Warning: The following article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 7, “Bright Eyes.”
Magneto is among the casualties in X-Men ’97 Season 1’s Genosha massacre – but is the Master of Magnetism really dead? And does he die in Marvel’s X-Men comics?
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Does Magneto Die in X-Men ’97?
Nope, although it sure looks that way in X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 5, “Remember It.” Here, he’s seemingly killed defending the Morlocks during the Sentinels’ attack on Genosha. X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 6, “Lifedeath – Part 2,” hammers home Magneto’s supposed series exit further, removing the reformed supervillain’s vignette from the opening credits’ team line-up. That said, “Lifedeath – Part 2” also includes a subtle clue that Magneto cheated death after all. During Professor X’s psychic breakdown, he’s confronted by the specter of Magneto’s fellow Genosha massacre victim, Gambit, but the Master of Magnetism himself is absent.
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This paves the way for the final scene of X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 7, “Bright Eyes,” which reveals that Magneto did indeed survive the Sentinels’ strike. The logistics of this remain unclear, given the energy blast Master Mold hit him with in “Remember It” looked preeeeetty fatal. We also don’t know if any of the Morlocks survived, either. What is clear is that Magneto is now Bastion’s prisoner, his powers kept in check by a Neutralizer collar. Bastion’s plans for the Master of Magnetism are yet to be revealed, however, they’re bound to be nasty!
Does Magneto Die in Marvel’s X-Men Comics?
Yes – many, many times. Admittedly, almost all of these deaths were fakeouts – either at the time or thanks to retcons – but Magneto has legitimately kicked the bucket at least twice. Both of these “real” deaths happened fairly recently too, during the X-Men comics’ Krakoa era. The first was no biggie; like all Krakoan residents, Magneto was brought back to life immediately after. The one-time baddie’s second resurrection was decidedly more touch and go, though. It involved a purgatory-like realm, Storm, and a fight with the Shadow King, and frankly deserves an article of its own.
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It’s unclear whether X-Men ’97 will pull from either of the above scenarios to explain Magneto’s return, although it seems unlikely. That said, one of the character’s many faux-deaths may point to how he made his comeback. In the New X-Men #115, “E is for Extinction (Part 2),” Magneto seemingly dies in a Sentinel attack on Genosha similar to what we see in “Remember It.” Yet Magneto later turns up alive in Genosha’s ruins – so maybe his animated counterpart is just a lucky guy, too?
X-Men ’97 is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.
The above article was updated on 4/25/2024 by Leon Miller to update information about X-Men ’97.
