This week IGN finished their ever going "100 best comic book villains of all time" series, and crowned Magneto as number one. Below is what they had to say about him. Like many characters of his era, Magneto did not immediately stand out as someone who would endure the test of time. His powers were relatively unimpressive, his motivations and depth were weak and his costume design… let's face it - the guy wears a bucket on his head. But the archenemy of Charles Xavier has proven over the decades that he's not only worthy of his infamous status, but worthy of a much greater accolade - being the greatest villain ever created. The Master of Magnetism doesn't just operate well along stereotypical bad guy parameters, but can actually sustain engaging, masterful storylines of his own.
As a Jewish child in Germany during the height of Adolf Hitler's reign, Max Eisenhardt discovered humanity was capable of the worst crimes and actions. What's remarkable is despite seeing genocide first hand and enduring the terror of concentration camps, Max has matured into exactly what took his family and loved ones from him. To protect his kind from the fate of a similar Holocaust, Eisenhardt persecutes any and all humans who dare cross his path.
Magneto has become bigger than his peers and virtually all of his enemies. It's the sign of a great character when his presence dominates a story and his absence creates a vacuum that cannot be filled by any other. Through his legendary role in Marvel Comics over the years as well as fantastic portrayals in film and animation, it's hard to argue that there has ever been a villain more complex, nuanced, sympathetic and yet irrevocably evil.
X Men Origins: Magneto is in the works, and honestly I cannot wait.
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