created Vision and Jocasta, and Alchemy. Hank has created beings with the ability to create. Has Tony done anything like that? Ultron took over the Phallanx in Annihilation. He became a galactic threat. Tony makes machines. Pym creates life. Yeah they turn on him but atleast they have that choice. Tony's robots are mindless drones. "
Yes, he has. Tony has created multiple artificial intelligences like HOMER and PLATO that were far more than "mindless drones". He even created an armour that was so advanced it developed sentient life (and even fell in love) despite safeguards Stark had in place to hold it back from becoming sentient (an injury to the armour negated those safeguards). And that's an important point. Stark has shown himself capable of creating "life" as you put it, but he refrains from doing so because of the ethical dilemmas involved. It is not because he isn't smart enough. "

The sentient armor turned out to be a version of Ultron.

#18 Posted by Icon (2022 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@PrinceIMC: That wasn't in the story at all, unless that is in some retcon from some other story?

#19 Posted by PrinceIMC (5340 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@Icon said:

" @PrinceIMC: That wasn't in the story at all, unless that is in some retcon from some other story? "

It was added later in Iron Man. It was an incomplete copy of Ultron 12 I think it was, the one that loved and wanted to protect Hank Pym and was destroyed by another Ultron. It found its way to Tony's armor through Jocasta I think but was infatuated with Tony instead of Hank. Better than a lightning strike combined with the Y2k glitch.

#20 Posted by Icon (2022 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@PrinceIMC: Ah! Well, thanks for that update. ;]

#21 Posted by Video_Martian (5631 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@tensor said:

" @mr.obvious: wrong reed is the smartest "

No, Tony's the smartest. Reed has always acted like the "oh-look-at-me-im-soooo-smart" kinda workaholic douchebag who claims to never be able to spend enough time with his wife and kids cuz he's always tryin to "save the world" when he really doesn't. AND he has always promised both Ben Grimm and Bruce Banner to cure them of their monstrous conditions, and has he ever successfully done so yet? NOOOO. Plus, both he and Hank have even hit their wives on separate occasions, which is automatically a very unacceptable and IDIOTIC thing to do. So even if he's a frickin' whiz kid when it comes to math and equations and science, he's an utter MORON when it comes to being a friend, a family figure, and a role model.

Reed and Hank don't know how to treat their ladies. But Tony's smart enough to know how to treat the ladies just fine...

Invincible Iron Man #30

Ultimate

Iron Man gets all the women..

#22 Posted by pooty (7792 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@Icon: So with the new info that PrinceIMC gave, do you still think that Tony is better at robotics?

#23 Posted by Icon (2022 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@pooty: Well my point, about Stark not wanting to create artificial "life" not meaning that he can't, still stands. Creating more complex forms of artificial intelligence was one of Pym's goals, not Tony's, who expressed ethical concerns against it. Plus Tony's work is spread out across far more fields of engineering (he invented repulsor technology, has designed satellites, vehicles like the Quinjets, holographic image inducers, life model decoys, an accelerated healing serum, anti-gravity devices, and even a magnetic memory device that uses a tractor beam to reassemble almost anything).

Anyway, I didn't really say he was better or worse at robotics but that I think he is smarter. It's difficult to compare the achievements of one individual in a particular field to the achievements of another person in a different field, but I answered the question of the thread the way I did because Tony has invented a lot more good stuff (which is why I said he was at least more prolific), and has displayed a great deal of intelligence in far more varied ways. That is taking into account his achievements in business (starting up successful companies from scratch) and his strategic brilliance (successfully leading SHIELD for instance) going to show that intelligence isn't just limited to displays of science. There are other forms of intelligence and Stark displays a bunch of them in ways I don't think Hank does.

#24 Posted by Mercy_ (83473 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Not a battle.

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#25 Posted by Emperor Gonzo Noir (19681 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@Gambit1024 said:

" Hank has the bigger brain... Like literally. A dude who grows 100 ft tall's gotta have a big noggin at that point, right? "

damn, beat me to it

#26 Posted by Emperor Gonzo Noir (19681 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Tony is the most inventive,but Hank is smarter

#27 Posted by TheGoldenOne (38596 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

hank pym- scientist supreme

#28 Posted by Sherlock (6803 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Hank obviously has the bigger brain look at him he can get to be like 60 feet tall

#29 Posted by pooty (7792 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@Icon: All your points are valid. So while i disagree i can definitely understand your point of view.

#30 Edited by karrob (4205 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Honestly its like comparing apples to oranges. But I think that Hank is smarter just because his science borders along the lines of magic. He does stuff that people dont think can be done. And he does just because...And Reed is the smartest

#31 Posted by CaptainRodgers (1656 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

I'd say Tony due to the last upgrade , in the entire MU probably Reed , guys are forgetting T'Challa , he's incredibly smart too.

#32 Posted by DEGRAAF (7250 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

Hank Pym:
-Pym Particals
-cybernetic helmet that allowed for communication between him and insects
-technology to stimulate his memories
-building a robotic life form with artificial intelligence (Ultron)
-machine w/ the ability to transfer life forces
-constructed a unique bug-eyed vehicle that flies, can shoot flame, acid or gas, has climbing capabilities, has grappling capabilities, limited intelligence and answers to the name Rover.
-rebuilt the Vision
-involved in the construction and programming of Ultron's second bride, Alkhema
-created a bio-circuitry suit for Firestar to wear under her costume that would drain away any microwave energy that tried to harmfully build up in her body. It would also train her own body's resistance over a period of six months.
- a new kind of superhuman prison. The “Big House”
-instrumental in the creation of the Thor clone (Clor)
-first to travel to Overspace (Overspace is a theoretical plane that Reed and Hank came up with that they believe exists above and apart from all other realities. )
-Hank Pym is Earth's Scientist Supreme
-Infinite Mansion
-a dimensional scale problem with Reed Richards
-created a synthetic heaven
-pocket dimension
-created the Infinite Avengers Mansion

Thats all i could find for Hank Pym's creations on his page. I will do the same for Tony later

#33 Posted by Gambit1024 (9878 posts) - 2 years, 5 months ago - Show Bio

@Emperor Gonzo Noir said:

" @Gambit1024 said:

" Hank has the bigger brain... Like literally. A dude who grows 100 ft tall's gotta have a big noggin at that point, right? "
damn, beat me to it "

=P

#34 Posted by D00MSMITH (75 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

@mr.obvious said:

" @tensor said:

"

WTF, when did tony kiss a guy?

#35 Posted by Morpheus_ (29871 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

@D00MSMITH: That's Maria Hill.

Anyway, Hank has already admitted Tony is smarter than him. By the hand of Dan Slott, the man that caused the recent "Hank love mania", no less.

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#36 Posted by Ruhi_Tugu (1198 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

I think Hank is smarter but tony finds away to apply his science to other tech and make a profit so he's richer and happier

#37 Posted by PrinceIMC (5340 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

People are using the Scientist Supreme thing to say that Hank is smarter than Tony but when Eternity told Hank that he was the Scientist Supreme he also told him that Reed and Tony are smarter than him. So to me Reed and Tony are smarter but Hank is more creative. He accidentally shrinks himself with a formula once and then decides to come up with a device to communicate with ants, a little while later he's done it even if the technology doesn't make sense. Both Reed and Tony have a hard time with magic because they're too scientific, Hank is the one who's actually tried to understand it. He's done scans of Scarlet Witch and how her powers work. Also I don't think that Ultron is a good example of Hank's intelligence because Ultron kinda built himself, Hank just copied his brain engrams into a robot. But then again since Ultron is based off Hank's mind anything he's created could have been created by Hank if he had the same computing power. Course even Ultron can't wrap his brain around magic either.

#38 Posted by Morpheus_ (29871 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

@PrinceIMC: You hit the nail on the head. Hank himself told Eternity that he couldn't possibly be the Scientist Supreme when Reed and Tony are still around, and then Eternity proceded to explain that all three of them represent different aspects: Reed being the explorer, Tony the engineer, and Hank is "the mage".

Of course, most people omit to mention that.

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#39 Posted by D00MSMITH (75 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

@Morpheus_: Thanks for the response, I would place Tony second only to Reed and Doctor Doom, I would like to know who will claim the 4th position- Bruce Banner or Hank Pym

#40 Posted by PrinceIMC (5340 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

@D00MSMITH said:

" @Morpheus_: Thanks for the response, I would place Tony second only to Reed and Doctor Doom, I would like to know who will claim the 4th position- Bruce Banner or Hank Pym "

In the past I woulda said Hank for sure but more recently Bruce has done some cool stuff.

#41 Posted by DEGRAAF (7250 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

@ShirEPanjshir said:

"What about that egg-shaped doomsday device? That seemed pretty, uhm, huge? But yeah. I'm thinking Reed's the overall smartest guy in the MU. Tony and Hank, don't know .. I think Hank might be smarter, but he isn't as ambitious and grand-thinking as Tony is. "

i didnt think he actually created that, i thought he had come up with the idea and maybe drawn a picture of it or something but the actual doomsday device isnt created in the main time line but in the future.

#42 Posted by DEGRAAF (7250 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

Hank Pym:
-Pym Particals
-cybernetic helmet that allowed for communication between him and insects
-technology to stimulate his memories
-building a robotic life form with artificial intelligence (Ultron)
-machine w/ the ability to transfer life forces
-constructed a unique bug-eyed vehicle that flies, can shoot flame, acid or gas, has climbing capabilities, has grappling capabilities, limited intelligence and answers to the name Rover.
-rebuilt the Vision
-involved in the construction and programming of Ultron's second bride, Alkhema
-created a bio-circuitry suit for Firestar to wear under her costume that would drain away any microwave energy that tried to harmfully build up in her body. It would also train her own body's resistance over a period of six months.
- a new kind of superhuman prison. The “Big House”
-instrumental in the creation of the Thor clone (Clor)
-first to travel to Overspace (Overspace is a theoretical plane that Reed and Hank came up with that they believe exists above and apart from all other realities. )
-Hank Pym is Earth's Scientist Supreme
-Infinite Mansion
-a dimensional scale problem with Reed Richards
-created a synthetic heaven
-pocket dimension
-created the Infinite Avengers Mansion

Tony Stark-
- By the age of 15 Tony had enrolled in MIT
- graduated at the top of his class at age 19 with double masters in physics and engineering
- he and the physicist created an iron suit in secret that would save Tony's life
- completely redesigned his armor into light fitting armor rather than his previously heavy and bulky Armor
- fake his own death and be put into suspended animation in order to survive. Of course Tony would eventually awaken and survive with a chip he programmed and implanted in himself.
- built a new operational headquarters for the group which is now located in Stark Tower
- Stark injects his nervous system with a modified version of the extremis enhancile (a techno-organic virus) in order to save his life. Extremis allows Stark to store the inner layers of the Iron Man armor in the hollows of his bones, and to control the armor through direct brain impulses. Extremis also integrates Stark's existing lockchip (a personal networking implement implanted in his forearm) directly into his nervous system. Tony's abilities as Iron Man are significantly increased. He now has the ability to communicate with his suit faster than any human reaction time would normally be, making him much more powerful than before.
- Tony also worked with Mr. Fantastic to build a prison in the The Negative Zone to hold rogue superhumans.
- creates a brand new armored suit for Spider-Man
- Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic when a Thor clone they created kills Bill Foster
- Donning a modified "Hulkbuster" armor, Iron Man engages the Hulk in combat in Manhattan. Iron Man makes an attempt to use specially designed nanobots to deactivate the Hulk's powers, but this proves unsuccessful due to the nanobots being sabotaged beforehand by a member of the Initiative. His new Hulkbuster armor and Stark Tower are destroyed
- manages to contact Dum Dum Dugan via his extremis enhanced powers
- Stark orders his satellite to fire a gamma inducing energy onto the Hulk, thus knocking him unconscious.

Thats all for now. Stark has alot of accomplishments on his page but for the most part, they are all jsut upgrade after upgrade.

#43 Posted by Erik (27224 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

Without question Stark.

He was smarter than Pym even before his upgrades.

#44 Posted by War Killer (17688 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

Both are highly intelligent men in their respected area's. As for who's smarter, I'd have to go with Hank since I've NEVER seen Iron Man opening portals to other dimensions before.

#45 Posted by karrob (4205 posts) - 2 years, 2 months ago - Show Bio

@Morpheus_ said:

" @PrinceIMC: You hit the nail on the head. Hank himself told Eternity that he couldn't possibly be the Scientist Supreme when Reed and Tony are still around, and then Eternity proceded to explain that all three of them represent different aspects: Reed being the explorer, Tony the engineer, and Hank is "the mage".

Of course, most people omit to mention that. "

Well said

#46 Posted by thewasp (12 posts) - 2 years, 2 months ago - Show Bio

hank pym

#47 Posted by Tem Borjigin (119 posts) - 2 years, 2 months ago - Show Bio

Stark is the smartest.

#48 Posted by Abeonis_ (6 posts) - 10 days, 13 hours ago - Show Bio

Hank Pym is 'naturally' smarter than Tony Stark, but the RT Node somehow increases Tony's intelligence, if I'm correct. And still, Hank may be smarter. Hank undermines his own intelligence so much, that he has actually convinced the fanbase that people like Tony and Peter are smarter than him.

#49 Posted by PowerHerc (50815 posts) - 10 days, 13 hours ago - Show Bio

Hank is the smarter of these two geniuses.

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