Wolverine and the 25 greatest X-Men characters of all-time
By Mark Lynch
4. Magneto
To some, it may seem weird to have Magneto over Charles Xavier. Especially since Xavier is the founder of the X-Men and it could be said that they’re opposite sides of the same coin. The reason for this ranking is simple. Magneto has become more universally loved. Furthermore, as crucial as Xavier is to the X-Men, they wouldn’t be where they are without Magneto.
When people buy X-Men comic books, they’re not running to the purchase to see Professor Xavier. They will buy a comic book for the Master of Magnetism. Magneto has always been a complex character who’s willing to go the extra mile to save mutants.
Regrettably, those actions can be more extreme than they should. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have compassion. There have been plenty of times when Magento has admitted he’s been wrong and accepted his fate. He’s even dropped to his knees in praise of Cyclops.
Magneto will always be one of the most popular villains in any genre. His speeches, powers, and ability to lead are everything that we could hope for in an antagonist. It isn’t uncommon for people to see what Magneto does and believe he’s doing what’s right or that he’s not the villain in this story.