Magneto, the leader

Magneto, the leader Magneto demonstrates what he contributes to the Brotherhood before rejoining his followers. He steals a freighter and uses his magnetic power to move it without a crew. It is a practical display of the scale of his abilities: an entire ship becomes transportation and a weapon for his planned conquest. The other members receive their mission from someone who has already secured the means to carry it out. His exchange with Professor Xavier makes the purpose clear. Xavier argues for coexistence between humans and mutants. Magneto believes mutant superiority entitles mutants to rule. Santo Marco becomes the immediate expression of that belief, with its population subjected to a takeover and Magneto placing himself in charge. His treatment of Wanda and Pietro also reveals how he leads. When they want to leave, he uses his rescue of Wanda to insist that they remain obligated to him. The retreat makes his willingness to sacrifice others especially stark. He leaves explosives behind, including a nuclear device intended to destroy the country and the X-Men. Taken together, these scenes present a leader who turns superior power into a claim of ownership over territory, enemies, and even the gratitude of his own followers. My take: This entry is meant to cover the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants back in the original series in the 1960s, not some of the newer incarnations. It was different. It was a different time then, a different set of characters. Back then Magneto was easily hated. He was a douchebag. He was prideful. He was stuck up. He was arrogant. But he's probably one of the Marvel characters that have had the most developmental growth over time. He transitioned from that over the years into being the leader of the New Mutants for a long time, and then he transitioned back with the Hellfire Club. He's just a hell of a character with a lot of depth and history, probably one of my favorites.