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The New Mutants (“TNM ”) run of X-Men comics is zany, funny, at times intensely emotional, and fascinating for all that. This period is an excellent one for Magneto, too. I adore Erik’s bond with the students, despite how their numerous antics often leave him at wit’s end. Or struggling with self-doubt. But the point of this reflection is to work through my thoughts on how Magneto’s relationship with the new mutants— specifically Roberto Da Costa (“Sunspot”)— reflects his and Pietro’s and, more broadly, exemplifies some of Erik’s issues.
While Magneto frequently fails as both a father and a Headmaster, it is disingenuous to attribute all the fault to Erik. The circumstances under which he takes on both roles must be considered. Each conflict is two sided, even if one is more responsible for the tension than the other. Some of Pietro and Erik’s major issues are their mutual stubbornness, misplaced expectations, pride, Erik’s lack of communication, temper, and Pietro’s rashness. Roberto and Erik’s relationship is in some ways similar. Towards the end of Magneto’s stint as Headmaster, Sunspot struggles to believe, or even denies, his concern for the students. The beginning of their relationship is categorized by wariness and mutual doubt of whether Magneto is a good fit. At the start of his tenure as Headmaster, Erik portends disaster:
“In the moments when I am most sane— and brutally honest with myself— I know, beyond all shadow of a doubt, that this is utter madness. I’ve made a tragic mistake. I am sure to fail. And that will destroy not only me but the new mutants as well, the children— the generation, the hope for the future— I have spent my life trying to save” (New Mutants #35).
This theme builds throughout the series. “I am the Master of Magnetism! I possess power undreamt of. And yet, I am helpless to keep my young charges safe from harm,” Erik bemoans in NM #61. That Roberto and Erik clash is inevitable. However, some of their conflicts result not from Erik’s actions, but rather Sunspot’s understandable trust issues.
Like many other X-Men, Roberto has a traumatic manifestation. His occurred during a soccer football match where he faced racial taunts (NM #1). Sunspot’s ‘dangerous’ mutation also leaves him in constant fear of causing harm. Roberto also experienced severe family trauma prior to Magneto’s arrival. Some of his wariness also arises from the team’s early failures. The loss of their leader, Karma (Xi’an Coy Manh) and her subsequent return as a villain (while possessed by The Shadow King [Amahl Farouk]) around NM #29 had a huge impact on the entire team. Karma’s loss makes Sunspot doubt Professor X— he goes so far as to claim that Charles intentionally prevented the team from saving her (NM #31, 32). Roberto is shown to repeatedly reflect on the death of his girlfriend, and a comparison between Juliana and Xi’an’s deaths is made. In both cases, Roberto feels a misplaced sense of responsibility (NM #32). This primes Sunspot to be wary of Magneto.
To make matters worse, Charles’ abrupt X-Men Death™ requires Erik to both break the bad news and hit the ground running. Responding to this shocking announcement, Roberto says: “The only “Magneto” I ever heard of, Senhor, is a supervillain— the X-Men’s deadliest foe, an avowed enemy of all humanity!” (NM #35). That Erik and Roberto’s terrible father share membership in the Hellfire Club doesn’t escape Sunspot’s notice either. In fairness to Sunspot, he doesn’t always lead the charge into danger— Magik (Illyana Rasputin) instigates just as frequently, if not more. Magneto, surprisingly unbothered, acknowledges: “Roberto can no more escape his responsibilities— and fate— than I. Besides, it isn’t me he’s angry with. I merely provide the most convenient target” (NM #36).
Erik works to earn his students’ trust— and more or less succeeds— after some initial fumbling. The first major victory occurs after he confronts a group of young men who assaulted Danielle Moonstar (first “Psyche” and later “Mirage”). Roberto, Warlock, and Illyana witness it. This is also an early demonstration of Erik’s character growth. Instead of slaughtering the perpetrators, he scares them with some property damage and a patented Magneto Speech:
“You are scum, the dregs of society. A disgrace to your misbegotten species— with all the benefits of wealth and position, education and health, you amuse yourselves by hurting innocents, who neither thought nor did you any harm […] Once, with far less cause, I would quite cheerfully have slain you— rent your bodies limb from limb as easily as I did your house. Indeed, I am sorely tempted. The world would not miss such as you. Mine is the power to destroy— but I choose not to. Profit from my example. The evil you do unto others returns unto you a thousandfold— it scars body and, far worse, soul. Continue down this cruel and bloody road you’ve chosen and one day, you’re certain to meet one not as forgiving as I. Is that what you want? The choice, as ever, remains your own” (NM #35).
After the men’s arrest, Illyana asks Roberto if his impression of Magneto has changed. It has.
Magneto’s affection / concern for his students is shown in various ways throughout TNM. When one of the hellions wreaks havoc at the school, Erik is consumed by nightmares in which he loses the new mutants (NM #38). When Emma Frost sics the Avengers on Magneto, Warlock is gravely injured. In the ensuing confrontation, Magneto both desperately tries to save him and attempts to avoid seriously injuring the Avengers (NM #40). In the aftermath, Erik holds and comforts a distraught Rahne: “There, there, Rahne— no need to cry or be afraid, you’re safe now” (NM #40). Furthermore, Erik always expresses relief at the students’ safe return from their (mis)adventures. He literally goes to Hell Limbo for Illyana in NM #52. His reunion with Sunspot and Warlock— who ran away— is particularly touching. Erik hugs them, and exclaims, “I’ve never been gladder to see anyone in my life!” (NM #59).
The students acknowledge his affection as well. During the Avenger’s attack in NM #40, Illyana gathers the others, and they help Magneto despite the personal risk this poses. In NM #61, Roberto tells the other students that “Magneto was practically hysterical [. . .]” when they ran off. Unfortunately, a combination of external influences and Erik’s own issues soon erodes this trust.
Magma’s (Amara Aquilla’s) kidnapping is illustrative of this. It takes place after her transfer to The Massachusetts Academy. With little more instruction than essentially, “Stay here, I’ll handle this” Erik once again heads for the Hellfire Club. This builds on the theme of abandonment, set in place by Professor X. (Erik and Pietro’s relationship has this theme as well). The students worry that a peer’s safety has— once again— been left in their hands. Roberto comments, “Magneto says lots of things [Mirage]. And then he runs off to the Hellfire Club when if he’d just trust us, he’d already be [rescuing Amara and] kicking [her kidnapper’s] tails!” (NM Annual #4). This demonstrates Erik’s tendency to act unilaterally and how that results in otherwise avoidable conflicts. It’s a trait Pietro and his father share.
Ultimately, the new mutants do rescue Magma. When Magneto and Co. show up with the same intention, the students overhear their suspicious conversation, and flee. Later, Erik tries to smooth things over: “You see, now, that you can trust me to handle these things. And you must realize that, although I sometimes appear harsh, I have your best interests at heart” (NM Annual #4). Ironically, he also compliments Dani’s new spear necklace. The jewelry is a product of Mirage’s growing powers— which the students agreed to conceal from Magneto. But Cypher (Douglas Ramsey) and Colossus’ deaths prove to be the crisis point.
As the new mutants were causing increasingly public mayhem, the Mutant Registration Act was gaining popularity. Magneto recognizes both its danger and the potential fallout if the students’ association with him becomes known. Doug’s death is a nightmare scenario for Erik for reasons aside from emotional trauma. Any serious school-place injury or incident places increased scrutiny on that facility. Erik tells the children as much in NM #64:
“I want you to know that I was forced to lie to Doug’s parents about the manner of Doug’s death [. . .] It’s wrong. His parents have the right to know the truth about their son… the way he died. But I feel that it would be dangerous to reveal ourselves as mutants at this time.”
Grief-stricken by the loss of her friend and brother, Illyana slips into her demonic Darkchilde form and attacks Erik. She partially blames Magneto for Colossus’ death, as he forbade the students from aiding the X-Men. In response, Erik threatens to chain the new mutants up if they do not obey him (NM #61). This outrages Roberto and he rallies against his Headmaster.
There is more behind Erik’s harshness than desire to protect the kids, though. At this point, Magneto’s moral backsliding has been foreshadowed. He dislikes both failure and looking like a fool. “I have the same rights to [the Hellfire Club’s] equipment as other members of our Inner Circle but to use that equipment to scan for [my students] yet again… and to have the others know what I’m doing is humiliation beyond endurance” he muses in NM #70. During the Limbo invasion, the new mutants take a break from ghostbusting demon hunting to find Magneto. They witness the Hellfire Club (plus Erik) attempting to make a deal with one of Illyana’s enemies and run off. As Magneto’s authority over the new mutants fragments, so does his relationship with the Hellfire Club.
Although the Xavier Institute’s destruction in NM #75 is physical, it is also symbolic. Whatever bound students and Headmaster together is no more. Erik hears about the disaster and returns to the mansion. Upon seeing Magneto, Roberto exclaims, “The mansion is destroyed! The school is gone! We won’t come back with you!” (NM #75) and impetuously attacks. An all-out battle between the new mutants and the Hellfire Club— save for Erik— begins. Eventually, Magneto traps the kids in a metallic sphere and pulls them aside. Ever the asshole, Shaw interrupts their conversation. Still trapped, the new mutants witness the ensuing throwdown. Some Exposition™ occurs and Magneto’s full ambition is revealed.
Far earlier in the series, Magneto asks Illyana, “Does being the strongest automatically give one the right to “force” obedience?” (NM #52). That he debates his response to this question is a marked change in Magneto’s psychology. While he still disfavored Charles’ philosophy, Erik was willing to reconsider his strategies. A number of factors led to this outcome, but above all else, Magneto wanted to change. However, Erik is still a man shaped by his past. In spite of his early determination and good intentions, Erik’s answer gradually shifts from ‘No’ back to ‘Yes.’
The Mutant Registration Act’s danger is exacerbated by the students’ risk-taking. “He wanted us trained like soldiers, to obey. To do whatever he told us, no questions asked,” Roberto says angrily in NM #75, not wondering why Magneto might favor such preparation. In a bigoted world, it is incredibly difficult to prevent one’s light from dimming. Without friends or allies to offer support or to dissuade him, Erik’s return to ‘villainy’ is almost inevitable.
He admits to preventing the new mutants from aiding the X-Men because of the group’s pro-human philosophy (NM #75). Both his position at the school and the Hellfire Club— Erik claims— were accepted to consolidate power and foster mutant solidarity. “Nonetheless, I hoped that I would have time to walk the path of peace and that this path would lead our kind to cooperation and reconciliation,” Erik tells Shaw during their confrontation (NM #75).
Later in that same issue, he says, “I did not require [my students’] love, but their obedience.” Among other such brutal confessions, this, I think, is his only lie. Throughout his time running the Xavier Institute, Magneto continually reaches out to his students. He incessantly worries about whether he is suited to mentorship. He defends his students too. Erik’s experiences have taught him that vulnerability is dangerous, that it distracts from ‘worthier’ goals. Despite professing to only need his students’ obedience, Erik agonizes over them a hell of a lot.
After defeating Shaw, and the other Hellfire Club members’ departure, Erik turns to his former students and asks them to join him. Each resolutely refuses. Raising his hand, Magneto says, “If that is the way you feel—” then releases them (NM #75). He reasons that their destruction is pointless; eventually human violence will drive all of mutantkind to his side. Whether he wants to admit it or not, the new mutants mean(t) something to Magneto. He spares them out of sentimentality. After all, Erik could never bring himself to get rid of Charles Xavier, that other pesky adversary of his, either.
In NM #61, Sunspot complains, “Magneto doesn’t like me and Xavier thought I’d turn to evil and my Father thinks I’m a wimp.” Pietro could just as easily have made this speech. Erik believes his being Quicksilver’s father grants him insurmountable say over Pietro’s life. Quicksilver’s ‘insubordination’ is also unseemly because it undermines Erik’s credibility. Furthermore, Erik allows both his expectations for his son— and personal hangups— to overshadow reality. In doing so, he fails to understand Pietro (or his students). Among other negative outcomes, this causes Pietro to feel inadequate. Erik is undoubtedly more responsible for their poor relationship, but Pietro is not without fault. Quicksilver’s similar temper and impulsiveness mix poorly with his (justifiable) trust issues. He often fails to look beneath the surface. Then again: why bother when you’ll likely face disappointment?
Magneto starts out wanting the best for his charges, and they at times see that he cares— but neither sides’ needs are properly conveyed or met. It is hard enough to continue caring when your efforts seem to have no impact. But the combination of outside pressures, private struggles, and a lack of support ultimately proves to be too much. Erik returns to the path he knows because doing nothing is not an option. In the end, Erik’s prediction of failure comes true not from his innate inadequacy, but as a result of his imperfect decisions and poor conditions.