I should have been more specific. With a few exceptions (e.g. Reed Richards and Charles Xavier), the intelligence of the protagonists is mostly not revealed to or celebrated by the comic public. We, the reader, are aware of it, but their intelligence is not generally celebrated within the comic universe. What they are celebrated for, mostly, in the comic universe is their physical capabilites. I always thought that this his sends the message that intelligence is not as useful as being physical capable and / or that intelligence should be kept hidden and is not something to showcase or be proud of.