Futility, Humility, and Villainy: Magneto #21

The following is my review of Magneto #21, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

Every economist, philosopher, and Ayan Rand enthusiast will endlessly debate the color of the sky, but they can usually agree on one thing. People respond to incentives. It doesn't matter if they're Donald Trump or the Dali Llama. If the incentives are right, they'll usually follow what's in their best interests. To do otherwise would be like running a red light during rush hour. It's just plain stupid and helps nobody's agenda, unless they work for an insurance company.

Every now and then, the incentives will align themselves in a way that makes even the most unrepentant villain into a hero. Sometimes those incentives have to be pretty extensive. If someone like Lex Luthor and Thanos are going to save kittens from trees, they need a very good reason and one that serves their typical villainous interests.

For someone like Magneto, however, the incentives don't have to be extensive. He's still not the kind of guy who can be bribed or sweet-talked into being a hero, but he does tend to be more reasonable than most. That's a big part of what makes him an interesting and likable character, although his likability is often limited by how well the Michael Fassbenders and Ian McKellens of the world can portray.

Throughout Cullen Bunn's exploration of Magneto in the post Avengers vs. X-men era (or the current Fox vs. Marvel era as it were), he's forged this villain/anti-hero persona who navigates a vast gray area between being a semi-hero and being a jerk. Magneto will do things that even Wolverine will hesitate to do on his worst day, but he'll do it for the right reasons. And it's because he's entrenched in this gray area that the narrative of Magneto #21 is so compelling.

The world is ending. Secret Wars is about to begin and the only one making a concerted effort to stop it at this point is Magneto. It's a rare situation where all the right incentives are in place. The Avengers, the X-men, the Fantastic Four, and Squirrel Girl have failed. There's nobody left to stop the final incursion. But Magneto is in a position to do something about it. Sure, it requires him to usurp power from Polaris his only non-retconned daughter, but he's willing to do that and not apologize for it. That's what makes him Magneto.

It's that unapologetic, I'll-do-what-I-need-to-do-and-be-as-mean-as-I-need-to-be attitude that highlights the best and worst of Magneto. Throughout the course of this story, it's just him staring down the oncoming incursion the same way a cow stares at an oncoming train. As he's doing this, others including Polaris are watching him. And they're hoping he succeeds. These are the same people who he once terrified as the mutant equivalent of Jason Vorhees. It's a strange situation for both sides, but one that feels oddly appropriate for the situation.

This sentiment is reinforced by a series of flashback scenes that remind readers that Magneto is definitively NOT a hero. Cullen Bunn goes out of his way to make this abundantly clear so that there's no ambiguity. This is still the man who tried to launch a nuclear attack against the human race. This is still the man who ripped the adamantium out of Wolverine's body and probably enjoyed every second of it. This is a man for whom the cries of his enemies are like the opening chords to Stairway to Heaven. And yet, he's also a man who will save the world when called upon.

It's the ultimate culmination of the journey that Cullen Bunn has given Magneto over the course of this series. It's a journey that has kept Magneto in this nebulous gray area between being the kind of guy who rubs elbows with Cyclops and being the kind of guy who strangles Cyclops in his dreams. In the end, even as he's trying to save the world, Magneto remains in this area. He never tries to go full-villain or full-hero either. Like Lady Gaga's fashion sense, he just does things his way.

His methods are cruel. His personality is harsher than a Russian winter. But at the end of the day, Magneto still wants to create a world for his people where they don't have to endure the cruelty that he did. It's a goal that allowed him to be both a friend and an enemy of the X-men. It's also a goal that put him in a position to be the only one who has a chance at stopping the final incursion. Like Gordon Gecko, he's as good as he needs to be and not a fraction more.

There's plenty of depth on Magneto's motivations. There's plenty of details on why he does what he does. However, some of those details are a bit narrow in that they don't focus much on Polaris or his former children in the Maximoff twins. And no amount of depth and detail can change the fact that he spends the entire issue just hovering in mid-air playing a game of chicken with an incursion. 

As such, this is an issue that needs to be taken within the context of the entire series. On it's own, it's just an issue of Magneto having no regrets for anything he did, even as he's saving the world. That in and of itself is still a pretty compelling story, but it's a story that doesn't have the same impact without the cumulative impact from the previous issues. Like someone who has only seen the second half of the Matrix, it's going to feel incomplete and confusing at times.

In the end, Magneto can't stop the final incursion. However, Magneto #21 details his struggle and puts it in just the right context. There's no ambiguity as to why Magneto is doing what he's doing. There's no final realization or change of heart either. To his dying breath, he's still Magneto and he still makes no apologies for anything he's done. He might not be the kind of guy anyone would hire to babysit their kids. However, Cullen Bunn's run on this series has proven that this is the kind of guy you want on your side.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

It's Official: Magneto Is Going To Be a Villain Again

There was once a time when Magneto wasn’t just some misunderstood anti-hero. He wasn’t someone who would bow to Cyclops or have tea with Charles Xavier. For a good chunk of the history of the X-men, he was certified asshole villain on the same level as Dr. Doom. He once ripped the adamantium out of Wolverine’s body and did it with a goddamn smile. Yet there’s an entire generation of comic book readers that know him only as that creepy old fuck who is okay with being the silver medal winner while Cyclops wears gold.

My short-term memory might be fucked from years of weed, but I’m still old enough to remember that Magneto is a fucking villain and he’ll always be a villain on some levels. I’ve always expected that at some point Magneto will slip back into old habits. Granted, that was pretty tough when mutants were going extinct and Cyclops managed to rally them under his wing. But that era is as dead as Myspace and Friendster. Now new mutants are emerging and as we’ve seen in Uncanny X-men, the police are having an awesome time harassing them every chance they get. And now Magneto is in a perfect position to finally give the finger to Cyclops and strike out on his own.

Earlier today, USA Today reported that Magneto is getting his own solo series. He’s cutting ties with Cyclops and striking out on his own, looking to build a new army of mutants who don’t like being harassed by the authorities who only know how to solve problems by shooting at them. They all might as well be living in downtown Detroit. That’s a ripe environment for Magneto to be the villainous asshole we know him to be and just in time for the next X-men movie, no less. Is that a coincidence? Fuck no. But do I give a shit? Fuck no. I’m just glad to see Magneto being Magneto again. He’s probably tired of Cyclops’s speeches and Wolverine’s bitching as well. Below is the article that USA Today published.

USA Today: Bunn takes a walk on the dark side with 'Magneto' series

The master of magnetism is on a one-man mission for mutantkind.

Written by Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun) and illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Astonishing X-Men), the upcoming comic book Magneto stars the old-school leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants going his own way and playing by his rules. The solo series launches in March as part of Marvel Comics' "All-New Marvel NOW" initiative.

After having been a part of Cyclops' team on Brian Michael Bendis' Uncanny X-Men title, which found Magneto playing third fiddle and his magnetic powers severely reduced from where they once were, Erik Lehnsherr is hitting the streets to find enemies of his people and dealing with them, often with extreme prejudice.

The result is a comic with more noir qualities than most X-Men books, Bunn says. "Magneto in this story is very much a detective, seeking out and investigating threats to mutants before cutting loose with all the fury of a supervillain — or superhero, depending on your point of view."

Since his first appearance 50 years ago in X-Men No. 1, Magneto's been their chief bad guy, the mutant team's leader and ally, and everything in between in his quest to exhort the superiority of the mutant race over homo sapiens.

And while some fans may bristle when Bunn calls him one of his favorite Marvel Comics bad guys, it's those various balancing acts over the years — good and evil, hero and villain, savior and terrorist — that make Magneto a compelling character for the writer.

"We can sympathize with him even though he has been responsible for terrible crimes against humanity," Bunn explains. "He walks such a fine line. He's standing up for his people — the mutants. He refuses to let them suffer as he has seen others suffer. But he's taken steps to protect mutants that can only be seen as evil. His ideals are often 'good' while his methods are not."

One thing he will be is merciless, according to Bunn. Magneto's gone solo but his powers are still "broken" and he's retraining himself to be half the man he once was in making a difference in a world brimming with newly emerging mutants. He's also determined to be judge, jury and executioner in eliminating threats, determining who deserves justice and even surprising some comic fans along the way with his chosen targets.

"Magneto should be seen as some kind of monster by the world at large. When he cuts loose, cities tremble," Bunn says. "He might stand by the heroes from time to time, but he's terrifying for the average person.

"He's out there — wandering about, waiting — but sooner or later he's going to strike and when he does, chaos erupts. Magneto is cloaked in that sense of fear and dread."

The first few issues will feature Magneto front and center, Bunn says, but there are a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who will be doggedly on his trail, a supporting character named Briar who becomes a "tremendous asset" and a "decidedly strange" new incarnation of the Acolytes, a group of mutants who saw Magneto as a messiah for the mutant population.

Bunn also will be delving into his past. There have been various Magneto origin stories told over the years, and the writer has some upcoming arcs down the line "that will open those floodgates in major ways."

The character's connection to his children, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, will eventually play a role — though Scarlet Witch appears to be dead at the moment (see: Uncanny Avengers No. 14). "They are a big part of what makes Magneto who he is," Bunn says.

Similarly, he adds that Magneto's relationship and history with Charles Xavier, who's also currently deceased, will play a role in his journey, too. "Of course, we'll be seeing these interactions through flashbacks, but I think we'll illuminate some new aspects of Magneto's life."

Magneto offers a darker tone than most of the stuff Bunn has penned for Marvel — it has more in common with his Oni Press book The Damned with Sixth Gun artist Brian Hurtt than his recent run on Fearless Defenders. "Magneto brings an aura of menace with him," says the writer, adding that that the first few "street level" issues will be "a little more grounded than one might expect."

The character does fall in line with the kind of antihero that Bunn has explored before, including guys such as Wolverine, Eddie from The Damned and Drake Sinclair in The Sixth Gun.

"It's a lot of fun to guess how readers will perceive Magneto's actions throughout these stories," Bunn says. "Hopefully, sometimes readers will cheer for him. Sometimes they'll hate him. And sometimes they'll do both at the same time."

Supreme Reflections Volume 1 - Magneto is LIVE!

I'm back from my vacation! It was an eventful time, but I'm ready to dive back into the world of X-men Supreme! I continued working on this fanfiction series throughout the holiday. I made sure I would be able to update the final entry into Supreme Reflections today. I'm serious when I say I strive to maintain X-men Supreme's bi-weekly schedule. I hate delays for comic books as much as the next X-men fan. So here with no more delays, here it is! The final issue of X-men Supreme: Supreme Reflections Volume 1.

Supreme Reflections - Magneto

This marks the end of this spin-off, but I do plan on doing another version of it with different characters after Volume 2. Speaking of which, X-men Supreme Volume 2 is well underway! I've been working on it extensively since Volume 1: Mutant Revolution ended. I've got the first arc all planned out and it promises to begin with quick shot of awesome! I won't give the title of the volume or the next issue just yet. I will post an announcement and extensive preview here next week. Then a week later and just in time for Christmas no less, X-men Supreme Volume 2 will officially begin! We're coming up on the one-year anniversary of the X-men Supreme fanfiction series and I have many plans in the works. I appreciate everyone who has supported me thus far and if ever you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. Until next time, take care and best wishes! Excelsior!

Jack

Supreme Reflections: Magneto Preview

I know I usually update on Fridays. For this week I'll have to make an exception. The X-men Supreme fanfiction series remains a large part of my life, but there are other parts that demand my attention. As many of you probably know, the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. As such I'll be MIA. I won't be able to focus much on fanfiction. Turkey, football, and family will dominate my life for the next few days. I'll still find some time to work on this fanfiction series when I get a chance, but I won't be able to do nearly as much as I usually can.

But fear not! I promised that Supreme Reflections will still update on a biweekly schedule. The last entry of this edition will be one to remember! The X-men's arch nemesis, Magneto, will get the focus. He's been the center and bane of the X-men's struggle and his reflection will help add some perspective in wake of the events of Volume 1: Mutant Revolution. His musings will offer a nice spring board into Volume 2, which is already in the works! I've already prepared a preview for Magneto that I hope will make the wait easier. You can find it below and I hope it is a fitting way to close out the first volume of Supreme Reflections.

I was born into the darkest corners of humanity’s savage nature. My family was Jewish and by whatever cruel manifestation of misfortune, I grew up in central Europe during one of the worst periods in anti-Semitism. This was a time when the Nazi party was on the rise and Jews were being blamed for everything bad that was happening in the world. If there was an economic crises, a natural disaster, or an epidemic the cause was always the same. It was because of the Jews.

Because of this savage bigotry, the only place my family could live in any semblance of peace was a decaying Ghetto in Poland. At the time most of the Jews felt the only means of dealing with this growing tide of hatred was to flee. Every day it seemed someone would disappear for America or some other far-away locale. There was pressure on my father to do the same because he actually saved money and procured wealth through years of dedicated labor.

But running wasn’t in his repertoire. My father was a fighter. He fought in World War I and was dishonorably discharged for fighting more than just the enemy. He was not one to stand idly by while others tried to take from him that which was rightfully his. He taught me and my older sister to be the same. He believed in tough love, teaching us to fight back when we were denied what was rightfully ours. I always fought hardest and he singled me out as being especially strong. He was stern with one hand and loving with another, teaching me lessons in strength and dignity. All the while he never let anyone hold him back. He stood his ground and fought back, even when an entire army came to confront him.

Eventually, he had to face such an army…the Nazi army no less. I was so young, but I’ll never forget the day the troops reached our ghetto. The sheer savagery of these men can never be understated. It was like they were exterminators and we were the rats. They treated men, women, and children with the same care they would a fly. I saw them butcher, rape, and torture. I saw them rip the unborn babies from the wombs of pregnant women and with a smile no less. Everyone in my family was petrified, but not my father. Even in face of such horrors, he grit his teeth and fought back. He didn’t have a gun because nobody let Jews own guns back then. So he used a knife and a wooden stick to kill three heavily armed Nazi soldiers. He would have killed plenty more had they not gotten in a lucky shot that mortally wounded him.

I can still see the look on my father’s face when he entered his final moments. A Nazi soldier callously slit his throat while gutting him with a bayoneted rifle. It was a horrible way to die, but my father’s look of defiance never waned. He even managed to spit blood in their face with his final breath. For every boy unfortunate enough to see their father die, this was the way you want to see him go…fighting till the bitter end. I did not shed tears. I tried to fight back myself, but being so young and weak those sick Nazis just hit me over the head with the butt of their guns. I wasn’t worth killing for them…not yet.

Before they got to punishing me, they thought it would be fitting if they had their way with the rest of my family. They made me watch in my woozy state as they raped my mother and my older sister. They were slow and methodical, making sure to torture them horribly before they finally ended their lives. I could remember every gruesome detail, but it would be useless to dwell on because even through these horrors I did not falter. My father raised me to be stronger than that. I only lowered my head in sorrow when the horrors had ended. My family was dead and there was nothing I could do about it.

They could have killed me for good measure, but they didn’t. They felt I hadn’t suffered enough so they sent me away to a concentration camp. I’m sure if those soldiers were alive today, they would regret not killing me. They thought sending a boy to grow up in a concentration camp would break me. They thought it would crush my spirits and reduce me to a meek, worthless Jew. They were dead wrong.

While I may have a long list of tasks to complete, I still encourage everyone to contact me with their questions or comments. I'm always open to ideas that make X-men Supreme more awesome! Excelsior!

Jack