The funny part of this debate is both sides are right.

Magneto is written by a racist monster in some venues and by some writers. Just read the Ultimate line, watch the X-Men films, or read Lobdell or Morrison's comic versions of Magneto.

At the same time Claremont and other writers have written a different version of Magneto that doesn't hate humans and is simply fighting to protect his race from abuse and potental genocide.

One writers Magneto goes into a burning building to save human women and children from burning alive. (Claremont)

Another writers Magneto herds women and children by the thousands into ovens in New York City. (Morrison)

That shows the level of seperation that exists about what makes Magneto tick amoung the writers. And, from this thread it appears that I was right the same level of seperation exists amoung the fans.

um were talking about is he racist in genral were not really talking about what youre talking about

wouldnt it depend on what your considering racist as? if you mean racist as in he hates humans. then yeah he is, cuz he thinks hes better. hes not racist towards a certain group of people like African or Chinese people.

Some times he is racist, sometimes not. If he were really racist and has the immense power that he has, he would be killing humans constantly out of sheer hatred for them. He has killed humans, or merely decided to not help them live, but it is not his life's ambition. He was a pretty two-dimensional character when he first appeared, trying to hijack nukes to destroy the humans, but has evolved into a very layered character. At times he is at war, sometimes he merely wants to be left alone. He's tried the segregation approach, which is rather racist if you look at it from the black/white 60's movements, but mutants don't have anyone sticking up for them at all. I think there is only one pro-mutant human coalition while there is like a half dozen anti-mutant groups. Magneto and Xavier are trying to carry the weight of their people on their backs, trying to give them some gleam or hope or purpose in the violent sea of chaos that is reality. He's tried doing things Xavier's way and it didn't work out for him, so he found a different way. I see him more of a mutant patriot than a racist. For me racist has always had ties to ignorance, and he is not ignorant, just stubborn, angry and passionate.

Eternus says:

"wouldnt it depend on what your considering racist as? if you mean racist as in he hates humans. then yeah he is, cuz he thinks hes better. hes not racist towards a certain group of people like African or Chinese people."

he doesnt think hes better he thinks mutants all mutants are supierior

kuchiku says:

"he doesnt think hes better he thinks mutants all mutants are supierior"

Which is pretty much what i said

Eternus says:

"kuchiku says:

"he doesnt think hes better he thinks mutants all mutants are supierior"

Which is pretty much what i said"

not really and they kinda are supirior

i didn't say mutants weren't stronger. and yes thats what i did say, He thinks mutants are superior so he therefor thinks he is superior

Eternus says:

"i didn't say mutants weren't stronger. and yes thats what i did say, He thinks mutants are superior so he therefor thinks he is superior"

well i guess but then so do the x-men proffesor x never said mutants werent supirior he just said he wanted to coexiste with them

kuchiku says:

"well i guess but then so do the x-men proffesor x never said mutants werent supirior he just said he wanted to coexiste with them"

magneto and mostly only the people that follow him believe mutants are better. the x-men and Xavier are one of the exceptions. im not what you were trying to say with that but i think i answered that.

Colt Python says:

"Seriously though if Magnus is racist...who really cares? Does it matter? Is he even alive?"

no he isnt real, but thats the whole purpose of the website. to debate and discuss what isn't real and what will most likely never happen. thats all this is, a big debate. and only those who care should talk about it.
Post Edited:2008-01-06 02:21:04

Colt Python says:

"Eternus says:

"Colt Python says:

"Seriously though if Magnus is racist...who really cares? Does it matter? Is he even alive?"

no he isnt real, but thats the whole purpose of the website. to debate and discuss what isn't real and what will most likely never happen. thats all this is, a big debate. and only those who care should talk about it.
Post Edited:2008-01-06 02:21:04"

WTF are you talkin about?"

yeah seriosly wtf are you takin about

White Martian says:

"He is such a racist b@st@rd:P"

maggs is not racist

He is such a racist b@st@rd:P

Colt Python says:

"kuchiku says:

"White Martian says:

"He is such a racist b@st@rd:P"

maggs is not racist"

yea he is.He hates you humans.You know he does.He says it all the time."

you humans??

im no human im a mutant/god/eternal

It should be pretty obvious what he is talking about. Comic books, art, fiction, and this website. If that doesn't add up for you as a place to ramble on with conjecture and brain storming, with a touch of logic thrown into the mix, I don't know what can possibly help you but time spent down the road of hard lessons learned the hard way aka School of Hard Knocks.

With regards to Magneto being a racist, I've always found his approach to be something like the Israeli assassins in the movie Munich, which was loosely based on actual events that took place after Israeli athletes were killed at the Olympics.

Magneto takes the fight to those who seek to enslave and abuse mutants. Sometimes he crosses the line into being what he is fighting against. That's the danger Xavier recognized in trying to fight fire with fire like that, so instead Xavier tried to put together some fire men aka the X-men. It doesn't make Magneto a racist, it makes him flawed. Though, if there weren't people to take the fight to Hitler's Germany, what would that have meant? What would a Marvel universe be like if Magneto wasn't trying to get ready to fight things like the Weapon program (Wolverine, X-23, etc) where mutants get experimented on to find ways to control them. Sure, Magneto isn't innocent, but would the Marvel universe be better off if Genosha was still enslaving mutants?

Its a tough call, like was already observed, sometimes Magneto is written full on diabolical hate mongering, genome discriminating racist and other times freedom fighter loving, slave freeing, misunderstood super hero.

Colt Python says:

"kuchiku says:

"Colt Python says:

"kuchiku says:

"White Martian says:

"He is such a racist b@st@rd:P"

maggs is not racist"

yea he is.He hates you humans.You know he does.He says it all the time."

you humans?? im no human im a mutant/god/eternal"

No your human.Don't pretend to be stuff.That's lame and unbecoming of a lady."

sure little miss alba

I would say he is against any Non-mutants.

CanadianWolverine says:

"It should be pretty obvious what he is talking about. Comic books, art, fiction, and this website. If that doesn't add up for you as a place to ramble on with conjecture and brain storming, with a touch of logic thrown into the mix, I don't know what can possibly help you but time spent down the road of hard lessons learned the hard way aka School of Hard Knocks.With regards to Magneto being a racist, I've always found his approach to be something like the Israeli assassins in the movie Munich, which was loosely based on actual events that took place after Israeli athletes were killed at the Olympics.Magneto takes the fight to those who seek to enslave and abuse mutants. Sometimes he crosses the line into being what he is fighting against. That's the danger Xavier recognized in trying to fight fire with fire like that, so instead Xavier tried to put together some fire men aka the X-men. It doesn't make Magneto a racist, it makes him flawed. Though, if there weren't people to take the fight to Hitler's Germany, what would that have meant? What would a Marvel universe be like if Magneto wasn't trying to get ready to fight things like the Weapon program (Wolverine, X-23, etc) where mutants get experimented on to find ways to control them. Sure, Magneto isn't innocent, but would the Marvel universe be better off if Genosha was still enslaving mutants?Its a tough call, like was already observed, sometimes Magneto is written full on diabolical hate mongering, genome discriminating racist and other times freedom fighter loving, slave freeing, misunderstood super hero."

Nice post.

Well Said indeed thanks Canadian Wolverine

Oh and Bloody Hell no hes not

I dont know, I've gone back and forth on this one.

i still believe he isnt a Racist

Gambler says:

"I dont know, I've gone back and forth on this one."

You could call him racist sure but for me its more then just that

In some comics he does come off very racist but Majority its more about protecting his own people by any means.

Colt Python says:

"Darkchild says:

"i still believe he isnt a Racist"

why?"

sighs

same reasons i stated last night.

Hes not a racist he hates everyone equally

lol

i dont believe hes a racist. He just hates humans, a human could be green for all we care and he would still hate them. Being a racist means he would hate a race of people black, white, asian, mexican.

but im gonna get going and watch the giants get pummeled. And i dont want to continue this, i dont feel like feeling like an ass for my opinions again like i did last night.

so peace

If the question is

Is Magneto a Racist?

I would like to ask a question myself is it wrong for you to hate those which kill your family?

Humans are a race

But being racist means to act upon prejudice

Prejudging someone or something before you really know them. I would say Magneto has knowledge of the ones he hates its not him being racist its just him hating those who threaten his own kind. So many people misuse Racism in the media that people really don't know what it means anymore.

Gambler says:

"Mighty Magneto says:

"Gambler says:

"I dont know, I've gone back and forth on this one."

You could call him racist sure but for me its more then just that

In some comics he does come off very racist but Majority its more about protecting his own people by any means."

Thats why I'm on the fence. I think on the surface, he's a racist. I understand that he was wronged and all that. Like I said last night, racist aren't born, there made. Either through life experiences, or teachings. There's no denying Magneto HATES the human race. He sees them as a threat, in order for his race (Mutants) to survive, humans must be eradicated. Not just mutant hating humans, but ALL humans. He's lumped them in all together. I still believe the similarities to Malcolm X and Marten Luther King Jr. are great examples of Xavier and Magneto.

Xavier (MLK Jr.) believes it is possible for Humans and Mutants to co-exist (Whites and Blacks) he's devoted his life to it. He doesn't make a sweeping generalization about humans.

Magneto (Malcolm X) Believes the only way for mutants to ever be free from Sentinel creating, Evangelical Hate preaching humans, is to wipe them out. Its a militant stance, kill them before they kill us. Alot of people can sympathies with Magneto and what he's been through, but it doesn't mean he isn't a racist. "

Made that same comparison myself sure many have

Mighty Magneto says:

"Gambler says:

"I dont know, I've gone back and forth on this one."

You could call him racist sure but for me its more then just that

In some comics he does come off very racist but Majority its more about protecting his own people by any means."

Thats why I'm on the fence. I think on the surface, he's a racist. I understand that he was wronged and all that. Like I said last night, racist aren't born, there made. Either through life experiences, or teachings. There's no denying Magneto HATES the human race. He sees them as a threat, in order for his race (Mutants) to survive, humans must be eradicated. Not just mutant hating humans, but ALL humans. He's lumped them in all together. I still believe the similarities to Malcolm X and Marten Luther King Jr. are great examples of Xavier and Magneto.

Xavier (MLK Jr.) believes it is possible for Humans and Mutants to co-exist (Whites and Blacks) he's devoted his life to it. He doesn't make a sweeping generalization about humans.

Magneto (Malcolm X) Believes the only way for mutants to ever be free from Sentinel creating, Evangelical Hate preaching humans, is to wipe them out. Its a militant stance, kill them before they kill us. Alot of people can sympathies with Magneto and what he's been through, but it doesn't mean he isn't a racist.

Consider this, what did the future hold when the Sentinels were told to take out mutants? Didn't "humans" as they have been called end up getting put in the camps too?

Being a mutant doesn't mean they stop being human if that is anything to go by.

Yet, Magneto hates [i]homo sapiens[/i] and refers to mutants as [i]homo superior[/i]. Do you know what determines skin color or a mutation? The genome code, that's all. So, a few lines of code is all is it takes for Magneto to get his hate on? So what if it isn't color, Magneto is still dishing out punishment on a level that is based on a pre-disposed prejudice against something folks are born with, to the point where he has turned his destructive tendencies on other people who share similar twists in the genetic code, simply because they oppose his plans for domination.

Very odd to me when a Sentinel will tell you that there are no races, just a singular, the human race.

Considering while that remains Eric's motivation, he is a racist - a prejudiced bigoted hate filled bastard.

Oddly enough, redemption is possible even for characters like Magneto. Just like the kid in the movie American History X, the realization hate should not be the motivating factor in ones life, there is a better way. There has always been a chance that Eric will let love for others motivate him, heck, he spent time with and was friends with Xavier. There is still the chance that Magneto can be a force for protection of his fellow man, when he stops letting his hate blind him and his love lead him.

So, stop and consider the implications of the Sentinels conclusions and its outcome. Racists on either side are self destructive.

He certainly is a "species-ist" which would be a more correct term, I think. He definitely thinks mutants are superior to humans. But he is not, as so many believe, genocidal. Other than Morrison's so-gawawful-it-was-retconned-within-weeks Planet X arc, Magneto has never been genocidal. He's controlled two countries (Santo Marco and Genosha) and a planet (House of M) and never a program of genocide in any of them. In fact, he had humans in his cabinet in Genosha.

Nor does his hate go as far as people think. His grandaughter, Luna is human. He adores her, rather desperately. His first daughter Anya was also (as far as he knew) human. Magda, the woman he was still carrying a torch for 30 years after she abandoned him, was human. Lee Forrester, with whom he had a long term relationship with during his reformation period, was human. He also worked closely with, and was sexually attracted to, Alda Huxley while he was running Genosha.

In general, Magneto looks down on humans as a group, but individuals have broken through that to earn his respect.

I think we have all encountered racists like that.

Or maybe Magneto just has a thing for human women.

We've all encountered racists like that too. chuckle

But his species-ism is not so virulent and extreme as some people here have suggested. While he has repeatedly touted mutant superiority, he really doesn't engage in hate speech, for example. And when he was controlling Santo Marco, Genosha, and in his "dream world" in House of M, while humans had more limited rights, he didn't even foster segregation of the populations. They still lived and worked side by side with mutants.

As Luna said when she saw Magneto (after Pietro improperly exposed her to the Terrigen mists, giving her empathic powers), "He's not a bad man. He's a very sad man."

So Species-ist, yes. Monster, no.

And he really is more analogous to Che Guevara than Malcom X. That was the comparison Bryan Singer drew that really....it was loosely right in the Xavier = Dr. King, Magneto = Malcom X, but Magneto is more extreme and militant than Malcom X was.

And yes, Sentinels think there is only one race: Homo sapiens. Homo sapien superiors are an infestation to be exterminated to them.

Or at least no more monstrous than Che Guevara, Menechem Began, Ariel Sharon, George Bush, and the Basques. I bet if you looked real closely at all of world leaders with seats in the U.N., you'd find a significant handful of Magnetos.

Which is the reason he is so polarizing in both the Marvel Offices and in the fan base: He is not entirely fictional.

Post Edited:2008-02-02 19:27:16

That is his primary motivator: Protect his people from the those in power by being those in power.

i don't think he is ,he is just trying to save his people from what happened to him

ECH2007 says:

"Yes or No
Post Edited:2008-01-06 02:08:32"

yes, and so its the intire world NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEXXXXXXXXXXXXXT

no he is not
he is a freedom fighter
seeing your people,
 your race ,
 your species being slaughtered by men would piss anyone off
he has seen what humans did to  a fellow human
he doesnt want a another genocide of his people 
i agree with the guy

a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement,usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2.

He's a speciesist 

magnetos character is basically he doesn't want what happened to the jews to happen to mutants. and he's willing to go to terrible lengths to ensure this. 

Magneto is heavily traumatized by horrific events he's experienced in his life, specifically in his youth to young adulthood, during the Holocaust. Due to that, he's extremely protective of the mutant race, however, he himself has (poetically ironic) become the thing he himself hates: a racial supremest who despises humanity, seeing them as a lesser species.
 
It's a common, and sad, fact of life that those who were subjected to terrible things often later turn into the same sort of people that afflicted them. The case is the same with Magneto, in that he's become an extremist for his own kind after being oppressed by extremists in the past. In spite of what he believes he's doing, even when he claims it's for the benefit of all mutants, he himself has indeed become a racial monster.

"If he was any more racist he would be wearing a white hood:P "

Humans hate mutants because their jealous. They just wish they had cool powers too.