Early Life[]
During World War II Erik Lensherr was exposed to the bitter sting of discrimination long before he discovered his mutant gifts. He spent many of his formative years in the Auschwitz prison camp in Poland, under the harsh and tyrannical rule of the Nazis, and was the only survivor in his family. One night, completely by surprise, the super soldier known as Captain America, accompanied by a Canadian Special Forces agent known as Logan, broke into the prison camp and liberated the boy and the other survivors. While attempting the escape, Eric was able to save the survivors by using his powers to deflect grenades thrown by the guards. After his liberation, he vowed to himself and the world that he would never allow himself or his kind to be persecuted again.
Years later, he met a young mutant telepath by the name of Charles Xavier. The two were instant friends, both realizing that humanity's mutation was the wave of the future and that they needed to nurture it. However, the two friends differed greatly in their methods, with Xavier believing that human-mutant peace was possible, and Erik believing that mutants must rule the planet in order to prevent being persecuted or exterminated. For a while, they managed to ignore their differences and worked together to develop the Cerebro system.
When Xavier first recruited Storm, and sent her to find the wild man named Logan, Erik had enough and donned his new persona as Magneto. With his own recruit Mystique, he attempted to convert Logan to his cause but failed. Magneto split from Xavier and went to build his own team, using Mystique as Principal of Bayville High, to recruit young mutants for his Brotherhood of Mutants, as well as the services of Logan's hated nemesis, Sabretooth.
Season 1[]
While all of this was going on, Magneto created his haven for mutants, Asteroid M. In the cataclysmic Cauldron event, Magneto sent his Brotherhood to fight Xavier's X-Men, with the winners brought to Asteroid M in metallic spheres. He also recruited Cyclops's newly-discovered brother Alex to his cause, and Scott followed along. Magneto's master plan revolved around a machine that harnessed the mystical power of Cytorrak to advance mutations to their fullest potential. He used in on both Sabretooth and Mystique, and then on the Summers brothers, over Xavier's objections.
- Strategy X
Magneto's first appearance.
The next day at Bayville High School, in Principal Darkholme's office, Darkholme is embittered over Toad's previous visit to the Xavier Mansion and the fact that he ran away from the X-Men. After Toad's weak excuse of "I did what I could", Darkholme concludes that Xavier probably wiped his mind and that he doesn't even remember the incident. As Toad confirms this with a shake of his head and while still enraged with him, Darkholme angrily orders him to get out of her office. After Toad's departure, Principal Darkholme suddenly transforms into Mystique as she screams out her frustration. Magneto tells Mystique to not be so hard on the boy as they do not want to thin their ranks. Mystique tells him that she will be more careful as her magnetic office supplies suddenly start to swarm around her, as Magneto sites, "Remember, this is only the beginning."
- Rogue Recruit
At Bayville High, Mystique in her guise as Principal Darkholme welcomes Rogue to Bayville High and ensures her that she will be happy and safe here. Rogue thanks her and leaves before Magneto begins to talk to Mystique. He comments that Rogue is a fine addition to their side before Mystique cites that they were lucky to get to Rogue first. Magneto asks if she is certain that all of Rogue's positive memories of the X-Men have faded. Mystique tells him that she is positive.
- Speed & Spyke
Magneto talks to Mystique about how they can get Quicksilver to join The Brotherhood. They arrange a basketball game between Bayville and Evan's old school.
Magneto shows up to break Pietro out of jail. Quicksilver agrees to join Magneto.
Shadowed Past
Quicksilver calls Magneto and tells him about the note he delivered from Mystique to Kurt. In his castle, Magneto watches the Blackbird land on his security system.
In his castle, Magneto watches the blackbird land on his security system. Wolverine finds a bomb and is just able to make it out of the castle before the whole place comes down.
- The Cauldron I
Alex has climbed up onto the beach. He looks at his hands, then groans and covers his face. Magneto shows up, saying he can help. Alex tells him he doesn't need any help and is leaving when Magneto tells him he can give him answers about what's happening to him, and stop the pain. Alex asks if he's some sort of doctor. Magneto tells him no, he's come to offer sanctuary. In Hawaii, the Blackbird lands on the beach. Scott and Logan get out and find Alex's surfboard. They follow the footprints and Logan says that Magneto has been there. In the jet Xavier tries to telepathically talk to Magneto, the jet is suddenly pulled off the ground. Wolverine runs after it and is able to jump up onto the landing gear. Wolverine tries to climb up into the blackbird while Magneto and Xavier argue telepathically before Wolverine disappears.
The Blackbird hovers into Magneto's base in space, Asteroid M. Magneto greets Xavier and tells him that all of the X-Men are facing a "trial by fire". The X-Men and Brotherhood will fight and the winner will win sanctuary on Asteroid M. Xavier tries to talk him out of it, but Magneto won't listen. Magneto tells Xavier "it's almost over now".
Magneto asks Xavier to join him and Xavier asks him what happens to those that won't. Magneto shows him Rogue, Jean, and Storm in stasis tubes. He tells him that for everyone that he has to force, another recruit comes along willingly. Alex and Scott walk in (wearing matching outfits no less) and Xavier looks shocked and says "Scott, No!"
- The Cauldron II
On Asteroid M, Xavier confronts Scott about why he's there. Scott says he's just there to listen. Xavier points to Jean, Rogue, and Ororo and asks Scott if they're just there to listen also. Scott gets angry and wants Magneto to let them out. Magneto says he's only being cautious and he'll let them out soon. Xavier tries to talk some sense into Cyke, but Magneto puts him into stasis also. Scott freaks and is going to blast Xavier out, but Magneto tells him that if he does Xavier will not survive decompression. Scott turns on Magneto, but Alex steps in and tells him that no one should be getting hurt. Scott says he doesn't like it but does as Alex says anyway. Magneto takes them all into the Asteroid and shows them a Gem of Cyttorak and tells them about the "Genetic Enhancers" he's been able to build using the gems. He claims that the enhancers will fully evolve their mutant powers and put them in total control. He tells Scott he'll let the other X-Men go once Scott has gone through the enhancer. Magneto sends Sabertooth through as a demonstration.
Sabertooth emerges from the enhancer bigger and more feral. Alex talks Scott into going into the enhancer. Magneto brings the other X-Men out of stasis in time to see Scott enter the enhancer. Xavier tries to stop Scott, but the door slams shut as Scott tries to get out. Scott and Alex come out of the enhancer as adults (both with white hair). Magneto gives Alex the code name Havok and tells Scott he can take off his visor. Then he tells them that the enhancer has affected their minds as well, wiping out emotions. They pick up an incoming aircraft and Magneto tries to use his powers against it. When he realizes that there's no metal for him to control he sends out Alex and Scott to "defend them"
Kitty phases the kids out. Mystique climbs out of the top and heads straight for Magneto. Toad helps Mystique against Magneto, but when Magneto flings a machine at her, it knocks her into the enhancer. Magneto goes in after her, trying to stop her from "evolving".
Asteroid M begins to break down from the fighting between the X-Men & The Brotherhood. Magneto escapes with Mystique into one of his spears.
Season 2[]
Magneto also has a daughter, Pietro's twin sister named Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch. When the two were very young, Magneto placed Wanda into a mental institution, due to her inability to control her burgeoning powers, leaving Pietro with resentment towards his father, and Wanda herself with a desire for revenge against the man she views as her former father.
Magneto's metallic orbs for transportation.
Magneto was thought to have perished, but has since resurfaced in a failed attempt to recruit the mutant Angel.
During the so-called "Day of Reckoning," Magneto revealed his new recruits, Pyro, Colossus and Gambit, whom along with Sabretooth made up Magneto's force against the Sentinels. It is unclear whether Magneto knew of Bolivar Trask's Sentinel Program beforehand. During the battle, Magneto appeared to be destroyed by the giant robot, but in truth, he was snatched away at the last instant by Quicksilver. Since then, Magneto has laid low, even somehow blocking detection by such mutant-sensors as Caliban and Cerebro, though he recently sent Quicksilver back to The Brotherhood to serve as leader. He also recruited Mastermind to alter the memories of the Scarlet Witch so she wouldn't hate him anymore and interfere with his plans. What plans those are remains to be seen.
On the "Day of Reckoning II," the Brotherhood and X-Men joined forces to attack Magneto and his new mutant group, which included Sabretooth, Pyro, Gambit, and Colossus. After leading the team into a trap, Quicksilver showed his true allegiance and ran to his father's side. When the X-Men/Brotherhood seemingly defeated Magneto's team, Magneto whisked the team away in his steel escape pods. When they were safely clear, Magneto used his abilities to cause the iron-rich ground to cave in, delivering the X-Men/Brotherhood directly into the lair of Bolivar Trask and his Sentinels. After Magneto had caused the ground to cave in, they heard loud footsteps, and Quicksilver commented that "he" was using the Sentinel, indicating that the entire incident had been arranged by Magneto and Trask as a test for the Sentinels, as well as an excuse to announce to the world that mutants existed. When the Sentinel was poised on the ground to fight the team, Magneto brought the fight to the surface, directly in view of television copters. Scarlet Witch, unable to control her anger towards her father and brother, confronted the pair. Scarlet Witch used her hex-blast to weaken Quicksilver, and attempted to do the same to Magneto when she was interrupted by a Sentinel robot.
While Scarlet Witch was interrupted by Professor Xavier and the Velocity Jet, Magneto diverted two missiles aimed for her, hitting the Sentinel directly in the chest. The Sentinel exploded, crashing into Magneto.
Season 3[]
- Day of Recovery
Toad and Scarlet Witch reviewed the news reels and saw that Quicksilver had run in at the final second, and saved Magneto.
- The Stuff of Heroes
The President gives a speech saying that the X-Men have been cleared of all charges and that the real villain behind the Sentinel fiasco, Bolivar Trask, has been jailed. He says that everyone should be more open-minded about mutants and that from now on they should be free of any prosecution.
Magneto abducted the Scarlet Witch and had her memories altered by Mastermind, in order to make her loyal to him and not to Pietro. Toad, however, assisted by Nightcrawler, came to the rescue of the girl he seems to have a deep crush on.
When Mesmero resurfaced, activating the spider-stone, which was the second key to the Tomb of Apocalypse, Magneto was able to bring down the huge, green spider, and was immediately informed by Xavier that he played right into Mesmero's hands. The spider was a guardian to prevent Apocalypse from returning, and Magneto was the only one who could stop it.
Season 4[]
Magneto crashes the graduation ceremony, suspecting Rogue is under Mesmero's control.
During Jean and Scott's graduation ceremony, Magneto and The Acolytes ruining the ceremony, and Magneto tells them what Rogue had done when she had absorbed all their powers, which was to find the third key to Tomb of Apocalypse. The two teams combined, and Charles Xavier realized that he might know where Apocalypse's tomb was. With the help of Cerebro, Charles unlocked the memories he gained from Mesmero and believed to have found that Apocalypse was entombed underneath Giza. However, when the combined Brotherhood/X-Men team arrived, they found out it was a trap, and fought their way through to an ancient room, where Beast translated the Hieroglyphics and found out that En Sabah Nur was the first mutant, and that an ancient pharaoh named Rama-Tut had found a ship believed to be not of this Earth, though it had really been created in the future, and that Apocalypse had seized control of it in order to turn all the world's people into mutants. Using his own mind to control the ship, Xavier teleported them all to Apocalypse's real tomb in Tibet, where Gambit, Sabretooth, and Wolverine had tracked Mesmero, Rogue, and Mystique to already. However, the team arrived too late to stop Apocalypse from drawing all of their powers from Rogue and becoming powerful enough to live up to his name. As Xavier so eloquently put it, their greatest challenge now lies in front of them.
Soon after Apocalypse's resurrection, Apocalypse's vessel re-materialized atop a pyramid in Mexico. Apocalypse used his considerable power to create an impenetrable force-field around the pyramid, prevent anyone from accessing the pyramid, or even seeing inside. The Mexican authorities set up around the pyramid and reluctantly called the X-Men in for support. The tried without success to passively penetrate the field, until Magneto arrived. He used all of his power to slam the military vehicles into the field, all of which bounced off not even scratching the field. Apocalypse emerged, using Magneto's own powers against him, and then somehow apparently destroyed Magneto with his own power. Xavier watched as his old friend was snuffed out of existence, and saw the pure raw power contained within En Saba Nur.
Magneto was not dead, though, but had instead been teleported away by Apocalypse and converted into one of his Horsemen.
The Future[]
When Charles Xavier was under Apocalypse's control, he scanned the mind of Apocalypse. In The Future, Xavier saw adult versions of the X-Men. Wolfsbane and the rest of the New Mutants are seen with a reformed Magneto.