The MCU’s X-Men Reboot Can’t Remove Magneto’s Origin Story After X-Men ’97’s Powerful Message

Warning: This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 episode 8, “Tolerance is Extinction – Part 1”

Summary

• Magneto’s backstory as a Holocaust survivor is crucial to his character in X-Men ’97 and should be retained in future adaptations.
• Chris Claremont based Magneto on Menachem Begin, making him one of the few Jewish characters in mainstream superhero comics.
• The MCU’s portrayal of Magneto, with his Jewish identity intact, presents an opportunity for better Jewish representation in the franchise.

Magneto’s powerful portrayal in X-Men ’97 shows that when the Marvel Cinematic Universe inevitably introduces its own version of the X-Men, his origin must remain intact. Magneto is the first – and by far the most iconic – X-Men villain, debuting along with the X-Men themselves in 1963. Although Magneto was co-created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, his backstory and characterization were vastly expanded on by Christ Claremont, who established that Magneto is a Holocaust survivor and set him up for a gradual transition into an anti-hero and eventually hero, all elements that remain indispensable to Magneto in modern X-Men stories.

According to Chris Claremont, Magneto is inspired by Menachem Begin, whose parents and oldest brother were murdered in the Holocaust, and who served as sixth Prime Minister of Israel in his lifetime. Magneto is one of the few prominent Jewish characters in mainstream superhero comics, though he has, unfortunately, never been played by a Jewish actor in the many live-action X-Men films. Despite this, the films and the more comic-accurate X-Men: The Animated Series make Magneto’s Jewish identity and background as a Holocaust survivor essential to his character, as does X-Men ’97.

Chris Claremont also based the characterization of Professor X (Charles Xavier) on David Ben-Gurion.

X-Men ’97 Proves How Important Magneto’s Origin Is

X-Men ’97 has made several notable references to Magneto’s tragic past, but each instance is powerful. After X-Cutioner depowers Storm in the episode “Mutant Liberation Begins,” Magneto apprehends him, making a speech that includes – with emphasis – “Never Again,” a phrase used by Jewish people after the Holocaust. In the devastating finale of the episode “Remember It,” Magneto fights to protect the mutants of Genosha from a Sentinel attack and experiences flashbacks to the Holocaust. Before Magneto seemingly dies in X-Men ’97 episode 5, he comforts Leech, telling him “Do not be afraid” in German, referencing his identity as part of the Ashkenazi Jewish diaspora group.

When Magneto is revealed to have survived the attack and been captured by Bastion, his identification tattoo from Auschwitz is repeatedly shown and Mister Sinister is referred to as “(Bastion’s) Doctor Mengele,” referencing a horrific SS Officer who performed experiments on Jewish people in Auschwitz. What all of X-Men ‘97’s references show is how crucial Magneto’s background as a Jewish man and Holocaust survivor is to his characterization and actions. With this in mind, the MCU’s inevitable iteration of Magneto must retain these elements of his identity and origin.

The MCU’s X-Men Reboot Should Embrace Magneto’s Origin Again

The MCU will eventually introduce its own version of the X-Men, and with the adaptation will certainly come a new version of Magneto. While there has been interest among Marvel viewers in seeing a reimagined version of Magneto, his Jewish identity and tragic past as a Holocaust survivor are simply too fundamental to his character to omit. The X-Men have always been an unsubtle metaphor for marginalized groups, giving a voice to the voiceless while also being exciting superhero adventures. Antisemitism existed long before the Holocaust and remains a prominent and insidious form of bigotry long afterward, with recent years being no exception.

Of course, an argument could be made that making a modern live-action version of Magneto a Holocaust survivor would render him too old to be an effective X-Men villain, but the MCU already – albeit inadvertently – provides an easy fix. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced Namor to the MCU, portraying him as a mutant, like his comic counterpart. Part of Namor’s mutant powerset is significantly slowed aging, a secondary power that Magneto could easily possess, allowing him to remain relatively young in the MCU’s X-Men adaptation while remaining a Holocaust survivor.

Magneto Is One Of The Most Complex Villains Marvel Ever Created

The MCU has also struggled to properly depict Jewish characters throughout the franchise’s history. The Maximoff Twins (Magneto’s children in the comics) are whitewashed and rewritten as brief members of Hydra, a terrorist group that was once part of the nazi party. Moon Knight pays lip service, at best, to its titular hero’s Jewish identity, which is an essential element of his comic counterpart. Sabra, an Israeli mutant superhero, will be reimagined as an American government agent who may not even use her superhero moniker in her Captain America: Brave New World debut.

An MCU iteration of Magneto presents one of the few remaining opportunities for the MCU to tastefully – or at least competently – depict Jewish characters and identity. Magneto, like many X-Men characters, is both a mutant and a member of a human marginalized group, subjecting him to both anti-mutant prejudice and the especially relevant antisemitism of the real world. Magneto’s rage, trauma, and pain made him one of the X-Men’s greatest enemies initially, but Chris Claremont’s intention is for him to eventually become a full-fledged hero. X-Men ’97 portrays Magneto’s backstory and complexity wonderfully, and the MCU must do the same.