Magneto in the MC2

 

With the new X-Men: The Animated Series continuation X-Men ’97 in full swing, I wanted to take a brief look at one of the shows’ antagonist turned protagonist, the mutant master of magnetism himself through the lens of the MC2. This is Magneto in the MC2.

 

First, the basics: Magneto first appeared in 1963’s X-Men #1, but we don’t get a ‘real’ name for the character for quite some time. The first instance is in the classic Days of Future Past story from X-Men #141 wherein the Earth-811 Magneto is referred to as ‘Magnus’. Magneto of Earth-616 or the Main Marvel Universe is also confirmed to use Magnus as a first name in Uncanny X-Men #161. However, X-Men Unlimited #2 tells us Magneto’s full name is ‘Erik Magnus Lehnsherr’, rendering Magnus a middle name instead.

 

This would seem to have resolved the matter until the adjectiveless X-Men (vol.2) #72 revealed the entire name was an alias. For those playing at home, this issue was published in late 1997 making it potentially past the point of divergence for the MC2’s own timeline, but possibly the last relevant comic to address Magneto’s real name. Finally, while it’s not necessarily canon to the MC2, X-Men readers would see ‘Max Eisenhardt’ firmly established as Magneto’s real name in 2008’s X-Men: Magneto Testament #1. This remains the official real name within the Main Marvel Universe at the time of writing. Is it any wonder I rarely cover X-Men characters?

 

Moving on to the MC2 proper now, I’m going to jump right in and admit we never see Magneto in the flesh anywhere. However, we do get several mentions and a few second-generation successors. Let’s begin, shall we?

In the pages of J2 #6 we get both when Zane Yama aka J2 meets ‘Magneta, the most power of the new generation of heroes’ who controls the power of magnetism and idolizes Magneto, believing he was merely the victim of poor press management. Declaring her intention to recruit a group of proactive superheroes, she puts the junior Juggernaut through a test trial before fleeing when the new Avengers arrive.

 

While on an apparent rescue mission in Madripoor with Wolverine, Zane Yama asks the Canadian former X-Man when he got his adamantium back, referring to the fact Magneto ripped the adamantium from Logan’s skeleton in X-Men (vol. 2) #25. Amusingly, the MC2 predicted and pre-dated the restoration of Wolverine’s adamantium-coated skeleton, which didn’t occur until Wolverine (vol. 2) #145, published several months later (J2 #10).

In yet another J2 story, Zane Yama recounts that his father, the original Juggernaut aka Cain Marko, was a major threat as a villain but was never in the same league as Magneto (Wild Thing #5).

 

Various reserve members including Spider-Girl, Blacklight, Earth Sentry and Coal Tiger are called upon to join the Avengers team due to a large number of their ranks having being sidelined following the events of Last Hero Standing. They are briefed about the possible return of the mutant master of magnetism Magneto, who hasn’t been seen in years and is believed by some to be dead. Spider-Girl and trainee member of the X-People known as Push would ultimately apprehend and unmask the tech-using imposter, a man named Charlie Philips (Spider-Girl #92).

 

Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch serves as an active member of the depleted Avengers team during the events of Last Planet Standing. During a conflict with the villainous Revengers team led by Hope Pym aka the Red Queen, Wanda tells the now-villainous Magneta that she is offended by her choice of costume and declares that she has no right to call herself ‘Magneta’. Naturally, Magneta responds that she chose her nom de costume and appearance in honour of Wanda’s father. What’s notable about this interaction is that it confirms the familial relationship between Magneto and Wanda in the MC2 (Last Planet Standing #1).

 

Despite all these references and even inspiring a new generation of metal manipulators, we still do not know the ultimate fate of one of Marvel’s greatest characters in the MC2. Perhaps someday, we’ll get an X-People series if I wish really, really hard. Special thanks to the indefatigable arias-98105 for assistance with this and so many other posts!

 

Until I become the mutant master of chess, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

 

Wild Thing in X-Men '92: House of XCII

 I’ve taken a hiatus from the blog recently and today’s post will only be brief. With the X-Men ’97 animated series releasing soon as a continuation of the iconic X-Men: The Animated Series, I thought it might be nice to take a quick look at an MC2 character who made a surprising appearance in that world…well, sort of?

 

The X-Men: The Animated Series has at this point had various continuations which inevitably exist as alternate universes. In 2022 Marvel Comics published one such example in the form of the mini-series X-Men ’92: House of XCII which sees the story of the cartoon continue by adapting elements from the recent ‘Krakoa Era’ of the numerous X-Titles.

 

We learn in X-Men ’92: House of XCII #1 that the sentient island Krakoa became a safe-haven for all mutants following the tragic death of Jubilee. However, the account of Jubilee’s death is greatly exaggerated, as she is kept hidden on the island by Professor Xavier and Magneto, maintaining her status as martyr.

 

As it turns out, Jubilation Lee aka Jubilee discovered she had the secondary mutation ability of ‘Explosive Reality Reset’ (meaning she lived multiple lifetimes) after she was initially killed by Sentinels. Having died multiple times by the mutant hunting machines and learning that her remaining lives were finite, she faked her final death and in the process unified Mutantkind against the Sentinels (X-Men ’92: House of XCII #2).

 

During her ninth life, Jubilee led a Generation X team whose members included the recently deceased Morph (aka Kevin Sidney), Genesis ( aka Evan Sabahnur, a clone of Apocalypse), Cable (apparently Nathan Summers merged with Krakoa), Diamondheart (aka Emma Frost), another unidentified member and Wild Thing aka Rina Logan (X-Men ’92: House of XCII #2).

 

 

When the Generation X team faced the Nimrod Sentinels, it was revealed Jubilee had only one remaining life left, leading to her aforementioned final bid to ensure Mutantkind survived. Inevitably, Jubilee’s own survival in her last life was revealed and she ultimately sacrificed herself using the Phoenix Force to reset the universe once more, albeit with no recollection of her past lives. Series writer Steve Foxe intentionally left the ending vague, with one potential interpretation being that Jubilee reset the universe to the one of X-Men: The Animated Series (X-Men ’92: House of XCII #3-#5).

 

So, a version of Wild Thing exists in an X-Men: The Animated Series-adjacent universe, if nothing else! Artist Salva Espin does a fantastic job rendering Rina in a style which is so close to the animated series, it’s uncanny.

Until I get back on my feet and give some attention to this blog, I remain

 

frogoat

 

Omissions and Additions: The High Evolutionary and Jessica Drew

 

I always appreciate feedback on the posts I produce, especially if it leads me to learn something new. And so today I would like to make a small supplemental entry to my post about The High Evolution and Jessica Drew. Thanks to Richard at the MC2 A Day blog for pointing out these omissions and additions. Without further ado, let us jump straight into it!

 

As I noted last time, the High Evolutionary blasts off into space with his Knights of Wundagore in The Mighty Thor #135 (1966), while the evolved cow-woman Bova remains behind with the child Jessica Drew as seen in West Coast Avengers Annual #3 (1988). However, we first see Jessica under the care of Bova in a flashback from Spider-Woman #20 (1979) where we see it did not take long for her to realize she was unique among the New Men of Wundagore who ostracized her, keeping with her earliest origin story. This is where we first see a young Jessica alongside Bova watching the High Evolutionary’s ship leave earth. We also first learn that Bova raised Miss Drew to maturity before she was sent to an orphanage in a nearby village to be nurtured by her own kind. From here, the events play out similar to previous depictions, with Jessica being ostracized even among humans before her deadly bio-electric venom-blast leads the villagers to attempt to destroy her.

 

Jessica is rescued by the leader of Hydra’s European branch, Count Otto Vermis. Outfitted with a special costume and trained, Drew was brainwashed into believing she was an evolved spider in order to alienate her further, ensuring her loyalty to Vermis. Jessica recalls how she escaped Hydra’s clutches and learned more of her past from Mordred and a magician named Magnus, noting she only knows what these men had revealed to her. This issue also marks the inevitable meeting between Spider-Man and Spider-Woman, with Peter Parker giving Jessica’s super heroic alias the benefit of the doubt in a burglary case due to his own storied history of misunderstandings and bad publicity (Spider-Woman #20).  

 

Jumping back just a few short months to Avengers #186, published in May 1979, Bova recounts her own origin to the Avenger named Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver, beginning with the High Evolutionary evolving her as one of his first projects and tasking her with the caring for the children his New Men. Bova notes that the High Evolutionary was preoccupied with matters coinciding with the unexplained return of his assistant Jonathon Drew. Via these flashbacks we see that while Jonathon and the High Evolutionary were occupied, the pregnant woman Magda arrived seeking asylum and the two became very close over the weeks preceding the birth of Magda’s twins: Pietro and Wanda, later known as the Scarlet Witch. During their birth, Bova noted Wanda’s tiny form mirrored the mysterious lights which filled the sky that night. These strange lights, of course, relate to the manifestation of Chthon.

 

Shortly after the twins are delivered, Magda disappears, leaving only a note expressing fear that her unnamed husband might force the revelation of her children’s existence from her if she remained alive. This is a direct reference to Uncanny X-Men #125 and the master of magnetism himself, Magneto, but we will save talking about him for another time. We then glimpse the subsequent tragic events involving Madeline and Robert Frank and their own stillborn child, followed by the High Evolutionary appearing before Django and Marya Maximoff to entrust them with Wanda and Pietro. With Pietro unable to recollect his childhood clearly, Bova relates her own sense of emptiness when she elected to remain behind ‘for…personal reasons’ as the High Evolutionary’s Wundagore Citadel left for the stars. This is evidently in reference to the aforementioned Spider-Woman #20 and Bova’s duty as carer for the young Jessica Drew (Avengers #186).

 

It must be noted that all these interconnected and overlapping characters and events were woven together by the writer (or co-plotter) of Avengers #186, Spider-Woman #20 and the various ‘Evolutionary War’ Annual’s back-up stories which detail the history of the Herbert Wyndham aka the High Evolutionary; none other than the keeper of continuity himself, Mark Gruenwald. Rest in Peace, Mr Gruenwald.

 

Until I become miraculously infallible like Mobius M. Mobius, I remain

 

frogoat