Magneto
Real name: Magnus (possibly not his real name, rest of name unrevealed)
Other aliases: (former) The Creator, Eric Magnus Lehnsherr
Identity: Secret
Occupation: (current) Revolutionary and conqueror, (former) Volunteer
orderly, secret agent, adventurer, teacher of the New Mutants
Legal status: Criminal record in the United States, later overturned by
the courts; still wanted internationally as an outlaw
Place of birth: Unrevealed, probably somewhere in Northern Europe
Marital status: Widower
Known relatives: Magda (wife, presumed deceased), Anya (daughter,
deceased), Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch, daughter), Pietro Maximoff
(Quicksilver, son), Crystal (daughter-in-law), Luna (granddaughter)
Base of operations: (current) Unrevealed, (former) Asteroid M; various
hidden bases on Earth including one in Antarctica; an island in the
Bermuda Triangle; Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Salem
Center, Westchester County, New York
Group affiliation: (current) None, (former) Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
I and II, X-Men, teacher of the New Mutants, Lords Cardinal of the
Hellfire Club, leader of the Acolytes
First appearance: X-MEN (first series) #1
History: The man now known as Magnus spent his early teens imprisoned
with his family at the Nazi death camp in Auschwitz, Poland. The only
member of his family to survive the camp, Magnus here learned how
brutally human beings could treat minorities whom they considered
different. After World War II Magnus married a woman named Magda and
they had a daughter, Anya. When a mob prevented Magnus from rescuing
Anya from dying in a fire, he used his powers to destroy them all in
revenge.
Terrified by her husband's powers and threats of vengeance against
humanity, Magda fled, never having revealed to him that she was
pregnant. She apparently died soon after giving birth to twins, Wanda
and Pietro.
Eventually Magnus went to Israel, where he worked as a volunteer orderly
at a psychiatric hospital and where he first met and became friends with
Charles Xavier. Magnus and Xavier frequently debated the subject of
mutants' coexistence with the rest of humanity. After the two men joined
forces to rescue their friend Gabrielle Haller from Baron Strucker and
his Hydra agents, Magnus left for parts unknown. After being betrayed by
the intelligence agents with whom he worked, Magnus began planning his
campaign against the human race.
Years later Magnus reemerged as Magneto, who was determined to conquer
the human race to prevent their oppression of mutants. Xavier's original
team of X-Men thwarted his first public move in his war with humanity,
the takeover of the Cape Citadel missile base. When they next clashed,
Magneto was leading his original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which
included Wanda and Pietro, now known as the Scarlet Witch and
Quicksilver. Not until years later would Magneto learn that they were
actually his children.
At one point Magneto genetically engineered a being called Alpha the
Ultimate Mutant, who rebelled against him and turned Magneto back into
an infant. Xavier gave the baby into the care of his colleague Moira
MacTaggert, who tampered with the infant's mind in the hope that he
would grow up to become a better man. Years later Davan Shakari, alias
Eric the Red, an agent of the alien Shi'ar, transformed Magneto back
into an adult, albeit one younger than before. Magneto thereafter had a
series of battles with Xavier's new team of X-Men. Eventually, however,
MacTaggert's manipulation of his mind had a delayed effect. Magneto
underwent a crisis of conscience, gave up his plans of world conquest,
and became the X-Men's ally. When he found himself dying, Xavier asked
Magneto to take over his School for Gifted Youngsters. Xavier was then
taken into outer space to be healed by Shi'ar science, and Magneto
became the mentor of Xavier's latest group of students, the New Mutants.
In time, though, Magneto's former personality slowly began to return. He
abandoned the New Mutants and allied himself with the X-Men's foes in
the Hellfire Club. He and the X-Man Rogue for a time developed a close
relationship in the Savage Land. Ultimately, Magneto renewed his war
with the human race and the X-Men, and gathered about him a new team of
mutant underlings, the Acolytes, who virtually worshipped him.
In his last battle with the X-Men, Magneto used his powers to extract
the adamantium molecules from Wolverine's skeleton, causing him
tremendous agony. Infuriated, Xavier used his mental powers to shut down
Magneto's mind. For a time the Acolytes cared for Magneto at their
orbiting base, but when it was destroyed, Magneto returned to Earth.
Subsequently, an amnesiac man appeared who called himself Joseph,
possessed powers over magnetism, and looked like Magneto would if he
were still in his twenties. He joined the X-Men, who believed him to be
Magneto, somehow rejuvenated and reformed. Joseph himself came to
believe he was Magneto, until the real Magneto reappeared and began his
campaign of terror against the human race anew. Moreover, although the
X-Men had come to believe that Magneto was really a man named Erik
Magnus Lehnsherr, it was revealed that Lehnsherr was a false identity
Magneto had assumed to conceal his true identity. The real identities of
both Magneto and Joseph still remain mysteries at this time.
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Eyes: Blue-gray
Hair: White
Other distinguishing features: Magneto has been literally rejuvenated by
Alpha the Ultimate Mutant, so that despite his much greater
chronological age, he appears still to be a relatively young man.
Strength level: Magneto can use his magnetic powers to increase his
physical strength up through Class 100 (the ability to lift over 100
tons).
Known superhuman powers: Magneto has the mutant ability to control
magnetism and other related electromagnetic forces. He also possesses
minor psychic abilities, such as the ability to create a psychic shield
against psionic attack.
Costume specifications: Made of flexible metal bonded on the molecular
level, provides protection against projectiles, energy weapons, and
concussive force; helmet also provides protection from psionic attack
