Who Is Magneto? Origin, Powers and Key Facts

Magneto is a Marvel comic book character, the alter ego of Erik Lehnsherr, with over 6,137 comic issue appearances. Among the most powerful, recognizable, and infamous mutants to inhabit the planet Earth, Magneto was the X-Men's first major nemesis. Now known as a revolutionist and terrorist, Magneto has fought for the X-Men as many times as he’s been against them.

Who is Magneto?

Origin Magneto's childhood The man that would become known as "Magneto" was born Max Eisenhardt in Germany during the 1920's to a middle class Jewish family. His father, Jakob Eisenhardt , was a World War I veteran and a proud German. The family struggled against discrimination and hardship during the Nazi 's rise to power, the Nuremberg laws, and Kristallnacht. In the early 1930's, the family fled to Poland, where they were captured during the Nazi invasion and sent to the Warsaw Ghetto. They managed to escape the ghetto, but were captured again. Max's mother , father, and sister were executed, but Max survived (potentially thanks to an early manifestation of his powers) and was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. There, Max became a Sonderkommando, forced to dispose of gas chamber victims. While at the camp, Max was reunited with a girl he had fallen in love with during his school days named Magda .

Key facts

Magneto is of mutant origin and first appeared in "X-Men". The character is published by Marvel. With 6,137 recorded issue appearances, Magneto ranks among the most featured characters in comics.