5 Best X-Men vs Magneto Stories, Ranked

The X-Men and Magneto have one of the most legendary rivalries in all of comics. While the Master of Magnetism might be an official X-Man and hero now, back in the day, there was nobody who could push the team farther or beat them down harder. For decades, Magneto’s showing up meant that the X-Men were in for the fight of their lives. The two groups found themselves on opposite sides of an argument, always trying to fight for the same end, but vastly different in how they would achieve that. The X-Men advocated for coexistence, while Magneto demanded security through subjugation. 

The passion between these two sides exploded every time they fought, and that’s what brings a cool fight to legendary status. So, today, we’re taking a look at five of the best times that Magneto and the X-Men clashed, and ranking them. These vary from some of the most epic fights in comics to one of the creepiest moments of all, but they’re all incredible. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

5) Uncanny X-Men (1963) #112-113

While everyone knows Magneto as a sympathetic character because he’s a Holocaust survivor, he didn’t always have that origin. Before that retcon, the Master of Magnetism was less nuanced, being an angry man bent on subjugating all of humanity. Pre-retcon Magneto was even more vengeful, egotistical, and petty than his current incarnation, and no story shows that era of Magneto better than this two-part story. In a previous altercation with the X-Men, Magneto had been turned into a toddler. After being restored to adulthood, he tracked down the new X-Men team for revenge.

Magneto decimated the X-Men in a brutal fight, then brought them to his volcanic base. He placed mental inhibitors on each of them that let them stay fully cognizant, but rendered them unable to move or speak beyond babbles. He intended to keep them like this forever, but they eventually escaped and beat him in one of the best jumpings in Marvel. This story showed Magneto’s utter brutality. It’s the final story before Magneto’s character evolution, and it definitely stays in the readers’ minds.

4) “Planet X”

Technically, this isn’t a Magneto story, as it was later retconned to be someone else impersonating him. Still, the original intent was for this to be Magneto, and reading the story in that context makes it an excellent showcase of his power, if not his character. This twist was built up to for the entire run, with Magneto posing as the healer Xorn. He used his powers in uniquely creative ways, such as literally holding Professor X’s spine together to convince him he could walk just so Magneto could rip it away again. 

Magneto temporarily took over all of New York, and demonstrated exactly how powerful he was when he killed Jean Grey, who had fully embraced the power of the Phoenix. This was a return to the classic, megalomaniac monster that Magneto used to be, though even more insane and evil than even the previous entry. This is Magneto at his worst, smartest, and cruelest, and definitely something that will stand the sands of time.

3) X-Men (1991) #1-3

Here, the fight between Magneto and the X-Men is more of an escalation than an intended battle. Magneto raised the submarine he sunk all the way back in Uncanny X-Men #150 to demonstrate what would happen to people who disobeyed his orders, and although he didn’t want to fight the X-Men, that alone was enough of a reason to fight him, even ignoring everything else that led to this moment. This fight is all about both sides trying to bring down the other as painlessly as possible, as neither wants to kill the other, but slowly things escalate as Magneto and Wolverine lose their patience.

It’s a downright brawl while Magneto battles the ghosts of his sins alongside the heroes. What really elevates this battle is the incredible art, drawn by the absolute legends Jim Lee and Scott Williams. Every page has impact and punch that brings out every ounce of coolness from every move. It’s dynamic and snappy, and flows perfectly even alongside the narration-heavy script from Claremont. This art is some of the X-Men’s best, and this fight brings out the most from every character.

2) “Fatal Attractions”

“Fatal Attractions” was a massive event that spanned every X-Men book, celebrating their thirtieth anniversary. Magneto returned and sought to achieve a final victory. When the government activated satellites that would prevent Magneto from using his powers, he responded by unleashing an electromagnetic pulse across the entire planet, lording over it from Asteroid M. The X-Men all fly to space to save the Earth, even Professor X in a Shi’ar exoskeleton. The battle is bloody and brutal, but what elevates it is the emotional struggle that Charles goes through. He questions whether he should cross the line or not if it means stopping Magneto’s tyranny for good.

This battle has one of the most famous X-Men panels of all, with Magneto ripping the adamantium out of Wolverine’s body after being stabbed. Xavier was so enraged that he shut down Magneto’s mind entirely, and getting the pacifist Professor X to fight is one of the biggest signs that something has gone wrong. This battle was incredible, and while the results of it are remembered more infamously, this fight was awesome.

1) Uncanny X-Men #150

This is perhaps Magneto’s most famous story, and it’s definitely his most important. This storyline was the one that introduced Magneto’s past as a Holocaust survivor, and used it to perfectly explain his character. In this story, Magneto announced himself to all of the world’s leaders, demanding that they relinquish control to him or he would turn their own weapons of mass destruction against them. The X-Men reunited with Cyclops, who had previously left the team after Jean Grey’s death, and worked together to stop the would-be tyrant before even more lives were lost.

In the end, Magneto nearly killed Kitty Pryde, which caused him to break down. He revealed his past to Storm, who told him that it wasn’t his dream of a better world that was corrupted, only himself. It was a poignant note to end on, especially after Magneto’s power was so clearly demonstrated in the battle. It was as epic as it was emotional, and it has gone down as one of Magneto’s best stories of all time.

So there we have the five best times that Magneto and the X-Men clashed. Which one of these is your favorite, and what other stories would you include on this list?

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