The best of old school Magneto

[gurkle]

I vastly prefer the current incarnation imo. I'm not sure if it's because of the art. Yet he looks one step short of needing to be given a rabies vaccine in some of those panels. Those were days where villains for the most part had to be one dimensional.

I think most people prefer later incarnations (except Grant Morrison maybe). I prefer him to be more evil than misunderstood, but it was still a good idea to give him more complexity, because after all, he does have a legitimate point about the problems mutants face - he shouldn't be so crazy and obviously evil that no one in their right mind would agree with him.

But early Magneto is just so damn fun because he's so one-dimensional, even by comic book villain standards. Jack Kirby sometimes gave his villains stature and dignity, but Magneto's just a bug-eyed crazy old man. It's silly but funny that the villain with the most legitimate grievance is somehow portrayed as the most unhinged. Plus it led to bits like this (from Kirby's Captain America):

[sureshot]

I think most people prefer later incarnations (except Grant Morrison maybe). I prefer him to be more evil than misunderstood, but it was still a good idea to give him more complexity, because after all, he does have a legitimate point about the problems mutants face - he shouldn't be so crazy and obviously evil that no one in their right mind would agree with him.

But early Magneto is just so damn fun because he's so one-dimensional, even by comic book villain standards. Jack Kirby sometimes gave his villains stature and dignity, but Magneto's just a bug-eyed crazy old man. It's silly but funny that the villain with the most legitimate grievance is somehow portrayed as the most unhinged. Plus it led to bits like this (from Kirby's Captain America):

I think it's better if we have the more complex anti-hero sometimes good occasionaly evil character. Then the previous incarnation. Short of Mystique who would follow the previous version. Th4e mans is more nuts than a extra large jar of peanut butter. Then again for the times most villains were written that way. No complexity so obviously evil and one dimensional even a blind person could see it. all that was missing was something along the lines of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq0aboAocks Replace pirates with brotherhood members.

[jmc247]

Claremont could only explain the change from demented mad man to mutants rights radical by explaining that Silver Age Magneto was a demented old man from over using his powers. Then he was de-aged and re-aged to his 20s and he was suddenly militant, but sane.

Alot of people think that is giving Magneto an out, but there really is no other good way to explain the depth in change I mean even in the early days Doctor Doom had an air of nobility around him and wasn't depicted as batshit insane.

It wasn't an issue of 'good vs evil' its an issue of militant and sane vs. militant demented and insane.

[Sea Hound]

I much prefer nuanced, complicated Magneto to his early incarnation too, but the Lee/Kirby panels are fun. And they have a zest and swagger about them.

I agree with you jmc247, early Magneto was so far out there and evil, that there's no other reasonable way to reconcile early and late characterisation than to say he was out of his head for years. I actually like the Moira explanation of how channeling extraordinary power deranged him, because it gives a consequence to his gifts, and also gives later writers a lot to work with.

Here's a forgotten power, from when he could do anything.

image.jpg

[MagnetoWasRight]

Those were the days

And now we have a new terrorist so called Cyclops who happened to take Magneto's ideals. There are a lot of comparison

Now Magneto is more for saving his kind. He is not the conqueror. Beside he was retconned into an angry character and understandable.

[nj06]

I much prefer nuanced, complicated Magneto to his early incarnation too, but the Lee/Kirby panels are fun. And they have a zest and swagger about them.

I agree with you jmc247, early Magneto was so far out there and evil, that there's no other reasonable way to reconcile early and late characterisation than to say he was out of his head for years. I actually like the Moira explanation of how channeling extraordinary power deranged him, because it gives a consequence to his gifts, and also gives later writers a lot to work with.

Here's a forgotten power, from when he could do anything.

image.jpg

How does Magneto manage this feat? Did he have em powers and telepathy at that time? Or did he use his magnetic abilities to create holographic/astral form? If so, how?

[Sea Hound]

How does Magneto manage this feat? Did he have em powers and telepathy at that time? Or did he use his magnetic abilities to create holographic/astral form? If so, how?

Early Stan Lee Magneto did have telepathic abilities. I remember another time when he tried to telepathically probe Blob's mind for example. I think he could also send telepathic messages. Later on it just got dropped, and I don't remember any explanation. He still has a very high level of natural resistance to telepaths, (probably necessary so that lots of X-Men plots work) and there's speculation that he's either a latent telepath or has indominitable will.

[jmc247]

Early Stan Lee Magneto did have telepathic abilities. I remember another time when he tried to telepathically probe Blob's mind for example. I think he could also send telepathic messages. Later on it just got dropped, and I don't remember any explanation. He still has a very high level of natural resistance to telepaths, (probably necessary so that lots of X-Men plots work) and there's speculation that he's either a latent telepath or has indominitable will.

Brainwaves are electromagnetic?

Well they are.

[Sea Hound]

Brainwaves are electromagnetic?

Well they are.

They are. In Real World physics if you apply a massive Magneto style electromagnetic charge to someone's head they either have a big seizure, or die depending on the strength. (very effective way to disable someone actually. He should definitely be able to induce seizures). I presume telepathy would require incredibly complex manipulation of individual neurons, and he'd have to be able to identify exactly which ones to target, which is really hard because brains are amorphous and all the functions are knotted together really bizarrely. (I've studied it, and it's head wrecking.). Should be impossible, but comics...

Has Lorna ever shown any telepathic abilities? or resistance to telepathy? You know her much better than me. If not, than maybe his early telepathy is a separate gift.

[jmc247]

They are. In Real World physics if you apply a massive Magneto style electromagnetic charge to someone's head they either have a big seizure, or die depending on the strength. (very effective way to disable someone actually. He should definitely be able to induce seizures). I presume telepathy would require incredibly complex manipulation of individual neurons, and he'd have to be able to identify exactly which ones to target, which is really hard because brains are amorphous and all the functions are knotted together really bizarrely. (I've studied it, and it's head wrecking.). Should be impossible, but comics...

Has Lorna ever shown any telepathic abilities? or resistance to telepathy? You know her much better than me. If not, than maybe his early telepathy is a separate gift.

Early writers including Claremont took an expansive view of what manipulating electromagnetism allowed Magneto to do. Some writers still do, but these days I think alot of writers like to simplify it to 'manipulating metal' for audiences, especially as that is what the x-films have done so far, but you still have writers that write an expansive use of their powers like in X-Men the End which is of course a possible future timeline Polaris and Magneto opening up a two sided wormhole from Earth to the Shi'ar galaxy and Scott having the Cuckoo's start up a telepathic connection between Scott and Magneto by using the electromagnetic link.

[Sea Hound]

I'm impressed you found a scan! I suppose we have to accept some kind of ill defined link between telepathy and electromagnetic manipulation then, which writers may or may not use.