Game Character:
Magneto
Character Bio
Using his mutant powers over the forces of magnetism, Erik Magnus Lensherr -- known to the world as simply as Magneto -- leads a terrorist campaign against humanity. The arch-nemesis of Professor Charles Xavier and his X-Men, he will not rest until mutants dominate the world.While Magneto's birthplace remains unknown, it is confirmed that he spent most of his teenage years in various concentration camps during World War II. Because of his suffering in the camps, he did not develop his mutant powers until many years after his freedom.
For several years, Magnus traveled south through the Iron Curtain, where he met his eventual wife, Magda. With her, he sired a daughter named Anya, soon after finding his powers to surface. He kept them a secret from his wife, however, fearing that she would leave him and call him a monster.
Magnus' fears were realized when soldiers attacked his wife and daughter. Unleashing the full force of his powers, he decimated all the soldiers. During the battle, his daughter was killed and his newly pregnant wife ran away from him without having ever shared the news. She escaped to the mountains of Wundagore where she died giving birth to twins, mutants who would later be known as Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Magnus would not find out about his offspring until more than two decades later.
After this series of tragic events, Magneto became obsessed with helping mutants defeat humans and ruling the world. However, his struggle brought him face-to-face with the X-Men every time he seemed well on his way to succeeding. Eventually Professor Charles Xavier, Magnus' best friend at one point, convinced the mighty mutant to turn himself in to an international court for trial. After conceding that it might be fore the best, he was convicted of crimes against humanity. However, a battle ensued and he left the trial without a sentence.
Unfortunately, Professor Xavier was mortally wounded during the fight and, before being taken away by Lilandra to outer space, he asked Magneto to lead his X-Men and teach the New Mutants to defend humanity from those who might use their powers in an evil manner. He accepted.
When Professor Xavier returned, Magneto's hatred of humanity had only grown. He renounced his vow to help humanity and resumed his plans of world domination. In one of his most horrific acts, he used his magnetic powers to rip the adamantium from Wolverine's bones, causing the feral X-Man to devolve into some type of human-animal crossbreed. At this time, Professor Xavier reached into his former friend's mind to strip it of evil. The results left the Master of Magnetism in a catatonic state, with his evil thoughts affecting Xavier's mind to the point of turning him into Onslaught.
Months later, a kind-hearted character named Joseph emerged in the form of a younger Erik Magnus Lensherr and even had the powers of Magneto. However, when the true Magneto arose as driven as ever, Joseph was revealed as a clone. It was at this time that Magneto revealed his plans to tilt Earth in an opposite direction, causing global destruction. In order to stop him, the leaders of the world agreed to grant Magneto the island of Genosha. It would be recognized as a sovereign country where mutants could seek refuge from their human oppressors. What other plans he has are unknown. But rest assured that the X-Men watch him very closely.
ROLE IN GAMES: As one of the most famous villains in the Marvel universe, Magneto appeared in many videogames. In most appearances, he represents an end boss -- often the final villain in a game -- and must be defeated in order to save the world. His typical abilities include shooting beams, hovering, creating a magnetic shield, and the use of metal objects as weapons.
As portrayed in X-Men for the Genesis, one of his most dastardly videogame plots involved the virus he sent down to the X-Men's Danger Room from his base on Asteroid M, turning all of their simulations into reality. However, in X-Men 2: Clone Wars he found himself working alongside the likes of Wolverine, Cyclops and Nightcrawler as they battled to thwart the Phalanx's plans to assimilate all humanity.
X-Men: Children of the Atom marked Magneto's first and most prominent role in a fighting game, as he represented the final and most difficult character in the game. He has also made less memorable appearances in X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes.
EDUCATION: The extent of Magnus' education is unknown, but it is believed he holds a high degree in genetics. He is considered an extraordinary genius.
FAMILY: Magda (wife, deceased), Anya (daughter, deceased), Wanda Maximoff (alias The Scarlet Witch, daughter), Pietro Maximoff (alias Quicksilver, son), Crystal (daughter-in-law), Luna (granddaughter)
AMBITIONS: To create the perfect world where mutants rule.
QUOTE: "Join me or perish!"
BEHIND-THE-SCENES CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: According to creator Stan Lee as quoted in the Wizard X-Men Special (1999), he wanted to create a character with powers never seen before. After coming up with magnetism, Magneto was born. The ability to hover and his costume design were conceived by artist Jack Kirby.
HOW THE CHARACTER GOT HIS NAME: It comes from the actual word "magneto," a small generator of alternating current that works by means or permanent magnets.
OTHER MEDIA: In addition to videogames and his numerous appearances in the ongoing X-Men comic book titles (including his own limited series), he has appeared in several episodes of the Fox Network's 1990s X-Men cartoon and plays the main villain in summer 2000's X-Men motion picture from Twentieth Century Fox. Merchandising throughout the years has included action figures, T-shirts, mugs, paperback novels and many other moneymakers.
SOURCES:
Marvel Universe Handbook by various writers
MARVEL: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics by Les Daniels, 1991
Wilson Ramos, Marvel Comics' librarian.
Magneto is a trademark and copyright of Marvel Enterprises. © 1999 ~ Jason White, All Game Guide
