Magneto is arguably one of the greatest comic book characters ever created. Flawed, conflicted, and multi-faceted, Erik Lehnsherr’s struggle balancing personal tragedy with a desire to ensure that other mutants never have to suffer the indignities he has can be viewed as the most compelling narrative to emerge from the history of the X-Men.
Magneto has spent a large part of that history as a villain but has also teamed with the X-Men and other Marvel heroes when circumstances dictated. But how would he fare in the DC Universe? Here are 5 DC heroes Magneto would get along with, and five he'd definitely hate.
10 GET ALONG WITH: AQUAMAN
Magneto’s major impetus in life is to safeguard the lives and interests of all his fellow mutants. To this end, he’s got no qualms about resorting to any means necessary, not precluding violence, to protect his people. In this way, he’d find a kinship with Aquaman, who as ruler of Atlantis, is also responsible for the welfare of his people. Subject to years of abuse and environmental degradation by the surface world, Magneto would understand the harsh feelings some Atlanteans have towards surface dwellers and might encourage Aquaman on a more militant approach to relations between the two worlds.
9 HATE: BOOSTER GOLD
Magneto is a serious individual, the product of a hard life melded with lofty ideals. Considering the plight of mutants in the Marvel Universe, the Master of Magnetism has no time for idiocy or tomfoolery, especially from someone who could have special insight into how to help his cause.
It’s for reasons like these that he’d have a special disdain for Booster Gold. Booster can be rather impulsive, flippant, and flaky most of the time, which would aggravate Magneto to no end. Booster being from the future, Magneto would probably want him to reveal how best to sidestep upcoming atrocities towards mutants, however, Booster’s reticence or inability to do so would probably incur Magento’s wrath.
8 GET ALONG WITH: THE MARTIAN MANHUNTER
A survivor of the Holocaust, Magneto knows what it means to be separated from your family and your people forever. As a mutant, he also knows what it means to suffer from people’s prejudice and fear.
In these ways, he could commiserate with J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter. The sole survivor of a Martian holocaust, J’onn has also experienced the loss of his family, culture, and people. He was also forced to adopt a more human appearance to avoid being persecuted by humans, so he and Magneto would find a lot of common ground.
7 HATE: CONSTANTINE
If there’s one thing Magneto hates more than incompetence, it’s an arrogant ego, especially if it’s one that brushes up against his own. Like most individuals with despotic tendencies, Magneto hates dissenting opinions, which is why he’d hate John Constantine.
A fountain of unsolicited opinions delivered with a volley of sarcastic barbs, there’s no doubt Constantine would grate against Magneto’s nerves, prompting him to dispose of the magician any way he could.
6 GET ALONG WITH: SWAMP THING
To be clear, Magneto doesn’t have an issue with the Earth, but with the people that inhabit it. If anything, he laments the misuse and damage humanity has inflicted on the planet, as it robs mutants of viable living space once he gets rid of humanity.
For this reason, he would get along with the Swamp Thing. As an avatar of “The Green,” the living life force of the planet, Magneto would welcome Swamp Thing’s help in eliminating the planet of humans so that mutants and Mother Nature could live together in harmony.
5 HATE: CAPTAIN MARVEL
Due to the existential threat mutants face daily in the Marvel Universe, it’s no surprise that Magneto takes his role as a leader so seriously. To that end, he keeps his inner circle populated with seasoned and mature individuals whose opinions he can trust and rely on.
For this reason, he probably wouldn’t like keeping Captain Marvel as a close ally. Considering Marvel is a literal child who controls an incredible amount of power, Magneto would prefer to use Marvel as an instrument of his will rather than rely on him as an ally.
4 GET ALONG WITH: GREEN LANTERN
In an ironic twist of characterization, Magneto values a strong sense of will. Moreover, he holds in high esteem those who can exert their influence over people effectively enough to bend them to their own wills.
For these reasons, Magneto would admire members of the Green Lantern Corps for their ability to channel their will into a tangible construct. Although some members of the Corps, like Hal Jordan, might find Magneto’s methods deplorable, some, like Guy Gardner, might be intrigued enough to establish a relationship with the Master of Magnetism.
3 HATE: BATMAN
More often than not, Magneto has believed mutants to be the next stage in evolution, rendering human beings obsolete. He's also sought to hasten mutant ascendancy over the planet, seeing human resistance to his plans as the dying efforts of a doomed race.
In this way, Batman’s being the peak of human perfection would mean less than nothing to Magneto. Batman’s efforts to stop the Master of Magnetism, stubborn refusal to admit defeat, and preponderant reliance on gadgets to launch an offensive would be interpreted as the last, desperate attempts of a wounded animal to defend itself before death. As is customary in these cases, Magneto would put Batman out of his misery.
2 GET ALONG WITH: WONDER WOMAN
As the Princess of Themyscira, Diana knows what is to be preoccupied with the welfare of her people, as the island nation is tiny and susceptible to attack. Although inhabited by formidable warriors, Themyscira resembles the mutant nation of Genosha in that respect, which Magneto ruled at one time.
Although Diana’s mission is one of finding peaceful coexistence with the outside world, there have been times where a more militant approach has been called for, which falls more in line with Magneto’s philosophy. It wouldn’t be a big stretch of the imagination to see these two team up at some point, with the Master of Magnetism perhaps mentoring Diana along the way.
1 HATE: SUPERMAN
In some ways, Superman could be considered a mutant, in that he was born with powers that didn’t manifest till puberty. In this regard, getting the Man of Steel on-side would be one of Magneto’s top priorities, considering Superman’s awesome powers.
Genetic nomenclature aside, there’s little chance Magneto would warm up to Supes. Both their ideologies differ so fundamentally that it’s almost positive they wouldn’t get along. The freedom-loving, inclusive altruist in Superman would definitely dislike the autocratic xenophobe in Magneto, and vice-versa.