I just got done reading the article titled, "X-Men as J Men." It discusses all of the undercover ideas that the writers were trying to get out that most people did not know about. For example, the meaning behind Magneto. As I was reading it, it seemed strange that a Holocaust survivor is a villain. Most stories depict a Holocaust survivor as the victim or a hero. Magneto is clearly different and that is because of his motives. Magneto is seen as a villain because he wants the mutants to rise up against society so there will not be another 'holocaust' against the mutants. He is fearful of another genocide against his people. When I realized this, it makes sense and it makes you feel bad for him. So he's like a good villain. Maybe some people disagree still...
Poor Magneto....
I think Magneto is truly both a villian and yet a hero. It is interesting how he is protrayed as a villain and takes his cause a bit over the edge (the point of no return) but I look at his concern as genuine.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I feel bad for him but I can say that I understand why he is what he is and why he did the things he did. Fear is a powerful thing and fear which comes from a tragedy is even more difficult. This said there are (psychologically speaking) stages of healing. It would be interesting to see if there were ever any hints of these stages in Magneto during the comics early years or was it just straight downhill.
This could go even farther into the terrorist vs. freedom fighter debate. Often we use sayings like "the lesser of two evils" but perception is like possession...it accounts for nine tenths. What is evil changes as we change and after what he went through it is inevitable that his outlook was changed forever as was he. There may have been a day when he would have thought about "the lesser of two evils" and maybe long ago that choice would have been (by our standards)..."less evil."