Magneto (film character) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erik Lehnsherr Magneto
X-Men film series character
Michael Fassbender (left) and Ian McKellen as Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
First appearance	X-Men (2000)
Last appearance	Dark Phoenix (2019)
Portrayed by	Ian McKellen Michael Fassbender Other: Brett Morris Bill Milner
Information
Aliases	Henryk Gurzsky
Species	Human mutant
Occupation	Government agent Terrorist Steel mill worker President of Genosha
Affiliation	Brotherhood of Mutants X-Men Horsemen of Apocalypse
Family	Edie Lehnsherr (mother) Jakob Lehnsherr (father)
Spouse(s)	Magda Gurzsky
Children	Peter Maximoff (son) unnamed twin Maximoff (daughter) Nina Gurzsky (daughter) Lorna Dane (daughter)
Relatives	Dawn Dane (granddaughter)
Religion	Judaism
Origin	Germany
Auschwitz number	214782

Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto, is a powerful character from the X-Men film series. He is a mutant, which means he was born with special abilities. Magneto can control and create magnetic fields.

Two main actors play Magneto in the films: Ian McKellen plays the older version, and Michael Fassbender plays the younger version. They both appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) at different times. Magneto first appeared in the film X-Men (2000) and was last seen in Dark Phoenix (2019).

Magneto survived a terrible historical event called the Holocaust. Because of his past, he believes that mutants are better than regular humans. He wants mutants to become the main species on Earth.

Understanding Magneto's Character

How Magneto Differs from the Comics

The Magneto you see in the X-Men movies is a bit different from the one in the original Marvel Comics. Here are some key changes:

• Family Members: In the comics, Magneto has twin children named Peter (Quicksilver) and Wanda (Scarlet Witch). In the films, Peter is confirmed to be his son. Peter has an unnamed younger sister, but it's not clear if she is also Magneto's daughter. The films also hint at an older sister for Peter, which is a nod to fans of the comics.
• Early Life: In the film X-Men: First Class, a character named Sebastian Shaw plays a big role in Magneto's past. This part of his story is unique to the movies.
• Mystique's Role: In the films, Mystique is a very close ally to Magneto. In the comics, she didn't have such a strong connection with him.
• Founding the X-Men: The movies show Magneto helping Charles Xavier create the X-Men team when they were friends. This never happened in the comic books.
• Real Name: In the comics, Magneto's real name is Max Eisenhart. Erik Magnus Lehnsherr is a name he chose later. In the films, he is only known as Erik Lehnsherr.

Exploring Magneto's Powers

Magneto is a very powerful mutant, sometimes called a "Class 4" mutant. This means his abilities are incredibly strong. He can control ferromagnetism, which is the power to manipulate certain metals like iron, nickel, cobalt, and even adamantium.

For example, in the film X-Men: The Last Stand, Magneto moves the huge Golden Gate Bridge. To do this, he would need a force much stronger than any magnet humans have ever created!

Magneto Toys and Collectibles

Many cool items have been made based on the Magneto character.

• In 2000, a company called Toy Biz released a 10-inch Magneto action figure.
• For the 20th anniversary of the first X-Men film in 2020, Hasbro created new action figures for their Marvel Legends series. They released a special two-pack with Magneto and Professor X. The Magneto figure even comes with different heads, so you can choose to display him as either the Michael Fassbender or Ian McKellen version!