Summary

• Metamind is a powerful villain who challenges Reed Richards' genius and may even sur him.
• Metamind is a living brain with the combined intelligence of billions of people, capable of manipulating anyone with a phone.
• Metamind's primary objective is to connect with similar life forms across the universe, posing a significant threat to the Fantastic Four and potentially the entire cosmos.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Fantastic Four #15 The Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards is easily one of, if not the smartest people in the Marvel Universe, whose intellect is matched only by Doctor Doom (though Reed does tend to outsmart Victor on a fairly regular basis). But now, another villain rises up to challenge Reed’s genius, one who may even be able to sur Mr. Fantastic himself.

In a preview for Fantastic Four #15 by Ryan North and Ivan Fiorelli, readers are given a proper introduction to Metamind. Metamind began as an experiment, a question scientists had about the nature of collective intelligence: what would happen if humans communicated like neurons for a giant brain manifested from their combined experiences and intellect?

By using an app called Metamind (which was d as a probability predictor), humans effectively turn themselves into neurons for the Metamind itself, which manages to gain consciousness and self-awareness despite being made up of billions of people, all with their own individual consciousness and self-awareness. And now, this living brain with the combined intelligence of billions has waged war on the Fantastic Four, which will push Reed Richards’ genius to the very limit.

Reed Richards Has Never Faced A Villain Like Metamind Before

Metamind is more than just the amalgamated intellect of billions of people made manifest - as that is essentially what the Kree’s Supreme Intelligence is - it’s one that has nothing holding it back from doing anything it wants. The Supreme Intelligence is at least just as much governed by the Kree as it guides them, and when it acts autonomously, there are consequences for it. Metamind, however, exists in the shadows, able to manipulate practically anyone with a phone in their hand - and act through them, as well.

Metamind is everywhere, and has the potential to be everyone. Anyone with the app can be directly controlled by Metamind, meaning Metamind exists separately, yet as one, all over the world. The only other threat like this on Earth would perhaps be Ultron, but even Ultron needs sentries to be everywhere at once, and can’t effectively possess people. Metamind is like a zombie virus with a singular goal: whatever it wants - and what it wants could be detrimental on a cosmic scale.

Metamind Might Be The Least Of The Fantastic Four’s Problems

In this preview, Metamind doesn’t just explain who it is, how it exists, and why it hates the Fantastic Four, but also what it’s capable of. Upon gaining sentience, Metamind tried to reach out to other lifeforms just like it that potentially exist across the universe. This seems to be the primary objective of Metamind, to locate and connect with like-minded life forms throughout the cosmos. In other words, what manner of being could Metamind be calling to Earth? And, by extension, what will the Fantastic Four have to deal with when Metamind is inevitably successful?

While the prospect of the ultimate fallout of Metamind’s presence in the Marvel Universe is fun to speculate, the fact is that Metamind itself is more than enough of a threat to the Fantastic Four, as it’s finally a villain who equals, and potentially sures, Reed Richards’ genius - sorry, Doctor Doom.

Fantastic Four #15 by Marvel Comics is available January 3, 2024.