X-Men: The 11 greatest characters of all time

5. Magneto

Magneto is one the most powerful mutants in all the X-Men. He’s intellectually gifted with the ability to manipulate all forms of metal. He has the ideology that mutants and humans should live separately and the former are the superior species. The complex mutant is sometimes friend, and sometimes enemy of the X-Men. The complexity of Magneto’s character is what makes him great. Born in world of hate as Max Eisenhardt in 1920s Germany, a young Magneto experienced discrimination early because he was Jewish.

His early life is made for the movies as he survives his parents who murdered by Nazi’s. Although he would find freedom hatred followed him again and lead to his daughter being trapped inside a burning house. In a fit of rage his mutant abilities would manifest killing those responsible, consequently, however, those abilities would cause his wife to leave him. Unbeknownst to him he would birth two other children who would grow up to become Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver.

Magneto would adopt a new identity as Magnus and move to Israel. While working at a psychiatric hospital he’d meet Professor Charles Xavier. The two would later discover that they had ideological differences and thus parted ways. Magnus would go on to become Nazi killer that would make Lt. Aldo Rene proud — before ultimately adopting the identity of Magneto.