Put simply, given the state and direction of the world the lofty, idealistic goals of Professor Xavier of peaceful coexistence and mutual trust have come to seem quaint and naive in a world of division, exploitation, inequality, discrimination, and hate. Magneto, by contrast, has always advocated the use of force and exercise of power, not in the interest of “bwahaha, I’m a bad guy!” evil, but in the interest of enacting vigilante justice and/or almost anarchic self-determination outside the system when the system fails.
So in 2024, your sympathy towards Magneto is inversely tied to your faith in the system to deliver fair and just outcomes. The more your faith in that has slipped, the closer you get to the position that Magneto is right.
In all seriousness, I buy the irony thing, and also don’t think Magneto would particularly care what the public thought, and as for the members, well, not all of them had super intelligence.
Put simply, given the state and direction of the world the lofty, idealistic goals of Professor Xavier of peaceful coexistence and mutual trust have come to seem quaint and naive in a world of division, exploitation, inequality, discrimination, and hate. Magneto, by contrast, has always advocated the use of force and exercise of power, not in the interest of “bwahaha, I’m a bad guy!” evil, but in the interest of enacting vigilante justice and/or almost anarchic self-determination outside the system when the system fails.
So in 2024, your sympathy towards Magneto is inversely tied to your faith in the system to deliver fair and just outcomes. The more your faith in that has slipped, the closer you get to the position that Magneto is right.
Thank you for the response. I am jaded so I’m with Magneto 100%
To play devil’s advocate: the guy did name his terrorist group “The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants” (emphasis mine)…
(I think it’s later been retconned as an attempt at irony, but if so the general public and some of the members clearly didn’t get it.)
In all seriousness, I buy the irony thing, and also don’t think Magneto would particularly care what the public thought, and as for the members, well, not all of them had super intelligence.