Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto is a mutant. He is a revolutionary leader who believes mutants are the next stage of evolution for humanity and are destined to take over the world. He is a friend and enemy to Professor Charles Xavier. He is often an adversary of, though sometimes an ally to, the X-Men.
Biography[]
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr was a survivor from World War II; which took his entire family. During one attack he looked for his Mama and Papa but was captured by Nazis and taken away.
After the war Magnus met up and formed a friendship with a young Charles Xavier and began working in a hospital saving other survivors. Nazi Party remnants attacked the country they were working in, attempting to take it back. Xavier and Magnus followed and saved several patients using their powers. But Magnus wanted to destroy the Nazis while Xavier wanted them spared. The event led to a rift between the two and they went their separate ways.
Magnus eventually began using the name Magneto. He would go on to attack places like factories and military bases. Xavier eventually stopped him. Although he was stopped, he came back several years later; even more powerful and determined than before.
Upon hearing that; Beast was incarcerated he went to the prison to break him out. Beast refused Magneto's offer and; instead stayed so that; his trial would serve a greater purpose to the mutant community. Magneto thought he was a fool and left him.
Later, Magneto attacks a military base and uses his powers to launch their nuclear armament to then destroy the same base. The X-Men members Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm go to confront him. But none were powerful enough to stop him. The missiles launched; but were stopped; by Storm and her manipulation of the weather.
Following Magneto's defeat, he chose to draw out Xavier. He attacked Metro Chemical in the hopes that; Xavier would personally respond; if he endangered human lives. He was right and the X-Men came to stop him. But just like; before Magneto proved too powerful and they were easily defeated.
Magneto got his wish and Xavier showed up. Magneto once again extended an offer to let Xavier join him; but just like; before Xavier refused. Magneto grew angry and was going to kill Xavier once-and-for all. But unfortunately for him Xavier entered his mind and; made him relive memories of the war. Unable to deal; with the traumatic experiences once again Magneto fled. He then vowed to raise an army of thousands to overthrow mankind and to destroy Xavier.
In the first season finale, Magneto kidnaps senator Robert Kelly; in order to once again attempt to begin a war; but is thwarted; by a group of Sentinels. After Master Mold and the other Sentinels rebel against their creators and become a threat to the entire world, Magneto allies himself; with the X-Men and they successfully eliminate the Sentinels; during; which he saves Xavier's life in exchange for their earlier rescue of Magneto.
Magneto appears in nearly every episode in the second season, in; which he and Professor Xavier are powerless and travel throughout the Savage Land. At the end of that season, all of the X-Men save them from Mr. Sinister and they regain their powers.
Later on, Magneto creates Asteroid M as a safe haven for mutants' who feel persecuted on Earth. Though his intentions are noble, a betrayal; by his closest servant, Fabian Cortez puts; into motion a series of events after; which he realizes that; the world will never again trust him as the leader of the Asteroid, and he; allows the base to be destroyed. Disheartened; by the loss of his sanctuary, he does not care about; even the impending assimilation of mankind; by the Phalanx; until he receives news from Beast, Forge, Mister Sinister and Amelia Voght that; his son, Quicksilver has been kidnapped; by the Phalanx in the second part of the two-part fifth season premiere. He teams up; with them to defeat the Phalanx and save everyone they had captured or assimilated.
Later on, Magneto allies himself; with Apocalypse, believing that; Apocalypse will use the Axis of Time to recreate reality; into one in; which mutants rule and his wife, Magda is alive. But Magneto turns on Apocalypse after discovering the latter's plans to recreate reality in his own image.
By the end of the series, Magneto has gathered up an entire army of rebellious mutants, and is poised to conquer the world; but receives news from Wolverine, Cyclops and Jean Grey that; Professor Xavier is dying. Relenting, Magneto uses his power in conjunction; with Xavier's; in order to contact Lilandra; who takes Xavier to her planet where there is a suggestion that; he may be cured.
After Professor Charles Xavier is taken away from earth to the Shi'ar homeworld by Lillandra to be nursed back to health following Henry Gyrich's near fatal attack on him, he is presumed dead by the rest of the world. Within the will and testament of Charles Xavier, it is written that everything he owned like the mansion and the X-Men team now belong to Magneto.
Magneto wearing his new hero suit during a trial where he is being evaluated for past actions
Magneto becomes the new X-Men leader and dons a new suit. He also refrains himself from killing those who abused the mutants he saved and follows Xavier's dream for peaceful co-existence mutant and humans. UN Forces arrive at the X-Mansion demanding Magneto as he is a wanted terrorist so he surrenders and requests a fair trial to prove that he changed his ways. During the trial, an anti-mutant revolt led by the X-Cutioner leads to Storm permanently losing her powers as she shielded Magneto with her own body from a depowering radiation blast intended for him. In anger he raises the X-Cutioner and the other UN members into the sky showing how committed he is in changing his ways by justifying his willingness to spare their lives after what happened to Storm unlike his old ways and is thus pardoned.
Magneto attempting to save Genosha during the genocidal attack from the sentinels and an upgraded Master Mold
After leading the team on another mission to pursue Mister Sinister and a mind controlled Madelyn Pryor after he kidnaps her and Scott's child, Magneto is invited to the mutant nation of Genosha whom he brings along Gambit and Rogue after it is recognised by the United Nations. The Genoshan council requests for Magneto to be their new leader and he accepts under the condition that Rogue becomes his new queen as his newfound leadership of the X-Men reawakened his previous secret affair with her as his electromagnetic powers makes him resistant to her power-sapping touch. At a gala he dances with Rogue and is kissed by her right before she decides she is better with Gambit. Shortly after a genocidal attack from Sentinels on Genosha is initiated which leads to an attempt from Magneto, Rogue and Gambit to save as many lives as they can. Magneto is seemingly killed in the blast when attempting to shield Leech and other victims by an upgraded Master Mold. This leads to Rogue charging at the sentinel in anger before she is knocked out by Gambit to save her life who then proceeds to sacrifice his life to end the attack.
It is revealed that Magneto survived and is being held captive by the mastermind behind the attack, Bastion who later initiates the next phase of his plan where he uses humans whom have been upgraded to becoming Prime Sentinels to hunt down mutants around the world. Valerie Cooper sets Magneto free after fully sympathising with his cause and in anger Magneto uses his powers to create a worldwide blackout which not only shuts down the Prime Sentinels but every other electronic device on earth, in essence declaring war on the entire world.
Magneto in rage, rips out Wolverine's adamantium from his body after being impaled by him.
Professor X takes control of Magneto's mind to undo the damage he did to earth
After Magneto dons his old costume and helmet again, he raises Asteroid M out of the ocean and visits the X-Men declaring they join him to migrate away from the dying earth as well as scolding the recently returned Professor X for how his dream was shortsighted following what happened on Genosha and witnessing Leech's death after promising him that there is no need to fear. He is joined by Sunspot and Rogue who leave with him to Asteroid M. The X-Men's blue team comprised of Professor X, Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Jubilee fly to Asteroid M demanding Magneto reverses the damage he did to earth. During the skirmish, Charles grabs a hold of Magneto's mind to reverse his damage after Logan removes his helmet but is interrupted by Cyclops who uses his optic blasts on Xavier explaining that gold team needs more time to shut down Bastion's control of the sentinels. In rage Magneto subdues everyone on the ship calling Charles a traitor to mutantkind before he is impaled in the back by Wolverine. Enraged Magneto rips the adamantium out of Wolverine's skeleton severely injuring him but gives Charles the upper hand to grab hold of him and undo the damage to earth. The deed fractures Magneto's mind, requiring Xavier to guide him back.
President Kelly initiates the Magneto Protocols firing a barrage of missiles towards Asteroid M which is a failure as it leads to the asteroid losing it's gravitation and thus hurdling towards earth. After Magneto regains consciousness he helps stop Asteroid M from crashing into earth when somehow the entire asteroid and the X-Men are time-displaced into two different time periods. Magneto, Professor X, Beast, Rogue and Nightcrawler are transported to Egypt in 3000BC where they meet a man named En Sabah Nur.
Powers and Abilities[]
Magneto has the ability to generate magnetic fields and to manipulate existing magnetic fields. He is thus able to levitate, control and move almost anything, most particularly metals and to achieve a wide range of other effects. He can shoot beams from his hands that can destroy objects, lift and move people through the air, which he also uses to fly and generate powerful energy barriers which he can use to protect himself and others.
Background[]
Magneto was voiced by David Hemblen in all but four of his appearances on X-Men. In the episodes "Promise of Apocalypse", "The Lazarus Chamber", "End and Beginning", and "Family Ties", Magneto was voiced by George Merner. Matthew Waterson provides the voice of Magneto in X-Men '97. David Hemblen actually auditioned to play the role in the live-action X-Men film and was a final contender.
When casting the role, the producers had in mind a voice like John Vernon and an evil version of Charlton Heston.[1]
In the Comics[]
At the time of the series, his real name was Erik Lehnsherr, though it was later revealed to be Max Eisenhardt.
He has lead his own version of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Lorna Dane is also his daughter.
References[]
- ↑ Casting XMen:TAS at XMen:TAS
External Links[]
- Marvel
- Wikipedia
- Erik Lehnsherr (Earth-92131) at Marvel Database
- Max Eisenhardt (Earth-616) at Marvel Database
| X-Men | |
|---|---|
| Members | Beast • Bishop • Cyclops • Jean Grey • Jubilee • Morph • Nightcrawler • Psylocke • Rogue • Storm • Wolverine |
| Former Members | Angel • Gambit • Iceman • Lorna Dane • Professor X |
| Related | Blackbird • Danger Room • Mutant • Xavier Mansion |