MAGNETO versus APOCALYPSE

Back in the USSR Part 2: Clear And Present Danger (Marvel)
Where: Adventures of the X-Men #6 When: September 1996 Why: Ralph Macchio How: Ben Herrera

The Story So Far...
The destruction of Asteroid M sends a furious Magneto back to Earth on a mission of vengeance against a humanity that has betrayed peace!

With his mastery of magnetism Magneto turns the weapons of the world against itself -- invading a Russian base with The Brotherhood of Mutants -- to launch a nuclear missile strike targeting the United States.

With his retaliation comes the dire realization that it was not any nation that attacked his orbital base, but rather the maniacal Apocalypse -- who has manipulated Magneto into an act of war that will assure the mutual destruction of two global powers, scorching the Earth so only the fittest will survive!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Apocalypse 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Apocalypse 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Apocalypse 6 (Rubber)
Fighting: Apocalypse 4 (Trained)
Energy: Magneto 6 (None)
Total: Apocalypse 36 (Metahuman)

Season 2 of X-Men '97 pits these mutant titans against one another in a dramatic battle in ancient Egypt, but long before Disney+ launched their animated series revival, there was Adventures of the X-Men -- a companion series published while the final season of the original X-Men cartoon was airing in 1996 into '97.

Adventures ditched direct episode adaptations for all-new original stories, with this version of Magneto differing slightly from animated and comic book counterparts of the time, possessing all the classic abilities of the Master of Magnetism, while having formed a version of The Brotherhood of Mutants with Toad, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

Magneto and his Brotherhood crossed paths with the X-Men many times in early issues of the mainline comics, notably coming undone when Magneto's attempt to recruit the Sub-Mariner backfired in X-Men (Vol.1) #6.

Inter-personal relationships with his erstwhile children and underlings have also often proved troublesome for Magneto. Things got violent when he reunited with his children in the moon city Attilan, and Quicksilver was against him again during the X-Men's siege of Avalon.

It's not all family turmoil for the "House of M", though. When Scarlet Witch began to experience a mental breakdown, he patched things up with his daughter & son, bringing them successfully together against Iron Man. Significant as Scarlet Witch will tag along for today's featured fight -- but it's really all about the showdown between Magneto and the awesome ancient might of Apocalypse!

Both are major players in shaping the fate of mutantkind, but they haven't crossed paths as much as you might think. One of their most notable collisions came when Apocalypse conquered the world in the alternate-reality timeline of Age of Apocalypse, resulting in the heroic Magneto making a final stand against the tyrant with a shocking realization of his fullest magnetic powers!

Don't be fooled, though. Through his natural mutant gifts, and techno-organic enhancements from Celestial technology, Apocalypse has almost total control over his molecular composition. This allows him to endure and resist significant physical damage, and adapt his body into a variety of weapons and even vehicles. Useful talents when facing an adaptable opponent, such as the High Evolutionary.

Apocalypse is also a keen strategist, with a wealth of tools and followers amassed over the centuries, allowing him to secure victory even in the most dire of circumstances, as seen in his victories over the Norse god Loki, and the X-Men.

Circumstances and dramatic thrust have a major role to play in any encounter between these two. If Magneto can utilize the fullest of his powers he may secure victory, but it's hard to imagine either mutant backing down. Let's see how it goes!

History: Magneto (1-0-0)

The Tape: Apocalypse Ranking: Magneto (#91)

What Went Down...

Magneto angrily leads the Scarlet Witch to the exterior compound of the Russian nuclear base he seized mere moments earlier. There, Apocalypse waits to greet him with pontifications of rebirth through the ashes of a thermonuclear fire -- ignited by his intent -- and the missiles Magneto has launched against the world!

This time The Master of Magnetism does his best to curb his fury, ordering Scarlet Witch to stay safely behind, while he chooses a more deliberate show of power.

As he calls forth large heavy lids from missile silos to direct in a volley of projectiles -- it remains to be seen if he has withheld his anger.

Apocalypse transforms his left hand into a studded club and effortlessly swats aside the heavy metallic discs!

They are a mere annoyance to the ancient mutant who has survived the rise and fall of civilizations by nothing but his own will and incredible abilities!

Magneto stands his ground, claiming intent while keeping up the irritation -- he hurls tiny metal fragments at the large frame of his towering opponent. Apocalypse grows increasingly impatient...

Apocalypse charges toward Magneto, switching the studded club to his other hand while shifting the shape of his muscular left arm into a large mechanical pincer!

He raises both arms, bringing the weapons crashing down towards Magneto in an overhead strike. It's all The Master of Magnetism can do to stifle the blow as his magnetic field projections struggle to have any real influence.

Magneto tries to hold Apocalypse's arms back, but the ancient mutant looms over him with superior strength and a determination to dominate not only Magneto's body, but also his egotistical claims to being leader of mutant resistance in a war against humanity.

At last the strain is too great and Apocalypse is able to clasp his techno-organic grapple around Magneto's chest and arms!

He effortlessly lifts Magneto off the ground and begins to tighten his grip!

The upper hand belongs to En Sabah Nur -- but suddenly his grip is broken as a concussive beam blasts into his mid-section and staggers him back!

Cyclops leads the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants out of the nearby building.

With intercontinental nuclear missiles on a course for the United States of America -- Cyclops rightly identifies that Magneto's fight with Apocalypse is risking the fate of the world. He must withdraw, to use his powers to avert disaster and save the planet from nuclear war. A mission for peaceful coexistence with humanity, much to the amusement of Apocalypse, who mocks Magneto for heeding the behest of one of Charles Xavier's students.

The Hammer...

If you're anything like I was when this issue hit shelves back in the day, you were drawn in by that energetic Andy Kuhn cover, and the promise of a rare battle between two of the X-Men's greatest villains -- but even if we say Apocalypse had the upper hand, it's an inconclusive result that sends Magneto on a more pressing mission, setting us up for another fight, between Apocalypse and the X-Men!

Before we move on and look ahead to that match-up, we should also chalk Cyclops up for the assist. His well-timed optic blast from off-panel frees Magneto to save the world from mutually assured nuclear destruction. A surprise move he also pulled against Juggernaut and The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to end a crossover with DC's Teen Titans. I wonder how many times he's done that...

Today it's all about the X-Men, from a time when "Adventures" was synonymous with TV exploits, and the end was near for the much-loved animated series that ran from late 1992 to 1997.

I was already a dyed in the wool comic book reader, but it's fair to say the cartoon cemented my interest in the X-Men, which become more intense in the early to mid-nineties, and included actively collecting action figures, video games, and the entire first series on VHS tapes that featured two episodes per box (an improvement on the single episode tapes common to the United States).

The show had aired on weekday mornings before school, but even found its way into weekend primetime, much to my chagrin as Wolverine and Storm faced the time-traveling antics of Fitzroy as I was ushered out the door with a friend for dinner at Pizza Hut.

Fortunately, the entire series now streams on Disney+, where fans can recapture some of the excitement along with the first two seasons of revival series, X-Men '97. I can even enjoy the luxury of owning it all on DVD thanks to British released box sets that were obscenely cheap just a decade ago. Not so back in 1996!

The only hope an eater of meatlovers pizza had back then was anecdotal accounts from friends (who mostly weren't watching), prospective re-runs or VHS that never happened, or an adaptation of episodes in the pages of X-Men Adventures.

It was interesting to see how episodes were condensed, and sometimes slightly different on the page, but with a fresh mind that recalled minute detail & exact dialogue from regular TV viewings -- with hope of one day seeing all the episodes on home formats -- I was always a little bit snobbish towards adapted works.

Comic book artwork put Adventures series a step above novelizations, but it was still a slightly lame, second-hand, played out experience when all was said and done. So when the series was replaced with the slightly re-titled Adventures of the X-Men -- I was reserved, but pleased. It was still cheap, easy to access X-Men comics, but now there were a few surprises in store, and a fresh approach!

The simplified art style that became synonymous with cartoon-inspired series may have cost them a little street cred at the time, but over the years I've gained much more appreciation for the alternative offerings.

I've become particularly fond of Andy Kuhn's contributions, but Ben Herrera contributes a nice "animated" energy in today's spotlight issue, sharing duties in today's spotlight issue with Roberto Flores in the back half. Artists like John Hebert offered tendons & muscle more in keeping with the post-Jim Lee house style of the time in earlier series, while Alex Saviuk showed a stripped back, refined graphic expanding on his work on Spider-Man.

In another quirk from the age, my copy of Adventures of the X-Men #6 is one of the flipbook versions, which has the corresponding Adventures of Spider-Man #6 on the other side -- a deviating spin-off from the Spider-Man Adventures comic. We might also take this moment to acknowledge and celebrate Marvel Adventures, which opened the toy box up to other Marvel cartoon characters of the time, including Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and even Silver Surfer.

In hindsight, one of the pleasures of these series is that they were unburdened from the stunts and stages of comics at the time. This isn't a story about Joseph, or a catatonic post-Fatal Attractions Magneto. It's basically just the classic Master of Magnetism, and all the characters you know and love, with less of the nonsense. That's something I can appreciate a lot more, these days.

In the age of Disney and Marvel Studios, we're strangely used to malformed versions of characters in much the same way of the disappointments of adaptations from earlier decades. One of the things that made the X-Men animated series work so well in the nineties was its effort to reflect the look and style of the comics, with the intuitive wisdom and refinements of thirty years of publication to draw upon.

I shamefully admit that I often regarded the cartoon versions of Apocalypse and the Sentinels for being distillations of what makes those characters great, without the baggage of some of the clumsier efforts of seminal comic book appearances, and later distractions and missteps. The first series, in particular, did it very well.

The scope of Apocalypse and Magneto in the mainline Marvel Comics meant they were often out of sync, in a state of flux, and perhaps just too big to have a lot to do with each other. It was nice that Adventures could facilitate the meeting of their iconic selves, although Apocalypse is maybe skewing a little Saturday Morning in his manipulations and general depictions here, but I suppose it recalls the scenes of a giant-size Apocalypse stomping through France in Series 1.

How important were the cartoons and these comics to your fandom? I'd be interested to know. You can drop a comment below, hit me up on social media, or take the next step in human evolution by supporting the cause on Patreon. That's one way you can help encourage a follow-up for the X-Men/Apocalypse battle!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has been serving superhero smackdown for well over 750 fights, while ranking more than 1000 of your favourite characters with detailed information resources and reviews -- all free for your convenience!

You can find much more by diving in to the Secret Archives! That's a complete index of every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue number. Or simply follow links throughout each feature to find more from your favourite characters, series, and subjects. That's how you become the ultimate fighter!

You can also get daily recommendations inspired by popular topics of the day by subscribing to X (aka; Twitter)! Don't forget to smash that like, fave, and share to help boost the signal -- and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday on X & Discord! The lively Discord chat is one of the bonuses of becoming a Patreon subscriber. Ring the bell and get in the ring!

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#91 (--) Magneto [+1 draw]
#127 (+3) Apocalypse [+1 draw]
#93 (--) Cyclops [+1 assist]

IRON MAN versus MAGNETO

Family Reunion (Marvel)
Where: Avengers West Coast #57 When: April 1990
Why: John Byrne How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
The emotional strain of learning her children were plied from the fractured energies of Mephisto -- only to lose them to the reincorporated devil -- takes a terrible toll on the Scarlet Witch!

Estranged from an emotionless, reconstructed Vision, she suffers a mental break -- but not alone! Magneto returns under the manipulations of Loki to reclaim his daughter and ease her from her suffering. A family reunion that inevitably pits the Master of Magnetism against Wanda's most trusted allies - The Avengers!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Iron Man 4 (Trained)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Iron Man 31 (Super)

At some point every fan wonders the same thing: What happens if Iron Man fights the Master of Magnetism? It's a done deal, right? Magneto controls metal, Iron Man relies on a metal suit. Case closed. Well, not so fast hotshot...

Tony Stark may have made his first suit of armor out of iron, but times change, and as most of the planet learned through the hugely successful live-action film series -- he's not so much an iron monger as a master of industry and technological advancement (with a flair for weaponry).

This all comes down to your definition of an "Iron Man", and the simple truth is, like a lot of metal products in our modern way of life, his suits probably contain many non-ferrous materials, such as plastics, fiberglass, carbon fibers, and titanium alloy. The net result is a suit that can probably handle magnetic fields without too much trouble -- especially if he has time to prepare.

Let's assume Iron Man has super-durable plastic armor ready to go and any elemental advantage Magneto might have is null & void. What then?

Well, just because Iron Man isn't a walking lump of metal doesn't mean there isn't plenty of iron to go around!

Magneto has made a career out of turning found objects, and his environment, into a weapon. He's hurled broken machines at the Sub-Mariner, skewered Quicksilver with a flagpole, encased his students in X-Mansion wreckage, and flung industrial scrap metal & cranes at a cosmic-powered Spider-Man!

If that's not enough to give Iron Man a good fight, we've also seen Magneto use his metal-bending powers to craft his own makeshift suit of armor in the Age of Apocalypse timeline. A defensive & offensive addition to his trademark helmet.

In a real pinch he can manipulate people through the iron in their blood, or even disrupt the Earth's magnetic axis, but he isn't walking around doing these things, so we'll put the theory aside and get practical on this Marvel main event.

The Tape: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

What Went Down...

A portion of the cottage floor - where Vision and Scarlet Witch had set up home on the Avengers compound - becomes a makeshift platform as Magneto blasts clear of the domestic dwelling, riding it skyward with his daughter & son in tow.

Wonder Man hopes to make pursuit, but The Avengers have just stared defeat in the face. Hank Pym insists they come up with a plan, but nobody told Iron Man that!

The Golden Avenger makes his high-flying arrival -- spotting Magneto and his erstwhile teammates, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, making their bombastic escape! He contemplates their complicated history and makes chase!

Sharing the misapprehension of the public that there is a new man inside the Iron Man armor -- Magneto dissuades The Avenger from engaging with them. He feels they have no quarrel, but the armored hero is not about to back down.

'You make me sad, Iron Man. My purpose in life is the preservation of mutantkind, not the destruction of humanity. But if you insist upon placing yourself in the status of an enemy...'

Iron Man strings along the illusion that he's a new opponent, hoping to take tactical advantage of Magneto under estimating him. When the Master of Magnetism inevitably strikes -- he does indeed assume too little of his foe.

Though his aim is true -- Magneto's blast has no effect on Iron Man!

The Avenger flies clear, spiraling overhead to trade condescension with his opponent, safe in the knowledge that his armor's "ferrous polymers" have been treated with a "special demagnetizing agent".

Magneto can do nothing directly to harm the armored hero.

As he glides through the clouds, Iron Man appears to have the upper hand, but Magneto is not the only person on the floating chunk of floor.

With a simple gesture of her hand, Scarlet Witch casts a hex spell that answers the question of what would happen if his automatic systems suddenly suffered a massive failure.

Iron Man begins to plummet!

Quicksilver races to petition for capture, but the speedster is too slow. His sister's hex spell has already sent Iron Man plunging towards the Earth below.

Magneto observes the unfortunate irony. That he might have been able to reach out with his mutant gifts to save the falling Avenger, but the protections against his powers leave him as powerless to rescue as he is to assault.

The Hammer...

Lucky for Iron Man the specifics of Scarlet Witch's hex don't affect his onboard parachute -- which allows him to crash through the glass ceiling of a North Hollywood condominium unharmed. Faux pas!

Although his landing is relatively safe, it's a pretty humbling defeat -- just not from the opponent we were all focused on.

There are better examples of Magneto fighting Iron Man -- including a more compelling rematch a few issues later in Avengers West Coast #60, but this encounter does provide a short, sharp response to the elemental component that makes it a popular point of curiosity.

In the end: Magnetism just isn't a big factor!

As noted in The Tape; time and technological advancement only makes this an easier issue to explain away. These days we encounter strong, durable nonferrous materials in our day-to-day lives all the time. In the pages of 1990, writer-artist John Byrne was content to keep it vague, citing the ol' "demagnetizing agent". A bit dodgy in vernacular, but good enough in principle.

I'm sure we'll be citing it when we return to the Iron Man/Magneto match-up in its earlier and later incarnations. I'm particularly interested to look back at their first meeting: A bizarre episode from Magneto's wilder days that may or may not challenge his affirmation that he's not about 'destroying humanity'.

Interestingly enough, in today's fight Tony Stark is maintaining the lie that a new man now inhabits the Iron Man armor. That was actually the case in a prior face-off when Jim Rhodes was wearing the red & gold during Secret Wars. Not that Iron Man, or Magneto, would necessarily know to correct the other. That, and perhaps Byrne isn't really concerned with the "toyetic" 12-issue maxi series. I don't know.

Our featured fight is bookended by two far more compelling battles within the same issue, but since I've got Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection on my mind, I was a little more interested in coming down the centre for the marquee fight with two characters who feature prominently in those games. At some point, we'll come back to see how the other Avengers fared in their skirmishes.

As for Scarlet Witch -- it's not a very flashy demonstration of her powers, but still a chilling display of how quickly & effectively she can disarm an opponent given the right mindset.

On approach, Iron Man had considered the possibility that Scarlet Witch may have reverted to her earlier days with The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but apparently still wasn't expecting to be magically kayoed by her hex powers. His bad!

This is part of a Dark Phoenix-style heel turn for the heroine, which sees her getting a little more assertive in ways that will make Magneto uncomfortable soon enough. A tangled web that positions her between the machinations of Mephisto, Loki, and Immortus, in addition to her father.

The least complicated elements of this general storyline were inspiration for the WandaVision television series, and have been recurring in storylines such as House of M, but not the Marvel vs Capcom games...

Despite Marvel Super Heroes being loosely adapted from The Infinity Gauntlet - where Scarlet Witch teamed with Cyclops and Iron Man - she still hasn't appeared playable in the long-running Capcom crossover series. That's presumably a reflection of the challenges in translating vague magical powers into unique, visual game mechanics -- especially when those abilities depend on subverting the strict rules that govern day to day life, and well-balanced fighting games.

This speaks to my general theory that superhero fighting doesn't really translate well to the side-to-side arena of standard fighting games. It thrives in chemical interaction, environmental conditions, and is ultimately determined by narrative consideration that has little regard for tournament-ready balancing.

Yet, the bombastic, hyper-kinetic, hyper-visual explosive style of Capcom's Marvel video games certainly do a good enough job at making that type of superhero fighting a very good time!

I'm tremendously pleased I'll be able to play all of those classic fighting games again with the convenience of still-current hardware, and I wonder if we might see a brand new follow-up to 2017's slightly underwhelming Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite sometime in the near future. With a big enough roster, perhaps we might see Scarlet Witch finally make the cut. That could be interesting.

If you'd like see more from Scarlet Witch, the Capcom characters, or some of the other follow-up subjects I mentioned throughout this section -- perhaps you'd like to become a supporter on Patreon. In addition to having a tremendously positive effect on me and my ability to produce these entries -- you'll also get my ear to help inspire future choices even at the lowest tier.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 700 fights and ranked more than 1,000 characters! You can find them all for free by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue -- or by hitting links to your favourite topics found throughout each entry.

Get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing to Twitter! Don't forget to smash that like, fave, and share -- and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday on Twitter & Discord! The lively Discord chat is one of the bonuses of becoming a Patreon subscriber!

Special note for you rankings watchers: Quicksilver is present throughout this battle, but doesn't really have a lot to contribute outside of a too-late reaction that might've helped Iron Man. For that reason, we aren't going to count any result for him. You can find rankings updates at the bottom of all new entries.

Winner: Scarlet Witch (w/ Magneto)
#164 (+293) Scarlet Witch
#90 (--) Magneto [+1 assist]
#4 (--) Iron Man

MAGNETO versus QUICKSILVER, VISION & SCARLET WITCH

Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself...! (Marvel)
Where: Vision and The Scarlet Witch #4 When: February 1983 Why: Bill Mantlo How: Rick Leonardi

The Story So Far...
On a dark and stormy night, a pilgrim clad in white makes the arduous trek up Mount Wundagore. His quest is to reclaim a past thought lost to him. Finding the kindness and hospitality of the cow-woman midwife Bova -- he learns the true fate of his dead wife and their infant twins!

For the revelation, the pilgrim leaves Bova and her nigh catatonic charge, Modred, to the elements -- their hovel torn asunder by the nails and metal trim that held it together. For this mysterious man in white is Magneto and he has learned that his lost children yet live!

At the moon city of Attilan Quicksilver welcomes his sister Scarlet Witch and her husband The Vision, but the reunion in the Inhuman city will soon be interrupted as the Avengers are at last confronted by their father!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Vision 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Magneto 5 (Professor)
Speed: Quicksilver 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Vision 6 (Generator)
Agility: Scarlet Witch 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Streetwise)
Energy: Scarlet Witch 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

Talk about a dysfunctional family! Magneto first recruited Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch into his Brotherhood of Mutants when they were set upon by angry village folk. They remained under his guidance out of loyalty and fear, aiding in The Brotherhood's battles against the X-Men and Sub-Mariner [see; X-Men #6].

Pietro & Wanda Maximoff soon broke away from Magneto's influence and sought refuge with The Avengers. The young mutants proved themselves as valuable additions, establishing a new life as charter members.

Scarlet Witch ultimately found love with her Avengers teammate - the synthezoid Vision. Her brother Quicksilver also became romantically entangled after a mission left him injured, and nursed back to health, by Inhuman royal Crystal.

Magneto goes to Attilan seeking a reunion, but the notorious villain will find only animosity from his children. They don't yet know he's their father, and are fully reformed heroes who have no desire for his past domineering, or war against humanity.

Quicksilver's mutant speed compliments his quick temper and protective instincts for his sister -- but he also has a knack for getting ahead of himself.

Apocalypse was able to anticipate the runner's momentum and use it against him in Uncanny X-Men #295. It was a similar story when Quicksilver joined a later mission to attack Magneto's Avalon space station in X-Men (Vol.2) #25. Pietro's efforts endured, but Magneto showed almost lethal contempt repelling his son!

Vision's ability to control his molecular density and quite literally move through the landscape impressed Thanos during Infinity Gauntlet #4. Similar tactics could surprise Magneto, but Vision's synthetic nature leaves him vulnerable to Magneto's ability to influence electro-magnetic fields. Loki disrupted Vision in such a way in Avengers (Vol.2) #1.

Crystal's command of the elements is impressive, but the real wildcard here is Scarlet Witch!

Her hex bolts gave Thanos cause for thought during their Infinity Gauntlet face-off, and the broad capabilities of her magic could very well get the better of Magneto -- provided she isn't shaken by his stern governance over her younger self.

Magneto is capable of great cruelty, having already used his power to torture his family's identity out of Bova by manipulating the iron in her blood. We also saw a period-relevant Magneto leave the X-Men for dead in X-Men #113, and later betray his former students as the Hellfire Club's Black King in New Mutants #75.

The Tape: Vision, Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver Ranking: Magneto (#82)

What Went Down...

The appearance of a mysterious individual clad in white signals the rising of an invisible force field that encases the tower balcony of Crystal and Quicksilver.

The barrier resists the analytical strikes of Karnak and the brute force of Gorgon. It even denies the hex power of Scarlet Witch, and holds the intangible synthezoid Vision captive within its border. Such is the will of the Master of Magnetism -- Magneto!

Shedding his white cloak: Magneto reveals himself to his intended audience.

Its no surprise Quicksilver is the first to recognize Magneto's voice and reject the villain's recollection of past fealty to he and his Brotherhood.

The mutant speedster greets his mentor as a hostile intruder in his home -- racing to attack! His rage is so quick he doesn't even notice, or consider, the magnetic shield Magneto assembles around him.

It's only the quick wit and determination of his sister, Scarlet Witch, that saves him from impact! Her hex sphere turns magnetized particles into harmless flowers.

Barely missing a step -- Quicksilver blasts through the petals and slams Magneto against a wall at blistering speed! The collision rattles Quicksilver as well, but Vision steps forward to defend his wife, Scarlet Witch.

Out of respect for his former charge's affections: Magneto vows to "go easy" on Vision by merely encasing him in metal sourced from the tower apartment floor.

The physical challenge is no match for Vision's ability to alter his molecular density. He effortlessly escapes his metal bondage, stepping through it to phase his hand through Magneto's torso. The attack is non-lethal, but uncomfortable!

Wracked with pain, and troubled by Vision's analysis of his actions, Magneto throws his hand up and rends the ferrous molecules in his synthetic blood -- threatening to tear the synthezoid apart!

Vision's mastery of his own molecules allows him to resist being dispersed, but the vicious attack succeeds in sidelining him -- and inspiring his wife's wrath!

Scarlet Witch unleashes her mutant mystic hex-bolts while the elemental Crystal surrounds Magneto in flame!

The Witch orders Magneto to kneel, but across the balcony Quicksilver sees that he is rising to defy them. Concern spurs Quicksilver on as he scrambles to protect his beloved sister, wife, and daughter Luna whom Crystal cradles!

Quicksilver improvises a spear from a nearby flagpole and sends it hurtling like a high-speed javelin into Magneto's shoulder joint!

The Master of Magnetism extracts the pole with but a thought -- and sends it flying back toward its source. The shaft strikes Quicksilver in the ribs as it passes by. Magneto was deliberate in choosing a non-lethal path.

The cries of baby Luna punctuate Magneto's act of mercy.

The baby's mother compels all to cease fighting and stop scaring her daughter. A request Magneto is all too happy to honor. He didn't come to Attilan looking for combat. His were purely sentimental reasons. The innocent cries of his human grand-daughter remind him of that, and a new way forward for the future.

Embracing the child, Magneto ends the conflict with a stunning revelation: she is his granddaughter. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are his children!

The Hammer...

What a great way to end the first Vision & Scarlet Witch mini-series!

Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch first came to learn the Maximoff family were not their parents by birth during a saga started with 1979's Avengers #185.

Quicksilver soon ran a path that took him to Wundagore Mountain and Bova, but the High Evolutionary's hybrid midwife was unable to reveal the identity of their father, both by wish of their deceased mother Magda, and honest ignorance.

Today's battle becomes the first time Magneto is revealed to be the father of the twins -- even though they debuted at his side 19 years earlier in X-Men #4!

The shared history of the characters makes the familial revelation incredibly natural. There was a certain paternal undertone to Magneto's stern doting on Scarlet Witch in those early appearances. We learn that he didn't actually know his wife had successfully given birth to two children, but it's easy to project a retroactive connection onto his relationship with the twins, never the less.

The revelation helps flesh out Magneto as much as the two heroes. It further builds out a history that had made him a more complex, sympathetic villain than some of his earlier characterizations as would-be world conquering egomaniac.

It seems a real shame the development was undone during 2015's Avengers/X-Men: AXIS. Widely accepted as a byproduct of corporate licensing disagreements, its now a moot point just five years later.

Disney successfully reacquired its X-Men rights through the outright purchase and acquisition of the 20th Century Fox library. With any luck we can soon return to an understanding that Magneto is the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.

In fact, the only thing that would be cooler than restoring canon would be Marvel making use of their rights in next year's Disney+ streaming series WandaVision.

The latest preview trailer suggests an insidious side to the nostalgic domestic dream of Scarlet Witch's new life with Vision. It seems to pay homage to the second Vision & Scarlet Witch comic book series, which included their attempts to fit in with life in suburbia, but re-casts the scenario as a projected entrapment.

That kind of psychic strategy is right up the alley of one of Scarlet Witch's earliest allies: Mastermind! Wouldn't it be fantastic if the streaming show peeled back the veil in the end to reveal Mastermind working for Magneto in some grand plot to introduce himself as her father and ingratiate her into The Brotherhood?

It's highly unlikely anything anywhere near as exciting as that will come about on the show, but that's why classic comics are so much more fun!

If you want to check out the entirety of this classic mini you can find all four issues collected within 2021's Vision & The Scarlet Witch: The Saga of Wanda and Vision. Use the Amazon purchase link provided and you'll not only score yourself a great deal -- you'll help support the site at no extra charge to you!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured over 650 battles and ranked well in excess of 950 characters! You can support the site directly on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and gain access to extra updates, voting polls, and even custom featured articles for top donors! Join the fight because you like what it's all about!

Discover more battles by following links throughout this post or by diving into the Secret Archive! That's where you'll find all the featured fights indexed by publisher, series, and issue. You can also catch-up on the best of the last season in the 2020 Feature Fight Recap! Season 2021 begins now!

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#81 (+1) Magneto
#416 (+2) Vision
#424 (--) Scarlet Witch
#432 (+31) Crystal
#991 (-1) Quicksilver
#599 (new) Luna Maximoff [+1 assist]

NEW MUTANTS versus HELLFIRE CLUB

King of the Hill! (Marvel)
Where: New Mutants #75 When: May 1989
Why: Louise Simonson How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
When an attack on the X-Men's home turf led to the inevitable defeat of The Marauders -- an explosive device planted in the X-Mansion allowed Mister Sinister to strike the ultimate revenge against his enemies!

Unaware of the events that transpired; the New Mutants return from battling an alien called Gosamyr to make the shocking discovery that their school is in ruins!

A brief skirmish with an injured Sabretooth gives them a taste of what transpired, but there's no time to dwell on the past. A new threat arises when former Headmaster Magneto returns with The Hellfire Club at his side!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sebastian Shaw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Magneto 5 (Professor)
Speed: Cannonball 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Sebastian Shaw 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Warlock 6 (Malleable)
Fighting: Mirage 4 (Trained)
Energy: Selene 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

The New Mutants are: Cannonball, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Mirage, Warlock, and Illyana Rasputin.

This is a young team, facing the challenge of a once trusted mentor, but that doesn't mean we should count them out. They'll all go on to great things, and already show signs of their future promise -- even at this early stage. On their way here they dealt with a short-lived challenge from a weakened Sabretooth.

The Hellfire Club are: "White King" Magneto, "Black King" Sebastian Shaw, "White Queen" Emma Frost, and "Black Queen" Selene.

The Inner Circle clearly have experience on their side - none more so than Magneto. His admission as White King comes with his intimate knowledge of the New Mutants, having served very recently as their Headmaster.

We've seen Magneto withstand the coordinated powers of the adult X-Men in X-Men #113. He's clearly a major threat all on his own, and even the telepathic assault that took him out in X-Men #25 is covered by his Hellfire Club support.

Emma Frost hasn't developed her diamond form yet, coming to the fight strictly as a powerful telepath. Sebastian Shaw offers super-human muscle, able to absorb any impact against him and convert it into strength. Selene rounds out the group with mastery over inanimate objects and life-draining.This one really comes down to team dynamics and execution of strategy. For the New Mutants to have a real chance they'd need to clearly identify the strengths and weakness of themselves and their opponents.

This is long before Emma Frost will develop an invulnerable diamond form, so taking her telepathic powers out of the battle early with a frontal assault could be a good use of Cannonball or Wolfsbane. Removing Sebastian Shaw without powering him up could be a job for Warlock, who could eject him similarly to Nimrod in Uncanny X-Men #209. Wolfsbane could claw Selene, while Mirage's empathic image casting is free to attack Magneto at his core.

The New Mutants could also try to turn Magneto against his new teammates. Will the perfect scenario play out for them? Let's see how it went...

The Tape: New Mutants Ranking: Cannonball (#115)

What Went Down...
Hovering above the ruins of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters: Magneto and The Hellfire Club survey the damage. Angered by their former headmaster's return, Sunspot grabs a massive hunk of damaged machinery and hurls it!

The steel equipment is effortlessly deflected by The Master of Magnetism, who also holds his clubmen afloat. He allows Black King, Sebastian Shaw, to descend and match Sunspot on the ground. He attacks with a devastating left hook!

Cannonball leaps to his teammate's defense for the second time this day, but finds his path to Shaw suddenly cut off by a rising wall of wreckage. A defensive measure courtesy of Selene, she who commands all that is inanimate!

Cannonball smashes into the wall and falls to his hands and knees!

He's too stunned to resist The Black Queen, who lingers over the fallen firebrand with sinister intent. She traces her hand over the back of Cannonball's neck, preparing to drain his life-force -- when she suddenly becomes a decrepit hag!

The transformation is a mere illusion plucked from Selene's own psyche by the empathic powers of Mirage! The young mutant makes her inner most fear a tangible reality, but she's soon undone by a psychic assault from Emma Frost!

The White Queen mentally forces Mirage to release Selene from her influence, inciting Warlock to bare massive fangs in defense of his teammate!

The techno-organic creature notes his imperviousness to Emma Frosts' telepathic bolts, but fails to consider his absolute vulnerability to the Master of Magnetism! His cartoonishly distorting body is swept toward the rest of the new Mutants, who find themselves collectively surrounded by twisting metal!

Tired of their rebellious opposition, Magneto holds his former students encased in a ball of metal to end the battle.

The Hammer...
With the New Mutants at his mercy: Magneto quizzes them about the young mystery girl in their company and their missing member. He's surprised to learn his once promising student, Illyana Rasputin, has chosen to become a child to avoid succumbing to her own darker impulses.

Despite their defeat, the New Mutants defiantly refuse to return to their former headmaster's tutelage. The team has simply seen the former villain make too many compromises to ever accept him as their teacher again.

This effectively concludes Magneto's four years as New Mutants Headmaster, and a member of the X-Men. He'll return to villainy shortly thereafter, rebuilding Asteroid M, and joining the cabal of conspiring villains in Acts of Vengeance. We saw how that led him to battle Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #327.

The split from the New Mutants has immediate consequences within the pages of New Mutants #75, where Sebastian Shaw seizes the opportunity to challenge Magneto's position as White King. In the end it always comes down to in-fighting and power struggles with these people.

Shaw claims Magneto was elected into the Inner Circle as a leader of both the X-Men and New Mutants -- but now controls nothing. Magneto takes that about as well as you'd expect, and the two throw down for the main event battle hinted at on the cover of the issue [see; top]. You can be certain we'll return to take a closer look at that fight some time in the future!

Today was supposed to mark the long-awaited wide release of New Mutants in theatres, but FOX's final X-related film was once again delayed, by the closure of cinemas, and unprecedented measures to curb global spread of COVID-19.

These are strange days, but I figure Secret Wars on Infinite Earths can do its small part by continuing to feature some of the characters who would've been in theatres around this time. It's been a good time to do some extra reading while we're all self-isolating, and hopefully it provides a fun distraction.

As I've mentioned before, even as a young reader, I was never one to buy-in to kid heroes. That meant the New Mutants weren't really on my radar until a year later, when they got a major overhaul from the style guide of Rob Liefeld.

The revamp did a good job of shaking off the impression these were the geeks of the X-Men universe. I appreciate the effort to present them as authentically youthful and in training, but I've never been a big fan of this iteration of their matching black & gold uniforms. The update was well timed.

I appreciate that today's featured fight showed the New Mutants coming into their powers, but ultimately outclassed by their opponents. It moved necessary storylines forward, and avoided the dubious trope of kid-heroes overcoming unfathomable odds. This time the bad guys won and that feels credible.

Star pupil Cannonball did manage to violently kayo Sabretooth on the way to this fight, after Sunspot withstood a full rake of his claws. That was another well weighted way to give the team a win before they took a loss. It also set up a future rematch that we can officially add to the To Do list.

You can discover relevant past, present, and future fights by following links throughout this article, or by diving into the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find every battle indexed by publisher, series, and issue number! Or subscribe to Twitter and Facebook for daily links to battles inspired by the day's topics!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and counting! If you like superhero smackdown and want to see the service continue you can contribute via Patreon. Patrons gain insider access to the schedule, and can get involved with special feature articles and polls. Not to mention fostering my eternal gratitude and continued survival!

If today's battle has whetted your appetite, you can get the full story collected in Epic Collection New Mutants: Curse of the Valkyrie. Shop using the Amazon purchase link provided and you'll find yourself a good deal at a safe distance -- while Amazon supports the site at no extra cost! Nice!

Winners: Magneto & Hellfire Club
#81 (+60) Magneto
#182 (+288) Emma Frost
#390 (+508) Sebastian Shaw
#391 (+506) Selene
#128 (-13) Cannonball
#341 (-187) Sunspot
#353 (-156) Magik (Illyana Rasputin)
#357 (-128) Warlock (Phalanx)
#589 (-44) Mirage
#907 (new) Wolfsbane