Magneto is one of the most iconic characters in Marvel Comics, not just as an X-Men villain, but because of his complexity and duality. Sometimes his methods are extreme (and downright villainous), while other times he is totally justified in the actions he takes to ensure the protection of the mutant race. That’s why Magneto can be both hero and villain, as his only goal is to shape a world that’s safe for mutants to live and thrive. Through peace if he can, and violence if he must.

During his extensive Marvel Comics history, Magneto has not only acted on his ideals, but he’s also backed up those actions with utterly iconic and undeniably badass lines of dialogue. From announcing his power to his enemies in grandiose fashion, to proclaiming a new era of mutant superiority, here are the 10 best Magneto quotes in Marvel Comics.

10

“All I Demand is Fear, and Blind Obedience! For I am Magneto… Mightiest of All the Mutants!”

Journey Into Mystery #109 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

When Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants finish building a device to make Magneto’s powers infinitely stronger in order to wreak havoc on the city of New York, Thor flies by their hidden base and decides to investigate. The battle between Magneto and Thor is glorious, and is even one of the first instances where Magneto ‘lifts’ Mjolnir with his powers. However, what’s more glorious is what Magneto says to his bickering minions before he uses the device for the first time, “All I demand is fear, and blind obedience! For I am Magneto… mightiest of all mutants!“.

This comic takes place smack-dab in the middle of Magneto’s ‘golden age of villainy’. He’s not fighting for mutants, he’s only trying to decimate humanity, all while acting like an evil dictator to those who follow him. Magneto has come a long way in his personal character arc since his original Marvel Comics appearances, but during that era, he had no shortage of hilariously villainous lines of dialogue – and this is the perfect example.

9

“I Find Scars are Far More Vivid Reminders than Memories”

Magneto Vol. 3 #13 by Cullen Bunn and Javier Fernandez

Briar Raleigh, a woman who was injured by Magneto during one of his acts of terrorism, is tracking the Master of Magnetism across the country. She’s interviewing survivors from Magneto’s previous attacks, including one man, who was a photog for a news station when Magneto was going on a rampage. As he filmed the villain, Magneto targeted him, saying that he was contributing to the spread of dangerous propaganda. When the man apologizes, Magneto callously says, “I find scars are far more vivid reminders than memories” after making his camera explode, causing permanent damage to his eye.

This was a badass line to say to someone before delivering a brutal display of one’s power, but this version of Magneto is one who deserves no praise. This was Magneto when he was a full-fledged villain, but unlike the previous example, this Magneto wasn’t just a colorful bad guy, he was unhinged and dangerous. Therefore, this isn’t a great representation of the man Magneto has become, though it’s still a standout quote.

8

“The Age of Humanity Ends Now”

X-Men Vol. 3 #14 by Christopher Yost, Paco Medina, and Dalibor Talajic

When the Evolutionaries recruit the original version of Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to be their champion in wiping out humanity to allow for the supremacy of mutantkind, Magneto is all-too willing to help in their genocidal cause. In that effort, Magneto and his Brotherhood break into the X-Mansion, tap into Cerebro, and send a message to everyone they can around the globe, and the point of that message is summarized in its final line, “The age of humanity ends now“.

This quote perfectly encapsulates the early mission of Magneto, and one that he’s always held in his mind as his potential endgame. Even when Magneto works with the X-Men to find a solution that doesn’t involve the complete eradication of humanity, he’s still always ready to revert to his more villainous form. Here, there’s no need for him to revert, as the time-traveling Evolutionaries targeted his most evil form deliberately, who was more than happy to deliver this badass message to the world.

7

“I Knew When I Came Here Tonight, THIS was Inevitable”

Ultimatum #2 by Jeph Loeb and David Finch

During one of the most infamous storylines in Magneto’s personal history, the Master of Magnetism uses his immense power to tilt the world on its axis, creating massive flooding in New York City that kills countless people – and even some superheroes. Then, before the rest of the heroes mount a strike against him, Magneto decides he’s going to do the one thing he never dared do in the past: kill Xavier.

Magneto sneaks into the X-Mansion, grabs Xavier by the head, and snaps his neck with one brutal twist. As he did so, Magneto said one final thing to his old friend, “I knew when I came here tonight, this was inevitable“, with ‘this’ emphasized by the snapping of Xavier’s neck. This quote is paired with one of the worst things Magneto has ever done, making it all the more impactful.

6

“Who Am I? I Am Power. Men Call Me Magneto”

Resurrection of Magneto #3 by Al Ewing and Luciano Vecchio

It seems that even in death, Magneto never loses his flair for the dramatic. In Resurrection of Magneto, Storm ventures to the realm of the dead to retrieve Magneto’s spirit, as the X-Men need his help to take down Orchis. After Magneto faces his inner demons and decides that he wants to live again, he’s finally able to be saved. And the second he walks through the portal from the spiritual realm to the mortal plane, Magneto answers the question muttered by one of the mutants assisting in his recovery with “Who am I? I am power. Men call me Magneto“.

This kind of dialogue is exactly what fans would expect from Magneto during his ‘golden age of villainy’, as it’s arrogant, grandiose, and utterly absurd. ‘I am power’? Okay. Granted, he’s not wrong, he’s just dramatic, which is why this quote is absolute gold.

5

“Instead, I Have Slain You”

Uncanny X-Men #150 by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, Josef Rubinstein, and Bob Wiacek

When the X-Men spring into action to foil another one of Magneto’s villainous schemes, things get a bit more intense than they normally do on one of these missions. This time, Magneto doesn’t concede defeat as easily, and he’s certainly not holding back against the X-Men, even if most of them are still children. When Magneto’s back is against the wall, he summons an electromagnetic blast that surges through the body of Kate Pryde, seemingly killing her – and Magneto is immediately horrified by what he’s done.

This moment was truly a turning point for Magneto, as he realized that all he wanted was a better future for the next generation of mutants, but instead, here he was, killing a mutant child who was fighting for a better future for herself. And readers feel Magneto’s regret when he utters, “I swore then that I would not rest ’til I had created a world where my kind – mutants – could live free and safe and unafraid. Where such as you, little one could be happy. Instead, I have slain you“.

4

“Tell Me Again, Apocalypse… Just How Strong You Are”

“Age of Apocalypse” X-Men: Omega by Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and Roger Cruz

Magneto is at his most brutal during the Age of Apocalypse – and his most heroic. Leader of the X-Men in a timeline where Charles Xavier was murdered by a time-traveling Legion, Magneto and his mutants were the last remaining heroes in a country corrupted by the tyranny of En Sabah Nur. Finally, when the X-Men had their opening, they attacked Apocalypse at his Citadel, where Magneto challenged the villain one-on-one in an epic battle that ended with Magneto ripping Apocalypse in half.

After Magneto finishes off the X-Men’s most terrifyingly powerful foe, he throws Apocalypse’s well-known Darwinistic beliefs back in the villain’s face with the absolutely legendary line, “Tell me, Apocalypse… just how strong you are“. Magneto’s ‘badass meter’ is off the charts with this one, and this quote is a main reason why.

3

“Our Long Association, My Most Visceral Enemy, My Most Respected Foe – Is Over!”

“Fatal Attractions” X-Men Vol. 2 #25 by Fabian Nicieza and Andy Kubert

Magneto has done some pretty bad things in his career, from almost killing Kate Pryde to nearly eradicating the entire human race. However, perhaps the most iconic has to be what he did in “Fatal Attractions”, when Magneto ripped the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. This moment was a new level of villainy for Magneto, as it showed he wasn’t afraid to gruesomely injure – or even kill – members of the X-Men, which was something that was basically off limits throughout their shared history.

While the act of pulling the metal from Wolverine’s bones was, indeed, iconic, so, too, were the words Magneto spoke moments before he did so, “Our long association, my most visceral enemy, my most respected foe – is over!“. This quote offers closure to a relationship that Magneto was ready to let go of completely, indicating that he was expecting Wolverine to die, which adds another layer of brutality to this already gruesome scene.

2

“You Have New Gods Now”

House of X #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz

When mutantkind truly came together for the first time in history, they achieved what many never thought was possible: their own established nation. Krakoa became the mutant homeland, a place where every mutant was welcome – keyword ‘mutant’. Humans had no place on Krakoa, and when Magneto played his part in announcing Krakoa’s existence to the world by introducing Krakoa to a few U.N. Ambassadors, he told them, point-blank, that “You have new gods now“.

Even from the start of his Marvel Comics career, Magneto has always seen himself as better than humans, and no matter which side of the proverbial hero/villain line he’s on, that always remains. And here, Magneto allows his arrogance to take hold, presenting himself and all mutantkind as gods who now have the means to truly stand above humanity.

1

“There are No Sides. There’s No Heroes or Villains. There’s Just What I Want and How I’ll Get It”

Magneto: Not a Hero #4 by Skottie Young and Clay Mann

When Magneto is fighting his evil clone, Joseph – who everyone thought was dead up until this point – he tells his villainous counterpart the truth behind what it actually means to be ‘Magneto’. Joseph was trying to usurp Erik’s role as Magneto following Erik’s heroic turn, but the true Magneto lets his clone in on a little secret, “There are no sides. There’s no heroes or villains. There’s just what I want and how I’ll get it“.

Never before has a quote better captured the true essence of Magneto’s character. All along, Magneto has only ever wanted to create a better world for mutantkind. He lost himself to villainy in those early days of Marvel Comics canon, but even still, mutants were his main concern, and he was determined to do whatever it took to make sure this world was safe and secure for his people. Magneto will be a hero if it suits his cause, and if not, then he’ll gladly be a villain, and that’s exactly what this quote reveals. Which is why this is the best Magneto quote in X-Men history.