History Megamind / TropesAToL

*** After Minion hits him with the forget-me stick, [[https://i0.wp.com/img.screencaps.us/201/0-megamind/full/megamind-disneyscreencaps.com-4711.jpg?ssl=1a book called "Best Comic Book Villains Ever" can be seen on the bed]] before Minion states that Hal doesn't look like a hero to him.

** In the scene just before Tighten fights Megamind, [[https://i0.wp.com/img.screencaps.us/201/0-megamind/full/megamind-disneyscreencaps.com-7080.jpg?ssl=1 he holds up a torn magazine with Metro Man carrying Roxanne. The top of the magazine is torn off, and he holds it up in a way that puts Megamind's head where Metro Man's originally was (with "HERO" prominent on what's left of the cover)]]. It's also an IronicEcho, given that the roles were reversed, with the replacement idea explicit, earlier.

*** After Minion hits him with the forget-me stick, [[https://i0.wp.com/img.screencaps.us/201/0-megamind/full/megamind-disneyscreencaps.com-4711.jpg?ssl=1a book called Best Comic Book Villains Ever can be seen on the bed]] before Minion states that Hal doesn't look like a hero to him.

** In the scene just before Tighten fights Megamind, he holds up a torn magazine with Metro Man carrying Roxanne. [[https://i0.wp.com/img.screencaps.us/201/0-megamind/full/megamind-disneyscreencaps.com-7080.jpg?ssl=1 The top of the magazine is torn off, and he holds it up in a way that puts Megamind's head where Metro Man's originally was (with "HERO" prominent on what's left of the cover)]]. It's also an IronicEcho, given that the roles were reversed, with the replacement idea explicit, earlier.

*** After Minion hits him with the forget-me stick, notice a book on the bed called ''[[https://i0.wp.com/img.screencaps.us/201/0-megamind/full/megamind-disneyscreencaps.com-4712.jpg?ssl=1 Best Comic Book Villains Ever]]'' before Minion states that Hal doesn't look like a hero.

*** After hitting him with the forget-me stick, Minion states that Hal doesn't look like a hero and we see that Hal is reading the book "Best Comic Book Villains Ever".

** Metro Man's skeleton is white, instead of being burnt and charred, and his cape is mostly intact with only slight burns.

** In the scene just before Tighten fights Megamind, he holds up a torn magazine with Metro Man carrying Roxanne. [[https://i0.wp.com/caps.pictures/201/0-megamind/full/megamind-disneyscreencaps.com-7080.jpg The top of the magazine is torn off, and he holds it up in a way that puts Megamind's head where Metro Man's originally was (with "HERO" prominent on what's left of the cover)]]. It's also an IronicEcho, given that the roles were reversed, with the replacement idea explicit, earlier.

* EyesNeverLie:
** Megamind's watch can disguise himself or others into anyone he's scanned it with, but the only thing that doesn't change is the wearer's eye color. Anyone who remembers this will notice that the "warden" Megamind apologizes to and later "Metro Man" returning have the wrong eye color.
** The only exception is when Minion reveals himself to be disguised as Megamind towards the end; his eyes were green like Megamind's, presumably the creators had to break the rule in that instance not to risk ruining that particular reveal. One might also assume Minion uses a new watch Megamind made (since Megamind's using the other one) and thus he upgraded it to changing the eye color as well.

* DeducingTheSecretIdentity: Hal realizes that Metroman is Megamind in disguise because of the latter's peculiar way of saying "Metrocity" (Megamind pronounces it like "atrocity").

** When Tighten has Roxanne tied to the tower, Megamind [[spoiler:who is actually Minion in disguise]] appears amid lasers, smoke, and flashy pyrotechnics to save her.

* BoringButPractical: Megamind's "Forget-Me Stick" is just a baseball-bat. It still works fine in knocking out a non-powered Hal Stewart as intended.

** When Tighten has Roxanne tied to the tower, Megamind who is actually Minion in disguise appears amid lasers, smoke, and flashy pyrotechnics to save her.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Some of Megamind's more important inventions, like the Satellite Death Ray or the Infuser Gun, take too long to warm up.

* CurseCutShort: After destroying Metro Man, Megamind triumphantly approaches city hall with "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC playing on the boombox Minion is carrying. Just as the song starts its chorus Megamind reaches the top step and signals for the song to end which cuts off right before the word "Hell". Minion ends up struggling with the controls hilariously causing the boombox to switch between AC/DC and "Lovin' You" but it still never quite manages to get out the word "Hell".

** Played with concerning Hal. While Roxanne's rejection of him is what caused him to decide to become a villain, it's more of a straw the broke the camel's back. As pointed out several places here, Hal was already entitled and most likely would have become a villain anyway.

* AnalogyBackfire: Titan tells Roxanne that [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids her idealism is unrealistic]], and that beliefs such as goodness being found in all people are as fictional as the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the [[EskimosArentReal Queen of England]].

* AndThisIsFor: Titan employs this trope when fighting Megamind.
--> '''Titan:''' [[SelfServingMemory This is for stealing my girlfriend!]] [[NeverMyFault This one's for Space Dad making a fool out of me!]] And Megamind, this one's for [[PaperThinDisguise Space Stepmom]]! [[ComicallyMissingThePoint You]] ''[[ComicallyMissingThePoint lied]]'' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint to her!]]

* AntiHero: Megamind later in the movie, after Titan turns into a villain.

** Megamind finds Titan had been committing crimes, with stolen bank money, stolen safes... and a stolen bicycle. Oh, and a Face Melter arcade game.

** Megamind's strongest skill is pulling off very stylish gambits like this throughout the film. At the beginning, he and Minion use one to escape from prison. He lures Metro Man into the observatory death trap by knowing Roxanne would deduce the location of his hideout and reveal it. During the end battle, Megamind provokes Titan to punch him across the street which actually propels him close to his invisible car.

** The people of Metro City were hoping for someone to save them from Megamind. Titan comes in and does just that. However, it turns out that he didn't actually plan to liberate the city, only to put it under new management, which is ''so'' much worse under his "protection".

* BeneathTheMask: Titan is not as heroic as Megamind thought he would be.
* BerserkButton: Megamind presses a bunch of these to get Titan to attack him. [[UnstoppableRage Big mistake]].
* BewareTheSuperman: Titan is a strong example of this trope. The contrast between him and Metro Man is quite extreme.

* BigBad: While he's still ''very'' hammy as a villain and ends up reconsidering things by the midpoint of the film, Megamind ''did'' set up the dominoes that caused a great deal of damage to Metro City, but it's Titan that ultimately decides to ''collide'' against those same dominoes for a very petty, shallow reason.

** When Titan has Roxanne tied to the tower, Megamind who is actually Minion in disguise appears amid lasers, smoke, and flashy pyrotechnics to save her.

--> '''Titan''': Oh yeah? What's the difference?

* BrainsVersusBrawn: Megamind (Brains) and Metro Man (Brawn), again. Later on, after the latter fakes his death, Megamind replaces him with Titan (also a Brawn, but an evil one), but since Megamind is an AntiVillain at worst, the dynamic still works.

** Megamind taunting Titan for a fight. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor And damn, does he get one.]]

* CardCarryingVillain: Both Megamind and Titan openly call themselves villains/supervillains. Megamind's heart isn't really in it and just does so because he believes evil is his "destiny", whereas Titan is merely honest about the fact that he's going to do what he wants regardless of the consequences, and if that makes him a villain, fine.

* ChangedMyMindKid: Played with. Metro Man returns to the fight after saying he wanted to retire as the defender of Metro City. It turns out it is actually Megamind in disguise in an attempt to intimidate Titan in leaving the city for good.

* CitywideEvacuation: Megamind disguises himself to train Hal the cameraman, who accidentally ingested Megamind's SuperSerum to be Titan, his new superhero foe to replace the recently deceased [[SupermanSubstitute Metro Man]]. When Megamind reveals himself to have been training Hal to be a superhero simply because he was bored of not having an ArchEnemy to fight, [[ThatManIsDead Hal decides that as Titan]] he would use his powers to show everyone he's done being pushed around by everyone, and after Megamind narrowly escapes Titan's murderous wrath, [[BewareTheSuperman Titan starts burning down everything in sight with his lasers in a fit of rage]], and the authorities are seen guiding large crowds of refugees out of the city.

** When Titan finds out that "Space Dad" is really Megamind, he gets angry because he feels Megamind lied and deceived "Space Step-Mom".

* ConvenientlyEmptyBuilding: During their first fight, Titan and Megamind crash through one, starting at the roof and down through every floor, pausing for split second to show each one is a completely open floorplan devoid of any occupants.

** Depending on the cover, the humorous or heroic postures that Titan is shown in makes him look like he's some sort of PluckyComicRelief or heroic SideKick completely hiding his actual role as the film's true villain.
* CreateYourOwnHero: Done literally and subverted. Titan doesn't want to be a hero.

* DamselInDistress: When Megamind and Metro Man clash, Roxanne is a parody of this; she is so used to being kidnapped and rescued that she is not fazed by it anymore. Once Titan enters the picture, she even {{Exploit|edtrope}}s the trope, getting herself captured to motivate Megamind to stand up to him.

* DarkestHour: Titan is rampaging throughout the city and holding Roxanne hostage, threatening to kill her. Metro Man is still refusing to come back. Megamind has given up and has gone back to prison. Minion is nowhere to be found. For a little while, the situation looks truly hopeless.

* {{Depower}}: In the end, Megamind takes away Hal's/Titan's superpowers with the same gizmo that gave them to him.

* DisneyDeath: In the final battle with Titan, Minion's helmet is smashed leaving him exposed to the air and mortally wounded. After a sad farewell to Megamind, he dies. Ultimately it turns out he's not really dead, he was just milking the moment for all the drama he can and quickly recovers when Megamind tosses him into a fountain.

* DoNotCallMePaul: Titan tells Roxanne never to call him Hal ever again. He is Titan from now on.

* DrunkWithPower: Once Titan handily defeats Megamind, he realizes that he's now unstoppable and proclaims that Metro City hasn't been freed but is under new management.

* {{Egopolis}}: It's never mentioned in the movie, but after declaring the city is under new management, Titan burns the new name into the city with his laser vision: "Tightenville".

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Shown hilariously with Titan, who's angry at Megamind for, among other things, "lying" to [[PaperThinDisguise 'Space Step-mom']].

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Subverted as Megamind naturally assumes anyone who's given superpowers will naturally use them to help the city and be a great hero. Titan proves him very, VERY wrong.
* EvilCounterpart: Titan is the evil reflection of Metro Man.

** Titan decides to be a villain for this, even more so than Megamind.
* EvilerThanThou: Megamind finds out, to his horror, that Titan turned out to be a superpowered villain who enjoys wreaking havoc [[ForTheEvulz out of pure spite]].

* EvilIsPetty: Played completely straight with Titan.

* EvilVersusEvil: Megamind Vs. Titan, particularly their first fight when Megamind reverts to being evil following Minion abandoning him and Roxanne dumping him. Although it depends on whether his HeelFaceTurn can be considered complete at this point. It is [[EvilIsPetty villain]] vs. ''super'' villain.
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Hal's hair is relatively short and straight when he's normal. When he transforms into Titan his hair becomes a curly, muffin-top afro. [[note]] This was Jonah Hill's (Hal's voice actor) signature hairstyle back when Megamind was in production. [[/note]]
* EyeBeams: Metro Man (and therefore, Titan) has them.

* FaceHeelTurn: Hal/Titan, in the second half of the film. It's debatable how much of a face he ''ever'' was, but he certainly didn't start as an outright villain.

* FistPump: When Megamind is in disguise, trying to train Titan, he pumps his fist.

* FlyingBrick: Metro Man, obviously, and Titan.
* {{Flynning}}: Megamind and Titan engage in a round of this with lamp posts; it's actually intended to be harmless {{Flynning}} on Megamind's part, but it quickly becomes clear that the feeling isn't mutual.

** Metro Man and Titan; same powers but completely different morals.
** And Megamind and Titan. Both have had less than ideal lives, but Megamind learns acceptance and even pride in his role, while Hal becomes bitter and entitled. When both are given absolute power, Megamind becomes listless and purposeless, while Hal revels in his god-like state.

*** One of the things Titan does with his XRayVision is to spy on Roxanne.
** Titan proves that he is not weakened by copper, which is our first clue that Metro Man isn't dead.

** In the scene just before Titan fights Megamind, he holds up a torn magazine with Metro Man carrying Roxanne. [[https://i0.wp.com/caps.pictures/201/0-megamind/full/megamind-disneyscreencaps.com-7080.jpg The top of the magazine is torn off, and he holds it up in a way that puts Megamind's head where Metro Man's originally was (with "HERO" prominent on what's left of the cover)]]. It's also an IronicEcho, given that the roles were reversed, with the replacement idea explicit, earlier.

* ForTheEvulz: Subverted by Megamind. His villainous monologues are filled with rhetoric that imply he's a dastardly evil villain, but his actual follow-through is more of a PunchClockVillain who sees his wrongdoings as a form of artistic expression expected from the villain, rather than an end unto itself. However, it's played straight with Titan, who obviously enjoys causing mayhem with complete impunity.

* FreakOut: Hal/Titan does ''not'' take well to all of his {{Berserk Button}}s being pushed at once.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: After accidentally killing Metro City's savior, the title character decides to train a new one to fight him. He chooses loser cameraman Hal Stewart to become the hero "Titan," but when Titan turns out to be a complete psychopath, Megamind himself has to step in to stop him.

* GangstaStyle: Directly Lampshaded by Roxanne when she makes her suggestion for dealing with Titan.

* GeniusThriller: Becomes this in the third act when Titan relentlessly tries to kill Megamind. Megamind has to use his devices in creative ways to keep one step ahead of Titan, as he knows he doesn't stand a chance against Titan in a fair fight.

* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Whenever Titan is about to use his eye-beams especially when he's really angry.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: Megamind's decision to make a new hero for him to fight. When Hal accidentally gets infused with Metro Man's DNA, Megamind hopes he will be a decent hero candidate. However, this starts to unravel as Hal's un-heroic qualities are revealed. It culminates when Megamind provokes him into a fight by taunting him with his relationship with Roxanne. Hal/Titan snaps and is ready to fight Megamind to his destruction not just his defeat.

* HamToHamCombat: Fights between Megamind and Metro Man involve a lot of this. When duking it out with Titan for the first time, Megamind tries it on his new enemy, but realizes he is too bull-headed and spiteful for this kind of duel.

'''Titan:''' [[{{Angrish}} AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH]]!!!\\

* HellBentForLeather: Megamind is this in spades, he even claims that he wears "Custom baby seal leather boots". During his first fight with Titan, he wears two layers of leather.

* HeroInsurance: Acknowledged. After all of the destruction caused by Titan, Megamind's Brainbots are repairing all of the damage.
* HeroicBuild: Both Metro Man and Titan are absurdly well-built and muscular, although Titan wasn't like that before gaining superpowers.

* HesBack: Metro Man saves Roxanne and Megamind from a rampaging Titan. Except that it turns out it's just Megamind disguised as Metro Man, and Minion was disguised as Megamind.

* HoldingOutForAHero: Played straight with the people of Metro City. They're so used to relying on Metro Man that when he's no longer there, no one is brave enough to stand up to the villain. When Titan shows up and defeats Megamind, the people are quite eager to accept this new hero and are shocked to discover he's even worse than the villain. It's implied that Metro Man became tired of the city's dependence on him which is what lead to his decision to retire.
* HolographicDisguise: Megamind's holo-watch projects a hologram around him which allows him to appear as someone else. During the course of the film, Megamind uses it to impersonate the warden, Bernard, Titan's "Space Dad", and finally, Metro Man. It's also used by Minion to impersonate the warden to help Megamind escape, and Megamind himself in the climax.

** For the civilians, they get one after Titan defeats Megamind... only for Titan to explain that they aren't ''free'', just "under new management".
** After Metro Man returns and scares Titan away never return to [[ExactWords "Metrocity"]], it's revealed that it was Megamind, posing as Metro Man, and everyone is relieved... until Titan returns, pointing out [[OutOfCharacterAlert that Metro Man would never mispronounce "Metro City" like Megamind did]].

* HowDoIShotWeb: The TrainingMontage with Titan. At first, Megamind and Minion were having trouble teaching him how to be a hero, until Minion suggested using video game-like methods, like out of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong''. Amazingly, it works.

** Megamind's huge robot suit he uses in his first fight with Titan.

* IdiotHero: Titan, big time. Until he turns evil, that is.
* IfICantHaveYou: Titan's reaction to Roxanne rejecting him.

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Minion disguised as Megamind on the skyscraper's antenna when Titan throws it like a javelin. Since he's just a fish piloting a robot body, it just breaks his water tank and Megamind puts him in the fountain for the time being.
* ImposterForgotOneDetail: Titan realizes that Metro Man is actually a disguised Megamind when he pronounces "Metro City" as "Metrocity".

--> '''Titan''': This town isn't big enough for ''two'' supervillains!

--> '''Titan''': Yeah? What's the difference?

* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Megamind [[ZigZaggingTrope oscillates between this]] and NotSoHarmlessVillain. At first, he seems more like a sympathetic villainous GracefulLoser whose crimes are of the PokeThePoodle variety - and then he apparently kills Metro Man. Then he vandalizes the city, but never does anything THAT evil. Then he creates Titan. Oops. And finally he atones for his misdeeds, removing him from villain territory altogether.

* InsistentTerminology: Megamind gleefully points out that, while Titan might be a Villain, he doesn't have any skill at ''presentation'' to be a ''SuperVillain!''

* IntrepidReporter: Roxanne. She locates and then infiltrates Megamind's secret lair on her own. Later she is totally willing to take on Titan with just the advanced weaponry Megamind has created.

** When Megamind finds Titan not wanting to play the game and even becoming a bad guy when he wanted him to be the hero he created, he begins revealing himself as Space Dad and then become Bernard, who Megamind used as a disguise in order to date Roxanne. This more than ignited Titan into action, though considering how Titan is intent on killing him, this is proven to have GoneHorriblyWrong.
** Megamind also taunts Titan in the climax so that he would punch him towards his invisible car, which has the defuser gun he needed to defeat Titan.
--->'''Titan''': This is the last time you make a fool out of me!\\

* JustEatHim: Played with. Megamind's giant head made of thousands of brain bots ''does'' swallow Titan, but it's just for show and serves mainly as a distraction to give Megamind time to rescue Roxanne.

* KarmaHoudini: Although Titan ends up in jail, Megamind, who terrorized the city, "killed" Metro Man, created Titan, caused him to go crazy by abusing his evil technology, ''and'' committed enough previous evil acts to earn 88 life sentences, is revered as a town hero when all the good things he did was to stop his own creation. Of course, he makes up for it after the events of the movie.

** Megamind, though Metro Man is not far behind him in the pork rating, and they both provide great HamToHamCombat. {{Averted}} with Titan, who's not much for posturing.

*** In the training sequence, he gleefully rips a Megamind mannequin apart and melting its face with his heat vision. While played for laughs at the time, it shows he has a dark side that is willing to ignore the ThouShaltNotKill superhero standard.

'''Minion:''' But I'm saying, this is a kind of bad, that... okay, you might ''think'' is good, in your bad perception, but from a good perception? It's just plain bad.\\

-->'''Minion:''' Sir, I think this is a bad idea...\\

'''Minion:''' But I'm saying, this is a kind of bad, that... okay, you might ''think'' is good, in your bad perception, but from a good perception, it's just plain bad.\\

'''Minion:''' But I'm saying, this is a kind of bad, that... okay, you might ''think'' is good, in your bad perception, but from a good perception? It's just plain bad.\\

** After Megamind kills Metro Man, he celebrates by terrorizing Metro City, now completely unopposed. He steals tons of money from the city's banks, takes expensive paintings for his own furnishings and claims the city pet shop as his own.
** Megamind finds Titan had been committing crimes, with stolen bank money, stolen safes... and a stolen bicycle.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Some of Megamind's more important inventions, like the Satellite Death Ray or the Infuser Gun, take too long to charge up.

** Megamind never expected to be able to kill Metro Man. When he actually succeeds, there's a short time of him celebrating... but he quickly realizes that he's now without a purpose in life and struggles to figure out what to make of his new situation.
** The people of Metro City were calling out for someone to save them from Megamind. Titan comes in and does just that. However, it turns out that he didn't actually plan to liberate the city, only to put it under new management, which is ''so'' much worse under his "protection".

* CitywideEvacuation: Megamind disguises himself to train Hal the cameraman, who accidentally ingested Megamind's SuperSerum to be Titan, his new superhero foe to replace the recently deceased [[SupermanSubstitute Metro Man]]. When Megamind reveals himself to have been training Hal to be a superhero simply because he was bored of not having an ArchEnemy to fight, [[ThatManIsDead Hal decides that as Titan]] he would use his powers to show everyone he's done being pushed around by everyone, and after Megamind narrowly escapes Titan's murderous wrath, [[BewareTheSuperman Titan starts knocking down buildings in a fit of rage]], and the authorities are seen guiding large crowds of refugees out of the city.

-->'''Roxanne:''' The Megamind I knew would never have run from a fight, even when he knew he had absolutely no chance of winning. It was your best quality. You need to be that guy right now. The city needs you. I need you.

* FamousFamousFictional: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] where Hal tells his captive "There is no Easter Bunny, there is no tooth fairy, and there is no Queen of England."

* FromNobodyToNightmare: After accidentally killing Metro City's savior, the title character decides to train a new one to fight him. He chooses a loser cameraman to become the hero "Titan," but when Titan turns out to be a complete psychopath, Megamind himself has to step in to stop him.

** While investigating Metro Man's hideout, Roxanne and Megamind come across a glass of water and wonder about the fact that it still has ice cubes in it. Meanwhile, Metro Man -- who they think is ''dead'' -- comes in, notices them, and frantically tries to sneak out without being noticed. We find out a few seconds later he has SuperSpeed, making this an example of RuleOfFunny. Alternately, he just panicked.

-->'''Megamind''': Good idea, Minion; but without him, what's the point?

'''Hal:''' And I'd be watching you, like a... ''dingo'' watches a human baby! ... Okay, that sounded... Okay, that sounded a little weird...\\