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Interviewer: "So, Mr. Incredible, do you have a secret identity?"
Mr. Incredible: "Every superhero has a secret identity. I don't know a single one who doesn't. Who wants the pressure of being super all the time?"
―Mr. Incredible being interviewed[src]

Robert "Bob" Parr, also known as Mr. Incredible, is the protagonist in The Incredibles.

The Incredibles

Tale left

Bob at work.

Bob is a superhero with great strength and durability. Bob has the strength superpower. Bob's strength is of such dimensions that he can single-handedly lift a semi-truck with little difficulty. His best friend is fellow super Frozone (Lucius Best). Mr. Incredible is married to Elastigirl (Helen Parr), and they have three kids: Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack.

"True to his incredible strengths, all Bob wants to do is save the world - even if he has to do it undercover. It takes almost losing everything, however, for him to see that the real source of his power is his extraordinary family." — Official Pixar Website

After being forced into retirement 15 years prior to the film due to supers being outlawed, a Mr. Incredible (as Bob Parr) worked at an insurance company called Insuricare under his real name. He found it boring and repeatedly told his honest customers how to get around the system to get the money they deserved. Eventually, Bob's midget boss Mr. Huph, finally fired Bob for it -- as well as a particularly nasty incident, in which Bob lost his temper and assaulting his boss by throwing him through 5 office walls and almost got him killed because Mr. Huph didn't let him save a crime victim (which made Mr. Huph be sent to the hospital, put in traction, and possibly mind-wiped by Rick Dicker).

At home later, that night, Bob found a package waiting for him. It was a proposal from a mysterious woman named Mirage to work for her and resume his life as a super. Eager to relive his glory days and support his family, he agrees. While not in the shape that he was in his prime (he even popped his back in the process), he was still able to defeat the Omnidroid 08 sent to stop him as his first mission. Soon, Bob worked himself back into shape over the several missions Mirage set up for him.

However, he slowly found out things are not as they seem. He is captured by his true employer, Syndrome, who then plots to eliminate all the supers (including Mr. Incredible) so he can replace them by doing a fake battle with his new robot, the Omnidroid v.10, so that Syndrome can be the new hero.

At the end of the film, with help from Mirage (who was reformed and turned on Syndrome) and backup from Frozone, Bob (as Mr. Incredible) and his family destroy the Omnidroid v.10, save Jack-Jack from Syndrome, and defeat Syndrome -- who died when his cape got caught in the jet engine and pulled him in.

Personality

Bob is nice, friendly, brave, heroic, and pleasant. He still loves his wife, even though he doesn't spend too much time with his family and constantly goes off with Lucius for some crime fighting.

Biography

Early life

TheIncredibles01

Mr. Incredible as a younger man.

At the beginning of the original film, Bob was about 25-years old. He was also not that fat as he is now.

Current life

Bob is now about 40-years old and had become morbidly obese. He goes on a diet and intense training regime, and eventually succeds in losing a lot of the weight. He is 6'7" (200 cm) tall and weighs 350 lbs (158 kg).[1]

Powers and Abilities

  • Superhuman Strength: Mr. Incredible's primary superpower is super strength. He is seen bench-pressing locomotives and throwing boulders at speed, even in middle age. This gives him a leaping ability of a few stories, with corresponding agility. He also has good swimming ability, though not as a separate power, though his lung capacity does not appear to be substantially greater than a normal human's.
  • Superhuman Speed: His strength also gives him superhuman speed, as he can run significantly faster than a normal human—though neither his speed nor agility approach that of his son Dash. He's also very agile for a man of his size.
  • Superhuman Durablity: He has a high degree of durability. He can withstand tremendous amounts of physical trauma, including multistory falls, the direct impact of a train, and breaking through brick walls. He can be cut, though, with very hard metals and a suitable amount of force. Although Mr. Incredible has near invulnerability, things that produce a large force still hurt him. This is shown when he is going to stop the train, he winces just before it hits him, according to director Brad Bird it was him "preparing for the fact that it's going to hurt". In a deleted scene, however, his body could withstand being cut by a butcher knife, and also dent it in the process, as demonstrated when he, while trying to cleave some food for the grill, accidentally chopped his fingers. This also in a way acted as a weakness as it would have produced complications as it would have given away his identity to a barbecue by their new neighbors, so he had to fake injury in order to maintain cover.
  • Enhanced Hearing: Mr. Incredible also has very sharp hearing. This power is seen when Bomb Voyage is about to blow open the vault of a skyrise building; Mr. Incredible is able to hear the faint beeping of the bomb from the other side of a thick wall.
  • Skilled Strategist: He doesn't exhibit superhuman intelligence, but his years of super-heroic experience allow him to rapidly formulate effective strategies to deal with opponents who cannot be bested by his strength alone.

Weaknesses

Mr. Incredible doesn't appear to have any superhuman weaknesses, but is as vulnerable as anyone to hubris from the veneration of his "glory days" and in middle age he has a bad back. However, in a deleted scene, it was implied that his superhuman durability was in itself a weakness, as it would have exposed him when his fingers dented a butcher knife when he accidentally chopped his hand with it, forcing him to act fast and fake injury, and later allowed him to be identified by one of the neighbors, an agent of Syndrome.

Bob appears to be solely interested in his wife Helen, but treats other women with respect. This trait was picked up by Syndrome, who instructs Mirage to be appreciate, but not seductive, towards Mr. Incredible. Bob sees having dinner with Mirage after he deactivated an Omnidroid as a social event and nothing more than that. However, it could be argued that Mirage was having somewhat of a positive effect on Bob's self-image, making him take up a workout routine (albeit one catering to building up his super strength), and Bob behaving more self assuredly in a manner similar to James Bond. Also, having endured dressing downs and a later job termination from his short boss Mr. Huph, Mirage's large payouts and appreciation of the missions were an exact opposite of the hostile workplace he dealt with at Insuricare.

In the Operation Kronos database, Mr. Incredible was given a threat rating of 9.1, the second highest rating of any of the supers.

Appearance

Bob is exceptionally tall with massive shoulders, chest, and arms (as befits his superhuman strength). As a younger man, he was slim-waisted, but by the time his daughter Violet was in high school, he had become obese, and was forced to undergo a strenuous diet and exercise regimen, after which he lost enough weight to resume his superheroics before leaving to go to Nomanisan Island. He has blonde hair (which has receded in his middle-age) and blue eyes.

Quotes

From The Incredibles

Mr. Incredible: "Bomb Voyage!"
Bomb Voyage: "Oh! Monsieur Incroyable!" ("Mr. Incredible!")
Young Buddy: "And IncrediBoy!"
(Buddy has broke through the window)
Bomb Voyage (not French, but with an accent): "IncrediBoy?"
(Buddy flies over to Mr. Incredible)
Young Buddy: "Hey, hey! Aren't you curious about how I get around so fast? See? I have these rocket boots!"
Mr. Incredible: "Go home, Buddy."
Young Buddy: "What?"
Mr. Incredible: "Now."
Bomb Voyage: "Petit naïf libe..." ("Little oaf...")
Young Buddy: "Can we talk?"
(Buddy pulls Mr. Incredible off to the side)
Young Buddy: "You always, *always* say, "Be true to yourself," but you never say which part of yourself to be true *to*! Well, I've *finally* figured out who I am!"
(Buddy walks over to Mr. Incredible)
Young Buddy: "I am your ward... IncrediBoy!"
Mr. Incredible: "And now, you have officially carried it too far, Buddy."
(Mr. Incredible grabs Bomb Voyage before he can escape)
Bomb Voyage: "OHH!"
Young Buddy: "This is because I don't have powers, isn't it? Well, not every superhero has powers, ya know! You *can* be super without them! I *invented* these. (points to his rocket boots) I can fly! Can *you* fly?"
Mr. Incredible: "Fly home, Buddy. I work alone."
Bomb Voyage: "Et ton costume est complètement ridicule!" ("And your outfit is totally ridiculous!")
Young Buddy: "Ju ju-- just give me one chance! I-- I'll show you! I'll go get the police!"
(Bomb Voyage has attached a bomb to Buddy's cape; Mr. Incredible notices it)
Mr. Incredible: "Buddy, don't!"
Young Buddy: "It'll only take a second, really."
Mr. Incredible: "No, stop!"
(Mr. Incredible lets go of Bomb Voyage)
Mr. Incredible: "There's a bomb!"
(Mr. Incredible grabs onto Buddy's cape)
Young Buddy interrupts Mr. Incredible and Bomb Voyage's showdown
Mr. Incredible (hands Buddy to the police): "Take this one home. And make sure his mom knows what he's been doing."
Young Buddy: "I can help you! You're making a mista--"
(Buddy is shoved into a police car)
Young Buddy: "Hey!"
Mr. Incredible: "The jumper. You sent paramedics?"
Police Officer: "They already picked him up."
Mr. Incredible: "The blast in that building was caused by Bomb Voyage who I caught robbing the vault. Now, we might be able to nab him if we set up a perimeter."
Police Officer: "You mean he got away?"
Mr. Incredible: "Well, yeah. Skippy here made sure of that."
Young Buddy: "IncrediBoy!"
Mr. Incredible: "You're not affiliated with me!"
—Mr. Incredible, handing Buddy over to the police and telling them about what happened
Bob (whispering): "Listen closely. I'd like to help you, but I can't. I'd like to tell you to take a copy of your policy to Norma Wilcox on... Norma Wilcox, W-I-L-C-O-X... on the 3rd floor, but I can't.
(Mrs. Hogenson scribbles details of Bob's loophole on a small notepad)
Bob: "I also do not advise you to fill out and file a WS2475 form with our legal department on the 2nd floor. I would not expect someone to get back to you quickly to resolve the matter. I'd like to help, but there's nothing I can do."
(Mrs. Hogenson tries to thank him for everything, but Bob shushes her)
(Bob gets up)
Bob (shouting loudly): "I'm sorry, ma'am! I know you're upset!"
(Bob goes back down)
Bob (very softly): "Pretend to be upset."
(Mrs. Hogenson starts sobbing very convincingly; Bob smiles triumphantly)
—Bob, explaining an insurance policy loophole to Mrs. Hogenson
Lucius: "So now I'm in deep trouble. I mean, one more jolt of this death ray and I'm an epitaph. Somehow, I manage to find cover and what does Baron Von Ruthless do?
Bob (laughing): "He starts monologuing."
Lucius: "He starts monologuing! He starts, like, this prepared speech about how *feeble* I am compared to him, how *inevitable* my defeat is, how *the world* *will soon* *be his*, yadda yadda yadda."
Bob: "Yammering."
Lucius: "Yammering! I mean, the guy has me on a platter and he won't shut up!"
—Bob and Lucius are sitting in a parked car reminiscing
Dash: "Hey, Lucius!"
Lucius: "Hey, Speedo, Helen, Vi, Jack-Jack."
Bob: "Hey, hey! 'Ice' of you to drop by!"
Lucius: "Ha! Never heard that one before."
—Lucius shows up at the Parrs' house, and Dash answers the door
Lucius: "Just like old times."
Bob (slapping Lucius in the back): "Just like old times."
Lucius: "Ha-ha, yeah. Hurt then, too. Ow."
—Bob and Lucius
Dash: "Mom. You're making weird faces again."
Helen: "Noo, I'm not..."
Bob (not looking up from the newspaper): "You make weird faces, honey."
—Helen is feeding Jack-Jack and making baby noises at him
Mr. Incredible (to Elastigirl): "Wait here and stay hidden. I'm going in."
(Mr. Incredible gets out of the car, and Elastigirl grabs him)
Elastigirl: "While what? I watch helplessly from the sidelines? I don't think so."
Mr. Incredible: "I'm asking you to wait with the kids."
Elastigirl: "And I'm telling you, not a chance. You're my husband. I'm with you -- for better or worse."
Mr. Incredible: "I have to do this alone."
Elastigirl: "What is this to you? Playtime?"
Mr. Incredible: "No."
Elastigirl: "So you can be Mr. Incredible again?"
Mr. Incredible: "No!"
Elastigirl: "Then what? What is it?"
Mr. Incredible: "I'm not..."
Elastigirl: "Not what?"
Mr. Incredible: "Not... I'm not strong enough."
Elastigirl: "Strong enough? And this will make you stronger?"
Mr. Incredible: "Yes. No!"
Elastigirl: "That's what this is? Some sort of work out?"
Mr. Incredible: "I can't lose you again!"
(Mr. Incredible calms down)
Mr. Incredible: "I can't. Not again. I'm not s-strong enough."
(Elastigirl kisses Mr. Incredible)
Elastigirl: "If we work together, you won't have to be."
Mr. Incredible: "I don't know what will happen..."
Elastigirl: "Hey, c'mon. We're superheroes. What can happen?"
—Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, after seeing that Metroville is under attack by the Omnidroid v.10, and then arguing, then making up
Bob: "Did I do something illegal?"
Mr. Huph (begrudgingly): "No."
Bob: "Are you saying we *shouldn't* help our customers?"
Mr. Huph: "(sighs) The law *requires* that I answer 'no.'"
Bob: "We're supposed to help people!"
Mr. Huph: "We're supposed to help OUR people! Starting with our stockholders, Bob! Who's helping them out, huh?!"
—Bob and Mr. Huph
Edna: "This is a hobo suit, dahling. You can't be seen in this. I won't allow it. 15 years ago, maybe, but now? Feh!"
Bob: "Wait, what do you mean? *You* designed it."
Edna: "I never look back, dahling! It distracts from the now."
—Bob and Edna


Trivia

  • Despite being morbidly obese, Bob is extremely strong; he's so strong he can break through walls and lift heavy stuff.
  • When he puts on his supersuit(s), it looks like he has a big, beefy body.
  • It was hinted in a deleted scene that he may have broken the law when he married Elastigirl, as when Syndrome (then a minor one-shot villain who sought revenge) discovered that Mr. Incredible was married to Elastigirl, and they had a baby, he said "Isn't it illegal for Supers to breed?" This concept was presumably cut in the final version, as when a similar revelation was made, he doesn't mention anything about whether it was legal or not for Supers to marry and have kids.
  • Bob Parr is the first human protagonist in a Pixar feature film.
  • Bob Parr first appeared on the cover of a comic book a boy was reading in the waiting room near the end of Finding Nemo before making his official debut the year afterwards.

Gallery

References

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