X-Men is a superhero franchise focusing on a subspecies of humans with the mutant X-gene who are gifted with powers. The first X-Men comic was released in 1963 and ever since, the franchise has run over the last 50 years, cranking out everything from comic books and branching into TV shows, action figures, and eventually films. One thing that the X-Men franchise is known for is its variety of characters with unique powers. From Storm’s control over the weather to Rogue’s remarkable ability to absorb and occasionally remove the memories, physical strength, and superpowers of anyone she touches, there is no shortage of heroes to root for in the X-Men franchise.
One of the mainstay characters and main antagonists in the X-Men franchise, per Screen Rant, is Magneto, who has the ability to generate and control magnetic fields. While Magneto has mostly presented himself as a villain throughout the franchise, his allegiances seem to jump around quite a bit, and, in the end, he always does what’s best for his goal to keep mutants safe from potential bigoted abuse and genocide. This has led many Marvel fans to wonder if Magneto is really a villain or if he is something else.
His Origin Story Gives Him Villain Potential
Of all the characters in the X-Men franchise, Magneto’s origin story, as outlined by Looper, is probably the most heart-breaking. Born Max Eisenhardt in the 1920s, he lived a happy life with his family, but experienced a great deal of bigotry due to his Jewish heritage. When Nazi Germany rose to power, the Eisenhardts were stripped of all rights as human beings in Germany, so they fled to Poland. After living in Warsaw, the entire family was executed and dumped into a mass grave after trying to escape the Ghetto. Max survived this execution as his powers manifested when the bullet came rushing towards him and he managed to deflect it. He was captured and brought to Auschwitz thereafter and was given the job of disposing bodies killed in the gas chamber. Magneto’s sad origin story continues even further, suffering the death of his daughter and losing touch with his lover Magda. This entire setup is an amazing backstory for Magneto’s character and is the perfect backstory for any villain.
Stan Lee Never Considered Magneto a Villain
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Despite the fact that most Marvel fans have considered Magneto the main antagonist for the X-Men franchise, creator Stan Lee has made statements surrounding Magneto’s character and where he falls on the spectrum between good and evil. Lee has said that he never thought of Magneto as a “bad guy” and instead saw him as more of an activist for mutants who simply wishes to overthrow the bigoted by any means necessary. While this makes Magneto a dangerous man to deal with, especially for those who are not mutants, it does not necessarily make him a villain. Lee’s view simply positions Magneto as an extremist rather than a villain altogether as Magneto’s goal is ultimately to defend mutants and teach society a lesson for treating mutants as second-class, a feeling he knows all too well. Even Marvel fans have admitted that Magneto’s intentions have always been good; however, many disagree with the execution of his goals, believing him to be spreading violence rather than advocacy.
Anti-Hero or Anti-Villain?
While some fans have argued that Magneto is an anti-hero, this is not a correct description for Magneto. An anti-hero fights on the good side often for the cause of self-interest without caring for conventional ethics and without believing in a “greater good”. A term that more accurately describes Magneto’s character is anti-villain. An anti-villain is someone with a heroic personality and goals, but is the bad guy in the story they are portrayed in. While Magneto can be brutal with his methods of achieving his goals, especially when punishing those responsible for injustice, his brutality is justified as he suffered so greatly during his time under the Nazi reign. After this, Magneto made himself the advocate for all mutants, determined to prevent mutants from suffering the same fate Magneto did as a Jew in Nazi Germany. Ultimately, Magneto’s intentions are noble. As a result, Magneto is neither a villain nor an anti-hero, but is rather an anti-villain.