Magneto

Magneto is a fictional character in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #1 in 1963. The character is a mutant with the ability to generate and control magnetic fields, giving him power over ferrous metals, the ability to fly, create force fields, and shape metal into weapons or constructs. Magneto’s powers have been described across different media as highly versatile and frequently evolving, with most depictions emphasizing his mastery of magnetism and related electromagnetic phenomena. He often uses his abilities defensively to shield himself or offensively to alter an opponent’s surroundings.

The character’s secret identity is most commonly Erik Lehnsherr, with later retellings sometimes using the name Max Eisenhardt. Magneto is typically portrayed as a Holocaust survivor whose traumatic experiences with oppression inform a militant, protective ideology for mutants. This background fuels a recurring tension between him and Professor Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men, ranging from outright antagonism to uneasy alliance as both seek to safeguard mutantkind, sometimes through opposing means.

In the comics, Magneto has led mutant-rights movements such as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and later the Acolytes, and he has been depicted as both villain and antihero. He is also featured as the father of Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) and Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) in many storylines, a relationship that varies across continuities.

Magneto has been adapted into numerous media. In film, he has been portrayed by Ian McKellen (older Magneto) and Michael Fassbender (younger Magneto) in the X-Men movies, where his backstory emphasizes his traumatic past and complex, often adversarial but occasionally cooperative role with the X-Men.