History Main / BrainCriticalMass

Not to be confused with MyBrainIsBig, although they frequently overlap.

* Weird variation in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', in which Goku-- [[TheDitz who is very much NOT]] TheSmartGuy-- gains the power to read minds by ''training his muscles in high gravity''. He [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands uses it maybe twice]] in the series [[ExpositionBeam to get caught up on current events quickly]]; other than that the ability [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment is never mentioned again]].
* Kaji from Creator/GoNagai's ''Manga/{{Shutendoji}}'' is the most studious member of the gang, a classic bespectacled nerd and a specialized psychic, unlike the other members who use either mystical abilities or demonic traits.

* The Leader has an enlarged, gamma mutated brain in both mainstream and ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'' and developed telepathic abilities as a result of the experiments to increase his intelligence.

* {{Inverted}} in ''Comicbook/Dynamo5,'' where the telepathic character was a [[DumbJock Dumb]] yet LovableJock.

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': Professor Charles Xavier is highly intellectual and he's the greatest telepath on the planet.
* The far future villain in ''[[Film/TheTimeMachine2002 The Time Machine]]'' (2002) has a massive brain that extends down his back. He uses it to control the beasts that prey on the humans.
* In ''Film/TheLawnmowerMan'', when Jobe get his intellect increased up to - and possibly [[SuperIntelligence beyond]] - genius level, he also gains a wide variety of worryingly strong PsychicPowers.
* In the film version of ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'' it's said she uses a greater portion of her brain then most people, and so she keeps her powers at the end of the film.

* Matilda Wormwood, a girl from Roald Dahl's ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'' who had read ''Literature/MobyDick'' before kindergarten. Her MindOverMatter powers are stated to be because she's so bored and has no other way to use her brainpower. Once she is being challenged in school, they disappear.
* Once AM in ''Literature/IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream'' gained sentience, he also gained psychokinesis.
* Averted in the prehistory of Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/KnownSpace'' universe. The [[AbusivePrecursors Slavers]] had the telepathic ability to control other animals but a number of species they enslaved were smarter than themselves, intelligence providing no psychic powers or ability to defend against them.
* Inverted in ''Minority Report'' and a few other stories of Creator/PhilipKDick that recycle the same theme: humans that have an "ESP lobe" that gives them psychic powers, in particular the ability to predict the future, are severely mentally retarded, with most of the rest of the brain tissue shriveled and atrophied, and their predictions of the future are deciphered from incoherent babble.
* A staple of science fiction from the Main/PulpMagazine era, where it would usually go hand-in-hand with [[MyBrainIsBig unusually large brains]] and [[GoalOrientedEvolution "super-evolved" individuals]].
** "Literature/TheManWhoEvolved" (1931) by Creator/EdmondHamilton features a super-evolved man who not only has SuperIntelligence, but can also read minds and [[PeoplePuppets control other people's actions]].
** "The Intelligence Gigantic" (1933) by John Russell Fearn: a man created to [[NinetyPercentOfYourBrain use 100% of his brain]] is not only superintelligent, but telepathic to boot.
** ''Literature/PebbleInTheSky'' (1950) by Creator/IsaacAsimov: the "Synapsifier", a machine designed to enhance intelligence by improving brain conductivity, has the side effect of giving the user PsychicPowers such as telepathy and [[spoiler:limited MindControl]]. Arguably, the psychic powers play a larger role in the plot than the increased intelligence.
** "The Infinites" (1953) by Creator/PhilipKDick: three astronauts start rapidly evolving after being hit by a source of unknown radiation. The first thing they notice is the rapid growth of their brain and intelligence accompanied by the [[SquishyWizard decay of their physical bodies]], but later they realize they gained the ability to perceive things beyond their normal senses. [[spoiler:In the end, the test animals on their ship -- which received a larger dose of radiation and became EnergyBeings with RealityWarping powers -- undo their evolution.]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* River Tam, TheEmpath [[TheWoobie [=Woobie=]]] in ''Series/{{Firefly}}''.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* {{Discussed|Trope}} in [[http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1990-02-20/ this]] ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' strip. Dilbert dates a ''very'' intelligent librarian.
[[/folder]]

* {{Exaggerated}} in ''WebComic/AxeCop'' with the backstory and powers of Uni-Man. He grew a unicorn horn because he got so smart. Then everyone and everything else on his planet did too, and the planet itself also. Having a unicorn horn gives unlimited RealityWarper powers -- just make a wish and it will come true.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', Jimmy's normally ditzy friend Sheen gets his intelligence increased with Jimmy's {{Phlebotinum}} and gains telekinesis.
* In ''WesternAnimation/BigGuyAndRustyTheBoyRobot'', there was Dr. Neugog, who got [[BodyHorror mutated]] into a borderline EldritchAbomination when a spider got between him and an invention of his that would have allowed him to read minds. After being mutated, he had the power to suck people's brains out, and add them to his own. The more brains he had sucked, the greater his intelligence became, and he eventually developed psychic powers. [[spoiler: Later, Dr. Donovan's nephew Pierre had the same thing happen, but without the BodyHorror, and it was [[StatusQuoIsGod later reversed.]] ]]

* In the episode "Heavy Mental" of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' the technogadget of the day zaps people and increases their brain power, complete with inflating head and psychic powers, which are mainly telekinesis and clairvoyance. Toward the end of the episode [[spoiler:the GeneralRipper zaps himself and takes things up to eleven, turning himself into ''pure thought''.]]

** Amadeus Cho, intelligent enough to be capable of PrescienceByAnalysis under regular conditions, is boosted by a gamma mutation to no longer predict cause and effect, but warp them mentally.

* The Leader in ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'' developed telekinetic abilities as a result of the experiments to increase his intelligence.

May be brought about through ''actual'' evolution, though not necessarily. Also, likely to be a human in the [[EvolutionaryLevels next level of]] [[GoalOrientedEvolution evolution, as psychic powers are the next stage]]. Can be the reason why HumansArePsychicInTheFuture and for TelepathicSpacemen.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[SoYouWantTo/WriteASuperheroComic So you want to write a superhero comic]]. You have your FiveManBand, and are giving each member some of the StockSuperpowers. But what will you give TheSmartGuy?

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* Brainchild of the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' combines superhuman intelligence with powerful PsychicPowers to make his way as a supervillain. Likewise, The Brain combines lots of smarts with telepathy.
** For the most part, the ''Global Guardians PBEM Universe'' avoids this trope. Most of the smartest people in the setting are [[GadgeteerGenius super-inventors]] rather than [[PsychicPowers mentalists]].

[[/folder]]

* Weird variation in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', in which Goku-- [[TheDitz who is very much NOT]] TheSmartGuy-- gains the power to read minds by ''training his muscles in high gravity''. He [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands uses it maybe twice]] in the series to get caught up on current events without a tedious InfoDump, other than that the ability [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment is never mentioned again]].