A popular fan theory suggests Syndrome worked for the government in The Incredibles to kill problematic superheroes. Pixar got into the superhero business in 2004 with the release of The Incredibles. Brad Bird’s animated movie became a huge hit as it told the story of Bob Parr aka Mr. Incredible getting back into the superhero game after a short retirement and starting a family with Helen Parr aka Elastigirl. The movie explored the dynamic of a family completely made up of powered individuals, as even the Parr children – Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack – had special abilities.

The majority of The Incredibles‘ story revolves around Bob encountering a new supervillain known as Syndrome. He is the grown-up Buddy Pine, a superfan of Mr. Incredible during his prime crime-fighting days who wanted to be Bob’s sidekick. Mr. Incredible rejected Buddy’s offer, which sent him down a darker path to invent weapons and become an arms dealer. The Incredibles then reveals that Syndrome is also responsible for killing various superheroes to improve his Omnidroid and become a “hero” to the general public by stopping it. Syndrome’s motivations also include wanting to get revenge on Mr. Incredible for embarrassing him as a kid and proving that he’s better equipped to save the world.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Even though it has been years since The Incredibles was released, fans are still rewatching and discussing the contents of the movie. This includes developing new theories about the universe and its characters, especially where Syndrome is concerned. There is a popular Incredibles fan theory that suggests Syndrome actually works with the government. The theory explains that the government secretly hired Syndrome to hunt down superhumans who refused to live in secret or repeatedly caused problems. This is why Syndrome really helped kill Gazerbeam and other heroes, all while strengthening his relationship with the government to continue selling weapons to them.

Click here to watch Pixar Villain Theories That Might Actually Be Right on YouTube

See also  Revenge Of The Sith: 10 Ways It's A Perfect Finale For The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

If this Incredibles theory is correct, it reframes the story in a new context. Bob accidentally nearly killing his boss draws the attention of the government and he’s contacted by Mirage almost immediately after. This could be because it was decided that Mr. Incredible was too big of a threat to the public due to his super strength and short temper. Nearly killing his boss could’ve been the last straw and brought orders to Syndrome to take him down. This would then be extra sweet for Syndrome as he gets his revenge while getting paid, and it explains why he didn’t start off his villainous path by going after Bob. The theory even suggests Mirage could be a government liaison, so her turn to help the Parr family could be explained by Syndrome going beyond the target list.

The Incredibles franchise has explored the idea that some superheroes are too dangerous for the public’s safety. This mostly came into play in The Incredibles 2, when Elastigirl became the preferred hero over Mr. Incredible because her methods were often less destructive. But, this Incredibles fan theory retroactively brings similar topics into play with the first film. It also means that the government learned their lesson with Syndrome and began to make amends secretly by helping the Parr family out in the sequel. If a third film ever happens, then perhaps it will be revealed whether or not the government in The Incredibles did turn on superheroes and work with Syndrome to kill them.

The Batman Streaming Release Date Is Earlier Than Expected

About The Author


Cooper Hood
(5614 Articles Published)

See also  Black Widow Was Better Without Its Cut Tony Stark Appearance

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

More From Cooper Hood