I mean in the end it's impossible to reconcile Magneto in the '60s and '70s with the Magneto who was created in the early '80s with the addition of the Holocaust survivor backstory. The Magneto who made Wanda dance for him is one of the most un-nuanced, batshit crazy villains in superhero comics, who spends every appearance doing nothing but scream, threaten, and try to kill everybody. He's a totally different person, retroactively, starting in the '80s.
Comics have lampshaded this in a number of ways, like the story that blamed his '60s/'70s personality on Moira MacTaggert for reasons that escape my memory for the moment. But when people are fans of the House of M or Magneto's relationship with his kids they are, because it's necessary, dismissing his first two decades as being irrelevant to the character they like. And as a Wanda fan, I'm well aware that it's sometimes necessary to not "count" stories in your opinion of a character.
Claremont’s reinvention said Magneto back in the Silver Age was elderly demented and power mad from over using his powers. Then he was deaged to a baby by the Alpha mutant and reaged to his 20s by Erik the Red. That stopped him from being old demented and crazy.
Moira tried to fix him, but failed. His power will inevitably drive him insane with time hense the old Marvel curse to characters who are hyper powerful.
Last edited by jmc247; 04-07-2024 at 04:02 PM.
I think that part of the problem, for me at least, is that I experienced a very psychologically abusive parent. While I've done my best to battle my beasts and have (mostly) been successful, I can't ever see myself forgiving that parent. Seeing Wanda angry at her father, expressively displaying the distrust she has in him was exciting to me in a way. And this came during the time when I was first falling in love with the character (Busiek's run).
Now, I know comics are different, and suspension of disbelief is required in many cases to enjoy them, but to hear/read people say that she should forgive him. That she needs to forgive him. And to have pity on him, rather than her, will just not ever sit right with me.
It was never his responsibility to be a better father, but it was her duty to forgive him. Whack.
Edit: what was the extent of Magneto's involvement in the Darker Than Scarlet story, and what point in time did this happen in relation to his "redemption" by Claremont?
Last edited by Bunch of Coconuts; 04-07-2024 at 06:47 PM.
I think a modern adaption can attribute Magneto's villainy to the loss of his family.
Could add a layer of irony and twist of fate to their relationship.
Magneto lashes out to random teenagers he rescued due to the painful memory from losing his wife and children.
And in the process, permanently damaging his chance to actually reconcile with his children.
I don't think Wanda ever asked the damning question that if Magneto knew from the very start, would he still treat them the same? It is damning because regardless of his answer, his cruelty was real.
Last edited by MaximoffTrash; 04-07-2024 at 09:33 PM.
Some argue that Wanda should move on from her anger with Mag, which I can agree with.
But more often than not they equate that with forgiving Magneto, to which I say not really, she can just cut him off and have some healthy dose of apathy instead. She has found her way, she has grown stronger, her past doesn't trouble her anymore, doesn't mean she has to suddenly love her troubled past.
I hated how they retconned Wanda and Pietro out of being Mags.' children. From the 80's 'Vision and Scarlet Witch mini (vol. 1)' by Mantlo and Leonardi (art is breathtaking).
I guess I'll just be in the minority among Wanda fans. I personally think the retcon was one of the worst comics ever created. Anyway, I feel his original rehabilitation, Or attempt, was sincere when Xavier appointed him new headmaster. That said I don't mind the dysfunctional family thing. Its far better IMHO than the retcon. Which made no sense.
I agree the retcon is inherently awful because of how much its a blatant case of pandering to the MCU. Pietro and Wanda aren't mutants there so they can't be mutants in the comics and have to be given a new origin to make them "easier to adapt".
Ignoring the twins get little play to begin with (they didn't appear in Avengers Assemble despite straight-up transplanting Ultron and Vision from Age of Ultron), and they suddenly aren't appearing in more comics than they usually get.
Its an absolutely disgusting case of corporate bullshittery where execs are willing to trample all over the setting in the name of goddamn synergy which has been prove over and over again to not work. The sooner we are rid of it, the better. It establishes a nasty precedent and is a sign of how much the comics are at the mercy of greedy MCU obsessed execs.
For me Wanda’s character has been some who is forgiving. What some people equate forgiving with is immediate trust which is something that should be earned. Trusting Magneto that should be a process that shows he changed his behavior permanently when interacting with her and not just a few simple words.
“There is no defense against the Scarlet Witch's HEX!”