Even Superman’s Enemies Think He’s Kind of An Idiot
Warning: contains spoilers for Superman '78 #2!
While Superman may be one of the strongest superhero in the DC Universe, he isn't exactly the smartest - and his many villains have noticed. The Man of Steel is the most physically-powerful member of the Justice League; there's a very good reason why many villains (and writers) find a way to distract or incapacitate Superman before executing their master plan. But in Superman '78, written by Robert Venditti with art by Wilfredo Torres and colors by Jordie Bellaire, two of the greatest Superman villains of all time reveal their very similar sentiments concerning Clark Kent's intelligence.
Superman '78 continues the story that began in director Richard Donner's classic Superman film, starring Christopher Reeve as the titular hero. In the previous issue, Superman encountered a robotic drone; Clark made short work of his assailant, and the mechanoid's last words before shutting down were "...Brainiac." Unsure what to do and feeling particularly altruistic, Superman pays a visit to one of the few men on the planet who can help investigate: Lex Luthor.
Upon hearing the superhero's proposition, Luthor is characteristically arrogant; why should the greatest criminal mind in history help Superman? But his curiosity and self-superiority eventually wins out and Luthor demands the robotic head of the scout. As Lex Luthor examines the Brainiac skull, he muses "You're clearly out of your depth, Superman. It isn't your fault. You were born with all your muscles below the neck." It's a typical Lex Luthor insult to be sure, but it's one that's gained traction over the years regarding Superman's overall intelligence.
Superman isn't an idiot by any stretch of the imagination. The issue is that Superman's great strength, speed and durability means his greatest enemies must outsmart him and/or trick him in order to achieve victory. This is most commonly seen whenever Superman fights Batman; the Dark Knight has no superhuman powers and must rely on his gadgets and intelligence in order to successfully beat Clark (which he often does whenever the two come to blows). Some writers like Frank Miller have characterized Superman as a hero with a predictable methodology: over-reliance on strength to his own detriment. For villains like Lex Luthor and Brainiac, who value intelligence (and think highly of their own) over sheer strength, it's easy to see how they would view Superman as a simple-minded brute.
Superman is not nearly the dull-witted simpleton that Lex Luthor thinks he is - rather, his intelligence simply isn't his most noticeable attribute (which remains, of course, his nigh-unmatched strength - Superman can potentially rival Marvel's Phoenix Force!). The Man of Steel often fights foes with exceptional egos (such as Lex Luthor, General Zod, and Brainiac), and they often underestimate his abilities. Nevertheless, they rarely think highly of Superman in any capacity.