We’re talking about one really magnetic personality today, who has had a significant impact on the scientific community. Magneto of the X-Men! Not what you were expecting? This mutant has a superpower that we at Apex Magnets find very…attractive. The magnetic mutant has appeared in over 4,500 comic issues as well as TV shows, and movies. He’s certainly an old hat in the Marvel universe. The Origin of Magneto Born in the 1920s to a middle-class Jewish family in Germany, Max Eisenhardt had a rough upbringing. His family was sent to the Warsaw Ghetto. The family escaped, only to be captured again and Eisenhardt’s mother, father, and sister were executed. Until this point, Eisenhardt’s mutant abilities had been dormant due to a childhood case of scarlet fever. U This changed when a mob attacked him along with his wife and daughter. Lashing out with his newly tapped power, he protected his family, pushing the assailants back. After fleeing the area, he returned to find his home on fire and his daughter trapped inside. Unable to free her, he used his powers to attack the gathered mob, frightening his wife and scaring her off. The Magnetic Power Magneto’s power might seem obvious, but, for anyone who doesn’t know, he has the ability to manipulate magnetic fields. Exerting control over ferrous and nonferrous metal is just a small aspect of what he does. His power extends into the atomic level, allowing him to alter the chemical structures of matter. Magneto even holds some power over non-metallic objects and can levitate himself. He can also generate powerful electromagnetic pulses and manipulate visible light around his body to render himself invisible, something scientists have been able to replicate in real life. It’s unclear exactly how strong Magneto’s power is, although he has moved asteroids and even lifted a 30,000-ton nuclear submarine. On-Screen Portrayals Originally, Magneto was portrayed as a tyrant interested in punishing humans for their treatment of the powerful group dubbed “mutants.” While Magneto’s foil, Charles Xavier/Professor X, believed in mutant-human coexistence, Magneto believed that mutants were the next step in human evolution. Later in Marvel’s canon, Magneto was made more sympathetic villain even though creator Stan Lee never considered him to be one. “He was a danger of course... but I never thought of him as a villain." Magneto is our favorite comic book character for pretty obvious reasons. We hope to continue seeing him in the Marvel universe comics and films and also that our magnetic superpowers eventually begin to show. If you want to read more about other magnetic masterminds, read our posts on supervillains and superheroes!