CMV: Hal from "Megamind" is not an "incel", not "just an incel" at least, but a tragic hero too.

Titan is the most important and most interesting character of whole movie in my opinion.
It's easy to just call him "Budget Syndrome" due to similarities in motivation and appearances.
It's easy to call him an ordinary incel, mostly because it is true... at first glance, or a second one, but on third and fourth I am not so sure.

Hal has all external signs of an incel: unexpressed chin, stupid facial expression, stupid haircut, fat body with thin limbs, nerdy gibbosity. I'm using these negative epithets on purpose, because animators wanted us to look at Hal like this. It would seem as a classic artistic technique - important character needs to be conspicuous. But Hal being one of main characters is barely standing out of the crowd, unlike others.

He doesn't have some obvious ugliness, or habits that go beyond... idk.. some hikikomori without any social skills. He has an absolutely normal job, shitty studio. He feels attraction, jealousy, annoyance, anger when he does not gets what he wants. Everyone could end up in his shoes, and millions do every day. No matter, which negative things you say about him, he is normal and ORDINARY.

But that's the problem, isn't it? We don't want to consider him normal, even as a some "bare minimum of normality". We don't want to be a Hal, and if some of us were Hal in the past, we wouldn't like a reminder. He is an image of incredibly depressed hollow person without ambitions or interests, who will never achieve anything. And this is where the movie gets most interesting...

The movie asks: "What will happen if a person receives a power to be anything they want, but they have no idea what to do with it?
Cental characteristic of Hal is insecurity, uncertainty, constant doubts in himself and how world works. I'm going as further as calling him a "tragic hero", it's easy to just say "incel" and call it a day, but let's try to look into details:

Hal has a set of stereotypes of "rightful behaviour", imposed on him by society: "If you're friendly and nice to a woman, she'll do the same", "If you have a power, then you are a hero. And hero gets the girl, that means she is into him by default". He has no social interactions, no ambitions or personality (it would seem so). Megamind chooses him because it's easier to draw on a "blank". All that Roxanne could remember about him after working with him for years to save her life is one of his quirk, that's all.

Hal has nothing but images, invisible indefinite ideals on how world should work. What he does with the immense power that felt onto him? As ironic as it may be, he does what he could not do before - shows his personality. I don't believe that power corrupts, more like it allows to be yourself, and it's just happens we are egoistical and antisocial. We all want (one way or another) to world spin around us, that all events that happen - we will be the one benefiting from them. And very often our desires go against society, but we bend the knee to it, otherwise society will bend it for us by force. Hal is an egoist, but he never had a chance to be himself. What if we lift all restrictions from a person who have never been himself and more than that, has no idea how to be himself? He will continue to function according to the stereotypes that have formed in his head, adjusted for his sole desire - get Roxanne.

Titan sees Metroman as an ideal: "A hero gets the girl... I'm Titan, I have power, power is what defines a hero, then a woman will be mine no questions asked."
Of course she rejects him, but what now? "If despite my powers she said "no", that means I am not a hero. That means I am a villain". He starts using his power for personal gain - because he always been like this, but also because he has an idea that "that's what villains do". But even there he will fail - main villain rejects him too, and now Titan has lost any guidelines, his world falls apart and again, like before, he have not idea what to do.

He aimlessly rips and tears, tries to prove something to someone by show of force. But in the end loses anyway, and ends up powerless. What did immense power gave to a ordinary hollow human other than suffering and confusion? What it will give to any of us? Will we also follow our idea of hero or a villain? Will we do anything or just keep living as we lived because it makes sense?

sometimes, it might be wise to not be a hero. Especially if you're unable to define who you are, and even the whole world can't answer what a hero truly is.