Top 10 Nerd Icons

Whether you’re a fan of “Buffy,” “Firefly,” “Toy Story” or “The Avengers,” Whedon’s your source for self-referential, sarcastic, pop-culture-reference-heavy nerd comedy. He’s also known for creating some of the most badass female protagonists ever – as well as the angstiest characters y’ever did see. Even though he tends to kill off everyone’s fave characters, Whedon’s projects almost always earn cult status, making him a king among nerds.

Nye put his mechanical engineering background to good use once he became a comedy writer, using his trademark energy and humor to bring edutainment to kids. With his never-ending stream of bowties and scientific info, Bill Nye the Science Guy is a fond memory for anyone who grew up in the ‘90s. Today he still spends his days spreading the gospel of science and denying evolution deniers.

The “Star Trek” universe is replete with actors and characters who’ve struck a chord with nerds; but Takei transcended his role as Sulu to gain fans from all walks of life. Not only a trailblazer for Asian Americans in Hollywood, he’s also at the forefront of the gay rights movement – and, he’s a remarkably popular and incisive social-media presence. We hope he lives long and prospers.

“Star Wars.” “Indiana Jones.” Need we say more? While he may’ve gone off the rails in terms of his movie-making choices since “Jedi” was released, no one can deny that Lucas created one of the most epic fictional universes this side of Tatooine. Not only that, he built his own “empire” by making the dreams of fanboys come true – and yes, we’re talking about Leia’s bikini.

Astrophysics ain’t no thang for this world-famous scientist. Like his mentor Carl Sagan, he has made science accessible with his easy-to-understand explanations of the mysteries of the universe. When he’s not busy demoting Pluto to a dwarf-planet or ripping on the scientific inaccuracies of Hollywood films, deGrasse Tyson is bringing his quirky personality to talk shows, podcasts and his own version of Sagan’s “Cosmos.”

The true definition of a science communicator, Sagan was one of the first to explain complicated theories in layman’s terms, producing “billions and billions” of thinkers and skeptics. Known for his stance against nuclear weapons, his connection to the U.S. space program, and his interest in planets and extra-terrestrial life, this astronomer, astrophysicist, and cosmologist inspired a generation with books and films like “Contact,” and his TV series “Cosmos.”

While Steve Jobs is another important tech entrepreneur, Gates gets credit for spurring the personal computer explosion. The richest man in the world, depending on the year, he started small with a childhood interest in computer programming. Aggressive business strategies turned that into Microsoft and the rest is history. He and his wife Melinda are also noted philanthropists, so you know Gates doesn’t just lie around on his piles of money.

Judging by fan excitement over his many film cameos, Stan Lee truly is the man. After all, he co-created the Marvel universe and iconic characters like Spider-Man, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and many, many more. He also dispensed with traditional comic book rules to tackle real-world issues and themes. In the process, he became a dynamic Marvel spokesman that any fanboy would die to meet. Excelsior!

Diagnosed with ALS in his early-20s and given only a few years to live, Dr. Hawking defied the odds to become one of the world’s most famous theoretical physicists and cosmologists – with the coolest wheelchair we’ve ever seen. Eventually writing books like “A Brief History of Time” and forming groundbreaking theories about black holes – most of which we don’t understand – Hawking cemented his status as a brilliant badass.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Michio Kaku
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Kevin Smith
- Richard Dawkins
- Nikola Tesla
- William Shatner & Leonard Nimoy
- Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen
- Steve Jobs

With his twinkling eyes, childlike wonder and unkempt hair, Einstein is the quintessential mad scientist; and he’s got the goods to back up his reputation. His landmark research built the foundation on which physics is based, and altered the accepted perceptions of space, time and matter. But he is perhaps best remembered for formulating the most famous equation of the 20th century, and for being an unpretentious genius.

Do you agree with our list? Who do you think are the biggest nerd icons? For more geeky top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.