Eric Lensherr
Name: Eric Lensherr (real name unknown)
Alias: Magneto
DOB: August 8, 1932 (believed to be accurate)
Birthplace: Romania - exact location unknown
Height: 6’2” / 1.9 meters
Weight: 230 lbs / 95 kgs
Hair: White
Eyes: Blue-grey
Skin: Tanned
Race: Mutant
Other Distinguishing Features: Eric is continually rejuvenated, supposedly by the Earth’s magnetic field, so that despite his much greater chronological age, he appears to be in his mid-50's.


Marital status: Widower
Family: Parents – deceased; Magda (wife, deceased), Anya (daughter, deceased), Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch, daughter), Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver, son), Alison Browning (wife, deceased); Lorna Dane (Polaris, daughter)

Identity: Secret
Occupation: (current) Revolutionary, (former) Israeli Army Volunteer, Construction Contractor, many others ...
Legal status: Criminal record Internationally as a terrorist
Base of operations: (current) Lensherr Family Estate, twelve miles north of New York City
Group affiliation: Brotherhood of Mutants


Character history

Formulative Years

Magneto is a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp. As a young boy with his power over magnetism not yet developed, he and his family were persecuted for being Jewish. Magneto witnessed the murder of his family by the Nazis during the Holocaust. He alone survived.

After World War II, he married Magda, a fellow survivor of the Nazi death camps. She soon bore a daughter, Anya. Magneto consciously used his mutant abilities for the first time to rescue Magda from a fire. However he was unable to rescue Anya from the blaze due to his inexperience coupled with interference from a mob of angry humans. He instead unleashed his powers to decimate the human crowd in revenge. Terrified by Magneto's powers and what he had done, Magda fled. Magneto was horrified not only at his actions, but at the fact that Magda left him. He spent weeks alone in shock mourning before he began his search for his wife.

Months later Magda would discover that she was pregnant. She stayed with a group of nuns, eventually telling them about her husband and what he had done. They sympathised and promised their support. Magda died giving birth to the mutant twins Wanda and Pietro. Her dying wish was for the nuns to find Magneto, and help him to raise the twins. She hoped that with the help of the nuns in their quiet life of seclusion, her husband would come to find peace in himself again.

Magneto arrived only days after Magda’s death. The nuns however told him that the children were stillborn, and showed him their graves alongside Magda's. The nuns hid the children, unwilling to turn them over to such a murderous being. Magda was sure of Magneto’s inner goodness, but the nuns saw him as only evil. It was their hope that Magneto would view the graves and that the grief would make him turn from his abilities. Magneto stayed kneeling at the graves for nearly a week. Magneto spent the time in reflection, as the nuns had hoped. However, he came to view their deaths as further evidence of the power of human cruelty toward minorities.

He had lost his entire family in the Holocaust; now had lost his wife and three children to a mob’s interference. He was tormented by the fact that he might have prevented the deaths of millions of Jews slaughtered in their homes and concentration camps had he only been aware of his full powers. The entire Nazi military would not have presented an insurmountable challenge to Magneto in his prime; but considering his youth, as well as the fact that he was malnourished and sickly while in the camps, Magneto could not have used his powers effectively, even if he had been aware of them. But he could not excuse himself from blame. This guilt galvanized his thinking, and he left the sanctuary, convinced of his new destiny.

While searching for his wife, Magneto realized that he was being pursued due to the deaths he had caused, and that his name was known to some of his pursuers. Curiously, while they knew he was responsible, they did not know about his abilities. He paid a forger to create the a new identity of Eric Magnus Lehnsherr for him, using the name of a family friend. He knew the boy and his family had been killed in Auschwitz. The forger realized who he was and attempted a double-cross. He contacted the ones hunting Magneto, hoping for a reward. He was killed in crossfire, and Magneto escaped. Magneto’s true name remains unknown to this day.

Mid-life

Eric wandered the world for years, experimenting with his abilities and striking out at those who would pursue domination or subjugation of others. He came to realize that he was not aging as he should. Outwardly much of his age showed, but he was far stronger and healthier than he should have been.

Eventually he made his way to the newly created nation of Israel. He used his abilities subtly while there, working behind the scenes, helping to put up houses and hospitals. He felt forced to present himself to the Israeli government when the conflict with Arab states grew frighteningly strong. He offered his abilities to aid in the battles. He received reluctant agreement, on the condition that he keep his actions hidden. They wanted to build national unity and pride, and were afraid of the new nation feeling indebted to one man. He accepted the condition. When the Seven Day War came, he used his abilities to disrupt the aim of the Egyptian weapons, protecting Israeli forces.

While he was pleased at the outcome, he broiled against the idea that many more Israeli soldiers lost their lives because he was forced to use his powers subtly. He was starting to feel just how much power he could utilize, and wanted to use them to show the world that it could not threaten Israelis or mutants without repercussions. When he approached the Israeli government with the idea of opening its borders publicly to mutants, he was met with staunch opposition. Angry and disillusioned, he left Israel and went to the United States.

It was Eric’s hope that in the United States, he would find for mutants the openness that was proclaimed to exist for other minorities. Once again he was disappointed, as he learned that the so-called open society of America had the same ingrained prejudices. He decided it was time to put mutant rights into the public eye.

Eric put on a garish red and black outfit, complete with a menacing metal helmet, and took over the island of Alcatraz in San Francisco bay. The prison had recently been decommissioned, leaving only a skeletal crew, whom he forced to leave the island on boats. He called for a camera crew and a press conference. He identified himself for the first time as Magneto, and explained that this was a protest intended to bring the plight of mutants to the fore. He invited mutants the world over to come to Alcatraz and join in his protest, Over a dozen joined him. He assured the camera crew that this was a peaceful protest, and that no one would be harmed. But he warned that he and any who joined him would resist any attempts to force them from the island. The protest ended in disaster.

Those who joined him were not nearly as powerful as Magneto. But while he had raw power, he was still inexperienced. After being rebuffed several times to retake the island by boat, the government turned the situation over to an elite military squad. They distracted Magneto using missiles and fighter aircraft while marine units infiltrated the island. (It wasn’t until years later that Eric learned that the military squad that attacked was run by a militant anti-mutant commander who disobeyed orders.)

When Magneto turned his attention to the island, he was assailed by missiles. He barely protected himself with a magnetic field. He was believed to have been killed, but he had created a metal mesh suit which he wore under his clothes for greater protection. He dragged himself onto the mainland shore and passed out. In the end, all but two of the mutants who joined him were killed on the island while 'resisting arrest', and they died in the following days.

Eric was found on the beach by a young woman named Alison Browning. His clothes and metal protective suit were almost totally destroyed by the explosion, and he was badly hurt. She realized who he was, but was sympathetic to his cause. Alison nursed Eric back to health, and the two fell in love despite Eric's intent to remain solitary. They were married a little over a year after she found him on the beach. It wasn't long before Alison was expecting a child, a daughter.

Eric maintained a low profile, reading and learning as much as possible. He began softening just a bit in his approach and thinking. That changed a month before Alison's due date. Alison was involved in a car accident. According to Eric's later assertions, she was being chased by anti-mutant activists because of comments Alison made at a protest, but no evidence has been found of any anti-mutant protests at that time. Regardless, Alison was severely injured in the accident. She gave birth to Lorna and died shortly thereafter. Once again, Eric arrived too late to save the woman he loved, although there was nothing he could’ve done.

Due to a hospital mix-up, Eric was told that both Alison and Lorna had died, and was shown both bodies. The hospital had mixed Lorna with another woman’s child. They realized the error a few hours later, but by that time Eric had already left. They informed Alison's sister and brother-in-law, who took the child in and raised her as their own. They originally told Lorna that her parents were both dead, but eventually admitted that Eric was still alive. Because they were always suspicious of him, they told her that he was evil. They did not and do not know Eric is Magneto.) Eric packed up his things and moved out of the house he shared with Alison.

Eventually Eric learned that the Lensherr family had an estate just outside of New York City, and that he – or rather, the original Eric – was the sole surviving beneficiary of the estate and all the wealth therein. He moved to New York City and claimed 'his' inheritance. He has lived there off and on for two decades now, and uses that as his base of operations.

The Way Things Are Now ...

Magneto has remained in the public eye by presenting rather strong and militant opposition to any attempts to single out or persecute mutants. He has conducted acts of terrorism throughout the world, and has been responsible for billions of dollars in damage and thousands of deaths. He is rumored to be the focus of a series of top-secret United Nations Security Council Resolutions, called the Magneto Protocols, in which steps are listed in order to respond to any widespread threat he poses. Whether this these exist and they contain remains to be revealed. What is known is that he is widely considered to be the world’s most infamous genetic terrorist, and that the U.N. as well as individual countries consider him to be a grave threat.

Eric is now in his third stint in the Brotherhood of Mutants. It is a militant pro-mutant organization. Once again Magneto is recognized as the leader. He continually manages to draw mutants to his cause, persuading them that his cause is indeed their own.

Eric and the Brotherhood are planned to implement a strategy to force humans to see the truly undefeatable raw power they faced. He wished for them to understand that a war with mutants is a war that they cannot win.

His primary opponent in his war of ideologies was Senator Tom Acker. Sen. Acker was seriously injured by Magneto while giving a speech in Central Park. After that time, Magneto focused on battling the Senator with words, in the forum of public debate. He enjoyed the banter, actually, and found the combat by voice stimulating. Until the Senator was killed before his eyes. Rather annoying, actually.

Magneto did go ahead. And struck the first major blow in what he knows will be a long drawn-out war. After months of careful planning, the Brotherhood of Mutants attacked SHIELD Headquarters. They succeeded in freeing a number of mutants, most notably Mystique. But it was the end result that made headlines. For with the help of the Brotherhood, Magneto was able to tear the skyscraper down. It's drop was carefully controlled by Magneto and the others, but still managed to cause heavy damage to the surrounding areas.

Since then, Magneto and the Brotherhood has laid low a while. He is waiting for the first true response by the government. He considers them nearly toothless, and without the stomach for a true war. Still, if a war does come, he is more than prepared. He is not the frightened child.

Magneto’s Philosophy

Magneto's experiences in the death camps and subsequent events since have shaped his outlook on the current situation that mutants faced. He is determined that such atrocities will never be committed against mutant-kind, and will use deadly force to protect mutants. He has expressed his belief that mutants (Homo Superior) will eventually become the dominant life form on the planet.

He constantly wavers between wanting to exist in harmony with Homo Sapiens, wanting a separate homeland for mutants, and wanting to enforce his superiority over all humanity. Magneto's status as hero or villain is a complex one. His goals are frequently noble (elimination of prejudice and oppression), but his means are often ruthless and cruel.

Powers and abilities

One of the most powerful people on the planet, Eric is a mutant with the superhuman power of magnetokinesis. He can shape and manipulate magnetic fields that exist naturally or artificially, allowing him to lift and move heavy objects, control ferrous particles in the atmosphere, fly in or beyond the Earth's atmosphere, and achieve an indefinite range of other effects. The upper level of his abilities is as yet undetermined, but it is conjectured that with sufficient concentration he could move several hundred tons at a time.

While it is believed that he can generate incredible magnetic force on his own, it is as yet unclear, whether he personally generates the force he uses or if he draws magnetic force from outside himself. With the primal forces of nature at his command, Magneto has at times stopped armies, torn down buildings, and even torn a russian battleship in two. Magneto once blanketed half of New York state in darkness through a self-generated electromagnetic pulse that caused widespread devastation.

Although Magneto's primary power is magnetism, he seems to have some ability to project and/or manipulate any form of energy that is related to magnetism, or the entire electro-magnetic spectrum, albeit to a more limited sense than pure magnetism. He can create powerful force fields, shoot bolts of electricity and create enough intense heat as infrared radiation to destroy a metal door - apparently achieved through manipulation of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. In addition, he can create anti-gravity fields and does so whenever he levitates non-magnetic objects. Hence, Magneto may be living proof of the long sought Unified Field Theory that all forms of energy are related. However, Magneto almost always uses only magnetism, so perhaps it is more difficult for him to manipulate other forms of energy.

Moreover, Magneto can use his magnetic powers in more than one way simultaneously. He can completely assemble a complicated machine within seconds through his powers. He can erect magnetic force fields with a high degree of impenetrability around himself for protection. Although Magneto often gestures when using his magnetic powers, he can utilize them fully even when standing totally still merely by concentrating.

Magneto's ability to wield his superhuman powers effectively is dependent upon his physical condition. When severely injured, his body is unable to withstand the strain of manipulating great amounts of magnetic forces. When his powers are not at their peak, he appears to have extreme difficulty controlling forces other than magnetism, rendering those abilities nearly useless.

Magneto's suit is made of flexible metal bonded on the molecular level, providing him significant protection against projectiles, energy weapons, and concussive force. His helmet also provides further protection from psionic attacks, as it creates a constantly shifting field of energywaves that block mental abilities.

He is considered to be a genius within various scientific fields. He has designed and created magnetically-powered skycraft and spacecraft, complex robots and computers and magnetically-powered generators. He can also manipulate magnetic currents to gain total control over all forms of electromagnetism, allowing him to levitate and manipulate all objects made of metal, project concussive blasts and force fields, or selectively generate heat and electricity. Magneto is also a skilled strategist. He has more than a rudimentary knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, although he prefers to conduct his battles utilizing his abilities. At his age, physical combat is strictly a last resort, coming even after surrender.

Timeline
1932 – born in Austria
1934 – parents emigrated to Germany, just north of Berlin
1942-1944 – interred at Auschwitz; entire family killed
1956 – married Magda (last name unknown), gypsy woman of Jewish descent who endured Auschwitz along with him.
1958 – daughter Ayna is born
1962 – Ayna dies in fire.
1963 – Magda dies giving birth to twins, Pietro and Wanda
1966 – emigrates to Israel
1967 – assists in the Seven Day War
1971 – leaves Israel, goes to US
1981 – Alcatraz protest
1982 – marries Alison Browning
1984 – Alison involved in car accident, dies giving birth to daughter, Lorna.
1985 – Assumes control of the Lensherr Family Estate, just north of New York City
1991 – Frees mutants and dissidents held in Gulag in Irkutsk. Soviet military attacks. Magneto retaliates by tearing a Soviet Kiev Class Carrier in two. Nearly three thousand men perish.