Magneto

Magneto is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most often in conjunction with the X-Men. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby and originally appeared as an antagonist of the X-Men in The X-Men #1 (cover-dated September 1963).

The protagonist is a powerful mutant, one of a hypothetical subspecies of mankind born with extraordinary talents, who can generate and control magnetic fields. Magneto considers mutants to be evolutionarily superior to humans and denies the notion of peaceful human-mutant coexistence; initially, he planned to conquer the world so that mutants, whom he refers to as homo superior, could supplant humans as the dominant species. Magneto's role in comics has evolved from supervillain to antihero to superhero, including stints as an ally and even a member of the X-Men.

His character has been compared to Malcolm X and Meir Kahane, the founder of the Jewish Defense League. Magneto opposes Professor X's peaceful stance and advocates for a more militant approach to gaining mutant civil rights. Magneto was named the Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time by IGN.

Magneto was portrayed by Ian McKellen throughout the majority of the X-Men film series, while Michael Fassbender played a younger version of the character.

Publisher: Marvel Comics
First appearance: The X-Men #1
Created by: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby