Contains possible spoilers for X-Men (2024) #4!As part of the US X-Men The new era of franchising, Magneto has received a fresh redesign, but his latest look isn’t just a change in fashion, it’s now a bleak message of a threat that could be coming for all mutantkind. This is also a new evolution for Magneto himself, as his changing circumstances have him confront not only physical weakness, but see the world potentially moving on without him.
The preview for the upcoming X-Men #4 – written by Jed MacKay, with art by Netho Diaz – features the revelation, coming from resident scientist Beast, that Whatever put Magneto in a wheelchair and physically weakened him had the potential to affect everyone on the X-Men.
Magneto has been wheelchair bound since the beginning of the series, but it was unclear why. Beast describes the X-Men as “Time bombs” in the preview, meaning that whatever happened to Magneto was likely dangerous or uncontrollable.
Magneto’s mysterious condition holds clues to a threat to all of the X-Men
X-Men #4 – Written by Jed MacKay; Art by Ryan Stegman; Ink by Sean Parsons; Color by Marte Gracia; Lettering by Clayton Cowles
This probably ties into one of the main mysteries of the book so far, The fact that random adults are spontaneously gaining mutant powers. X-Men #1 and #2 Both involve surprise adult manifestations, while the first issue featured a secret Shadow Council financing the remnants of the anti-mutant coalition ORCHIS, whose conversation suggested they were at least partially behind it. If the Mystery Council can potentially create mutant powers, maybe they can also alter existing powers like Magneto’s — and, as the team fears, the rest of the X-Men.
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Another question is the scale of the problem. Whether Magneto is “patient zero” for some kind of new anti-mutant disease, or one of many afflicted, is still unknown. The X-Men could be affected only because of their exposure to Magneto, or something that contaminated their entire team, or it could be much bigger than them. If there is a force seeking to sabotage mutant powers, their goals are likely much larger in scope. The end goal may be to create mutants artificially, or it may be to control the entire population through their DNA.
Magneto has trouble adjusting to his role as Professor X’s replacement
X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic #13 – Written by Alex Pacnadel; Art by Diogenes Neves; Color by Arthur Hesley; Lettering by Clayton Cowles
In practical terms, what this does for Magneto is make him an even more obvious parallel to Professor X than ever. It is Magneto who stays at the base, bound to a wheelchair, as the team goes out into the field. Like Xavier, he is also watching other mutants to be his ideological successors, including his teammates Cyclops and Temper, which leave him feeling somewhat redundant and outdated. What’s interesting is how Magneto deals with his condition in concert with his new role in mutant politics Or, more accurately, how he fails to deal with it so far.
Magneto’s mystery condition is clearly step one to a new emotional arc for the character, and how he deals with it, even as it now threatens the rest of the X-Men.
The last one X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic #13 shows that Magneto’s powers are either not working or he is deliberately not using them. The issue has Magneto refusing to admit that the next generation may not need him as the figurehead he once was. For a character who has been de-aged several times, the character is now grappling with aging. magnetos Mystery condition is clearly step one to a new emotional arc for the character, and how he deals with it, even as it now threatens the rest of the X-Menwill determine exactly what becomes of the former master of magnetism.
X-Men #4 Will be available September 18, 2024 from Marvel Comics.