Bunn takes a walk on the dark side with 'Magneto' series

Brian Truitt | USA TODAY

The master of magnetism is on a one-man mission for mutantkind.

Written by Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun) and illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Astonishing X-Men), the upcoming comic book Magneto stars the old-school leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants going his own way and playing by his rules. The solo series launches in March as part of Marvel Comics' "All-New Marvel NOW" initiative.

After having been a part of Cyclops' team on Brian Michael Bendis' Uncanny X-Men title, which found Magneto playing third fiddle and his magnetic powers severely reduced from where they once were, Erik Lehnsherr is hitting the streets to find enemies of his people and dealing with them, often with extreme prejudice.

The result is a comic with more noir qualities than most X-Men books, Bunn says. "Magneto in this story is very much a detective, seeking out and investigating threats to mutants before cutting loose with all the fury of a supervillain — or superhero, depending on your point of view."

Since his first appearance 50 years ago in X-Men No. 1, Magneto's been their chief bad guy, the mutant team's leader and ally, and everything in between in his quest to exhort the superiority of the mutant race over homo sapiens.

And while some fans may bristle when Bunn calls him one of his favorite Marvel Comics bad guys, it's those various balancing acts over the years — good and evil, hero and villain, savior and terrorist — that make Magneto a compelling character for the writer.

"We can sympathize with him even though he has been responsible for terrible crimes against humanity," Bunn explains. "He walks such a fine line. He's standing up for his people — the mutants. He refuses to let them suffer as he has seen others suffer. But he's taken steps to protect mutants that can only be seen as evil. His ideals are often 'good' while his methods are not."

One thing he will be is merciless, according to Bunn. Magneto's gone solo but his powers are still "broken" and he's retraining himself to be half the man he once was in making a difference in a world brimming with newly emerging mutants. He's also determined to be judge, jury and executioner in eliminating threats, determining who deserves justice and even surprising some comic fans along the way with his chosen targets.

"Magneto should be seen as some kind of monster by the world at large. When he cuts loose, cities tremble," Bunn says. "He might stand by the heroes from time to time, but he's terrifying for the average person.

"He's out there — wandering about, waiting — but sooner or later he's going to strike and when he does, chaos erupts. Magneto is cloaked in that sense of fear and dread."

The first few issues will feature Magneto front and center, Bunn says, but there are a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who will be doggedly on his trail, a supporting character named Briar who becomes a "tremendous asset" and a "decidedly strange" new incarnation of the Acolytes, a group of mutants who saw Magneto as a messiah for the mutant population.

Bunn also will be delving into his past. There have been various Magneto origin stories told over the years, and the writer has some upcoming arcs down the line "that will open those floodgates in major ways."

The character's connection to his children, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, will eventually play a role — though Scarlet Witch appears to be dead at the moment (see: Uncanny Avengers No. 14). "They are a big part of what makes Magneto who he is," Bunn says.

Similarly, he adds that Magneto's relationship and history with Charles Xavier, who's also currently deceased, will play a role in his journey, too. "Of course, we'll be seeing these interactions through flashbacks, but I think we'll illuminate some new aspects of Magneto's life."

Magneto offers a darker tone than most of the stuff Bunn has penned for Marvel — it has more in common with his Oni Press book The Damned with Sixth Gun artist Brian Hurtt than his recent run on Fearless Defenders. "Magneto brings an aura of menace with him," says the writer, adding that that the first few "street level" issues will be "a little more grounded than one might expect."

The character does fall in line with the kind of antihero that Bunn has explored before, including guys such as Wolverine, Eddie from The Damned and Drake Sinclair in The Sixth Gun.

"It's a lot of fun to guess how readers will perceive Magneto's actions throughout these stories," Bunn says. "Hopefully, sometimes readers will cheer for him. Sometimes they'll hate him. And sometimes they'll do both at the same time."