Resurrection of Magneto

Resurrection of Magneto #1-4

by Al Ewing, Luciano Vecchio (Artist), David Curiel (Colorist)

As the Krakoan era approaches its end, the X-Men’s greatest enemy returns! On Krakoa, resurrection from the dead was as easy as completing a circuit – but Krakoa fell. The time of easy miracles is over, and only the hard roads are left. Now it falls to Storm to bring Magneto home to fight against the FALL OF THE HOUSE OF X – but after all he did and all that was done to him, can the Master of Magnetism bear to come back to life? In the depths, Magneto was given a key by strange forces – and impossibly, he holds it still. Now, in death, Max Eisenhardt judges his own life – and counts the cost. Should he return to the world? And what does the Deep Key unlock? Collecting RESURRECTION OF MAGNETO #1-4.

Genres: Comics, X Men, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Fantasy, Science Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

Published August 13, 2024

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

All Marvel's questions were answered when they brought back Jean Grey from a most glorious death/sacrifice many decades ago, but all their stories were also sought of killed, unlike their characters. From my recollection this now the second 'resurrection' of Magneto! Creating a universe where death is not a final chapter takes away a lot from Marvel dramas, and indeed Magneto's most recent 'death' left little impact on me. Let's hope the new Marvel Ultimate Universe has more to offer. This book? Good to see Magneto back, especially via the lens of Storm. A Three Star, downgraded 6 out of 12 read.

2025 read

[Sean Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well.

Like Snakes on a Plane, the title delivers on its promise. That's about all I have to say.

[Red🏳️‍⚧️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting take attempting to resolve the many diverging storylines of Magneto going back 60 or so years. It does rely a lot on knowledge of Krakoa politics that I don’t pretend to have. I couldn’t get invested in a mutant utopia knowing it would just be taken away, it would have broken my heart to watch that play out. However if you’re *familiar enough* with Magneto’s stories of survivor turned moral villain turned moral authority (and always he plays the philosopher king), you can certainly enjoy this. It also helps if you know about tarot, as the visuals and story heavily invoke the suits, numbers, and arcana.

Storm is here too! Ppl are constantly coming for her because she’s a literal goddess, and now she’s trying to pull Magneto out of hell by sheer force of personality, bless her I love her.

Together they help Magneto try to realize, after all these masks, who should he play now? What face should he wear? How will he comport himself to better achieve his hopes? It’s a hard question to answer, but Ewing tackles it with religious fervor. It reminds me of The Prisoner’s penultimate episode, “Once Upon A Time”, and the Reboot episode inspired by The Prisoner, “Number Seven.” But unlike No.6 and like Enzo Matrix, Magneto is not alone.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was truly a blessing to have Ewing in the X office for a time, putting adequate respect on Storm and Magneto's names. I have to apologize to Vecchio too, when this was first announced I didn't think his style fit the story being told, but I was thankfully proven wrong. He leveled up with this story, along with the colors, really tapped into the bizzare of the afterlife. While it might not exactly be a pivotal tie in to the end of Krakoa, it's still Ewing showing love for two characters he helped Shepard through Arrako 's rise and fall, and hopefully leaves a blueprint for what Magneto can be in the future. It's more personal and intimate of a book than you think.
Like Magneto says "I am not afraid of a life that ends"

[Mr. Cody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do Marvel writers ever get mad that their girl boss characters are drawn like dogs?

At least Storm was shown to have some weaknesses.

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s some cool stuff here, but I would have greatly preferred this to have just been part of another volume of X-Men Red. Some of this felt like filler, and Red was cut too short, especially given that we have seen basically nothing of Arakko since (and the future isn’t looking bright…)

[Bertazzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am a X-Man. We are never alone."

[Alex Sarll]

The Krakoan era nears its end; this weekend coming will see the first glimpse of the X-books' new era, mutants back to being hated and feared outsiders in humanity's world - because heavens forbid comics model any image of progress for long, and it's not as if Decimation, the last retrograde step along these lines, led to years of dreary, faltering comics. Oh, wait. Still, we are where we are, and one of Ewing's skills has long been the ability to dance between the raindrops and get something readable out of even the most off-putting events with which he's obliged to cross over. All the same, he has a tough row to hoe here, given Magneto wouldn't be dead in the first place if not for a misguided gesture of cultural sensitivity while resident among idiots on Mars - essentially, imagine a doctor living in some backwater community of antivax dolts deciding not to get jabbed either, as a mark of politeness, except it's not just a vaccine against one bug, but against mortality full stop. Mercifully, then, for all that this miniseries is partly a capstone to X-Men Red, the Arakko mess plays a minimal part here. There's a brief appearance early on by Tarn the Uninteresting, a folding of Annihilation into a unified field theory of entities with a similar corrupting schtick, and that's about it. Instead, the vibe is much closer to Ewing's bold, cosmic Defenders, or the trippier issues of his too-short Guardians run, a Kabbalah-influenced journey through other planes as Storm goes on a quest to bring Magneto back to the land of the living. Far more than that fart of a deMatteis miniseries I read recently, it does a great job of tying together the contradictory past treatments of a character who's seen more interpretations - and even names - than most. But where stories like that can easily collapse into comics-about-comics fanwank, this keeps an eye on the wider theme of how one can possibly hope to reckon with the good, the evil and the cascade of unintended consequences which result from any life. And - SPOILER - just when I worried that, like the episode of X-Men '97 we watched last night, this harmonisation might have left us with a neutered, non-lethal Magneto, he proceeded to fuck up some deserving bigots in perhaps his most spectacular way yet. Wherever the X-books are going from here, it's great to have him back.

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magneto is an absolutely goated character. He strikes such an imposing silhouette, no matter what color outfit he’s in, that cape and helmet will always make him look sick as hell. Happy to see him back in the red and purple though. Happy to have him back period. And to have Storm and Blue Marvel helping out the whole time also makes me happy. I love them both but we never get to see Blue Marvel anymore, happy to see he’s helping take down Orchis.

[Roman Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al Ewing does not miss. What could have easily been a lazy or paint-by-numbers Magneto story, Ewing takes it and instead does a deep exploration on the character. Ewing examines Erik (now going by Max), his history, where he’s been, who he’s been, and how he can move forward after his latest rebirth in the wake of the Fall of X event.

Resurrection of Magneto functions as a great coda to Ewing’s X-Men Red run; as this story not only continues Ewing’s development with Storm, but includes nods to Ewing’s other miniseries Defenders Beyond (which I also highly recommend). I read this issue to issue as it came out. At the time of writing this, the fourth and final issue just dropped today. This is the best Magneto story Marvel has released in years. If you’re an X-Men fan and have been following the Krakoa era, this is a must-read.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's say I forget the mumbo-jumbo side of this miniseries - I've never really appreciated the use of magic in the X-Men and a magical afterlife holds the pompom - and the stupid idea of killing Magneto only to resurrect him a few months later, what do I get?
A Magneto- and incidentally Ororo- frankly well written by Ewing who makes him embrace all aspects of his life and his contradictions to come back- again - as a major piece on the chessboard of the ongoing battle.

Not an essential addition, but an interesting one to read in Krakoa's final arc, which is unfortunately partly scuppered by poor-quality drawing. As in most cases, editorial hires cheap for side series

[Louis Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

First issue left much to be desired. But the rest was way better. Love the friendship between Max and Ororo, such an unexpected result of Krakoa. Interesting to see Magneto reckon with the harm he’s caused, but the series takes a shortcut with it. Can Magneto win without causing death?

Great art. Very colourful and loads of different techniques. Good stuff.

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immensely good conclusion on this one with a solid build-up along the way. Ewing rarely disappoints.

[Michael Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freakin loved this. It is definitely a heavily metaphysical book, inspired by various mystical and religious traditions. I read a really interesting analysis online of how Storm was going through different levels of being between the physical world and the divine, and I probably only understood about half of it. I wouldn’t have hated a data page giving me a little more context, but even without that, I think it made for a very compelling story. I did look this up because of the various entities that appear in the first issue (Living Tribunal, Death) to see if there were others I just didn’t recognize (mostly no, but they do align with various symbols from metaphysical concepts).

I looked up a little more when it got to the overlap between Shadow King and Annihilation because the only other one I recognized was the Adversary (the others being the Goblin Force, la Bete Noir, and the First Fallen). Again, it’s all very metaphysical and about the nature of one’s decisions and how to weigh guilt for bad choices against the good you do, and it all just works really really well in my opinion. I like the complexity of Magneto that is being dissected and the layers of Storm being explored. It ends up integrating various parts of Magneto’s story in a way that makes it all make more sense than I think it ever has before.

On top of that, Luciano Vecchio’s art is superb throughout. He draws the hell out of everyone in this book, and our new younger looking Magneto is probably the best of the bunch.

I am so happy Magneto is back. I think in the present day, his message and themes (especially as they’ve been updated) resonate with the public more than anyone else in the X-Men. I think his dynamic with Storm was also something that was really missing in the final issues of X-Men Red.

Even though I have seen some indications that I won’t like Magneto’s story in the next era, after the Fall of X, this is an amazing standalone volume of comics.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started at 3 stars, ended near 5.

At the beginning, much more of a Storm story (def not complaining), but the highlights were Magneto’s reflection, redemption, and resurrection.

Also, some incredible quotes.

“Now…now there is pain. And the pain is endless. It hurts to live. It hurts to return to the world. Just to be in the world…it can hurt so much… this world of fear. But it is still our world. All of us. It is life. And oh, bright lady, I have missed it.”

And this feels verrrry relevant to this current age of “what’s the different between rights and privileges”?

“No privilege is ever granted by an oppressor that cannot be stripped away. No rules that cannot be simply ignored.”

I felt that deep in my bones, resonating with the rage against injustice. Embracing that rage without letting it dictate all of his actions. Finally forgiving himself but also never forgetting the names of all the innocent lives he took, the deaths he was directly and indirectly responsible for.

I wished there was a little more about his rage, his choice to break the dichotomy of his past elitist sociopathic genocidal tendencies and Charles’ kumbaya wishful thinking of peace through subservience in the guise of nonviolence. Because Charles realllly effed up believing genocidal eugenicists would ever keep their promises, and singlehandedly killing millions of mutants with his unchecked powers.

I loved the moment he decided to protect innocent journalists who were bravely working to expose to harsh, inhumane conditions of the mutant concentration camp. What an incredible character development and breakthrough.

Final score: 4.7/5 stars.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before sacrificing his life for Arakko during Judgment Day, Magneto demanded not to be resurrected. But Krakoa is falling, and only Magneto can save it - enter Storm, who's not about to let him go into that good night just yet. It might not be that easy however, as there's another with designs on Magneto's soul...

Maybe I'm jaded, but I know comic book deaths are never gonna last long. I thought Magneto might stay dead until the end of the Krakoan Age, but if he has to come back, I'm glad it's Al Ewing doing the heavy lifting. This mini-series is essentially the final arc of X-Men Red, and it reads just as well as that book, if not better since it laser-focuses in on Magneto and Storm, the standout characters from the Red run. Ewing's characterisation is superb as always, and the final gauntlet that he puts them through on the way back to life is dripping in history. My only complaint is that this feels a little incomplete - it's by the nature of the book, since it takes place while Krakoa is falling, but it definitely ends on a 'go read the other books to find out what happens!' kinda note rather than feeling entirely complete on its own.

I've always thought of Luciano Vecchio as a fun, teen hero kinda artist, but he really seems to level up in this book. There's a huge amount of detail and insane levels of continuity in every page, and there's power in both Magneto and Storm. You can feel when they're pissed, and it crackles off the paper quite literally at times. I can't wait to see what he's up to next.

Superb. I expect nothing less at this point.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heady stuff here from Al Ewing, which should come as no surprise. Ewing's the Marvel author for whom I most frequently find myself setting the book down saying, "whoa, that was weird." Resurrection of Magneto definitely be like that.

Essentially, Magneto gave hard pass to the resurrection abilities of Krakoa, then died during the Judgment Day event. So now he's dead...but also not really because mutants get to go to some place called the Waiting Room to...decide their own fate? I'm sure this plot point makes more sense to those familiar with Phoenix's whole deal, but I just kind of shrugged and let it pass.

Magneto is needed after the Fall of X (and because such a key Marvel character can't just die), so Storm heads into the Waiting Room to fetch him. Cue the trippiness as Magneto/Erik/Max reckons with his murderous history and then the duo fight against the Shadow King. There's a lot of dialogue here, most of it the baffling kinds of stuff you'd hear in a church service fully in Latin.

But I guess I kind of liked the weirdness. Resurrection of Magneto was thoroughly nonsensical, but it definitely met the criteria of feeling important. Gotta give it credit for that.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh, of COURSE Magneto sends Ororo a meaningful message from the afterlife...

You couldn't have a mutant massacre crossover without reviving one of the biggest names in Marvel

Bringing in Blue Marvel (and his Defenders meta mumbo jumbo) was a nice little touch for a miniseries that delves deep into the MU's afterlife. If I'm not mistaken, this is the ultimate extension of Magneto's morose and repentant phase.
-----
It feels like every miniseries that's focused on Magneto has been one with him blaming himself for the things he did when he was younger (ie. being a super villain). This one finally has him facing it all in his afterlife. I'm just surprised there wasn't a scene or two with Mephisto.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m baffled by why this needed three issues to get Magneto out of Mutant Pugatory. Always fun to see the Shadow King, but Annihilation’s run on Arrako felt so short lived and underdeveloped that I’d mostly already forgotten about that character. So basically this run was Storm getting to confront Tarn (fun, brief), Magneto internal and external monologuing a TON about what he needs to atone for (and ultimately ends up at “I’ll be good, but also I can’t change!”), and a pretty brutal and inevitable raid on an Orchis mutant detention center. It’s honestly leaving me wondering how stark (huh, pun?) this new break from the Krakoan Age is actually going to be, since it’s feeling like Marvel won’t bury Orchis quite yet…

[Lenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't kept up to date with X-Men comics, but I'll read anything about Magneto. Storm and Magneto had potential to be an interesting duo, but there is way too much dialogue and exposition. I was bored from the start, and that never really changed. I appreciated Ewing's inclusion of Magneto's heritage, though I don't understand why saying "Jewish" and Jewish terms - "rabbis" instead of "teachers," for example. The refrain of "to save a life is to save a world," is a nice Talmudic reference, and he accurately uses the Jewish term for the afterlife, the World To Come. At least Luciano Vecchio's art is wonderful, and he included a bunch of Tarot references which is pretty neat.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al Ewing es un autor que confía totalmente en todos sus aportes argumentales. Tanto es así que incluso en una miniserie "rutinaria" para devolver al terreno de juego al Amo del Magnetismo, hará partícipe al Blue Marvel que tanto ha despuntado entre su The Ultimates y Defenders. Mucho de lo narrada en su X-Men Red también conforma una rica mitología de la que se establece un interesante arco argumental donde Ororo sigue despuntando en un nuevo dominio de interés editorial que actualmente se está viviendo. De todas formas, el marco general de la Caída de la Casa de X deja muy poco a lo que emocionarse en un rápido "cierre de cortinillas" de las tantas vías abiertas en la franquicia mutante.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magneto chose death with no resurrection. But with the events of the Hellfire Gala, and the crushed spirit of Xavier, the mutants of Krakoa and Arakko need the leadership of Magneto. Storm knows she needs to help bring him back, so she enlists the help of Blue Marvel. BUT... it will take everything 'Ro and Erik have to bring him back. Beware the shadow...

Overall, this was a short but good story to get Magneto back to a point he should have always been in. I'm sure he will be fundamental to the events of FHX/RPX.
Recommend

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many of the Fall of X miniseries are simple water-treading.

And Resurrection of Magneto sort of is, and it takes a single pre-determined plot point (highlighted in the title) and stretches it out over four issues.

But Ewing is a strong author, and he does a good job of describing the mutant afterlife here (though the connections he makes between a number of foes are never entirely clear). Then we get a single issue about Magneto in the Orchis-Ascendant era, which is quite nice.

So, overall a fun read, despite it being a Fall of X miniseries.

[Jimmy Dean]

Have loved getting wrapped up in Ewing’s writing over the last 6 or 7 years. I really appreciate the magnitude in which he writes Storm and Magneto, finding new depth and clarity in characters with long histories. Like Uncanny Spider-Man, and Hellions before it, love when writers find scope in these little side stories that work perfectly on their own and as a part of the bigger picture. I imagine I’ll always find my way back to Ewing as long as he continues to write.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some truly great writing scaffolding a kinda silly book. Magneto was dead for like a year? Maybe? It felt like we only had to bring him back because the board needed to be cleared for From the Ashes and he's too important to stay dead. That being said, Ewing was really pulling out all the stops to justify this one and it mostly worked for me.

[Matthew Randell · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was dead long enough for me to miss him, and his return really feels like it means something. A new direction. If he's coming back, he's got to do things a bit differently. I love it. Glad they included this last issue too and didn't end it as soon as he was resurrected.

Only minor gripe is I didn't really understand Storm's motivations, other than everything's gone to shit, we need Magneto.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al Ewing accomplishes the difficult task of bringing a character back to life without negating the overall impact of his death, resulting in a rich character study of Magneto that places his entire character’s history into a moment of powerful reflection. I can see the sections involving Blue Marvel, however, to be potentially confusing for anyone with no knowledge of the character.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three kind of boring issues where Ororo goes to the afterlife to get Magneto back. There's a ton of exposition and the issues are kind of boring. Then one good issue where he's back that leads into Iron Man. I thought Luciano Vecchio's art was very good.

[Tim Rooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some incredible and moving moments. Vecchio’s art reaches a new level. Ewing does his synthesizing years of continuity into a coherent arc thing. But it just stops and it feels ultimately in service to nothing.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's really only one essential issue here. The first 3 are full of the kind of cosmic navel-gazing that Marvel comics love to revel in so much. Still, it's good to have Magneto back to help take the fight to Orchis. The art's not terrible.