Back to school: DeMatteis + Nauck will revisit Magneto’s time as headmaster of the New Mutants

The four-issue ‘Magneto’ miniseries will introduce a new character, Irae, when it debuts in August.

Magneto’s slow and complicated face turn back in the 1980s was one of the highlights of the X-Men titles at the time, and now J.M. DeMatteis and Todd Nauck will explore one of the key milestones in that timeline — the period when Magneto became headmaster of Professor Xavier’s school and taught the New Mutants.

“Magneto may be the single most complex character in the Marvel Universe: a man of dizzying contradictions who has endured, and caused, extraordinary suffering. Who’s been both villain and hero. Whose long, tangled history invites endless exploration,” DeMatteis said. “Our new Magneto series allows us to look at all aspects of Erik Lehnsherr’s soul and psyche—at a period when he was trying to put his life as a so-called ‘evil’ mutant behind him and step, somewhat reluctantly, into Charles Xavier’s shoes, attempting to guide a new generation of mutants. We also get to look back at the early days of the X-Men—one of my favorite periods in Marvel history—and introduce a new villain, born in the cauldron of Magneto’s dark past.”

Here’s the description from Marvel.com:

Magneto burst onto the scene as the most diabolical of “Evil Mutants”! But when Professor X must leave the planet for life-saving treatment, Magneto inherits a new title: TEACHER! With the New Mutants under his tutelage, how will these young and powerful mutants learn to take orders from…a super villain?! And one who tried to KILL them and their predecessors?! There are two sides to every story, and this new tale that will show how Magneto Was Right…from a certain point of view.

In fact, one mutant, known as Irae, in her first ever appearance, has taken Magneto’s lessons to heart in a way that will upend even the Master of Magnetism’s best strategies!

And here’s a look at Irae:

“I am very excited to return to draw an X-Men comic, especially this Magneto series. When I started reading Marvel comics as a kid, Magneto had just taken over as headmaster of the Xavier School and overseeing the New Mutants. Our new Magneto series taps into that deep fandom for me,” Nauck said. “During the pandemic, I had done a reread of the 100 issue run of the original New Mutants series (plus spin-offs, specials, and annuals) for fun. So when I got the opportunity to join this Magneto creative team, I was more than ready to tackle art duties for this all-new Magneto/New Mutants adventure! Each New Mutant has such a distinct look and unique personality. Their friendship and camaraderie are so much fun to convey. And Magneto’s struggle to fill Xavier’s shoes and challenges he faces in trying to mentor these kids make for great dramatic and emotional moments to draw.”

Look for the first issue on Aug. 2.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.