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.

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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!

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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!

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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

X-MEN versus MAGNETO

Showdown! (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #113 When: September 1978
Why: Chris Claremont How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
With his nemeses The X-Men held captive deep within his volcanic subterranean base in the Arctic; Magneto is free to stage an unopposed attack on the Royal Australian Aerospace Research Facility in Woomera, South Australia!

The X-Men are reduced to the physical capacity of infants in the nightmarish care of the android called Nanny! That is, until Storm manages to use the lock-picking skills she learned as a thief to free herself and the team from their elaborate shackles!

Awaiting their greatest foe's return, the X-Men scramble to devise a plan to ambush the Master of Magnetism and defeat him once and for all!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

The X-Men are: Cyclops, Phoenix, Storm, Banshee, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, with Beast.

Despite occasionally working alongside the team; Magneto arguably represents the X-Men's ultimate arch-nemesis! His mastery of magnetism challenges Charles Xavier's dream on both a physical and philosophical plane, shaking the Earth to its very core with the influence of magnetic fields, and dangerous ideas!

There are obvious issues for some of the X-Men who're facing Magneto at a time when he's firmly positioned as a ruthless villain. Wolverine's adamantium laced skeleton is famously susceptible to magnetic influence, most devastatingly demonstrated when the metal was ripped from his body in X-Men #25!

There are also concerns surrounding the organic steel of Colossus. He can choose to remain in his unaltered human form, but this also negates the asset of his super-human strength, rendering him a vulnerable target for Magneto.

Nightcrawler always offers interesting tactical possibilities with his agility and ability to teleport. We saw him strike a decisive blow against Dracula in X-Men Annual #6. He might be able to get the drop on Magneto, but penetrating his magnetic force field seems unlikely. Coordinating with teammates is best.

Cyclops and Storm are strong tactical leaders who can call shots on a team strategy. Cyclops' optic blasts also offer a strong ranged attack that can help pin Magneto down. Storm's control of weather is less suited to their confined arena deep within a volcano, but a well timed gust could help and hinder tactically.

As unlikely as it seems, Banshee could be an ace in the hole. His sonic scream was potent enough to stun Invisible Woman in X-Men Annual #14, and might be able to penetrate Magneto's defenses! The confined space of the arena may just enhance his offensive potential, but there is the risk of hurting his teammates.

The obvious powerhouse here is Jean Grey, who at this time is entwined with the Phoenix force. Cosmically enhanced telekinesis and telepathy are just the tip of the iceberg. In theory, Phoenix would have no trouble defeating Magneto on her own, but the use of her powers at this time appears in flux.

An uncharacteristic act of psychic violence by Charles Xavier famously reduced Magneto to a mindless state in X-Men #25. He was also matched by a cosmically enhanced Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #327.

Magneto has the benefit of confronting the X-Men within his subterranean Arctic lair, and even though they have some element of surprise, they're also recovering from prior hardships. This is a classic - let's see how it went!

History: X-Men (1-0-1)
The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#4)

What Went Down...
Descending into his darkened lair: Magneto tends to his malfunctioning Nanny robot, fully aware the X-Men have likely escaped their shackles. He plays the fool, inviting a sudden assault from Cyclops, Banshee, and the other X-Men!

The Master of Magnetism is forced to fall humbled to the floor as the concussive force of their ranged attacks overwhelms him! Even braced for impact, the combined power was nearly more than he could handle!

Wolverine is the first to emerge from the dark, with claws at the ready, but Cyclops psychically calls him off. The X-Men have a game plan and Wolverine must wait his turn -- or have none at all!

Wolverine obeys -- while Storm struggles to initiate the next phase of their plan: extract the humidity from the air around Magneto.

Though fatigued from the effort of orchestrating their earlier escape, Storm works at her invisible offensive. Not that he knows it! Magneto rises, gloating that he's had time to recover. He doesn't hear Banshee coming up behind!

Gliding through the darkness, Banshee delivers an intensely focused sonic scream directly to Magneto's back! As soon as the blast hits, Cyclops gives Wolverine the telepathic signal to go for broke!

Striking mercilessly from behind - Wolverine rips through Magneto's cape and rakes unbreakable adamantium claws against his back!

Magneto yells in agony, lashing out with a sudden wave of his hand that sends Wolverine hurtling across the pitch black arena! Even as he dispatches one X-Man - another steps forward, igniting the lair with the light of the Phoenix!

Magnetic shields offer a defensive buffer as Jean Grey blasts Magneto with the Phoenix's flame, but the force of her power pushes him into a nearby console!

The lair's control centre explodes at his back as Magneto begins to feel the dehydrating effects of Storm's efforts -- and perhaps the encroaching heat of the volcanic magma surrounding the underground facility.

There's little time to contemplate temperature as Colossus barrels down upon Magneto! The steel-skinned mutant wasn't part of the plan, but his efforts prove none the less effective as he silences Magneto with a devastating right hand!

Colossus buries his fist in Magneto's mid-section, desperately fighting to keep the Master of Magnetism off-balance enough to avoid becoming a metallic pawn under his powers!

The affront works, but his teammates conspire to lend a helping hand -- much to Nightcrawler's chagrin! Beast swings him by the tail like a human wrecking ball and lets him loose -- to teleport with momentum straight at Magneto's head! The acrobat collects his helmet while Colossus winds up for a kayo!

The punch Colossus delivers would've destroyed any normal man -- but Magneto defiantly clings to consciousness like iron to a magnet!

At that moment Nightcrawler notices lava seeping through the ceiling. The damaged control console has triggered an irreversible sequence that will open the roof and flood the chamber with the volcano above!

Precious seconds tick away as Cyclops searches for a way out. Magneto mocks the X-Men, blaming their dire predicament on the reckless actions of Phoenix. He is fast becoming their only hope for survival -- and with that he seizes his opportunity, throwing Colossus and the others away with a magnetic wave!

The X-Men scramble to avoid the searing touch of pouring lava! Banshee glides along sonic waves to snatch Wolverine clear of harm. Jean Grey narrowly avoids a dice with danger when Beast tackles her clear.

Magneto summons his helmet back to him and takes leave, using magnetic fields to repel the magma and safely forge his way toward the surface! He leaves the X-Men desperately fighting to survive as the facility collapses.

The Hammer...

Things looked pretty dire for a while there, but Magneto's ability to take a licking and keep on ticking gave him the chance to make full use of his home ground advantage. If they hadn't been encased in volcanic lava, the X-Men might not have snatched defeat from the hands of victory! Whoops!

As this issue comes to an end we see Phoenix explode from the ground, carrying Beast to the snowy surface above. The rest of the X-Men are presumed dead, but the next issue will reveal they tunneled their way into the Savage Land.

Magneto escaped, but he lost a valuable base of operations housing a wealth of data collected over many months. Anyone who's lost a hard drive without backups knows how that stings! I presume whatever information was gained by attacking Australia was for, and stored safely, on board Asteroid M.

I've been eager to feature more Magneto and the X-Men on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, so this one's been on the docket for quite some time. It's the earliest in the Chris Claremont/John Byrne run we've looked at so far, but not the earliest meeting between arch-foes. X-Men #6 still holds that distinction.

The creative team doesn't feel quite as sharp as they eventually will, but there's still so much to like about this issue! I was particularly drawn to its depiction of Colossus -- another mutant I've been hoping to spend more time with.

I'm a little leery on Magneto's ability to withstand heavy blows dealt by the Russian hero, but I suppose you can presume he's dampening the hits with his magnetic powers. It's worth it for some great Byrne drawn action!

Their head-on collision is a great moment that obviously looks cool, but also adds dramatic tension as Colossus runs the risk of submitting his metallic body to exploitation by Magneto. He was supposed to hang back, but as in a lot of early Colossus appearances, there's a determination to prove himself as the powerhouse every fan wants him to be. His relentless fighting does the trick!

Of course, it's really a classic case of an X-Men team effort. Their ability to work together is a key element that nearly wins them the fight. Each member gets a moment to shine, including Beast, who only recently reunited with the team after leaving the Avengers to answer a distress call from Polaris, and help his old teammates out of a jam. His team-up with Nightcrawler is a real treat! Two agile, furry blue heroes I love, but don't remember seeing together a whole lot.

The lineup of X-Men featured in the issue is right up there with the best. Magneto is also in fine form as a formidable villain, too. The white knuckle nature of the fighting means there's little time for any of the hokey villainy he sometimes dips into. Byrne's rendering of the classic design, especially when the helmet casts solid shadow over his face, is really thrilling!

I noticed in the time while I was working on this entry Rob Liefeld kicked X-Men #113 back into discussion. He used the opening page as an example of Magneto's days as a definitive Marevl villain. Regardless of how you might feel about contemporary examples, it's definitely a period worth investigating, if you haven't.

You can find this issue and many more collected in the first Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. Use the Amazon links provided to get yourself a good price and help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths in the process!

You can find more from the characters featured in today's battle by following links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Index for a complete archive of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like and share your faves!

Winner: Magneto
#138 (+270) Magneto
#4 (--) Wolverine
#49 (-1) Beast
#51 (-1) Storm
#81 (-1) Cyclops
#131 (-9) Phoenix (Jean Grey)
#354 (-77) Banshee
#405 (-7) Colossus
#929 (-33) Nightcrawler

MAGNETO versus JUGGERNAUT

Wanderings (Marvel)
Where: What If...? #94 When: February 1997
Why: Jorge Gonzalez How: James Calafiore

The Story So Far...
Humanity is dead. A single murderous act committed by the mystically empowered Juggernaut has changed the course of human history - condemning him to wander a planet with no human life.

The ripple that doomed this reality was the death of Charles Xavier. In this world, the mutant hunting robots called Sentinels went unopposed by the X-Men. They killed the Avengers and Fantastic Four before the world even knew of their existence. In time, the Sentinels turned on their masters and reprogrammed themselves. Converting their power cells to emit a powerful radiation - they poisoned the Earth. The result was the extinguishing of all human life.

Protected from physical harm by the mystic enchantment of the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak - Cain Marko was unaffected. Unstoppable. Alone. Or so he thought, until years of wandering bring him back to the Sentinel base he destroyed, where an unexpected survivor waits to greet him - Magneto!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Juggernaut 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Magneto 5 (Professor)
Speed: Juggernaut 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Juggernaut 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Magneto 2 (Average)
Fighting: Juggernaut 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)


What if... Magneto challenged the Juggernaut? Both are legendary enemies of Professor X and the X-Men, and both have even joined the team for varying amounts of time in different periods! Even so, neither has had a great deal to do with the other in fifty years of publication! That makes this a special showdown!

This is one of those fights where boiling down a winner really comes down to the circumstances they're positioned in. Both could conceivably finish the fight with a flick of their wrist, just as easily as their strengths could cancel each other out - resulting in a very long, very drawn out stalemate.

Juggernaut aka; Cain Marko is the most direct and inflexible when it comes to his abilities. The Crimson Gem of Cyttorak mystically grants him major league super-strength, implausible invulnerabilities, typically limitless endurance, and momentum that will render him unstoppable! Even so - he has been stopped!

The best examples on record come from the powerhouses of the DC Universe, who managed to match pure brute force with the unstoppable Juggernaut! Superman made the most convincing case, catching him by surprise with a knock-down blow [DC versus Marvel #1]. Wonder Woman & Spider-man employed strength, smarts and a colliding New God for the KO [Unlimited Access #1]! Captain Marvel Jr wasn't so lucky, but a tag team effort from Iceman & Cyclops showed Juggernaut's unstoppable momentum can be used against him [Unlimited Access #3].

Magneto: Master of Magnetism likely won't be able to rely on brute force. His ability to effect his will over any ferrous material could certainly see him hurling physical objects Juggernaut's way, but that's child's play for the Juggernaut, as we saw when Spidey tried I-beams and a wrecking ball [Amazing Spider-man #230]!

One of the deadliest tactics in Magneto's arsenal is his ability to manipulate an opponent from within. At times he's been able to control the iron content in a foe's blood, giving him enough control to hold them in place. He took that to extremes against Apocalypse [X-Men Omega] and Wolverine [X-Men #25] - the latter succumbing to his famous adamantium being ripped from his bones! As Juggernaut is physically invulnerable, though, this wouldn't get Magneto far.

He could try binding Juggernaut in massive pieces of metal, or by using means of magnetic enhancements to increase the force of his power. That worked well against the rampaging Sub-Mariner, at least for a little while [X-Men #6]!

Indeed, bondage and/or repulsion seem like Magneto's best bets to secure any kind of victory against the Juggernaut. In the past, hi-tech restraints have been used effectively to hold Juggernaut in incarceration for periods. For alternative results, Magneto could use a position of advantage to propel Juggernaut into space. He usually finds his way back, but it would keep him out of the way.

Finally - for a creative solution we need only look to Nimrod, who was able to use highly focused energy beams to disrupt Juggernaut's ability to think clearly once his protective helmet was removed [Uncanny X-Men #194]. Even if the outer helmet is resistant to magnetism, the physical force of other objects has always been a safe bet to get it off. A focused electro-magnetic beam could produce some effect on Juggernaut's brain - disorienting him, at the least.

Of course, the world is full of non-ferrous objects, and if Juggernaut had his way, he could just as easily clobber Magneto with a few park trees and chunks of cement. Which is extra bad news in the alternate reality we're about to visit, where Magneto must maintain protective shielding against a poisoned Earth!

Under ordinary circumstances this one really could go either way! As radiation is a mortal peril of no consequence to Juggernaut, he clearly has an advantage in this environment. Then again, in a world that was once overrun with Sentinels, Magneto may still have a few tricks up his sleeves...

The Tape: Magneto Ranking: Juggernaut (#349)

What Went Down...

Months turn to years as the Juggernaut walks the planet alone - a prisoner of the magic that keeps him alive. Haunted by silence and personal demons, his mind wanders as far as his invincible body. He finds himself back at the Grand Canyon: site of one of the murderous Sentinels' largest manufacturing facilities. It was a source of misery Juggernaut destroyed long ago - an act of vengeance for a world already dead. He wonders if he should have left them to build, so that one day they may overwhelm him. As he does, the metal carcasses stir...

The machines move not of their own will, but by that of a survivor amongst the wreckage: The Master of Magnetism - Magneto!

Wielding total control over the Sentinel's broken metal bodies, they reach out like extensions of Magneto's own form! A giant hand crashes down from the sky, slamming and pinning Juggernaut to the barren Earth!

Entire squadrons of Sentinels were no match for the Juggernaut when they were functioning. The remnants of a few lifeless shells dangled like puppets are barely an inconvenience. He smashes through the pieces effortlessly! Enraged!

Magneto entertains a request for his tale of survival. It provides a distraction while he twists the coil of a Sentinel's metal lash around Juggernaut's body!

The restraint wraps around Juggernaut's massive mystically charged arms like a metallic boa constrictor. It loops around his body - but so do his mighty fingers around it. With a simple clench of his fist - the Juggernaut crushes the steel. With a flex of his chest and arms - he explodes free of the shattering snare!

As unstoppable in action as reputation, the Juggernaut advances - smashing through Magneto's defenses. A wall of Sentinel scrap - no match!

Magneto hurls metal upon metal! More and more! He knows his time is running short. He cannot keep up the attack while also maintaining the shielding that protects him from the radioactive landscape.

Face to face, helmet to helmet - Juggernaut mockingly notices the gaunt look on Magneto's face. It's no joke. The Master of Magnetism is dying and it's all the Juggernaut's fault. Just like all the deaths that befell human and mutant alike.

Succumbing to the effects of the poisoned atmosphere, Magneto tosses his helmet away. He won't need it. He stares through the hulking monster with laser focus and utters a final curse: If the Juggernaut had not succeeded in killing his brother Charles Xavier, the X-Men could have stopped the Sentinels, and the heroes of Earth would not have fallen to ambush, and humanity could have lived.  If the undying Juggernaut is tired of an existence alone - he must live with the knowledge that it was all his own doing!

The barbs of Magneto's final words penetrate the Juggernaut in ways radiation never will! The furious behemoth looms over Magneto as he falls and dies.

The Hammer...

Somehow I don't think this one'll be settling the fantasy fight debates any time soon. Never the less, the record will show a dramatic conclusion makes Juggernaut the physical victor!

After dipping into the alternate reality of Age of Apocalypse last week [X-Men Omega]; I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pull this now classic What If...? out of storage.

The What If? banner has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, retooling current Marvel events in a series of one-shots and specials. It seems as good a way as any to restore the relevance of a book that languished into cancellation in 1998, a mere ten issues after What If...? (Volume 2) #94 -- today's featured issue.

The book was in the midst of a second revamp at this point. Episodes now revolved around a starring Marvel character, typically suffering some grim fate in a dark, twisted reality. That isn't entirely different from a lot of the classic issues, but the presentation took it into increasingly dark, blood stained worlds, minus the contextualizing of The Watcher's narration. Many of the issues I think of from this time had no relation to the main Marvel Universe at all. I imagine some purists consider it a dark time for the series, but #94 highlights the hidden gems that were still coming out of it.

#94 is actually a pretty classic What If? set-up, obscured by the new style. It makes no overture to tell you exactly when it takes place. Calafiore's penciling style is very much in key with a modern Marvel aesthetic. All of this just goes to obfuscate very deliberate references to X-Men #11-#18 (1965). Classic!

You don't need to know your X-Men history to enjoy the issue, and that's part of the beauty of it. It's just a very effective stand-alone story. One that takes the well known premise of Juggernaut's invincibility and shows the grim downside of being unstoppable. You get some nice superhero action. A mostly convincing vision of a desolate world.

When Magneto dies, Juggernaut goes on another smashing tantrum, uncovering the true reason for the sacrifice: Magneto was trying to lure him away from an underground pocket of survivors. They're sealed away from the outside poisons by a surviving Iceman, whose powers have gone haywire since Charles Xavier died. In his desperation for human contact, Juggernaut condemns them to die, as well. A poignant message about the virtue of treading lightly, and the curse of being immortal: 'A once boastful battle cry is now a horrific prophecy of damnation. No one can stop the unstoppable Juggernaut.'

Of course, like all good things, especially in comics, the more you know - the more you'll get out of it! The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants fought the X-Men in X-Men #11, ending with The Stranger abducting Magneto and Toad. Juggernaut stomped his way into Xavier's Mansion in X-Men #12 & #13. Dr. Bolivar Trask and his Sentinels debut in X-Men #14. Magneto returns to Earth in X-Men #17, telling the tale of his spaceship escape in X-Men #18.

These are the events that shape What If? #94. In this reality, Juggernaut not only confronts his hated step-brother - but murders him! This allows debuting Sentinels to catch sixties Marvels other heroes unawares. Magneto and Toad were safely off-world at the time, allowing them to return and create sanctuary.

All in all, a very effective use of linear publishing history! All utilized without effecting a shred of burden upon a reader who may be otherwise completely unawares of the retro references they were reading! Fantastic!

Of course, a clever and willing reader will never be deterred by loose references to past events. Each of us carries with us an extensive history that is of little or no consequence when we meet new people. The same should always be thought of in superhero comics. Such is life! When a relevant thread of prior history presents itself, it's an opportunity for further learning and familiarity. That was always one of my favourite qualities of the What If? series. New stories starring some of my favourite characters, with glimpses of their classic adventures, and new reasons to seek out old stories.

If you happen to be on the look out for a good stand-alone Juggernaut story, I think keeping this old story in mind will be well worth it. You can, of course, find even more great stories by following links in this post, or delving deeper into the Secret Archive of The Comic Book Fight Club!

Winner: Juggernaut

#111 (+238) Juggernaut [+1 kill]
#352 (-1) Magneto