Do You Consider Magneto A Hero Or Villain?

[JasonEsta]

https://arousinggrammardotcom.files....tostories9.jpg

In his own words. Or rather Kieron Gillen's. I think this is a good answer, if not a definitive one.

Here the Hero/Villain dichotomy is embraced nigh fully, and I'm not too keen on that, however his final statement is very much the stance I take on the question.

If he's a villain, why would Rogue sleep with him? Why would Storm work with him over and over again? Why did reach out to a false version at her ending? The story of Magneto is that his life's early events will never allow him to be as naive as the X men and Xavier.

[JasonEsta]

On panel? Estimated in the hundreds, possibly in the thousands.

This means nothing and insults the X men, readers, and just comic book logic. All of those deaths yet he's on every major X team...lol. Come on...

Then Magento shows up starts launching very public attacks while giving speeches about how mutants are destined to rule and replace humanity and issuing commands to a group with EVIL right there in the name. First impressions are really hard for people to get past and Magneto set the tone fro mutant and human interacts from then on.

This is funny..just forgot to mention that he really started his run going after Nazi war criminals with a CIA hybrid that ended up turning on him and killing his Brazilian doctor girlfriend while labeling him inferior, a mutie, seeing him as evil as the cold war Russians, and underestimating him. Ever since that day, Magneto has seen the racist stigma and bigotry directed at mutants on the grand scale. He was provoked but u got cute wording making it seem like he started a world War from the get go. Hilarious.

[Carabas]

When i think of his deeds.

-He went out of his way to save Kitty
-He saved countless mutants
-Mentored the new mutants, who are all really great people (probably the most "heroic" group of x-men)
-Started mutant havens that weren't plotting to attack
-He always seem to have mercy
-Loved Rogue!
-Cared about his children...
-He would do anything for his friends
-He didn't kill many of the x-men when had the chance
-He sacrificed himself or something in Secret Wars
-Sure there is plenty more.

The good doesn't cancel out the bad.

This only holds if you're considering collateral damage, which in most people's view does not count as murder. His notable kills only really include the Russian sub and some bigots here and there. Nowhere near hundreds.

It really adds after more than half a century worth of stories.

[JasonEsta]

When has Magneto ever given anyone their freedom? Magneto has been, canon, a slave-maker and slave owner.

When did he give anyone their freedom?

Rogue. Kitty Pryde. Storm. Maggot. Savage Land mutates. Exodus.

Is this a joke?

[Londo Bellian]

Must be very happy now that trading cards are no longer a thing, so that characters can no longer be labeled "super-hero" or "super-villain", because the world of today no longer wants such distinctions.

[Cold Water]

When did he give anyone their freedom?

Rogue. Kitty Pryde. Storm. Maggot. Savage Land mutates. Exodus.

Is this a joke?

No, it is not a joke.
We do not always want to hear things about "our" characters, so we overlook things.
We excuse things.
We make things seem better than they are for/about these characters.

[Michael Watkins]

The good doesn't cancel out the bad.

this is only applied to Magneto. people have no problem seeing Gambit and Rogue as heroes. Storm removed someone's heart and lapped up the blood. Bishop eagerly attempted to murder an infant. Psylocke attempted to seduce a married man. Wolverine is a century's old mass murderer. Jubilee's a soulless vampire.

[t hedge coke]

Savage Land mutates.

Magneto enslaved Savage Land citizens and made some mutates. He's also frequently used their psychics to force others into his thrall.

So... how did he free any of them? From what?

[Michael Watkins]

Villain.
In the early days when he was actually fighting the X-Men as one his primary goal was to 'take over the world!' and step on everyone who got in the way of that.
As far as I can tell, his modern version has merely shifted shifted a bit due to the shortage of mutants leaving him with the simple option of sticking with the X-Men and stay alive. If the mutant race was to come back in a big way, I am pretty sure he'd be back to his old tricks soon enough... also I dont recall there being a big redeeming arc in his story for his past actions.

a poor understanding of the character, for sure. this "modern" version you speak of has existed since Claremont started writing the character. that early Magneto was a stock villain in an unpopular comic written for small children. the characters evolved.

[Michael Watkins]

Prior to Magneto mutants were more rumors than anything. There were some sights sure, but there were few and far between. maybe some people were nervous but that's it.

Then Magento shows up starts launching very public attacks while giving speeches about how mutants are destined to rule and replace humanity and issuing commands to a group with EVIL right there in the name. First impressions are really hard for people to get past and Magneto set the tone fro mutant and human interacts from then on.

as shown in flashback, Magneto's first public attack was in direct response to the government's clandestine bad plans for mutantkind. mutants were being murdered or weaponized in secret. I think it's that story where Cyclops is reminiscing about his first encounter w/ Magneto. the latter takes him aside to let him know what's going on; in an attempt to recruit Scott. at one point, he was just a kid making bracelets for his school crush. then he was just a prisoner. then he was just a family man. and then a hospital volunteer. then an assassin for the government. humans made Magneto. btw, explain Genosha and/or Weapon Plus. how is Magneto responsible for that?

[Carabas]

this is only applied to Magneto. people have no problem seeing Gambit and Rogue as heroes. Storm removed someone's heart and lapped up the blood. Bishop eagerly attempted to murder an infant. Psylocke attempted to seduce a married man. Wolverine is a century's old mass murderer. Jubilee's a soulless vampire.

In a word: no.

But at least those didn't start out picking "super villain" as their chosen career path.

[Namor'sWrath]

In the comic world, the good kind of does erase the bad.

[lollie_poppy]

If we get more technical, and stop counting every good and bad thing he made to fit into our own opinions, and stick more to what most of stories tried to represent him as, he's never been a hero.

He's been a villain, an anti-villain and an anti-hero, given that this two last concept have a very similar and often blurry definition he's been pretty much both. But he's never been a hero. Maybe the anti-villain definition fits him more for older stories and the anti-hero one for the more modern despiction (Cullen Bunn's characterization to be more specific).

[Michael Watkins]

If we get more technical, and stop counting every good and bad thing he made to fit into our own opinions, and stick more to what most of stories tried to represent him as, he's never been a hero.

He's been a villain, an anti-villain and an anti-hero, given that this two last concept have a very similar and often blurry definition he's been pretty much both. But he's never been a hero. Maybe the anti-villain definition fits him more for older stories and the anti-hero one for the more modern despiction (Cullen Bunn's characterization to be more specific).

he risked dying when he saved Kitty. that was a heroic act.

[Michael Watkins]

In a word: no.

But at least those didn't start out picking "super villain" as their chosen career path.

I'm pretty sure that he would have described himself as a freedom fighter. it's long been considered canon that he was trolling people with the 'evil' part of Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.