History Main / BrainCriticalMass

* When Mandark first appeared in ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' he was shown to be telepathic, to underline the fact he was [[ALwaysSomeoneBetter smarter than Dexter]] (that's before VillainDecay settled in, of course). This is used to an eerie effect when, in his first spoken line, he answers the question the teacher was going to ask next.

* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in [[http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1990-02-20/ this]] ''{{Dilbert}}'' strip.

* Alakazam, a [[PsychicPowers psychic]] ''{{Pokemon}}'' with an [[ImprobablyHighIQ IQ of 5000]].

* Averted by the original ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'': Professor X is intelligent and well-educated, but not superhumanly so. Jean Grey is telepathic and telekinetic, but has never been shown as being much more Above Average. The super-genius of the team is ''Dr. Hank [=McCoy=]'', whose mutant powers are strength, speed and agility.

** He also has {{telekinesis}}. All members of his caste have these abilities, as they have been bred that way for thousands of years.
** Both races are offshoots of humanity. The Morlocks just don't look human anymore (we don't look like cavemen either). The Eloi look more human, although shorter.

* Matilda Wormwood, a girl from Roald Dahl's ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'' who had read ''MobyDick'' before kindergarten and her MindOverMatter powers.
** Specifically, her 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, her powers disappear.
*** In the Film version however 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.

** Arguable, since the procedures basically turned a genius into an idiot savant.
*** Incomprehensible savant would be more accurate.
* Matt Parkman in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' is an aversion. He's a dyslexic cop who has average intelligence (depending on plot requirements, [[IdiotBall of course)]]. At the start of the series he tried to become a detective, and has the raw brainpower for it, but his dyslexia held him back. He does manage it post-empowering and became a detective in NY, though how much of that was done leaning on his telepathy is debatable. It helps that the creators have characterized Heroes as having something akin to PersonalityPowers; Matt's greatest desire pre-empowering was to know what others were thinking of him.
* Played with in ''{{Psych}}'', where TheHero uses his genius to fool people into thinking he's psychic.
* StarTrekTheNextGeneration: In the episode "The Nth Degree," Barclay's brain is taken over by an ancient race from the center of the galaxy, greatly increasing his intellect. Under their influence, Barclay seizes command of the Enterprise, controlling the ship with his mind.
** Although it's not as if it gave him supernatural powers, he ''built a brain-interface machine and took over as the ship's computer.''

* {{Earthbound Zero}} and {{Earthbound}} invert this: Loid, the party's Smart Guy in the former, has no psychic powers, unlike [[TheHero Ninten]] and [[SquishyWizard Ana]]. Jeff, the party's Smart Guy in the latter, takes it a step further by being the ''only'' main party member without psychic powers.
* Alakazam, a [[PsychicPowers psychic]] {{Pokemon}} with an [[ImprobablyHighIQ IQ of 5000]].

* When Mandark first appeared in DextersLab he was shown to be telepathic, to underline the fact he was [[ALwaysSomeoneBetter smarter than Dexter]] (that's before VillainDecay settled in, of course). This is used to an eerie effect when, in his first spoken line, he answers the question the teacher was going to ask next.

A subtrope of EvolutionaryLevels. May be brought about through ''actual'' evolution, though not necessarily. Can be the reason why HumansArePsychicInTheFuture and for TelepathicSpacemen.

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Alakazam, a [[PsychicPowers psychic]] {{Pokemon}} with an [[ImprobablyHighIQ IQ of 5000]].

* Alakazam, a [[PsychicPowers psychic]] {{Pokemon}} with an [[YouFailTheIQTest IQ of 5000]].

* Averted by the original ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'': Professor X is intelligent and well-educated, but not superhumanly so. Jean Grey is telepathic and telekinetic, but has never been shown as being much more Above Average. The super-genius of the team is ''Hank [=McCoy=]'', whose mutant powers are strength, speed and agility.

* Matilda Wormwood, a girl from Roald Dahl's ''{{Matilda}}'' who had read ''MobyDick'' before kindergarten and her MindOverMatter powers.

* Subverted by the original ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'': Professor X is intelligent and well-educated, but not superhumanly so. Jean Grey is telepathic and telekinetic, but has never been shown as being much more Above Average. The super-genius of the team is ''Hank McCoy'', whose mutant powers are strength, speed and agility.

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<<|StockSuperpowers|>>

* In 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.]] ]]

* Alakazam, a [[PsychicPowers psychic]] [=~Pokémon~=] with an [[YouFailTheIQTest IQ of 5000]].

* Professor X in the ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}''

* Once AM in ''IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream'' gained sapience, he also gained psychokinesis.

A subtrope of EvolutionaryLevels. May be brought about through ''actual'' evolution, though not neccessarily. Can be the reason why HumansArePsychicInTheFuture and for TelepathicSpacemen.

A subtrope of EvolutionaryLevels. May be brought about through ''actual'' evolution, though not neccessarily. Compare HumansArePsychicInTheFuture and TelepathicSpacemen.

A subtrope of EvolutionaryLevels. May be brought about through ''actual'' evolution, though not neccessarily. Compare HumansArePsychicInTheFuture.

* The far future villain in TheTimeMachine (2002) has a massive brain that extends down his back. He uses it to control the beasts that prey on the humans.