Neuromancer Lesson Plan

At what point does Wintermute reveal itself to be the novel's true villain?

Although Wintermute was never framed as a benevolent force, once it kills Corto, it becomes clear that the AI’s only goal is to merge with Neuromancer and become a superintelligence. It is prepared to kill anyone who stands in its way, and as Corto’s grip on reality fades away, so does Armitage/Corto’s usefulness to Wintermute’s mission.

As Wintermute explains to Case before Molly enters Straylight, it sees itself as part of something “bigger.” However, even as Wintermute professes a belief in its fate as a part of something “bigger,” the AI remains unable to articulate what that “something...