Magneto

*Brotherhood of Mutants* (formerly)

*Horsemen of Apocalypse* (formerly)

*X-Men: Apocalypse*

**Magneto** (born **Erik Magnus Lehnsherr**) is a mutant, leader and founder of the Brotherhood of Mutants. He has the ability to manipulate create magnetic fields and control metal telekinetically. Magneto is one of the most infamous mutants, having a stand against humans due to him being a part of the Holocaust and how humans are known to hate and fear mutants. Similarly to Professor X, Magneto has a strong belief and formed a team of his own, the Brotherhood of Mutants, after he was a founding member of the X-Men with Professor X, having been good friends. Unlike Professor X, Magneto's team's belief and goal isn't to equally live with humans, but to rise above and rule them.

## Biography

### X-Men: First Class Prologue

Erik Lehnsherr was born to a Jewish family in Germany; he states in *X-Men: First Class* that his parents were from Dusseldorf. In 1944, Erik is forcibly separated from his parents by Nazi SS-troops in German-occupied Poland, specifically at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Under this stress, Lehnsherr's powers began to manifest. Even with four guards pulling him away, he managed to bend open a heavy metal gate separating him from his parents before being knocked unconscious by another guard.

While at Auschwitz, he first encounters a mutant Nazi collaborator named Sebastian Shaw (under the alias Dr. Klaus Schmidt). At first Shaw treated him in a friendly fashion, offering him chocolate and asking him to simply move a Reichsmark coin. However, when Erik was unable to, Shaw murdered Erik's mother in front of him, in order to "unlock" the boy's powers through his anger; Erik's magnetism subsequently killed two SS troopers and destroyed an entire lab room in a fit of grief and rage. Pleased, Shaw then tortured and experimented on Erik for an undisclosed length of time, attempting to further expand his magnetic powers.

### X-Men: First Class

Following the end of World War II in 1945 and his liberation from Auschwitz, Erik attempts to find Shaw and exact vengeance, murdering other surviving Nazis connected to Shaw along the way. In 1949, Erik emigrates to America where he saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time, thinking it to be the herald of America as the land of tolerance and peace. Erik becomes disillusioned with this fictitious image of America and returns to Europe to pursue his goal of hunting down Sebastian Shaw.

In 1962, Erik travels to Switzerland, where he interrogates a Swiss banker as to the whereabouts of Sebastian Shaw. He is directed to Villa Gesell, where he finds two Nazi officers having a drink at the bar. After seeing an old photograph of Shaw with the two officers, Erik kills them and proceeds to travel to Miami to face off against Shaw.

Erik eventually tracks him down to a small yacht off the American coast. His attempt at revenge fails when he is defeated by Shaw's Hellfire Club cohorts, being no match for their mutant powers. It was at this point that he meets Charles Xavier, Raven Darkholme and Moira MacTaggert, who were present as part of a botched U.S. Coast Guard attempt to capture Shaw. Together and with CIA support, Xavier and Lehnsherr gather a team of mutant teenagers to battle the Hellfire Club, who are attempting to ignite a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the United States as part of a plot to eradicate non-mutant life on the planet and rule over a mutant new world order. Xavier helps the teens master their powers at his mansion, including Erik. During this time, the two become close friends. However, Erik is still filled with hatred for Shaw and fears a mutant holocaust, despite Xavier's attempts to convince him to let go of his hatred. Erik also motivates Raven to become proud of her natural appearance, believing her desire to get rid of it is wrong. During a CIA mission within the Soviet Union, Erik and Xavier capture Emma Frost of the Hellfire Club, and extract information from her pertaining to Shaw's plans.

Ultimately, the team decides to jump into action to prevent the Cuban Missile Crisis from causing World War III. The Hellfire Club attempts to stop the CIA-sanctioned mutant team but is defeated. During the encounter, Erik confronts Shaw, who attempts to bring him to his side with promises of a new, mutant world order. As Shaw has better control of his power, he is initially able to force Erik into submission, but Erik tricks him into letting his guard down and removes his telepathy-resistant helmet, allowing Charles to take control of his mind and "freeze" him. Erik then dons the helmet to prevent Charles from stopping him. Although he states that he agrees with Shaw's goals, Erik refuses to forgive him for murdering his mother. Despite Xavier's pleads for him not to, Erik kills Shaw by magnetically pushing the Reichsmark coin from Auschwitz through his brain. When the United States and the Soviet Union strike up an impromptu alliance to destroy the mutants, Erik magnetically deflects the missiles, then turns them back towards the fleets. Charles asks him to be the better man, but accidentally says that the men on the ships are "just following orders" which reminds Erik of his experiences at the hands of the Nazis, provoking him to launch the missiles. Xavier tackles him and the two engage in a fist fight which distracts Erik long enough to prevent the missiles from killing those at sea. During a subsequent attempt by Moria MacTaggert to shoot Erik, one of the bullets he deflects strikes Xavier in the lower back, permanently crippling him. Horrified at what had transpired, Erik bids farewell to his close friend, departing with Mystique and the remaining Hellfire Club members with the vow of battling humankind in order to save mutants. He later frees the White Queen, declares himself "Magneto", and establishes his first Brotherhood of Mutants.

### X-Men: Days of Future Past Prologue

In 1963, Magneto was accused of killing John F. Kennedy and was imprisoned by Trask Industries below the Pentagon's centre court. On Friday, February 4, 1964, a trial was held against Lehnsherr where President Johnson noted in a closed-door meeting with the Warren Commission that their prime suspect - Lehnsherr - was in custody. His private trial began the next week. Recently declassified court records indicate that Lehnsherr could not refute being at Dealey Plaza's grassy knoll but he insisted that he did not assassinate the President. As the court ordered him to prove his mutant abilities, Lehnsherr bent a metal crowbar. It took the court five minutes to settle down. Lehnsherr told the court that he did know who killed the President and that he knows who she is and she is hiding in plain sight.

The court found Lehnsherr guilty of first-degree murder and conspiring to assassinate Kennedy. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in a federal correctional facility with no possibility of parole. Throughout the 60's Lehnsherr had destroyed three holding cells until 1971 when Trask Industries built an escape proof cell that kept him imprisoned.

Unknown to the authorities, Erik had actually been trying to *save* Kennedy from the real assassin, as Kennedy was, in fact, secretly a mutant. Erik had been trying to deflect the bullet away, but when the police seized him they broke his concentration, causing the shot to strike Kennedy and kill him. Erik later explained this to Charles, who apologized for doubting him.

### X-Men: Days of Future Past

With Wolverine being sent back to alter the timeline, a different path unfolded for the master of magnetism. In 1973, while Erik was resting in his prison underneath the Pentagon, he received a visit from Quicksilver, who gave him a subtle warning to "mind the glass". Confused, Erik watched as Quicksilver shattered the glass with his palms, showering him with shards. Quicksilver then sped Erik past the guards and into the elevator, an act which gave Erik slight nausea. While they conversed, Quicksilver mentioned that his mother once knew someone who could control metal. Erik was surprised to learn that Charles had come to free him, but he soon received a punch in the jaw. Erik bore it and did not react. When they were ambushed by guards, Erik nearly used his powers to kill them, but Quicksilver dispatched the guards without any casualties. Once they safely left the Pentagon, the group boarded a plane. Erik also met Wolverine, who informed him that he had been sent by his (Erik's) and Charles' older selves from the future. Erik was surprised but was more willing to believe the story. During the flight, Erik and Charles argued over how they abandoned each other after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Charles blamed Erik for taking Raven away. However, Erik blamed Charles for the deaths of Azazel, Angel, Emma Frost and Banshee. During this row, Erik's anger nearly brought down the plane. Wolverine remarked that Erik had always been unpleasant, from which Erik deduced that they were enemies in the future. Nevertheless, Wolverine notes that he and Erik are somewhat similar; they are survivors. Erik soon learned of the apocalyptic future that would befall them if Mystique kills Trask. Erik and Charles later sort out their differences over chess.

When they arrived in France, Erik, Charles, Beast and Wolverine infiltrated the building where the conference was being held. They successfully interrupted Mystique's assassination of Trask, and Erik incapacitated a young William Stryker. Despite this, Erik felt that it was only necessary to permanently secure their future by killing Mystique, thwarting the development of the Sentinels. Erik called a gun to his hand and prepared to shoot her. With Charles unable to stop him, Mystique attempted to flee through a window. Hank tackled him, but Erik magnetically fired the gun and guided the bullet into Mystique's leg as she jumped. Both Charles and Hank were physically beaten by Erik, while Wolverine suffered a sudden bout of trauma at the sight of Stryker. Mystique meanwhile was injured before a horrified crowd of onlookers. Erik chased her out of the window, hovering down before the crowd and advanced on Mystique once more, dragging her back to him. Mystique begged for mercy, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Erik ended up in a fight with Beast before he could kill her, causing cars and fences to react violently in the surge of power from Erik. The two landed in a nearby fountain, where Beast attempted to drown Erik, but Erik ultimately trapped Beast within the fountain's metal ornaments. Mystique got away and so did Erik. The entire scene horrified the public as well as President Nixon, therefore failing to change the future in the process.

While passing through a subway, a disguised Mystique grabbed him and pulled him off to one side with a plastic dagger at his throat. Mystique interrogated Erik about why he tried to kill her. Erik replied that he was attempting to safeguard their future, as he knows of Trask desiring her blood. She didn't believe him at first, but Erik reminds her that he has never lied to her and will never lie to her, and she relents. However, she is bitter to learn that killing one man was never enough for Erik, and blames him for the fact that Trask has obtained her blood. Erik tried to warn her about the future but she refused to listen and disappeared again.

Erik later boarded a train that was transporting Sentinels to Washington. Erik used his powers on the tracks to rip them free and managed to place metal inside the Sentinels, allowing him to control them.

In Washington, he successfully infiltrated the Pentagon and retrieved his helmet. On the day the Sentinels were unveiled, Erik went to the RFK Stadium‏‎ and used his power to lift the entire stadium into the air. At the same time, Erik took control of the Sentinels and commanded them to attack the crowd, forcing the President and his retinue to take cover. In the ensuing chaos, Erik arrived and placed the stadium around the White house, with the falling rubble injuring Charles. He then placed all but one Sentinel on top of the stadium, all of which served as a barricade. He was encountered Wolverine and Beast, and Erik ordered the one Sentinel to attack them while he located the President. While the remaining Sentinel attacked Beast, Wolverine tried to fight Magneto. But Erik simply flung debris at Wolverine, eventually impaling Logan's body with several pieces of rebar.

Erik gave a short taunt before hurling him into the sky. Logan later fell into the Potomac River and subsequently drowned. Then, Erik ripped the President’s shelter out of the White House and broadcast a speech to everyone around the world, stating that the time of mutants had begun. The President came forward and demanded that Erik kills him and spares everyone else. However, Erik replied that the President did not spare the rest of his kind (mutants) and prepared to kill them all. But Erik was distracted when a Sentinel charged towards him, which he tore apart. Little did Erik realize that the President was none other than Mystique, who shot him non-fatally through the neck. Shortly after this, Mystique knocked him unconscious. Mystique prepared to shoot Trask once and for all, but after some persuasion from Charles, she relents. This act erases the apocalyptic future. After Mystique removes Erik's helmet, Erik came to and realized that he could not continue with his plan with Charles standing nearby. Accepting this, Erik departed with a brief farewell to Charles, who let him go as they both knew that the government would execute him for his actions if he was captured.

#### *X-Men: Apocalypse*

By 1983, Erik (now going by the name Henryk,) has established a new life in Poland with his new wife Magda and daughter Nina, as well as a job at a factory. One day, however, Erik is forced to reveal his magnetic powers when a huge falling crate almost crushes one of his fellow factory workers - Erik stops it in mid-air just in time. Some time later, some of his colleagues that witnessed his powers had the Polish authorities sent to capture Erik, mainly due to the incident years ago at the White House (after which Magneto had become the most wanted fugitive in the world). While Erik attempted to turn himself in to save his family, his daughter Nina's sudden display of mutant powers, which incidentally happens to be animal communication, causes the men to freak out. One of the shocked men accidentally fires an arrow, killing Magda and Nina in the process, much to his horror. An incredibly furious and devastated Erik promptly murders them all by magnetically manipulating his daughter's locket, after which he tearfully cradles his family's corpses.

While he attempts to extract his revenge on the fellow factory workers, suddenly Apocalypse appears at the scene (along with Archangel, Psylocke, and Storm). When Magneto asks him who he is, he responds by murdering all the workers in simple movement of his hand. He then persuades an astonished Erik to join him. They then teleport away to the ruins of Auschwitz concentration camp, where Erik, after some encouragement from Apocalypse, destroys the remnants, finally getting some closure. He then promptly agrees to join forces with the ancient mutant (who further enhances Erik's already immense mutant powers), becoming his fourth and final Horseman of the Apocalypse.

While Scott, Jean, Kurt and newcomer Jubilation Lee go to watch *Return of the Jedi*, Apocalypse, Erik and the other Horsemen attack the mansion and kidnap Xavier, after which they head to Cairo. At Apocalypse's behest, Erik uses his newly enhanced powers to control Earth's magnetic poles, causing widespread destruction across the planet and mass casualties. Shortly thereafter, the X-Men arrive and battle the Horsemen, though they are unable to penetrate the magnetic field that Erik conjures up around his leader. After some persuasion, Erik is finally able to see the error of his ways, and he allies himself with the X-Men, turning against Apocalypse (who is outraged at his lieutenant's betrayal). But while Erik bombards his former leader with numerous metal projectiles Apocalypse conjures up a protective shield, but his efforts are soon joined by Scott (shooting at the shield with his optic blasts) and Charles (who attacks Apocalypse's mind on the astral plane). However, the ancient mutant proves too powerful even for their combined might, taking all of Erik and Scott's attacks, and swiftly beating Charles' astral projection to the ground. However, Erik is then also joined by Jean, who finally helps him dismantle Apocalypse's armor, by tapping into her Phoenix Force. Once En Sabah Nur's frail true unarmored form is exposed, Erik pierces him with numerous metal projectiles, while Jean subsequently incinerates him. However, Charles (who is bald, after Apocalypse's telepathic invasion into his mind) realizes that there will always be threats human and mutant alike, and decides to train his students to become the X-Men.

Xavier and Erik are finally able to reaffirm their friendship, and Erik returns to rebuild Charles' destroyed mansion. Though Charles asked him to stay, Erik declined and left, albeit on friendly terms this time, and with a cleared name (as the world bore witness to Magneto greatly contributing to the defeat of Apocalypse). Peter Maximoff observes his departing father from a distance, ultimately deciding not to tell Erik about their relation yet.

### Logan

Due to his age, he could be dead but for now his status is unknown.

## Relationships

### Family

* Jakob Lehnsherr † - Father
* Edie Lehnsherr † - Mother
* Ms. Maximoff - Former Lover
* Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver - Son
* Wanda Maximoff - Daughter
* Magda Gurszky † - Wife
* Nina Gurszky † - Daughter

### Allies

* Charles Xavier/Professor X - Old/Long Time Best Friend, Former Teammate, and Former Archenemy
	+ X-Men
		- Ororo Munroe/Storm - Ally and Former Teammate
		- Raven Dalkhome/Mystique - Ally, Former Teammate, Former Student, Former Lover, and Former Enemy
		- Hank McCoy/Beast - Ally, Former Teammate and Former Enemy
		- Sean Cassidy/Banshee † - Ally, Former Teammate, Former Student, and Former Enemy
		- Alex Summers/Havok † - Ally, Former Teammate, Former Student, and Former Enemy
		- Logan/Wolverine - Ally and Former Enemy
		- Jean Grey/Marvel Girl - Ally and Former Enemy
		- Scott Summers/Cyclops - Ally and Former Enemy
		- Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler - Ally and Former Enemy
		- Marie D'Ancanto/Rogue - Ally
		- Bobby Drake/Iceman - Ally
		- Piotr Rasputin/Colossus - Ally
		- Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat - Ally
* Brotherhood of Mutants
	+ Riptide - Enemy turned Former Teammate
	+ Emma Frost † - Enemy turned Former Teammate
	+ Angel Salvadore †  - Teammate turned Enemy turned Former Teammate and Former Student
	+ Azazel † - Enemy turned Former Teammate
* John F. Kennedy † - Accidental Victim

### Enemies

* Sebastian Shaw † - Enemy and Victim
* Trask Industries
	+ Bolivar Trask - Enemy
		- Sentinels † - Enemies and Former Army
* Richard Nixon † - Attempted Victim
* William Stryker - Enemy
* Milosz † - Co-Worker turned Enemy
* Jakob † - Friend turned Victim
* Apocalypse † - Savior and Leader turned Enemy
	+ Horsemen of Apocalypse
		- Warren Worthington/Archangel † - Teammate turned Enemy
		- Elizabeth Braddock/Psylocke † - Teammate turned Enemy