At Wizard World Con Marvel announced an upcoming Magneto miniseries written by Greg Pak and drawn by Carmine Di Giandomenico.

"A five-issue mini-series that begins in September, Magneto: Testament will explore that part of Magneto's life that shaped his ideas about persecution and influenced his violent efforts to protect mutants -- the childhood he spent as a victim of the Holocaust."

More here:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=158611

(This maybe the same project the teaser cover was released for earlier this week, or it may not (as Sentinels will not be involved.)

I am looking forward to this project with a couple caveats...

I worry that they will focus too much on Magnus' rage and "vengence" rather than the more complex motivations that Claremont and others have given him over time.

Claremont made clear that survivors guilt is actually the biggest motivator in Magneto's character in Uncanny #274/275. That he does what he does to make some sense of both the fact of his survival and what he was forced to do to survive.

“I wear red, the color of blood, in tribute to their lost lives. And the harder I try to cast it aside, to find the gentler path, the more irresistibly I am drawn back. I should have died myself with those that I loved. Instead I carted the bodies by the hundreds, by the thousands, from the death house to the crematorium, and the ashes to the burial ground. Asking myself now what I could not then—Why was I spared?” ~Uncanny X-Men #274

(Further examination of Magneto's motivations can be found here: http://www.magnetowasright.com/pages/analysis/hes-got-issues-a-dime-store-psychology-look-at-the-character-of-magneto-in-the-616.php )

If Pak and Marvel can include these more complex motivations in this character examination, I will be happy.

The second: I can't see any logical or historical problem in that fact that Magneto has a German father, though I can't see any reason to make him something other than Polish other than the try and include the already retconned-as-a-forgery "Lehnsherr" name. I do hope this is not the case.

There is also the problem of showing what the character went through in the Holocaust in a normal (meaning non-MAX title) Marvel comic while remaining respectful to the subject matter and not downplaying the heinous violence and disgusting thing the prisoners went through. For example: If Magnus was involved in the process of removing bodies from the gas chamber and moving them to the crematoria as he said above, he would have had to search the bodies for hidden valuables. Which means cavity searches of dead bodies that the real life sonderkomanndo had to do. That not something you would put in a title that can be picked up by a kid.

Pak and Marvel have really given themselves a challenge in this project to show Auschwitz, relate it's horror to it's fullest, most realistic extent to properly convey it's impact on the character and respect for the subject matter, yet still make it readable for an all ages audience.

And P.S: T total nit pick, but...the only place where young Magneto has been shown to have black hair in in New Mutants #49, all the other time we have seen him as a child, including when he was reduced to infancy, his hair was white. Which makes sense for two reasons: A. If his hair was turned white during the Holocaust (as is common in cases of starvation) it would have reverted to it's natural color, especially after he was reduced to infancy and re-aged to adulthood.And B. His son's hair (Quicksilver) was always white.

Other than those things, I am looking forward to the project. Magnus' pre-holocaust experiences is a complete blank slate that no writer has yet tackled so this is a real treat for me.

Though I think that putting an origins story in the context of a "coming to terms with M-Day and finding a new purpose and direction to go in" story would be more appealing for a wider audience.

This sounds really, really cool! I've never been a really huge X-Men fan, so I don't know all of the back story half as well as some, but this excites me a lot!

I've collected more interviews about Magneto: Testament from Marvel.com, Wizard, and IGN:

From the Marvel.com News Forum:

WW Philly 2008: Magneto: Testament

By Craig Tello

Magneto's scarlet and purple helmet might block any psyche infiltration by Professor Charles Xavier, but it doesn't seem to work against Greg Pak.

This coming September, writer Pak and artist Carmine Di Giandomenico invite X-fanatics on a rare journey way back to the Master of Magnetism's adolescent days as a mutant magnate in training. In MAGNETO: TESTAMENT, that journey weaves its way through 1930s Germany where we find pre-teen Erik Magnus Lehnsherr struggling with a unique gift as well as a ubiquitous curse around him as a young Jewish boy in the middle of the Nazi stronghold.

Not your typical tale of a Marvel character developing his extraordinary powers, this five-issue series tackles the common anxieties of a teenager with the far more severe threat of anti-Semitism supported by martial law.

"Like so many classic Marvel characters, [Magneto] has to grapple with the typical problems of any scrawny outsider: family problems, schoolyard bullies, and first crushes," Pak explains. "But every little conflict takes on a terrifying, new dimension as the scope and inexorable advance of the Nazi menace becomes clearer."

Pak teases that TESTAMENT could very well include the moment in which Lehnsherr uses his powers for the first time.

"We just might [see that moment] at that," Pak carefully hints. "But keep in mind that this isn't a typical super hero book. Any revelation of powers will play out in a way you might not expect."

Readers can expect the gripping atmosphere of Pak's dramatic story coming to life through the vividly detailed art of Di Giandomenico, who is equally tight on spouting too many details.

"I'd rather let the reader discover this new Magneto through Greg [Pak's] dialogues and my art," the artist says. "I'm working hard on the characters' expressions, in order to make them more lively and dynamic."

While we will all need to wait until later this year to experience this one-of-a-kind story arc, Di Giandomenico encourages that the wait will be well worth it.

"I can only say that the reader will face Magneto's evolution as a character," Di Giandomenico claims. "I think this is more important than his powers. No reader will be disappointed, I'm sure!"

From Wizard

WIZARD: What's the basic concept behind Testament?

PAK: This is Magneto's origin story. Which means it's the story of a Jewish schoolboy and his family struggling against all odds to survive the horrors of Nazi Germany and Hitler's Final Solution.

WIZARD: Will this be tied in any way to current continuity—X-Men or Secret Invasion? Magneto is supposed to have an appearance in the upcoming Uncanny X-Men #500. Will Testament tie into that?

PAK: We're doing our best to make sure the book jibes as much as possible with Magneto's established Marvel history. But the book's set entirely in the 1930s and 1940s. So, yeah, no Skrulls.

WIZARD: This definitely sounds like a more character, drama driven story rather than superheroes in WWII (which Marvel has a rich history with). Would you say you're trying to find a middle ground between the two?

PAK: I'm a huge fan of those World War II superhero stories. But Magneto: Testament is indeed a different kind of book. We're aiming for a real-world setting and a level of historical accuracy that will be both deeply compelling for longtime Magneto fans and completely accessible to readers who might never have read a superhero comic in their lives.

WIZARD: Magneto has had many interpretations from creators in the past—terrorist madman, misunderstood activist, hero—what's your overall take on the character and his history?

PAK: When we pick up with our main character in 1935, he's a smart, scrawny schoolboy who's as quietly stubborn as he is ridiculously romantic. But as the realities of Nazi rule hit home, schoolyard bullies and first crushes become his last concern. Our hero becomes exactly that—a hero—as he struggles to make sense of his insane world and protect the people he loves.

WIZARD: Have you seen any of Carmine Di Giandomenico's pages yet? Any thoughts?

PAK: We've just started working together—but already I can see the characters starting to live and breathe in the concept sketches he's sending us. Nobody draws those deep, sad eyes like Carmine.

WIZARD: Were you looking for an artist whose talents would lean less towards flying Sentinels and crazy costumes and more toward realism for a period piece?

PAK: I'm pretty darn sure that Carmine could draw an awesome Sentinel fight. But he's amazing with real-world people and clothing and locations, which is exactly what this book needs.

This from IGN:

IGN Comics: Let's tackle the basic stuff first. Magneto: Testament - how many issues, when does it ship, who's on board the art and how did the project come to be?

Greg Pak: It's a five issue miniseries beginning in September with art by the brilliant Carmine Di Giandomenico, who recently did a crackerjack job on Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdock. Magneto: Testament is the untold story of Magneto's childhood in the 1930s and 1940s. Which means it's the story of a Jewish boy and his family struggling to survive against the horrifying onslaught of Nazi Germany and Hitler's Final Solution.

Editor Warren Simons has wanted to tell Magneto's origin story for years. We've been researching and planning this project for three years now - it's really become a mission for both of us to do this story

justice.

IGN Comics: Greg, you've mostly been working in the Hulk franchise, though not without a few X-Men projects along the way. What drew you back to the mutants' world, and what specifically about Magneto interested you now?

Pak: Magneto has always fascinated me because of his back story. It's not every day that you have a chance to work on a comic book character that ties in so directly with world history.

IGN Comics: Warren, what would you say Greg brings to this project?

Warren Simons: When Greg and I began discussing the project, it was immediately evident how compelling he found the subject matter. Greg did a tremendous amount of historical research, and the initial ideas he put down on paper not only effectively captured a young man's voice, but they carried the gravity that I thought was important to effectively convey the weight of the series. I'm very happy to have him on board for this.

IGN Comics: Given that Magneto has mostly been seen interacting with Professor Xavier in X-Men Legacy, will this series be picking up threads along from Mike Carey's work? Will it directly play into the Manifest Destiny direction of the other X-Men titles?

Pak: Our story takes place entirely in the 1930s and 1940s, so current continuity isn't dealt with.

IGN Comics: Magneto's name has never been clearly established, with previous aliases being discarded as lies - will this series finally give us an answer?

Simons: Greg and I did quite a bit of research into the many different aliases that Magneto has had over the years. This series should finally give us an answer to that question.

IGN Comics: When I think of Magneto's formative years I think of his marriage and the death of his wife. Is that the era that this is set in or are will the series be focused earlier than that?

Simons: Greg and Carmine will focus on Magneto's formative years. We'll meet his family, and see what his childhood was like, but this takes place prior to his marriage.

IGN Comics: What made Carmine Di Giandomenico the artist for this series?

Pak: Carmine's work on Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdock showcased his sensitivity to character, atmosphere, location, and period, all of which are critical to a story like this. He's just started sending in concept art, and it's beautiful.

IGN Comics: After everything Magneto has done in his past, do you consider the character a true villain? Do you empathize with his views on tolerance?

Pak: Our story begins in 1935 when our character's just a boy. He's quiet, smart, scrawny, and a big romantic. And he has a stubborn streak a mile wide. So he's a normal kid with a normal kid's flaws and virtues. But as the story progresses, he'll be faced with horrors beyond anything he could ever imagine as he fights for his family's survival. In current continuity, Magneto's a classic anti-hero. But in the context of this story, our hero's just that -- a hero.

From Me: ;-) A couple slight problems, one that we have already seen the event in which Magneto used his powers for the first time: When he family was killed by Einsatzgruppen in New Mutants (Vol. 1) #49, and trying to reinstate the "Eirk Lehsnmherr" I.D. after it has been declared a forgery would just be plain silly...

But other than that I am getting a good feeling about this. This portion of the character's life is a blank slate and realistic approach is exactly the kind of approach to him that I love.

Post Edited:2008-06-02 23:37:29

Can we please take the spotlight off of magneto for a while. lol

Magneto is fairly unique in the super hero genre for being so tied into real world historical events and effects on those events producing a complex and sophisticated character that, if you took away his mutancy, you could take him and put him into a modern political thriller or heck, even the nightly news.

We don't know much about Magneto's background prior to the Holocaust other than he and his family (Mom, Dad, and older sister) were living in Poland at the time of the Nazi invasion, and that his immediate family was killed by Einsatzgruppen, roving bands of SS troops delegated the kill communists, gypsies, and Jewish community leaders in the wake of the German troops invading Poland. Magnus' family was among of a large group of people lined up against a mass grave and shot. Magnus escaped because his nascent powers deflected the bullets enough for him to survive. He was thrown in the pit with his family, but dug his way back out. The Nazi then sent him to Auschwitz which at the time was a POW camp. (New Mutants #49) Because of the privations he suffered in Auschwitz, the starvation, torture, and disease, his powers would not manifest again until he was well into adulthood and recovered from his Holocaust experiences.

Magnus watched the camp grow and become a concentration camp, and then death camp. To survive, he became a sonderkomando (Uncanny X-men #274), one of the Jews the Nazi's employed to heard the new arrivals from the trains into the gas chambers, then to send their bodies to the crematoriums and dispose of the ashes. The Nazi regularly purged the sonderkommando, killing them all and replacing them so no one knew too much about their operation. How Magnus survived these purges is unknown. What is known is that he used his position to help other prisoners. (Uncanny X-men #199)

Magnus and Magda escaped the camp as the Nazi's were liquidating in in the face of the Russian Advance, and they escaped east behind Russian Line where they went on to make a home for themselves in the Carpathian mountains. Where they had Anya...and then tragedy followed...etc.
Post Edited:2008-06-02 23:47:48

pixelized says:

"Can we please take the spotlight off of magneto for a while. lol"

I don't know, can we take the spotlight off Wolverine for a while? lol.

Pania says:

"pixelized says:

"Can we please take the spotlight off of magneto for a while. lol"

I don't know, can we take the spotlight off Wolverine for a while? lol. "

lol yes the two people with solo movies ]=

Only Logan also has, what, seven comics he is currently appearing in?

And...crosses fingers it looks like, hopefully, the Magneto movie will not be made. There is not start of filming date set, and no cast announced. It's certainly not coming out in 2009.

I thought sir ian said he would be reprising his role.

idk...i wouldn't see it either way

Sorry P

lol

Actually, recently Sir Ian said he would not be involved. Because it is a film about a young Magneto (and there is no way they could afford to de-age a 60 odd year old man to 18 to 25 for an entire film), they would have to cast a younger actor, and I think he took exception to being a guest star in a film about "his" character.
Post Edited:2008-06-03 00:03:18

ooooh i see.

More info about approach taken in Magneto: testament.

From: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/990901.html

"Though the Shoah seems out of place amid the bright colors, tights and capes of comic books, graphic novels have a long history of depicting the Holocaust. Art Spiegelman started writing the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Maus" in 1972, and the mutant known as Wolverine was given a history in the Polish extermination camp Sobibor. Last week, in Philadelphia, Marvel Comics announced that Greg Pak, best known for writing such characters as Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk, would be penning a new miniseries in September called "Magneto: Testament."

The miniseries, according to Pak, "follows a Jewish boy and his family through Germany and Poland from 1935 to 1945." The character is probably best known as the magnetism-controlling supervillain played by Ian McKellen in the X-Men films. In fact, though Magneto was created in 1963, it wasn't until the mid-'80s that writer Chris Claremont gave him sympathetic origins as a Jewish child during the Holocaust.

To prepare for the admittedly difficult task of telling a Holocaust story in a comic book, Pak has read multiple survivor narratives and histories of the Third Reich and the Final Solution, watched documentaries, and gone back to graphic novels like "Maus." The Magneto of "Testament," Pak emphasized, will be not a tragic anti-hero (the Forward once compared him to extreme right winger Rabbi Meir Kahane, the Israeli activist) but a "three-dimensional human being.""This isn't a fantasy about a costumed superhero changing the course of history," Pak told The Shmooze. "This is the story of a Jewish boy and his family struggling to survive."

"Part of the goal of this story is to explore religious identity, and history, through fiction," said Warren Simmons, "Testament" editor. "I'd say [Magneto] is one of the single richest and most intriguing characters in our medium. I think to Jewish kids, he's a very important, complex character. I know that he was to me."

This sounds like it will really be good.

Cover to Magneto: Testament #1 in Marvel Sept. Solicitations.

http://pics.livejournal.com/kiplingkat7/pic/0005yywp

Does indeed sound intriguing and I don't even read the blasted comics, but as it stands, I'd love to have answers to some of the questions... What was his childhood like? What was his family like? No doubt I could easily come up with my own version in my role play, but to see what Marvel themselves want to have happen is just something that I'm certain most Magneto fans have been wanting to see. (Or are afraid to if it somehow ruins his character)

Also, a very nice image Pania, I really like the look of it and will probably snag it for my small yet growing collection.

Info on Magneto Testament and interview with Greg Pak. 

From November Solicits:

Preview images for the interior art of Magneto:Testament #1 are up in IGN.com

This looks awesome I can't wait till this come out, magneto is one of the best characters in marvel, and if anyone deserves to get there origin told its him, he is the most complex character I have ever seen and its cool to see how it happened.

Lettered preview pages are up IGN.com.....

Including, *drumroll please* his real name.

Magneto: Testament #1.

And it is a Jewish-German name that means "Ironsmith"

Greg Pak Interviewed about Magneto Testament:

From ImpulseCreations.net.

Impulse: Thanks so much, Greg, for taking the time to answer my questions! I really appreciate it. So let's talk about X-men: Magneto Testament! The first issue came out last month---the first of five. How did this mini-series get started, and when you signed on, what kinds of things were running through your mind regarding how you wanted to flesh out this origin story and the direction you wanted to take it?

Greg Pak: About three years ago, Marvel editor Warren Simons approached me about the project, and before six words were out of his mouth, I knew I was going to do it. I was honestly terrified at the prospect of tackling a story set during the Holocaust. But I knew that meant I probably would never forgive myself if I said no. From that very first meeting, I could tell Warren felt the same sense of responsibility towards this project---it's been a mission for both of us to do justice to this story.

Impulse: I found it really interesting the way you and the artist, Carmine Di Giandomenico, started the premiere issue. In the second panel on the first page you see pieces of metal jewelry and someone talking to "Erich," but you don't yet see anyone's faces. At first I thought Erich was, you know, young Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr); it's actually his uncle. Magneto's birth name, we find out, is Max Eisenhardt. Is it just a coincidence that Max's uncle's name is practically the same as the name Max later takes, or is this foreshadowing something that happens later in the mini?

Greg: I'll diplomatically keep my mouth shut for fear of spoilers.

Impulse: We get a really interesting family dynamic going on here, too. What made you decide to portray Max's family in this way? I mean, what were some of the things you thought were important and that you wanted to clearly portray when showing his home life?

Greg: The key was always to make Max's family completely understandable as the kind of everyday, decent, funny, brave, and sometimes goofy folks any of us might know and love. They're not faceless, helpless victims; instead, we wanted to depict them as everyday heroes struggling to make sense of their suddenly insane world in ways with which readers could completely identify. Most importantly, I wanted to find ways to show the tremendous love Max's father has for his family---especially his son. My favorite moments in the series have been little interactions between Max and his father---the tiny gestures, the little jokes, and the awkward embraces. I love Max's father as much as any character I've ever created.

Impulse: You handle the oppression and rise of the Nazis with such finesse in the comic. It's subtle at some points (even though the reader is certainly aware, from knowing about what Magneto went through growing up and also the historical context), and dramatically strong at others. Why did you feel this route would work, and how does it play into the overall story, especially regarding Max as a character? Was there anything that influenced you in the way you chose to tell it?

Greg: I wanted to begin the story relatively early so that we could get to know Max and his family as human beings before the full gravity of their situation sank in. And I knew we should see almost everything from Max's point of view. That would let us discover things bit by bit at the same time he does and help us understand how the Nazi rise and the Final Solution crept up around and then swept away their victims.

Impulse: I really loved the inclusion of the character Kalb, who genuinely cares for and can definitely (as we later learn) emphasize with Max. But things didn't look so good for him by the end of the issue. Will we get to see him again, by any chance?

Greg: I should probably just hold my tongue, but since you asked so nicely ... Yes, we will see Herr Kalb again. And you're the first to know!

Impulse: The little moments between Max and Magda were great; at this point, only a few words have been said. So as far as this origin story is concerned, we don't know much about her. I imagine you have a unique take on her, too, and the way she fits into Magneto Testament. Can you talk a little about what we'll see not only regarding the relationship between her and Max, but her own development and personality, as well?

Greg: As folks who have followed Magneto over the years know, Magda plays an important role towards the end of the story. We'll build up to that as we go along. For now, I'll just say that Magda will be as important to Max as Max is to his father.

Impulse: There were several things in the first issue's "Afterword" that caught my attention. For one, you referred to Max---who later becomes the villain Magneto---as a "hero." Right now, there couldn't be a more perfect way to describe him. Max isn't just the protagonist---he has a good heart and comes from a hardworking, honest family. Taking into consideration that this is an origin story, when you sat down to write this did you want to make sure you carried that hero element through to the end or are we going to start seeing the tragedy of this traumatic experience take a dark toll on our hero by the conclusion?

Greg: Warren and I have talked a lot about this very topic. And we agree that at this stage in his life, our hero is exactly that---a hero.

Impulse: In the Afterword you also mention that you had to make some compromises, as expected, with comic book and also historical continuity and accuracy, and that you had to choose "one detail over another." What were some of the things that you found especially challenging to address or deal with, or some of the obstacles you had to overcome, when it came to writing this story? How did you work through them?

Greg: Since the comic book continuity is sometimes self-contradictory or conflicts with actual historical events, we couldn't always be completely true to it. Our goal has been to be true to the essence of the character. But we've always chosen real-world historical accuracy above comic book continuity. When writing about the Holocaust in particular, we're taking every precaution to avoid making historical mistakes.

There were also certain points when we finessed the comic book continuity for dramatic reasons. For example, different information from earlier comics might lead to the conclusion that Magneto's family was Polish. But we felt it was important to the story to show the gradual but inexorable rise of the Nazi state, and the most effective way to do so would be to make the family German Jews who would experience first hand things like the Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht. In the end, we decided that that making that choice would do no harm to the spirit of the earlier stories and would allow us to add greatly to the story and characters.

Impulse: What is it that draws you to this character? What makes him so interesting and appealing that you wanted to write Magneto Testament?

Greg: I'd first learned about the Holocaust as a grade schooler in Dallas, Texas. Over the years, I continued to learn about the time period while studying German in high school and college, political science in college, and history as a grad student. So I was probably drawn to the project partly because I thought I might have the background to tackle it. But most importantly, I was compelled by the idea of writing about a boy trying to save his family from the Nazi onslaught. The idea that this quiet schoolboy might find within him the strength to overcome his terror and do his best to save his family totally compelled me.

Impulse: Can you give us a little teaser about the rest of the mini? Something that'll hook people into reading Magneto Testament?

Greg: This is the first and only series to tell the complete story of Magneto's childhood---and, as far as I know, the first Marvel comic book to depict this historical time period [with] this kind of detail and accuracy.

Impulse: Thanks again, Greg! I can't wait to read the next issue.

Greg: Thank you, Stephanie!