Who is MAGNETO?
He is Magnus, Erik Lehnsherr, Max Eisenhardt, savior, terrorist, supervillain, antihero, hero, he is many more things. But whoever he is, he has serious powers to back up his talk of protecting mutantkind with whatever means necessary.
MAGNETO was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. A powerful mutant with the ability to generate and control magnetism, MAGNETO has been the X-Men's most prominent enemy ever since his first appearance in X-Men #1 (Sept. 1963).
What are his powers and abilities?
Note: Due to the nature of comicbooks being an on-going tale, the character's powers along with his appearance, is in a constant state of flux.
Magnetic Field Manipulation: Superhuman power to channel and manipulate magnetic fields that exist naturally or artificially.
Magnetic Force-Fields: MAGNETO usually protects himself with a personal force field that he can quickly expand to protect large areas.
Magnetic Flight: MAGNETO is also capable of sustaining flight for very long distances and at varying speeds.
Matter Manipulation: MAGNETO is able to manipulate matter even to the subatomic level for a number of purposes.
Electromagnetic Sight: By concentrating, MAGNETO can perceive the world around himself as patterns of magnetic and electrical energy. He can perceive the natural magnetic auras surrounding living beings.
Metallic Bonding: MAGNETO has recently presented the power to atomically bond metallic substances to any designated surface material.
Organic Iron Manipulation: MAGNETO can control the traces of iron within organic matter, which allows him to have full control over an opponent's body.
Geomagnetic Link: Magnus is tied very closely to Earth's EM Field. As is it effected, so is he. He knows instinctively all that happens to it, and with this link, is granted an odd sort of immortality.
Superhuman Strength: Under normal conditions, MAGNETO possesses the physical strength of a well conditioned athlete. However, he can channel vast amounts of magnetic energy through his body for the purpose of granting himself vast superhuman strength which limits are unknown. Whatever those limits might be, he is ultimately able to lift far in excess of 100 tons with ease.
Superhuman Stamina: As a result of increasing his strength, he dramatically increases the overall efficiency of his musculature. While magnetically enhanced, his muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a normal human. MAGNETO can exert himself physically for up to at least a few days before the build up of fatigue toxins in his blood starts to impair him.
Superhuman Durability: Under normal conditions, MAGNETO possesses the physical durability of a well conditioned athlete. However, he can channel vast amounts of magnetic energy through his body for the purpose of granting himself vast superhuman durability.
Superhuman Reflexes: He naturally possesses enhanced reflexes. He can further enhance this reflexes with magnetic energy.
Superhuman Speed
Electromagnetic Spectrum Manipulation: Although MAGNETO's primary power is magnetism, he has some ability to project or manipulate any form of energy that is related to the electromagnetic spectrum. He can fire and absorb bolts of electricity and magnetic force, reverse lasers and other forms of radiation or energy, create enough intense heat as infrared radiation to level a city, manipulate gravity, and become invisible by deflecting visible light around his body. Infrared radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which also includes visible light, radio waves, ultraviolet light, gamma rays and x-rays -- MAGNETO can project any of these. MAGNETO has demonstrated the capacity to produce a wormhole, and to safely teleport himself and others by means of the wormhole.
Abilities
Telepathic Resistance: MAGNETO has trained himself extensively for fighting telepaths, and is resistant to telepathic attack although the effects are further augmented with the aid of his helmet.
Genius-level Intellect: A mastermind, MAGNETO is a genius within various scientific fields. He is an expert on genetic engineering and mutation, with knowledge far beyond that of contemporary science.
Military Training: MAGNETO is a skilled strategist and has more than a rudimentary knowledge of hand-to-hand combat.
Excellent Strategist: MAGNETO is an excellent strategist, both in actual battles and games of chess.
Multi Lingual: MAGNETO is fluent in English, French, Polish, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Ukrainian, German, and Yiddish
Appearances
Enter MAGNETO
1963: First appeared in X-Men Vol 1 #1 (September, 1963) and a recurring villain throughout that series.
Brotherhood
MAGNETO also leads his own supergroup called the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. (I like that its clearly stated that they are evil)
His costume during this time was pretty straight forward Comic Style costume; Red tights all over, with blue gloves, boots, and boxer, what keeps him apart is the stylized helmet he wears.
Baby MAGNETO
MAGNETO was transformed into a baby by one of his creation Alpha the Ultimate Mutant. Lucky for him an agent of Shiar transformed him back into the prime of his adulthood.
Exo-skeleton
MAGNETO also wore some sort of exo-skeleton while battling the Fantastic Four and Namor. We begin to see some purple on his outfit.
Updated Costume
By 1973 MAGNETO has modified his costume. He now added some sort of metal collar with studs (the likes they put on building constructions) around his upper torso area. I guess significant if you are someone who can control metals.
Trial
When a young mutant tried to stop one of his diabolical machines, and seemed to perish (see what I did there, I use the word seemed because nobody truly dies in the comics, for those who want to know the name of the young mutant, it was Kitty Pryde, I told you she only "seemed" dead. As she is running, floating and phasing around perfectly for many years to come. What do you say, she was dead again, in a what? A giant bullet? Hmmmmm....welll.... moving on) MAGNETO tried to renounce his "evil" ways and allowed himself to be placed in trial. (Like in the real world, MAGNETO was acquitted from all of his terrorist acts he has commited, and so, we give a point to the Marvel Universe judicial system.)
New Mutant
A reformed MAGNETO then went to teach in the X-Men, and became the headmaster of the New Mutants.
He is all about the Teddy Bears at this time.
MAGNETO the White
There's a dictum that says "You can't keep an "evil" mutant good". What? There's no such saying. Well, if there is MAGNETO will fall smackly right in the middle of it. So, after his tenure with the New Mutants, MAGNETO slowly falls back to his old ways. First by joining the Hellfire Club, as the White King and later on overthrowing Sebastian Shaw, and getting the name Grey King. (Hmmm.... Sebastian Shaw.... MAGNETO... X-Men First Class movie... are yout thinking what I am thinking? That Fox, messed up the whole franchise.... no...no... that it could be a possible plot point for the new movie. I'm just saying, and yes Fox this messed up this franchise.)
MAGNETO returning to old ways
After playing at the side of the angels, and practicing Charles Xavier's philosophy of mutants and humans being able to live harmoniously with each other, MAGNETO snapped back and return to his former self. Tried to distant the mutants from the humans by making Avalon and later Genosha, with a lot of body count left along the way.
The man known as Joseph
Charles Xavier, angered by what MAGNETO has done to one of his X-Man, wiped out MAGNETO's memories. After that incident an individual who looks like MAGNETO emerge, possessing all of MAGNETO's powers, and calling himself, Joseph. This turned out to be MAGNETO's clone.
Joseph wore a traditional X-Man blue and gold uniform.
The making of an Onslaught
The incident where Xavier wiped out MAGNETO's memories led to the creation of Onslaught an omnipotent being that was formed with the combination of both Xavier's and MAGNETO's powers.
Xorn
Just another pretender to the name of MAGNETO. Xorn has a star for a head (Yup! You heard me right), which gives him the power of electromagnetism, useful if you're going to claim yourself as MAGNETO.
House of Magnus
MAGNETO's daughter the Scarlet Witch, suffered a mental breakdown, which is a lot scarier if you have the ability to warp reality, and warp reality she did. In the House of M reality MAGNETO and the other mutants had their hearts wishes fulfilled. Though it did not last that long.
Fighting alongside the X-Men… again.
After all the crazy things that happened to him. We presently see MAGNETO with the Cyclops led X-Man. For how long we'll never know.
(Remember that mutant girl inside the bullet, Shadowcat. If you were reading what I wrote above, which I presume only 3 persons do, I told you that she died but did not and then she died again, well it turns out she actually didn't die, and she is still trap in that giant bullet cruising in space. Well our boy MAGNETO here wanted to show his current teammates that he indeed is playing nice nowadays, used all of his magnetic powers to reel in that giant bullet. Voila! Superhero MAGNETO)
MAGNETO in live media
1. Sir Ian McKellen
MAGNETO was played by two-time Academy Award-nominee Sir Ian McKellen in the movie X-Men and its sequels, X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand.
2. Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender will play the role of the young Eric Lensherr in X-Men: First Class.
sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magneto_(comics) : http://marvel.wikia.com/Max_Eisenhardt_(Earth-616) : http://marvel.wikia.com/Kuan-Yin_Xorn_(Earth-616) : http://marvel.wikia.com/Joseph_(Earth-616) : http://www.comicbookdb.com/character.php?ID=68 : http://www.comicbookdb.com/character.php?ID=5245 : http://www.comicbookdb.com/character.php?ID=32903 : http://www.comicbookdb.com/character_chron.php?ID=68 : http://www.comicvine.com/magneto/29-1441/
This is the 26th article in my Know Your CBM Character series. Any requests and suggestions for an article for this series write it down in the comment section BELOW.
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