Magneto Was Right (& Here Are 9 Times That Prove It)

“Magneto Was Right” is a phrase that carries a lot of weight depending on when you look into its origins. In the classic sense cemented by the X-Men comics and later animated series, Magneto is the harder edge in the fight for mutants, but he is still respected by his friend Charles Xavier. Their destinies were forever entwined early on, and they became closer over time, even when they’re fully at odds. It is also strongly implied to mirror the words of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, one side opting to work peacefully before getting violent, and the other seeing violence as the only final option.

While seeing their differences was much easier in the old days when Magneto was more of a cartoonish comic villain, he has shifted and evolved his villainy since, inspired by his experiences alongside the X-Men. He has become far more of an anti-hero at times, even making him the only one on the right side of history at times. Despite “Magneto Was Right” shirts making their debut in arguably the character’s most genocidal moment, and Cyclops co-opting it after Avengers Vs. X-Men, the phrase is strong and heavy with truth. He’s also currently going through some major changes due to Resurrection-Linked Degenerative Sickness, forcing him into a chair in a similar fashion to Xavier in the years prior. It’s a good moment for reflection on the character and a point to see just where he could go next.

We’re going to take a look at the times Magneto was truly right in X-Men history. It might be a hard pill to swallow at times, but it doesn’t change facts. Magneto was right! We can prove it!

1) God Loves, Man Kills

There is no better story to kick off this list than God Loves, Man Kills. It puts Magneto and his righteous anger to work in a situation that mirrors a lot of the real world. After a group called the Purifiers kill a pair of mutant children and Magneto lays them to rest, he goes on a warpath and ends up working with the X-Men despite their protests. William Stryker is to blame for all of the strife, and he sends the Purifiers to attack the X-Mansion, taking Xavier captive to brainwash him and use his power to kill mutants.

Throughout the story, which is one of the best X-Men stories to capture the pure dynamic between Magneto’s beliefs and Xavier’s, we see how right Magneto is. He even almost convinces Xavier to join his brotherhood before he comes back to his senses.

2) Age of Apocalypse

Another twist on the relationship between Xavier and Magneto and proof of Magneto being right is Age of Apocalypse. While Age of Apocalypse is far from the normal Marvel Universe, it shows how strong that friendship is and what each lends to the other. After Xavier’s kid, Legion, accidentally kills him while trying to kill Magneto, the Age of Apocalypse comes to be, where Magneto now leads the X-Men and opposes the forces of Apocalypse.

It’s an interesting look at the character and his heroic side, showing that despite his radical views and terroristic past, even he can’t stomach the mutant-led world of Apocalypse. He opposes him, works to save everybody from nuclear destruction, and starts a new world from there.

3) House of X

Seeing Xavier and Magneto team up to rule over Krakoa might be a moment that got a lot of people back into the X-Men comics. It’s the first time that both are focused on the same goal and are working together to establish and maintain a mutant society on the living island. Xavier now has the confidence and singular focus on mutantkind’s survival, opting to live separate from the human world. For Magneto, he took some time to dull his knives while demonstrating that mutants will have a new relationship with the rest of the world at that point. It’s a shock to the system for the characters and one for longtime readers of the comics. The only drawback is Magneto’s lack of fangs in this form, though he demonstrates his power in the follow-up, Inferno.

4) Axis

Dropping around the same time as Magneto’s solo series that created a mood for vengeance for the character, lashing out against anti-mutant groups and murderers. AXIS also places the master of magnetism in a lead role of sorts, especially in the early fight with Red Skull.

The crossover captures the perfect bit of retribution delivered by the character. While facing off against the Red Skull, he opts to beat the former Nazi to death after helping the Avengers and X-Men to defeat him. No powers, no tricks, just pure violence. The violent side of Magneto comes out, and he ends the Skull with just his fists. A powerful moment where you’ll be hard pressed to hate the former mutant terrorist.

5) Genosha

Magneto’s attack on Genosha and his eventual founding of a mutant colony on the former apartheid nation both stand as news we want to see play out, and a worst-case scenario due to what follows. While Magneto takes over and builds up a nation of 16 million mutants, his efforts are undermined by the eventual genocide initiated by Cassandra Nova in the “E is for Extinction” storyline in New X-Men.

You could view the Wild Sentinel attack that killed so many as a response to Magneto’s fights for the island, but it also confirms it as another right choice by the mutant radical. Mutants have always been targeted and always will be targeted, even if they create a state of their own.

6) Trial of Magneto

The first moment where Magneto is shifted into less of a cartoonish villain, the Trial of Magneto opens up a lot of real estate for the Holocaust survivor. He sees how his actions and his feelings toward humanity are almost identical to how the Nazis felt about his fellow Jews during the Holocaust. So to start fresh, he decides to turn himself in and stand trial for his string of crimes over the years. This leads him to take over the Xavier School for a while, portraying himself as Xavier’s cousin, and also allows him to reconnect with his kids, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.

7) Acts of Vengeance

After inching back to more extreme views and seeking defenses for mutants against humans, Magneto starts to look at the other villains for possible partners during Acts of Vengeance in 1989. But even though he has turned back to more villainous pursuits, he still has no time or patience for some.

When he finally decides to strike and put the villains’ plans at risk, his big target is the Red Skull. He singles out how Red Skull worked with Hitler and was treating mutants like the people in concentration camps. So to ensure he can’t interfere, Magneto places Red Skull in a buried crypt and walls him inside.

8) House of M

If Magneto managed to win the day and take over the world, the resulting storyline might look a bit like House of M. It’s a world where Magneto is named leader of the world’s mutants and is granted reign over Genosha. In this world, the tables have turned, and mutants are the ones in control while humans are judged as inferior to the homo sapien superior.

Yes, it is the result of some mischief by the Scarlet Witch and her break after Avengers Disassembled. But it is also meant to represent the heart’s desires for those who are affected. So in the end, this is Magneto’s world and it would seem he’s very right within it.

9) Secret Wars

Finally, the real first moment where Magneto is put in the driver seat of his story is Secret Wars. In the event, he begins being mixed in with the heroes, due to the Beyonder seeing his main goal is to help mutants. That’s his first pro to check off the list. He also gets the approval of Captain America as an ally, which is another big check mark. While Secret Wars doesn’t leave Marvel changed the way other events have over the years, it is an early example of Magneto being true to himself and true to his cause.

Do you agree with our choices? Do you think Magneto was actually very, very wrong? Let us know in the comments.