Magneto is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in
comic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. He is the central villain of the
X-Men comicUncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
, as well as the TV show and the
filmsThe X-Men film series consists of superhero films based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The films star an ensemble cast, focusing on Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who is drawn into the conflict between Professor Xavier and Magneto , who have opposing views on humanity's...
. The character first appears in
X-MenUncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#1 (Sept. 1963), and was created by
writerA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Stan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and
artistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
Jack KirbyJack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
. A powerful
mutantIn comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
with the ability to generate and control magnetic fields, in his early appearances, his motive was simple
megalomaniaMegalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
, but writers have since fleshed out his character and origin, revealing him to be a Jewish
HolocaustThe Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
survivor whose actions are driven by the purpose of protecting the mutant race from suffering a similar fate. His role in comics have varied from
supervillainA supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
to antihero to
heroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
. His character's early history has been compared with the
civil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
leader
Malcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
and
Meir KahaneMartin David Kahane , also known as Meir Kahane , was an American-Israeli rabbi and ultra-nationalist writer and political figure. He was an ordained Orthodox rabbi and later served as a member of the Israeli Knesset...
.
Sir
Ian McKellenSir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
has portrayed Magneto through the
X-Men film seriesThe X-Men film series consists of superhero films based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The films star an ensemble cast, focusing on Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who is drawn into the conflict between Professor Xavier and Magneto , who have opposing views on humanity's...
, while
Michael FassbenderMichael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
plays a younger version of the character in the film
X-Men: First ClassX-Men: First Class is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics starring the X-Men.-Publication history:The original series was an eight-issue limited series. It began in September 2006 and ended in April 2007. It was written by Jeff Parker and penciled by Roger Cruz...
. Magneto was ranked number 1 by
IGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Top 100 Comic Book Villains list, was listed number 17 in
Wizard'sWizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list, and was ranked as the 9th Greatest Comic Book Character Ever in Wizards list of the 200 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time, the second highest villain on that list.
Publication history
Magneto first appeared in the debut issue of X-Men in 1963, along with the titular team. Through the decades from the 1960s, Magneto has appeared in several issues of the original X-Men series, generally known as Uncanny X-Men, as well as in such spin-offs as X-Men,
Astonishing X-MenAstonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were limited series. The ongoing series began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassaday. It was then written by Warren Ellis with art by Phil Jimenez. Daniel...
,
Alpha FlightAlpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
,
CableCable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
,
ExcaliburExcalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
, and The New Mutants; many X-Men
miniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, and several other Marvel titles. His first solo title was a
one-shotA one-shot is a comic book that is a pilot or a stand-alone story created as a single issue, rather than the more typical series format.-United States:...
special, Magneto: The Twisting of a Soul #0 (Sept. 1993), published when the character returned from a brief absence; it reprinted Magneto-based stories from Classic X-Men #12 & 19 (Aug. 1987 & March 1988), by writer
Chris ClaremontChris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and artist John Bolton.
In a 2008 interview, Stan Lee elaborated that he "did not think of Magneto as a bad guy. He just wanted to strike back at the people who were so bigoted and racist... he was trying to defend the mutants, and because society was not treating them fairly he was going to teach society a lesson. He was a danger of course... but I never thought of him as a villain." In the same interview, he also revealed that he originally planned for Magneto to be the brother of his archnemesis
Professor XProfessor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
.
Magneto's first original title was the four-issue miniseries Magneto (Nov. 1996 - Feb. 1997), by writers
Peter MilliganPeter Milligan born in London, a British writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work.-Early career:Milligan started his comic career with short stories for 2000 AD in the early 1980s. By 1986, Milligan had his first ongoing strip in 2000AD called Bad Company, with artists Brett...
&
Jorge GonzalezJorge González may refer to:* Jorge González , Puerto Rican marathon runner* Jorge González , Puerto Rican beach volleyball player* Jorge "Negro" González , Argentine jazz bassist...
, and penciller
Kelley JonesKelley Jones is an American comic book artist best known for his runs on Batman with writer Doug Moench and on Sandman with writer Neil Gaiman.-Biography:...
. The miniseries took place during a period where it was believed Magneto had been de-aged and was suffering from amnesia, calling himself
JosephJoseph was a Marvel Comics character who was briefly a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Roger Cruz, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #327 ....
; it was later revealed that Joseph was a younger clone of Magneto. Later, Magneto became ruler of the nation
GenoshaGenosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
. During this period, he received two miniseries; Magneto Rex (written by Joe Pruett and drawn by Brandon Peterson) and Magneto: Dark Seduction (written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Roger Cruz).
A trade paperback novel detailing Magneto's childhood, titled X-Men: Magneto Testament, was released in September 2008, and written by
Greg PakGreg Pak is an American New York-based film director/comic book writer, known for his work on such books featuring the Hulk.-Early life:Pak is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of the Purple Crayon improv group, and studied history at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and film at...
. Magneto Testament, which Pak based on accounts from Holocaust survivors, watched documentaries, and read comics such as
MausMaus: A Survivor's Tale, by Art Spiegelman, is a biography of the author's father, Vladek Spiegelman, a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. It alternates between descriptions of Vladek's life in Poland before and during the Second World War and Vladek's later life in the Rego Park neighborhood of...
, finally confirms and clarifies into the Marvel Comics canon, Magneto's personal history and background. Before the publication of X-Men: Magneto Testament, Magneto's personal background and history was established in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #150 (August 1981) as him being a Jewish Holocaust survivor; while he was searching for his wife Magda, a Sinti Gypsy, Magneto maintained a cover identity as a
Sinti GypsySinti or Sinta or Sinte is the name of a Romani or Gypsy population in Europe. Traditionally nomadic, today only a small percentage of the group remains unsettled...
. This created confusion amongst some readers, as to his heritage, until it was authoritatively confirmed in Magneto: Testament that he is, in fact, Jewish.
Fictional character biography
Magneto was born Max Eisenhardt sometime in the late 1920s to a middle class German Jewish family whose father, Jakob Eisenhardt was a highly decorated
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran. Surviving discrimination and hardship during the
Nazi rise to powerNazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
,
KristallnachtKristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
, and the passing of the
Nuremberg LawsThe Nuremberg Laws of 1935 were antisemitic laws in Nazi Germany introduced at the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party. After the takeover of power in 1933 by Hitler, Nazism became an official ideology incorporating scientific racism and antisemitism...
, in 1939 Max and his family fled to Poland where they were captured during the German invasion of Poland and sent to the
Warsaw GhettoThe Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all Jewish Ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It was established in the Polish capital between October and November 15, 1940, in the territory of General Government of the German-occupied Poland, with over 400,000 Jews from the vicinity...
. Max and his family escaped the Ghetto, only to be betrayed and captured again. His mother, father, and sister were executed and buried in a mass grave, but Max survived, possibly due to the manifestation of his powers. Escaping from the mass grave, he was ultimately captured yet again and sent to Auschwitz, where he eventually became a
SonderkommandoSonderkommandos were work units of Nazi death camp prisoners, composed almost entirely of Jews, who were forced, on threat of their own deaths, to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims during The Holocaust...
. While at Auschwitz, Eisenhardt reunited with a Roma girl named Magda, with whom he had fallen in love when he was younger, and with whom he escaped the prison camp during the October 7th 1944 revolt. Following the war, he and Magda moved to the Ukrainian city of
VinnytsiaVinnytsia is a city located on the banks of the Southern Bug, in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast.-Names:...
, and Max adopted the name "Magnus". Magda and Magnus had a daughter named Anya, and lived uneventfully until one night when an angry mob burned down their home with Anya still inside. Enraged at the mob for preventing him from rescuing Anya, the young Magnus's powers manifested uncontrollably, killing the mob and destroying a part of the city. Magda, terrified at Magnus' power, left him and later gave birth to the mutant twins
QuicksilverQuicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and the
Scarlet WitchThe Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
before walking away to die. Wanted by the authorities for the deaths and destruction in Vinnytsia, while searching for Magda, Magnus paid a Romanian forger, George Odekirk, to create the cover identity of "Erik Lehnsherr the Sinte gypsy" for him.
"Erik" relocated to
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where he met and befriended Charles Xavier while working at a psychiatric hospital near
HaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. There, lengthy debates were held by the two regarding the consequences humanity faces with the rise of mutants, though neither revealed to the other that they both in fact possessed mutant powers. However, they were forced to reveal their inherent abilities to one another while facing
Baron StruckerBaron Wolfgang von Strucker is a fictional character created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5...
and
HYDRAHYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
. Following the battle, Erik (now dressed as Magneto), realizing that his and Xavier's views were incompatible, left with a cache of hidden
Nazi goldNazi gold is the gold transferred by Nazi Germany to overseas banks during the Second World War. The regime executed a policy of looting the assets of its victims to finance the war, collecting the looted assets in central depositories. The occasional transfer of gold in return for currency took...
, which provided him with the finances to pursue his goals.
Rise of Magneto
Magneto's experiences surviving Nazi Germany, Auschwitz, and Vinnytsia would shape his outlook on the situation that mutants face in the
Marvel UniverseThe Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. Determined to keep such atrocities from ever being committed against mutantkind, he is willing to use deadly force to protect mutants. He would believe that mutants ("Homo superior") will become the dominant life form on the planet and would set about either creating a homeland on Earth where mutants could live peacefully, or conquering and enslaving humanity in the name of mutantkind.
Magneto's first villainous act was attacking a United States military base called Cape Citadel after bringing down missiles. He was defeated by Charles Xavier's mutant students, the
X-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, in their first mission. He creates
Asteroid MUtopia is the name of the sepratist mutant homeland created by the X-Men from the remains of Asteroid M which is the name of several fictional settings, each an asteroid converted by the mutant Magneto into his home/orbiting base, in the Marvel Comics Universe...
, an orbital base of operations in a hollowed out asteroid that he wanted to be a homeland for all mutantkind. He then gathered a group of angry and disillusioned mutants including his own, albeit at the time unbeknown to him, son and daughter Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch and formed the
Brotherhood of Evil MutantsThe Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
to further his goals. Magneto briefly conquers the fictional South American nation of San Marco in the hopes of establishing a mutant homeland there after stealing a military ship and getting
MastermindMastermind is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 . He was given his "real name", Jason Wyngarde, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.The original Mastermind was a mutant with the power to...
to cast an illusion of an army, but is once again foiled by the X-Men. He tried to make the Toad infiltrate the X-Men, but when that failed he captured the Angel and tried to force him to tell the secrets of the X-Men. However the other X-Men were able to rescue their member and destroy Asteroid M.
Constant defeat of him and the Brotherhood by the X-Men led him to get captured by the
StrangerThe Stranger is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The Stranger first appeared in X-Men #11 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, a powerful alien being, whom Magneto initially thought was another powerful mutant. The Stranger encased Magneto and Toad in a special cocoon and spirited him away to another planet, the Stranger's laboratory world. Back on Earth, Magneto's Brotherhood splintered, and Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch deserted him. Magneto escaped to Earth by repairing a spaceship on the Stranger's planet, but left the Toad behind. He captured nearly all the X-Men and took over the Mansion, hoping to use the parents of Warren Worthington III to create a race of mutants, but was then recaptured by the Stranger after Xavier telepathically contacted the Stranger. Magneto remained on the Stranger's world for a time, but escaped again, made his way back to Earth, and reassembled the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants with the exception of the mutant
MastermindMastermind is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 . He was given his "real name", Jason Wyngarde, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.The original Mastermind was a mutant with the power to...
. He then captured the X-Men, but with the help of the
AvengersThe Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and a rebellious member of the Brotherhood,
ToadToad is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 ....
, Magneto was defeated again.
Magneto then created the
Savage Land MutatesThe Savage Land Mutates are a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain group based in the Savage Land, a hidden Antarctic environment of dinosaurs and primitive people in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional team biography:...
. With the Savage Land Mutates, he clashed with the X-Men and Ka-Zar. Along with Namor, Magneto later attacked New York City. He later fought the
InhumansThe Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
Royal Family, and battled the Avengers once more.
Magneto later reorganized the Brotherhood, and fought Professor X and the
DefendersThe Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
. Using ancient and advanced alien technology he found near the core of the earth, Magneto created an artificial humanoid he named "
Alpha the Ultimate MutantAlpha the Ultimate Mutant is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Alpha the Ultimate Mutant first appeared in Defenders #15–16 , and was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema....
." Alpha rebelled against his creator and reduced Magneto to infancy. Magneto was then placed in the care of Xavier's former love interest, Professor
Moira MacTaggertDr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand...
at
Muir IslandMuir Island is a small, fictional island off the northern coast of Scotland in the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the X-Men comics and its related series.-History:...
. At Muir Island, MacTaggert manipulated the infant Magneto's genetic code in an attempt to prevent him from becoming "evil" in adulthood. However, her genetic tampering lost its effect when Magneto reactivated his powers again. Magneto is eventually restored to adulthood, but to his physical prime rather than his older age, when he is found at Muir Island by the alien
Shi'arThe Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires...
agent
Erik the RedErik the Red is a fictional cover identity in the Marvel Universe which has been used by three characters: Scott Summers , Davan Shakari, a Shi'ar agent, and Erik Magnus Lehnsherr...
.
Magneto later gathered a new
Brotherhood of Evil MutantsThe Resistants, also known as Mutant Force are a fictional supervillain group in the Marvel Comics universe. They were originally the second incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but have become completely independent of the other incarnations of that group, except that they were...
, and with them battled
Captain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. He then opposed
Doctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
's conquest of Earth.
Redemption
Magneto later discovered that former Brotherhood members the
Scarlet WitchThe Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and
QuicksilverQuicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
are actually his children, simultaneously learning about their recent marriages to the
VisionThe Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
and
CrystalCrystal is a fictional character, a superhero in the . She is a member of the Inhumans and the younger sister of Medusa....
. He revealed to Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch that he is their father. He also discovered his granddaughter, Quicksilver's human child Luna Maximoff. Seeing Luna as a bond to the human race he has rejected, Magneto tried to reach out to his children. Angered by his rejection of them and their mother, they pushed him away and refused to forgive him.
Magneto found himself allied with Professor Xavier and the X-Men when a group of heroes and villains were abducted by the
BeyonderThe Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
, a nearly omnipotent alien being. This entity took them to a planet he created called the Battleworld to participate in a personal experiment of his to observe the concept of the battle between good and evil which would later be known as the
Secret WarsMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
. The characters were sorted according to their desires; Magneto was placed with the heroes as his desires were based on a wish to help mutants rather than the more selfish drives of the others. This surprised many of the other heroes, who still believed him to be a villain, although eventually they came to accept him as an ally.
Captain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
even spoke in his defense on some occasions, and the
WaspThe Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
developed a certain affection for him, although it was tempered by her knowledge of his past.
After the Secret Wars, Magneto was transported back to his base, Asteroid M, where the alien
WarlockWarlock is a fictional character, a cybernetic alien superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #18 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz.-Publication history:...
, traveling to Earth, collided into the asteroid, breaking it to pieces. Magneto was sent falling towards Earth and into the Atlantic Ocean, sustaining serious injuries. He was rescued by
Lee ForresterAleytys "Lee" Forrester is a comic book character created by Marvel comics. Her first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #143.-Fictional character biography:...
, the captain of a fishing trawler. Lee helped him recuperate from his injuries, and the two shared a small romance.
After recuperating from his injuries, Magneto was asked to aid the X-Men in battling the returned Beyonder. Magneto stayed with the X-Men even after the Beyonder was defeated. His association with the team softened his views on humanity, and Magneto eventually surrendered himself to the law to stand trial for his crimes. A special tribunal was organized which chose to strike all charges against Magneto from prior to his "rebirth," deeming that this had constituted a figurative death of the old Magneto. However, the tribunal was interrupted by an attack from
FenrisFenris are two fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe, namely German twins Andrea and Andreas von Strucker. They are the children of supervillain Baron Wolfgang von Strucker of HYDRA and the half-brother of Werner von Strucker. Andrea is female, Andreas is male...
, the twin children of
Baron Wolfgang von StruckerBaron Wolfgang von Strucker is a fictional character created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5...
. Fenris was defeated, but
Professor XProfessor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
was brought to near-death due to the strain of the battle and previously sustained injuries. Xavier asked Magneto to take over his school and the X-Men, and told him that doing so would make amends enough for his past crimes. Magneto agreed and chose not to return to the courtroom. Instead, he took over Xavier's school under the assumed identity of Michael Xavier, Charles Xavier's cousin. Seeing him try to reform, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver began accepting him as their father.
Though Magneto made a substantial effort as the headmaster of the
New MutantsThe New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
and an ally to the X-Men, his tenure was disastrous. The
BeyonderThe Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
plagued him yet again, slaying Xavier's current students, the New Mutants, and bringing them back to life soon after. This deeply traumatized the entire group. Magneto was then manipulated by
Emma FrostEmma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
, headmistress of her own school, the Massachusetts Academy, and White Queen of the Hellfire Club, into battling sanctioned heroes the
AvengersThe Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and the
Supreme Soviets-Fictional team history:The Supreme Soviets is a fictional team of Russian superheroes in the Marvel Universe. This team of costumed champions operated under the supervision of the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics...
. Magneto submitted to a trial once again, but used mind-control circuitry he salvaged from the wreckage of Asteroid M to alter the opinions of the head justice in charge of the trial. As a result, Magneto was finally absolved of his past crimes but found that this had only fueled the hostility that normal humans have towards mutants. Feeling that desperate measures needed to be taken after the
genocidal massacre in the Morlock tunnels"Mutant Massacre" was a major Marvel Comics crossover storyline, which took place during the fall of 1986. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men, X-Factor and the New Mutants...
, Magneto and Storm joined the
Hellfire ClubThe Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
jointly as the White King. He was unable to prevent his students
Roberto da CostaSunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
and the alien
TechnarchThe Technarchy, or Technarchs, are a cybernetic, shapeshifting, fictional species of extraterrestrial origin in the Marvel Comics' universe, created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz. Its most notable members are the New Mutants member Warlock and his "siredam," the supervillain...
WarlockWarlock is a fictional character, a cybernetic alien superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #18 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz.-Publication history:...
from running away from the school, or prevent the death of the young mutant student
Douglas RamseyCypher is a fictional mutant character, a superhero from Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #13 .-Fictional character biography:Doug Ramsey was born to Philip and Sheila Ramsey...
after the students snuck away yet again to save a friend, and witnessed the
apparent death of all of the senior X-Men"The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book crossover event by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of The Uncanny X-Men , X-Factor , and The New Mutants ; unlike most crossovers however, the various titles' storylines did not intertwine, but were instead linked...
on national television.
His relationship with the New Mutants deteriorated even further when they saw him and the Hellfire Club negotiating with the demons of the
InfernoInferno was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants...
incident. Magneto later ousted longtime Hellfire Club co-chair
Sebastian ShawSebastian Hiram Shaw is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Shaw possesses the ability to absorb energy and transform it into raw strength...
in order to establish himself as the head of the Hellfire Club as the Grey King. During this confrontation he revealed his real purpose of raising an army for the coming war between humans and mutants. The New Mutants did not return to Magneto's tutelage.
Seeing conditions for mutants grow progressively more perilous, Magneto began seeking allies to protect mutants from humanity. He participated in the
Acts of Vengeance"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
alongside such established villains as
Doctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, the
WizardThe Wizard , also known as the Wingless Wizard, is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe...
, the
MandarinThe Mandarin is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and the archenemy of Iron Man.In 2009, Mandarin was ranked as IGN's 81st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
, and the
Red SkullThe Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
. His temporary alliance with the Red Skull — an unrepentant Nazi war criminal — was a highly uneasy one. After confirming that the Skull was the original one who had worked with Hitler, Magneto took revenge upon him by entombing him alive. He also fought a cosmically powered
Spider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
in order to examine his powers. He worked alongside
RogueRogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
,
Ka-ZarKa-Zar is the name of two jungle-dwelling comics fictional characters published in the United States. The first appeared in pulp magazines of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book character for Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics...
, and the American intelligence agent
Nick FuryColonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
as well as a number of Russian operatives in order to reestablish peace in the
Savage LandThe Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
. This ultimately led to an altercation with
ZaladaneZaladane is a fictional character, a sorceress from Marvel Comics and the high priestess of the sun god Garokk, the Petrified Man...
, who had appropriated the magnetic powers of Magneto's then-unknown daughter,
PolarisPolaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49...
. The conflict ended with Magneto executing Zaladane himself. With her death, Magneto renounced his previous efforts to act as a mentor to the New Mutants and to follow Xavier's beliefs in peaceful co-existence between mutants and normal humans.
Avalon and Genosha
Tired of the constant state of strife, Magneto set his sights significantly lower than world conquest. Instead, Magneto built a second orbital base called Avalon where he hoped to live a life of quiet seclusion. He was, by this point, a figurehead for the cause of mutantkind and was sought out by a group of new mutants calling themselves the
AcolytesThe Acolytes is a team of comic book mutant supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The Acolytes followed the principles of the mutant Magneto, particularly the mutant right of superiority over normal humans. Some members of the Acolytes even worshipped him with a religious fervor and regarded...
who pledged their service and allegiance to him. Under the influence of one of them,
Fabian CortezFabian Cortez is a fictional character, a mutant comic book supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe and an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and writer/illustrator Jim Lee, he first appeared in X-Men #1 ....
, he announced that the orbital base known as
Asteroid MUtopia is the name of the sepratist mutant homeland created by the X-Men from the remains of Asteroid M which is the name of several fictional settings, each an asteroid converted by the mutant Magneto into his home/orbiting base, in the Marvel Comics Universe...
will be a new homeland for mutantkind, obtaining nuclear missiles from a sunken Soviet submarine he had previously destroyed and placed them around the Asteroid pointed towards Earth.
Magneto discovered how Moira MacTaggert had altered his genetic structure when he had been de-aged. Enraged as he felt that his redemption had been a lie, he kidnapped Moira and subjected her to torture. Though it was later revealed that the genetic tampering had lost its effect when he had first used his powers after being re-aged, and thus his actions had never been influenced by Moira's tampering, the damage was done. While the X-Men attacked Avalon to rescue Moira and stop Magneto's plans, the Soviets launched a particle beam satellite which destroyed Asteroid M. Betrayed and abandoned at the last minute by Cortez, Magneto refused Xavier's pleas to escape with the X-Men back to Earth and he and his followers seemingly perished in the subsequent explosion. It would later be revealed that Magneto survived the crash, as the Acolyte Chrome had encased him in a protective shell. However, Chrome and the other Acolytes died.
The
United Nations Security CouncilThe United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
, in response to a resurgent Magneto, voted to activate the "Magneto Protocols" — a satellite network, in slightly lower orbit than Avalon, which skews the Earth's magnetic field enough to prevent Magneto from using his powers within, preventing him from returning to the planet's surface. In response, Magneto generated an
electromagnetic pulseAn electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
not only destroying the satellites, but deactivating every electric device on Earth within minutes. The X-Men responded by hacking into Avalon's own computer systems to teleport a small team to the station with the aid of
ColossusColossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
(who had joined Magneto as one of Magneto's Acolytes). Magneto, during the battle with the X-Men, ripped the adamantium from
WolverineWolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
's bones, which enraged Xavier to the point that he wiped his former friend's mind, leaving him in a coma. This action later led to the creation of
OnslaughtOnslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
an omnipotent being that was formed with the combination of both Xavier's and Magneto's powers. Magneto remained comatose on Avalon, worshiped by his Acolytes under the leadership of the ancient mutant
ExodusExodus is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Quesada, he first appeared in X-Factor #92...
, until Avalon itself was destroyed by the arrival of
HolocaustHolocaust is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men Alpha , and was created by Scott Lobdell and Roger Cruz.-Fictional character biography:...
from the
Age of Apocalypse"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
Earth. During the destruction,
ColossusColossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
placed Magneto in an escape pod sending him back to Earth. This pod was intercepted by Astra, a former ally who now desires his death.
After cloning Magneto, Astra restored Magneto's memories and powers before attempting to kill him. Instead, Magneto, now fully revived, battled both Astra and his clone. After a pitched battle, Magneto triumphed over the clone sending him crashing into a South American barn. However, too weak to continue the battle, the real Magneto went into hiding while the now-amnesiac clone became known as
JosephJoseph was a Marvel Comics character who was briefly a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Roger Cruz, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #327 ....
(christened as such by the nun who discovered him) and eventually joined the X-Men. Since the world believed Joseph to be the real Magneto, Magneto took his time to plan. He engaged in a pair of brief diversions, first posing as "Erik the Red" and revealing
GambitGambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
's past crimes to the X-Men, resulting in Gambit's expulsion from the group. Then he killed George Odekirk, the forger that created his "Erik Lehnsherr" alias to prevent his true identity from being discovered by
SabraSabra is the alias of Ruth Bat-Seraph, a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:...
and
Gabrielle HallerGabrielle Haller is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She was created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, in Uncanny X-Men #161 .-Fictional character biography:...
.
Following this, Magneto constructed a machine to amplify his powers and blackmail the world into creating a mutant nation. The X-Men and Joseph, who had fallen under Astra's control again, opposed him. Magneto's powers were severely depleted from over-straining them in battling Joseph, who sacrificed his life to restore the Earth to normal. However, the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, manipulated by its mutant affairs officer Alda Huxley, ceded to Magneto the island nation of
GenoshaGenosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
, which had no recognized government, leaving Magneto unexpectedly triumphant. He then ruled Genosha for some time with the aid of many who had previously opposed him, including Quicksilver,
PolarisPolaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49...
, and the founder of the Acolytes,
Fabian CortezFabian Cortez is a fictional character, a mutant comic book supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe and an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and writer/illustrator Jim Lee, he first appeared in X-Men #1 ....
, and engaged in a brutal civil war with the island's former human rulers.
Despite the UN's hopes that Genosha's civil war between humans and mutants would destroy or at least occupy him, Magneto ultimately crushed all opposition to his rule and rebuilt the nation by forming an army of mutants dedicated to his cause, including mutants coming from all over the world seeking sanctuary. Eventually, Magneto was able to use the Genegineer's equipment to fully restore his power. Intending to declare war on humanity, he captured
Professor XProfessor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
to use as a symbol with which to rally his troops. In the Eve of Destruction storyline,
Jean GreyJean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
recruited a new group of X-Men to help Cyclops and Wolverine rescue Xavier; they defeated Magneto when Xavier psychically cut off his access to his powers. Taking the opportunity for revenge, Wolverine attacked the depowered Magneto, crippling him with serious injuries.
The Destruction of Genosha
While recovering from the stabbing he endured at the hands of Wolverine, Genosha was attacked by an army of
SentinelsSentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
sent by Xavier's long lost twin sister
Cassandra Nova XavierCassandra Nova is a fictional enemy of the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, Cassandra first appeared in New X-Men #114 . Cassandra is a "mummudrai," a parasitic life form born bodiless on the astral plane...
. Over 16 million mutants and humans died in Genosha, with Magneto as one of the casualties. The attack came just after Polaris (one of the survivors) discovered the truth about her biological relationship as Magneto's daughter.
Magneto's last moments were spent revealing to Genosha Polaris's status as his daughter. Kuan Yin Xorn in the guise of Magneto also apparently converted a magnetic black box (designed to disable all forms of global electronic communication) into a recorder for a final message to the masses in which he tells his people that they will live on in the form of a radio message that records their last dying moments.
Alliance with Charles Xavier on Genosha
Magneto was presumed to be dead until a Chinese mutant named Xorn, who had been associated with the X-Men as a teacher and follower of Charles Xavier, took on the guise of Magneto in the storyline "Planet X" in
New X-MenNew X-Men was a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics within the X-Men franchise. After the end of Grant Morrison's run on X-Men , titled New X-Men, the title was used for a new series, New X-Men: Academy X, serving as a continuation of the second volume of New Mutants...
#150, and attacked the X-Men mansion, then attacked New York City after kidnapping Charles Xavier. Xorn as Magneto was then beheaded by Wolverine in the same issue.
When Charles Xavier was transporting the body of the supposed "Magneto" to Genosha for burial, a short time later, he was met on Genosha by the real Magneto, who had never left the island, in the first book of a revived
ExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
vol. 3. Magneto explained that he did not know who "Xorn" was, or why he had taken on the identity of Magneto.
Magneto and Xavier teamed up to try and rebuild Genosha, and gathered a team around them of young mutants including
WickedWicked is a fictional character created by Chris Claremont for Marvel comics' second installment of the series Excalibur. She is one of the few survivors of the island of Genosha which was decimated by the wild Sentinel attacks commissioned by Cassandra Nova.-Fictional character biography:Not much...
,
FreakshowFreakshow is a fictional character created by Chris Claremont for Marvel comics' second installment of the series Excalibur. He is one of the few survivors of the island of Genosha which was destroyed by the wild Sentinel attacks commissioned by Cassandra Nova.-Fictional character biography:Very...
,
Shola InkosiShola Inkosi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a mutant with the power of telekinesis. He first appeared in Mekanix #1, and was created by Chris Claremont and Juan Bobillo.-Fictional character biography:...
, and human-sentinel
Karima ShapandarOmega Sentinel is a fictional character associated with the X-Men and its spinoff Excalibur. She first appeared in X-Men Unlimited, vol...
.
Meanwhile, Marvel brought back
XornXorn is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. First appearing in New X-Men Annual 2001, Xorn was a new addition to the X-Men membership during writer Grant Morrison's revamp of the franchise....
in Chuck Austen's X-Men #157, which introduced Shen Xorn. Shen Xorn claimed to be the twin brother of the original Xorn (now referred to as Kuan-Yin Xorn) who, under the influence of the entity known as Sublime, had pretended to be Magneto. This claim was supported when Emma Frost conducted a thorough mind scan of Shen. The claim was confirmed by Kuan Yin Xorn himself as the leading intelligence of "The Collective."
House of M
Following the events in New York, Xavier met the real Magneto in Genosha, who apparently survived Cassandra Nova's attack and lived unnoticed within the ruins. Xavier brought with him the coffin supposedly containing the corpse of Xorn (but which is later shown to be filled with guns), and explains how the impostor had killed over 5,000 people including Jean Grey. Magneto is shocked and angry that people think he is capable of committing such an act. Xavier and Magneto put aside their differences to rebuild the island nation, rekindling their friendship in the process.
Magneto's daughter
WandaThe Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
suffered a mental breakdown over the loss of her children and started to warp reality in order to recreate them, inadvertently resulting in
random attacks on the Avengers"Avengers Disassembled", referred to in some participating series as "Disassembled", is a crossover event between several Marvel Comics series. The general idea is that the major heroes are assaulted, not just physically, but emotionally...
, until
Doctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
put her into a coma to stop her. In Genosha, Magneto heard Wanda's psychic cry for help and created a
wormholeIn physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
, whisking her away before the Avengers were able to stop her. Back in Genosha, Magneto tended to Wanda, increasingly becoming more withdrawn and angry. He allowed only Xavier to visit, in the belief that Xavier could help Wanda. Xavier was angry to learn that Magneto had revealed to the world that he was alive by rescuing Wanda, but agreed to try and help. Months passed with no avail, and not even Doctor Strange's
magicMagic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
helped. The X-Men and the Avengers meet to decide what should be done, and when some of the members suggest killing Wanda,
QuicksilverQuicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
informed Magneto of this development, before convincing Wanda to warp reality into the
House of MHouse of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
. In the new reality, where the New Avengers, the X-Men, and the members of Wanda's family all received their 'heart's desires', Magneto was attacked by Sentinels over Manhattan in 1979, and revealed an alleged international anti-mutant conspiracy involving
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. This resulted in Magneto being granted sovereignty over Genosha as leader of the world's much larger and much faster growing mutant population. Magneto then turned Genosha into the most powerful, technologically advanced country on Earth, which he used as a base to dominate the world and place mutantkind above humanity.
A group of heroes were brought together by Wolverine — who alone remembers the way the world is supposed to be because his 'heart's desire' was to regain all the memories stolen from him by the Weapon X Program — and have their own memories of the "real world" restored by
Layla MillerLayla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel...
. They banded together and attacked Magneto in Genosha, believing him to be the one responsible. During the battle Layla was able to restore Magneto's memories as well, and he confronted his son, enraged that Quicksilver had done all of this in his name. Quicksilver revealed that Magneto would have let Wanda die, but Magneto replied that Quicksilver was only using Wanda and himself, and he would never have allowed this to happen. Furious, Magneto kills Quicksilver. Sensing her brother's death, Wanda resurrected him and retaliated with the phrase "No more mutants," changing the world back to its original form and
causing ninety-eight percent of the mutant population to lose their powersDecimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
including Magneto. Magneto was left a broken man, and Wolverine spared his life simply because Magneto wasn't directly responsible for this latest tragedy and because Wolverine felt that he "deserved every second of his crap "sapien" life".
Son of M
When Quicksilver came to Genosha to restore the mutants' powers with the
InhumansThe Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
'
Terrigen MistThe Terrigen Mist is a fictional substance from the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the stories of the Inhumans, a fictional race of super-humans...
s, Magneto condemned his actions, pointing out the disastrous effects the Mists have on non-Inhumans. An angry Quicksilver attacked Magneto with his new powers from the Mists, and savagely beat him until his own daughter
LunaLuna Maximoff is a fictional supporting character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Luna first appeared in Fantastic Four #240 , and was created by John Byrne...
stopped him.
The Collective
Marvel's
editor in chiefAn editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
at that time,
Joe QuesadaJoseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
, later elaborated on the issue of Xorn and Magneto, stating that "Kuan-Yin Xorn came under the influence of as-yet-to-be-revealed entity that forced him to assume the identity of Magneto." However, the issue of Xorn and Magneto was ultimately resolved during "The Collective" arc in New Avengers. A powerless Magneto is attacked by Xorn, who has somehow evolved into a being of pure energy and merged with both an energy absorbing mutant named Michael Pointer and free floating mutant power energy that manifested itself after Scarlet Witch depowered the bulk of the mutant population. Xorn reveals that he, of his own free will, impersonated Magneto in order to rally mutantkind against humanity but failed due to the quality of his impersonation. As a result, he possesses Magneto and briefly reactivates his powers before being defeated by the New Avengers and a cadre of heroes, including Magneto's former son-in-law Vision and mutant S.H.I.E.L.D. agent
Daisy JohnsonDaisy Johnson is a fictional, superpowered secret agent in the Marvel Comics universe. A member of the international espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., she was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, and first appeared in Secret War #2...
.
Iron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
,
Ms. MarvelMs. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a...
, and the
SentryThe Sentry is a fictional character in the . The character first appears in The Sentry #1 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, with uncredited conceptual contributions by Rick Veitch.-Creation:...
combined their powers and send Xorn into the Sun. Michael Pointer and Magneto were freed as a result, though Magneto was promptly arrested and loaded into a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter. The helicopter, however, exploded upon take-off through unknown means as Magneto used what was left of the energy provided to him by Xorn to escape.
Divided We Stand
Magneto appeared at the end of X-Men: Legacy #208, apparently at the behest of
ExodusExodus is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Quesada, he first appeared in X-Factor #92...
and claiming to be powerless, to help restore the broken psyche of Professor Xavier. Together they managed to revive Xavier before being attacked by
FrenzyJoanna Cargill, also known as Frenzy, is a fictional character, a mutant superhuman in the Marvel Comics universe. She has been a member of supervillain groups, including the Alliance of Evil and the Acolytes, as well as the superhero team the X-Men....
. Magneto wounded Frenzy by firing a medical laser into one of her eyes, prompting Exodus to ask what punishment he would have instilled on a human who injured a mutant (as the Acolytes consider him a human, Exodus even claims that Magneto is dead and that Lehnsherr is just a shell that was left over). Magneto replied "Death" and Exodus proceeded to choke him with his telekinesis before Xavier challenged Exodus on the
astral planeThe astral plane, also called the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical , medieval, oriental and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions...
. After Xavier defeated Exodus, he left Magneto and
Omega SentinelOmega Sentinel is a fictional character associated with the X-Men and its spinoff Excalibur. She first appeared in X-Men Unlimited, vol...
to try and rebuild his lost memories.
Manifest Destiny
Magneto appeared, seemingly repowered, reactivating Sentinels to attack the X-Men just as they had recently relocated to San Francisco. The X-Men defeated him in combat, but it was then revealed that his powers were artificially simulated by a suit designed by the
High EvolutionaryThe High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, and that his attack was merely a distraction so the High Evolutionary could gain an unknown object from the
Dreaming CelestialIn the Marvel Comics' universe, the Dreaming Celestial is a renegade member of the race of god-like Celestials.-Publication history:The Dreaming Celestial first appeared in Eternals Vol. 1, #18 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
in order to further a shared goal between Magneto and the High Evolutionary. After extensively examining the Dreaming Celestial, the High Evolutionary subjected Magneto to an extremely dangerous technological procedure in a successful attempt to restore his powers.
Nation X
Magneto appeared on Utopia, the new mutant homeland created by the X-Men using the remnants of his old Asteroid M. Magneto stuns the X-Men by offering to work with them impressed with their recent efforts in defending and helping mutantkind. Magneto feared the end of mutantkind until Cyclops informed him that
Hope SummersHope Summers is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #205 in 2007 , and was created by writers Mike Carey and artist Chris Bachalo during the "X-Men: Messiah Complex" event...
, the Mutant Messiah is alive and well. He puts this offer in action as he assisted the X-Men in defending Utopia Island from an attack of Predator X monsters. After helping the X-Men defeat the Predators, Magneto, now considered a member of the X-Men, assists them in stabilizing the asteroid from sinking into the Pacific. To that end, he worked with Namor and the Atlanteans by constructing a pillar supporting Utopia on the surface that would provide a home for the Atlanteans, which Magneto would later refer to as New Atlantis. However, Magneto's actions angered Cyclops who reprimanded Magneto for acting on his own authority. Despite Xavier being apologetic and appreciative for what he'd done, Magneto left Utopia for nearby
Mount TamalpaisMount Tamalpais is a peak in Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tamalpais is protected within public lands such as Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.-Geography:...
in Marin County. In a final bid to gain their trust, Magneto entered into a deep meditative catatonic state to focus his powers at an interstellar distance, reverse the path of Breakworld's "Earth-destroyer" Metal Bullet that
Kitty PrydeKatherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 and was created by writer-artist John Byrne....
was trapped in, and bring her home to Earth. Magneto had encountered the bullet earlier while working to regain his powers with the High Evolutionary, and had surmised that Kitty was inside. He had chosen to focus on ways to restore the powers of mutants, but he memorized the metals of the bullet allowing him to keep a trace on it. Using all of his powers, Magneto was able to bring the bullet back to Earth, drawing Kitty out of it and levitating her safely to the ground. However, the use of his power at such intensity and duration severely strained him, leaving him comatose.
Second Coming
Magneto comes out of his coma right after Hope was teleported into Utopia by a dying
NightcrawlerNightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
. With the
NimrodsNimrod is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #191 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr. Hailing from the "Days of Future Past" timeline, Nimrod is a powerful, virtually...
laying siege to Utopia, Magneto stopped
Hank McCoyBeast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
from leaving his patients as he prepared to enter battle himself despite his weakened status.
Magneto managed to hold off a squad of Nimrods, attacking with electrical blasts before finally dismembering the robots by pulling shards of iron from the core of Utopia through them.
The Children's Crusade
After that battle, Magneto learned that the
Young AvengersYoung Avengers is an American comic book series written by Allan Heinberg and published by Marvel Comics. It follows a group of young superheroes, each of whom patterns themselves after a member of the long-established Marvel superhero team the Avengers....
were going to search for the still missing Scarlet Witch, and that the heroes
WiccanWiccan is a comic book character, a member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. His appearance is patterned on that of Thor and Scarlet Witch....
and
SpeedSpeed is a fictional character and member of the Young Avengers, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. His appearance is patterned on that of Quicksilver and first appeared in the comic book Young Avengers #10...
are the reincarnations of Wanda's children. Magneto meets them, stating that he wants Wiccan and Speed to finally know him as their grandfather, and helps them find Wanda. The Avengers attempt to stop Magneto and fight him unsuccessfully, before Wiccan teleports Magneto and the Young Avengers to Wundagore Mountain. There they encounter Quicksilver, who attempts to kill his father. They discover that this Scarlet Witch is actually a Doombot in disguise.
Magneto Goes Public
With his reputation around the world as a well-known mutant revolutionary/terrorist, Magneto is talked into finding a solution to the problem by Cyclops before it goes public that he is established in Utopia. Kate Kildare, a "superhuman public relations specialist", advises him on a costume color scheme containing white, along with getting the public to "love and fear" him, both of which he refuses. With an earthquake inbound for San Francisco, Magneto uses his powers to stabilize the city's buildings, structures and metal vehicles, and to smooth the earth movements themselves, thus preventing any major damage and saving many lives. As a result, some of the city favors him, while others are reminded of how potentially dangerous he can be and has been.
Powers and abilities
Magneto is a mutant with the power to manipulate the Earth's electromagnetic fields to achieve a wide range of effects.
The primary application of his power is control over magnetism and the manipulation of metal - ferrous and nonferrous. He can affect a very large quantity of metal at one time. For example, he has levitated objects as heavy as a 30,000 ton
nuclear submarineA nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
and has used his power to move large asteroids several times. The maximum amount of mass that he can manipulate at one time is unknown, but his powers extend into the subatomic fields as evidenced during the
Secret WarsMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
, when he pulled ambient molecules of metal out of the surrounding atmosphere into a metal comb for Janet Van Dyne. He can manipulate a large number of individual metal objects simultaneously and has assembled complex machinery with his powers. He can also affect non-metallic and non-magnetic objects to a lesser extent and frequently levitates himself and others.
Another way in which Magneto frequently uses his power is the projection of force-fields which selectively block out matter and energy. These fields are strong enough to withstand the detonation of multiple thermonuclear weapons; hence Magneto is invulnerable to most harm when surrounded by his shield and can survive in deep space thanks to it.
Magneto can also channel his powers through his own body to increase his strength and durability far beyond human limits and has a baseline reaction time 15 times shorter than that of regular humans.
On occasion he has altered the behavior of gravitational fields around him, which has been suggested as evidence of the existence of a
unified fieldIn physics, a unified field theory, occasionally referred to as a uniform field theory, is a type of field theory that allows all that is usually thought of as fundamental forces and elementary particles to be written in terms of a single field. There is no accepted unified field theory, and thus...
which he can manipulate.
He can also generate electromagnetic pulses of great strength and generate and manipulate electromagnetic energy down to photons. He can turn invisible by warping visible light around his body.
Although Magneto has been shown capable of manipulating matter on a subatomic level (insofar as the electromagnetic force is responsible for chemical bonding), the use of his powers in this way seems to be difficult for him, and he has not been frequently depicted as doing so.
He has demonstrated the capacity to produce a
wormholeIn physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
and to safely teleport himself and others via the wormhole. His powers have also demonstrated that he can condense planetary objects into subatomic size.
He is also regularly seen "flying". The most logical explanation is that he pushes himself away from the minerals in the ground in order to levitate.
Magneto has been consistently and frequently depicted as able to resist all but the strongest or most unexpected of telepathic attacks. A number of explanations have been proposed for his unusually strong resistance to telepathy, among them: (a) technology wired into his helmet (the explanation given in the
X-Men film seriesThe X-Men film series consists of superhero films based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The films star an ensemble cast, focusing on Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who is drawn into the conflict between Professor Xavier and Magneto , who have opposing views on humanity's...
and several comic plotlines), (b) some physical aspect of his electromagnetic powers that can interfere with telepathy (he once used the Earth's magnetic field to dampen the powers of all telepaths within his reach), (c) latent telepathic powers of his own or (d) sheer force of will (cf. X-Men Vol. 2 #2). The theme of latent telepathic powers has been explored in a number of stories, among them the
Secret WarsMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
limited series. In some of his earliest appearances, Magneto was depicted as capable of engaging in
astral projectionAstral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
. He has also, on rare occasions, been shown reading other's dreams, issuing telepathic commands, and probing the minds of others. He has demonstrated the ability to shield his mind, while in intense meditation, so completely that even Emma Frost was not able to read his thoughts, despite being directly in front of him and actively attempting to do so.
In addition to his powers, Magneto has many other skills. He is a
geniusGenius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
with competence in various fields of advanced science, especially in
genetic manipulationGenetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
, particle physics,
engineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, and other fields of technology. He has engineered advanced weaponry, space stations, superpowered humanoid lifeforms, devices that generate volcanoes and earthquakes, devices that block telepathy, and devices that can nullify all mutant powers except for his own. He has reconstructed computerized devices from memory. He is fluent in many human languages and once single-handedly deciphered the unknown language of a lost civilization. He possesses extraordinary skill in "reading" the microexpressions on others' faces and sensing what they are thinking and feeling, whether they are lying, fearful, etc. a skill which he refers to as "taking your enemy's measure." He also is a master strategist and tactician with extensive combat experience, and has often been successful in single-handed combat against entire groups of superhuman adversaries. He also has some military training in hand-to-hand combat and has been shown to be effective with his fists, but he prefers to use his powers when in combat situations.
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