FAN THEORY THURSDAY: Six DARK Megamind Theories
"Imagine the most horrible, terrifying, evil thing you can possibly think of and multiply it… BY SIX!"
Yes! It’s Thursday again! And you know what that means: I have to say it. You know I do. SPOILER WARNING!
Megamind might be an animated family film, but that doesn’t mean all the fan theories it’s spawned are pure sunshine and daisies. In fact, a few are the opposite. As its name suggests, some ideas in this post will be fairly dark. Nothing will be graphic, of course, but nonetheless, please pay attention to the warnings below. Without further ado, let’s get in touch with our villainous sides and get started!
Has Megamind Killed Before?
Trigger warning for violence and death.
Near the beginning of the movie, Megamind has accrued eighty-five life sentences. While some fans argue that this could be due to the justice system’s unfairly harsh treatment of him—they did allow a child to be raised in a prison, after all, so clearly there’s corruption—others insist that a person simply doesn’t earn that kind of wrap sheet without shedding blood. And the concept is more than mere speculation; there are several pieces of evidence that might support it.
The first, and perhaps most obvious, proof is the simple fact that people are terrified of Megamind. When he shows up in a restaurant, during his date with Roxanne, other patrons literally start screaming. They’re not the only ones who feared the former villain, either. As I’ve mentioned before in the article The Warden, Demishock’s wonderful blog post transcribes one of the newspaper clippings seen at the beginning of the film Hometown Boy Makes Bad. In it, we learn that “experienced, hardened criminals in [the prison] are afraid of him” and that, as a grade-school child, he is “isolated from the general population [of inmates] for the protection of the adults.” This may indicate that Megamind is dangerous. Although he clearly avoids hurting people unnecessarily, if all he ever did was vandalize and steal he’d likely be viewed as an annoying delinquent rather than an actual threat.
Next, we have his De-Gun. (I’ve touched on this before in both Who is the Real Megamind Part Two and in Megamind’s Inventions, so I’ll be brief.) Sources such as Fandom.com point out that, if you slow down images of the weapon and look closely, you’ll see that it has eight settings: Dehydrate, Decompress, Debilitate, Demoralize, Decoupage, Deregulate, Destroy, and Death Ray. That’s right: Death Ray. Why would the blue man invent a lethal setting if he never intended to use it? Of course, this doesn’t mean he’s a bloodthirsty maniac—in fact, the DVD commentary makes it clear that he goes out of his way not to harm others—but it’s quite possible that he’ll use violence when he must.
Another fan theory connects with this as well. Many believe that Megamind, during his supervillain days (and possibly even afterward) controlled all organized crime and other villains in Metro City. In one of the storyboards that was ultimately left out of the film, while Megamind has laid claim to the mayor’s office as the new Evil Overlord, a group of lesser supervillains approach him and essentially ask for permission to go on a crime spree. Why would they do such a thing unless they were answerable to the blue man and unless he kept tabs on who was committing illegal acts locally? Indeed, this in itself offers some slight support for the idea that Megamind is not above violence when he feels it’s unavoidable. If he did, in fact, rule the city’s underworld, it would mean keeping tight reigns on some incredibly dangerous individuals, many of whom might not share his distaste for bloodshed. Frankly, a person simply couldn’t control a criminal empire and an entire group of preternaturally-powered villains unless they were both willing and able to back up their threats. So, while he may not like taking life, and may treat it as a dire last resort, it seems that he might do it when needed. And judging by his number of life sentences, it’s quite possible that he has.
Does Roxanne Ritchi Have a Dark Side?
Many might argue that Roxanne is, in many ways, the only major character in the film who seems to be generally good from start to finish, but others disagree. Two camps exist on this subject, one claiming that Roxanne clearly has a good heart and has her act together, the other claiming that there may be something less wholesome lurking beneath the surface. In fact, I’ve heard it said that there appear to be some odd discrepancies in her behavior that may, possibly, point toward the woman having a secret side.
Essentially, the fan theory is this: Roxanne knew Megamind was “Bernard” almost from the start, but chose to pretend otherwise, possibly in order to manipulate him. That may sound somewhat far-fetched—and I certainly had my doubts at first—but it may not be as unbelievable as it initially seems. To begin with, the reporter is clearly attracted to Megamind, as can be seen in their moment of flirty banter during the kidnapping scene. (In fact, a line that was later removed portrayed Roxanne telling Megamind-as-Bernard that Metroman was not her type because she preferred brains over brawn.) Therefore, it’s not impossible that she might have knowingly gone out with the villain if she could do so without risking her reputation and career.
Next, consider this: Roxanne is supposed to be extremely intelligent. Not as ingenious as the blue man, perhaps, but very astute nonetheless. In the original script, she is an investigative reporter who originally comes to Megamind’s notice because she is always trying to discover the location of his secret Lair and learn what he’s planning. During the film’s kidnapping scene, she uses her “nosy reporter skills” to get information out of Minion and quickly deduces that they are (apparently) in the abandoned observatory. She finds the supervillain’s hideout and, later in the movie, decodes his plans to reveal that he’s created a new nemesis. When Megamind comes to her for help, he calls her “the smartest person I know.” Indeed, her intelligence seems to be part of what has attracted the blue alien to her in the first place. Roxanne is obviously far from stupid.
So how, some fans ask, could someone with such mental prowess be fooled into thinking Megamind is Bernard? After all, she’s familiar with both men. Miss Ritchi has clearly interacted with the Metroman Museum curator before—she recognizes him when she meets him after hours—and she’s been regularly abducted by Megamind for years.
Why does that matter? Keep in mind that the blue man didn’t have time to record Bernard speaking before he used the De-Gun and holowatch to assume his identity. Furthermore, the reporter clearly recognizes her serial kidnapper's voice; when she hears him in the museum, her expression turns suspicious before she goes to investigate. Consider as well that, as she’s at least acquainted with Bernard, and likely knows Megamind better, she would be familiar with both men’s features and personalities. This has led some to propose that she must have realized something was amiss. Surely she’d notice that Bernard’s brown eyes were suddenly bright green? That his jaded personality had instantly become awkwardly emotional and cheerfully enthusiastic? That his voice had abruptly changed to that of the top local supervillain? After all, she'd spoken to the real Bernard mere moments before. Many also feel that she obviously heard everything Megamind said over the phone when she found his Lair. If she could hear him calling Minion a “dim-witted creation of science,” how could she not also hear him shout: “how did she find my hideout?!” A number of fans, therefore, feel that it’s nearly impossible she wasn’t aware exactly who she was dating.
The question now, of course, becomes why. Why would she become romantically involved with a supervillain? Stockholm Syndrome, while possible, is an unlikely explanation. According to a website discussing psychological treatments and issues, PsychoTreat, the FBI database shows that only about eight percent of hostages develop the disorder, and those who do usually refuse to cooperate with rescue efforts. Since Roxanne shows no unwillingness to be saved by Metroman, this doesn’t seem to apply to her. So why then? One of the main suppositions is that she wants to change Megamind for the better. Indeed, it could be argued that when, during one of her reports, she asks: “has someone tamed this monster?” she is indirectly referring to herself. Insightful and intelligent as she is, and as much time as she’d spent with the blue alien, perhaps she’d seen what others didn’t: that he really was a good person underneath. However, positive though her intentions might have been, they do not change the fact that, if this is true, she was purposefully manipulating him.
If Roxanne knew who he was all along, however, then why would she seem so angry and surprised when Megamind’s true identity was revealed? Fans have theories about that as well. The first is that it was expected. He was a supervillain and she was not only a damsel but also a recognizable television reporter. If she had simply shrugged it off and said that she knew who she was kissing, it could have potentially damaged her career and her social life beyond repair. The second is that the illusion was shattered in more ways than one. Think of it like a person who knows, deep down, that their spouse is having an affair but has never been confronted with evidence. A surprising number of people will remain in such a relationship so long as they can pretend the issue away. However, while it’s possible to ignore things that remain mere concepts, having one’s proverbial nose shoved in hard facts is an entirely different matter. The third possible reason is that she was projecting. If indeed Roxanne was lying to manipulateMegamind, she may have felt guilty, and becoming angry at him when his own lie was revealed may have been a way of alleviating that guilt and shifting the blame.
Indeed, another similar fan theory suggests that such manipulation was, perhaps, not entirely new to the woman. In fact, according to a CBR article by Robert Vaux, it has been conjectured by some that Roxanne may have volunteered to be kidnapped. We know that she obviously isn’t afraid of Megamind, and is categorically convinced he won’t actually harm her. We also know that she and Metroman apparently allowed the city to believe they were a couple when, in fact, they’d never dated. What if, believing that the blue villain needed someone to regularly act as bait, the two conspired to make him think Roxanne was Metroman’s girlfriend, making her an obvious target and thus ensuring normal citizens were less likely to be traumatized by villainous attacks?
I’ll be honest, I’m still can’t say that I’m convinced by either of these fan theories, but I have to admit that they're certainly interesting. There is some evidence, at least, for those who wish to adopt them.
Is Megamind’s Lair a Murder Scene?
Once again, this section contains triggers for violence and death.
This next fan theory relates back to the first one concerning the former supervillain’s possibly violent past. During the scene involving Roxanne’s discovery of Megamind’s hideout, there is a small but very intriguing detail visible in the surrounding abandoned lot. For just a moment, we can see a single car sitting there, and upon closer inspection, it is a very interesting vehicle indeed.
At a glance, it appears to simply be an old, rusty car, but, apparently, a few fans see more. Firstly, the rather square front, narrow aerodynamic back, and sleek two-door sides look almost identical to a 1970 Chevelle SS or AMC AMX. This is significant because, in good condition, both of those vehicles can sell today for $30,000 to $45,000. Of course, that’s the same as many current models you might find at a dealership, but keep in mind that, unlike new vehicles, classic cars usually cannot be financed and instead have to be purchased outright. Secondly, the vehicle appears to have a large dent in the roof and scorch marks up one side. Clearly, something has happened.
It is possible that this may simply be an old automobile of Megamind’s. After all, the invisible car is a modified 1950 Hudson Hornet, so he clearly likes hot rods, and Metroman’s super-strength and laser vision could certainly produce both the body damage and the external burns. Perhaps the vehicle is simply worse for wear after a long-previous battle.
Some point out, however, that this explanation doesn’t seem to fit what we know about the blue man. Both his invisible car, (when stealth mode is not engaged,) and his hoverbike always appear to be clean and highly polished. This is clearly someone who takes care of his vehicles. Furthermore, whether because he simply prefers to reuse and recycle despite running a multi-million dollar criminal empire—as many fans believe—or because he isn’t wealthy and often has to use whatever he can—as the DVD commentary suggests—Megamind often uses scraps and components to build machines. Even if the automobile was beyond repair, it seems extremely uncharacteristic of the former villain to not salvage as much as possible. So why would it be left, more or less whole, outside his hideout?
Solving that riddle is a bit difficult because it raises several other questions: who did the vehicle belong to if not the blue alien, why is it in the condition it’s in, and what happened to the owner? To answer the first, we have to consider who would be living in a seedy part of an urban center, surrounded by empty factory buildings and dockyards, and yet be able to spend up to $45,000 on a car in one go. The most obvious candidate, of course, would be someone who is associated with a criminal organization and earns a reasonably significant amount of money thereby. And, as already mentioned, many fans believe that all such organizations were under Megamind’s control during his villainous days. (You can read more about that theory in The Not So Evil Overlord.)
This may even fit with the specific auto in question. Although car chassis aren’t nearly as bulletproof as movies would have you believe—Mythbusters actually tested it during their 2004 season—advances in metallurgy and the addition of reinforced side impact bars make certain 1970’s vehicles somewhat more protective. If a person realistically thought they might be shot at, but couldn't afford an armored sedan—such as the Audi A8 L Security or the Mercedes-Benz S680 Guard, both of which sell for over $600,000—then a 1970’s muscle car might not be a terrible second choice. At the very least, it would have to be a better option than a modern vehicle with a fiberglass body.
Relatively bullet-resistant though such an auto might be, however, I seriously doubt it would fair well against, say, the blue villain’s spider bot. Yes, you read that correctly; some fans suggest that it was Megamind who attacked the vehicle and its occupant. The damaged coupe is outside his Lair, after all, and he certainly owns doom devices and weapons capable of creating the damage we see. (Besides that, consider that Titan, who shared Metroman’s strength, punched through the invisible car’s door, so it’s reasonable to assume that Metroman would have done more than dent a body panel.)
Now we have only two mysteries remaining: the whereabouts of the owner and the reason for the vehicle being left in situ. That’s where this fan theory turns dark. Essentially, it’s this: some mid-level person in Megamind’s criminal empire approached the villain's hideout, possibly with plans to usurp him, and faced his wrath as a result. What happened then? Did the would-be assassin leap from the car and flee? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to drive off than to run? Besides that, many may wonder why, if that is was the case, the then-villain would have simply left the car where it was. Wouldn’t it have been more practical to dismantle it and use the material for his own inventions? Taking it for himself and literally making it his own would certainly send a message to the owner.
Unless, of course, said owner was dead. While watching the movie with a friend, she pointed out that, if Megamind had killed the intruder, it would make sense for him to leave the vehicle as a sort of warning about what happens to people who attacked the Master of All Villainy. I admit, that would doubtlessly act as a very convincing deterrent. Indeed, that’s exactly what some fans believe may have happened, and the idea seems plausible. Was some minor crime boss or other foolish enough to challenge Megamind, and did they pay the ultimate price in the end? Your guess is as good as mine.
Was Titan Even Worse Than We Thought?
Trigger warnings for sexual assault and violence.
To be perfectly honest, I debated whether or not to include this one. It is frankly pretty disturbing, but I’ve seen it appear in enough discussions and fanfictions that I felt it had to be mentioned. So here it goes. We all know that Hal/Titan is a truly bad guy in every sense of the term, but one incredibly dark theory suggests that he may be much worse than many of us realized.
Of course, even before gaining superpowers, Hal is a creepy stalker who regularly harasses his coworker, but, afterward, he becomes positively evil. As I’ve mentioned several times already—and you’re probably getting tired of hearing me say it—Megamind may be capable of violence when it’s necessary, but Titan seems to revel in it. Furthermore, while there is evidence that the blue man tries to avoid hurting people, and whether or not he ever has is open for debate, Titan most definitely does kill. Worse still, he does so essentially because he’s pitching a fit.
In the film, immediately following his first battle with Megamind, Hal clearly intends to end the blue man’s life with his laser vision. He even says that he plans to put the alien genius in the morgue. Shortly afterward, when Megamind has ejected from his battle mech and been rescued by his brainbots, Titan gives chase, causing a sixteen-wheeler hauling what is apparently gasoline to crash and explode. It’s highly unlikely that the driver of that truck survived, and it’s quite possible that others were killed as well. Then, of course, the superpowered menace uses his laser vision to burn the word “Tightenville” across Metro City, leaving huge swathes of fiery destruction through densely-populated areas. People almost certainly died. Indeed, that obviously wasn’t Hal’s only act of arson as, even before that scene, Megamind fears that Titan will “destroy the whole city,” and we can see smoke rising from parts of the skyline while the blue hero and Roxanne are driving toward Metroman’s hideout. In short, it is unimaginable that no lives were lost, and I have to wonder just how many people suffered for no better reason than Hal being a man-child rage-monster.
That may not be his only sickening crime, however. Some fans have speculated about what happened between the time that Titan backs Roxanne Ritchi against the news van and the scene when he has her tied on top of Metro Tower. After all, Hal not only desires the woman but also feels entitled to her, and it’s undeniable that he has no qualms about taking whatever he wants. Yes, I know that’s a horrifying thought, but we have to admit that it’s a possibility. Especially considering that assault of that kind is, in the end, always about power rather than lust, and Hal seems to be addicted to power.
If such an idea makes your stomach queasy, like it does mine, take heart: other fans disagree with this supposition. They argue that, as Titan displays a complete lack of empathy and only dubious control over his powers, Roxanne would have likely been seriously injured or worse if such a thing had taken place. Beyond that, it should also be remembered that Hal feels he is owed not just Roxanne’s body but also her affection. He may well have wanted to own her completely and, realizing he couldn’t, decided to kill her instead. Basically, he feels that if he can’t have her no one should. Nonetheless, both theories have equal merit, so it’s a fifty-fifty toss-up as to which is most accurate.
Was Megamind Purposefully Forced Into Villainy?
Trigger warnings for bullying and psychological abuse
Of course, we all know that Megamind embraces villainy and Metroman pursues heroism beginning in school. Is there, however, more to it than that? In a YouTube video called Megamind: A City of Deception, The Theorizer addresses some fascinating and potentially tragic details of the film.
The first one is, in truth, less a detail and more a glaring oddity. Why would any presumably sane society allow an infant to be raised in a prison? Why were convicted criminals allowed control over his care and education? A part of the reason may, of course, simply be the DreamWorks team’s desire to create a comically overblown version of an origin story, but even by the standards of animated films, this seems rather strange.
Stranger still is the school Megamind is sent to. It’s a one-room building with, apparently, a single class. Despite there being only a dozen students—a bizarrely small academic organization for any urban area—the only two known aliens in Metro City just happen to attend. Then there’s both the location and the name. Not only does the school appear to be a mere block away from the prison, which is unusual in itself, but both facilities share suspiciously similar appellations: The Metro City Prison for the Criminally Gifted and the L’il Gifted School for Li’l Gifted Kids. While it’s true that both are a spoof on X-Men comics, the question of why they are so alike still remains.
Indeed, I can take The Theorizer’s supposition about the school one step further: after Megamind leaves the academy behind, apparently for good, Metroman is allowed to simply keep the building. This would mean that the Li’l Gifted School must have closed down after the blue man stopped attending, which may indicate that Megamind’s presence there was its sole purpose.
Whether or not that’s accurate, two things are clear: Metroman was a bully as a child, while Megamind was both ostracized and punished whenever he tried to do something positive or defended himself. In fact, Wayne Smith—which is generally accepted at Metroman’s legal name as it appears in the original script—seems to be encouraged to bully his blue classmate. (The other children seem to face no negative consequences for excluding or hurting him, either.) Although most teachers would try to curtail one student acting as a disciplinarian to another Ms. Jane Doe—she is actually called that, which is suspicious in itself—actually rewards him with gold star stickers and praise. (Here I would like to mention that, as a grown hero, Metroman’s uniforms include star details and gold accents. This is almost certainly on purpose.) Furthermore, rather than trying to promote diversity acceptance within the classroom, she appears to embolden others’ ostracization of Megamind, allowing him be left out while other students sing together and, in a photo, even posing behind the majority of the class while blue alien stands apart with a sad, forced smile on his face.
I think a blog post on the Megamind’s Destiny Tumblr page may say it best:
Megamind was assigned to the role of villain at birth. He did everything that he could to tear himself away from that position, and aimed to become the exact opposite. This resulted continuously in abuse and punishment.
Why would anyone do all of this to a child? One more classroom detail, pointed out in the aforementioned video, may hint at the explanation. In the background, during the popcorn scene, we can observe a crayon drawing of a yellow school bus. That’s not unusual in itself, but one figure depicted in the vehicle certainly is. It appears to depict the Warden as he looked during Megamind’s youth. Naturally, it seems utterly nonsensical for a prison official to be associated with a school… unless, of course, the two facilities are connected.
That is precisely what this fan theory suggests. Realizing that they had a dangerous bully on their hands—one possessing inhuman strength and laser vision—concerned city officials conspired with Metroman’s adopted parents. Without doubt, Lord and Lady Scott would have had the finances and influence to open a small private school, while local politicians and prison authorities could have seen to it that Megamind was kept in jail and sent to class with his future nemesis. Indeed, ensuring the boys would be foes may have been exactly the point. As discussed in How Strong is Megamind, the blue man is clearly far more durable and physically powerful than he appears. That along with his intelligence and his status as an outsider made him a perfect candidate. Metroman was conditioned to seek public adulation and taught that his blue-skinned peer was an acceptable target for bullying. At the same time, Megamindwas manipulated into believing that he was naturally bad and “destined to become a supervillain.” Thus, Wayne Smith was given both a lifelong craving for applause as well as a focus for his aggression while Megamind was pushed into the role of his “evil” adversary.
Was “Space Dad” Based on a Real Person?
This last fan theory comes from a discussion on Reddit in which a user suggested that Megamind’s Space Dad disguise might be less innocent than it seems. This concept hinges on three basic facts. The first is that every other time we see Megamind’s holowatch used, he employs a likeness scanned from a living person. It is quite possible that any other source—a photograph or an image on television, for example—would not produce the same three-dimensional, realistic effect. (Not to mention that, as the scan function apparently captures all angles of a subject with a single sweep, using a flat image would likely result in a holographic projection with no back, or in an illusionary TV walking down the road.)
The second is that Space Dad is the only disguise which is edged in blue light, indicating that something is certainly different. What might that be? How could Megamind have possibly scanned a glowing person? That answer may lay in the third fact: Space Dad is obviously a spoof on Marlon Brando’s portrayal of Superman’s father, who, as most of you likely know, only appears to the DC hero in the form of a hologram. Because Metroman is clearly based on Superman, that has led several fans to speculate that something similar may have occurred in the film Megamind. It’s possible that Metroman, like his comic book counterpart, was sent to Earth with a hologram of his father intended to teach and guide him. However, in this case, it may have been his nemesis, not the hero himself, who discovered and learned to operate the device. And a three-dimensional hard light hologram might be scanned with the holowatch much like an actual person. It would explain the bright nimbus around the illusion.
Why, you may ask, would the blue man have bothered scanning it at all? While using the image of Metroman’s dead father in a plot would undoubtedly be effective, it would also be cruel, and Megamind, despite being a villain, clearly does not possess such callousness. There is, however, another possible reason. Some fans speculate that, being a super-genius, the blue man would have surely recognized how perilous bullying Wayne might be. Like the previous theory, this concept suggests that someone took action to prevent that, however in this case that someone is Megamind himself. Could he have used the image of Metroman’s parent, much as he did with Titan, to convince the other he needed to become a hero and fight the self-proclaimed Master of All Villainy? Did Megamind, in short, willingly submit to a life of loneliness and rejection, turning himself into the proverbial monster in the shadows in order to give Metroman an enemy to focus on and thus keep other people safe? If so, then the blue man was a hero all along.
And that’s it! Six dark fan theories surrounding the animated movie Megamind! All of them are definitely interesting to consider, and as a group they offer enough angst and drama for anyone. I hope everyone reading this has enjoyed it, even if, perhaps, we may never look at our favorite characters in quite the same way again.
2087
jimmyeatworldofficial
turnnoffyourmind
ellievsbear
romaincrisis
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
stormborns
