7 Ways Marvel Made Magneto Better Over the Years

Magneto has become one of Marvel Comics‘ greatest characters. The mutant master of magnetism has had quite a road since his first appearance in X-Men (Vol. 1) #1, growing into the team’s greatest enemy and one of the biggest threats to humanity. If he had been left there, he would still be a popular villain; he has all the ingredients needed to make him into an A-list bad guy. However, writer Chris Claremont decided that there should be more to the villain, who for years had been a much simpler, Doctor Doom-esque bad guy. The Magneto that modern fans know and love was born.

Magneto is currently a member of the X-Men, and has been for close to 20 years now. He’s become so much more than he was back in the day all because creators worked hard to perfect him over the years. Marvel made Magneto better in these seven ways, forging him into the icon he is today.

7) He’s Always Had the Perfect Edge

Saying something has an edge in 2026 is usually a way to insult something, but there are times when some edginess is a good thing. Magneto is a perfect example of that. This is a person who was imprisoned in a Nazi death camp and had his daughter burned to death before his eyes; he’s experienced a lot of terrible things and wants to visit the same torments on the world. As a villain, he doesn’t hesitate to kill those he believes deserve it and that hasn’t changed since he joined the X-Men. His entire existence is devoted to destroying his enemies and mercy isn’t something that he believes in.

6) Awesome Costumes

The X-Men comics are home to iconic costumes and Magneto has had some of the best over the years. His original purple and red costume is one of the greatest costumes in comics, with what is easily the best helmet ever. His purple mid ’80s costume – with the big M on it – wasn’t amazing, but the rest of his costumes are all top notch. He’s had some gorgeous ones in the 21st century, including the white and black from Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 3), the black one from his solo series in the late ’10s, the color swap he wore in Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 4), and the Krakoa Era white costume. Mags has always had the kind of costumes that superstar characters need to be successful.

5) He Actually Gets to Win

Magneto battled the X-Men for years, testing the team past the breaking point numerous times. While the team was mostly able to stop him from doing too much damage, he actually got a lot of wins over the years. Villains losing is a part of the DNA of superhero comics, but the only way to really make them seem like a threat is to let them win. Mags has numerous victories over the X-Men from his days as a villain and this helped build him up as a credible threat to the team. Fans knew that while he would be ultimately defeated, he was still a huge danger to the heroes, something not every villain can say.

4) Growing His Power Level

Magneto debuted in the Silver Age, when superpowers were way less thought out. This was a symptom of superheroes comics of the day; they weren’t written to be physics lessons (those were Flash comics), they were written to tell exciting action stories. Magneto’s magnetic powers were cool at first, but used simply. Chris Claremont put an end to that, figuring out new ways to use the mutant’s powers, something that the creators after him would keep up. He’s currently one of the most powerful mutants ever, his powers allowing him to battle against the most formidable heroes and villains out there. Power isn’t everything, but it allowed Magneto to grow into even more of a threat, which in turn made him a better villain to read about.

3) Making Him an A-List Villain

While the X-Men are one of the most popular teams in comics nowadays, that wasn’t always the case. They were the least popular Silver Age Marvel property and Magneto was little more than a C-list villain for years, until Len Wein, Dave Cockrum, and Chris Claremont changed the team’s history. Claremont didn’t have to bring back Magneto like he did – the early years of his run was creating all-new awesome villains constantly. However, the writer decided to keep the mutant master of magnetism as the team’s main foe and built him up into the kind of enemy that the bestselling group in comics deserved. Magneto was made into an A-list villain thanks to the hard work of Claremont, allowing him to rise to the top.

2) Joining the X-Men

Magneto’s morality has been a focus since the Claremont years, when the writer made the ultimate change to the villain. Claremont had been stealthily redeeming him for years and Uncanny X-Men #200 would see him put on trial for his crimes. The story would end with Mags taking over as the mentor of the New Mutants, joining the X-Men for the first time. He stayed with the team for years before going back to villainy and would join the team again after they moved to San Francisco in the aftermath of House of M. He joined to protect the mutant race and has stayed with the team ever since, tempering his desire to exterminate humans by helping his own people instead (although he still exterminates some humans, for old times sake). His time with the X-Men have showed how versatile the character is, getting involved in some of the coolest stories of the 21st century.

1) His Tragic Backstory

When Magneto first appeared, he was just a bombastic Stan Lee villain, known for hyperbole and insane schemes. He was the definition of a one-track villain, but all of that would change in the years ahead. Claremont took the clay of the villain and formed it into something special, making the mutant into a survivor of the Holocaust. This origin changed everything for the character; he was no longer a genocidal monster who hated just for hate’s sake, he was a man with deep PTSD trying to make sure the Holocaust never happened again. It was the key to making the character into who he is today, allowing fans to empathize with him even when he’s at his worst.

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