The Evolution of Storm & Magneto's Friendship

While he may be considered their greatest enemy, Magneto has fought alongside the X-Men as often as he’s fought against them. Throughout the ups and downs of their relationship, he has developed an incredible bond with one X-Men in particular: Storm.

Storm’s openness to Magneto’s perspective, even at his most extreme, has built a mutual respect between them that’s rooted in their earliest encounters. The Krakoan Age only strengthened their friendship as the two titans of mutantkind took on the responsibility of guiding the mutants of Arakko. However, their work was tragically cut short when Magneto died during mutantkind’s war with the Eternals.

Now, with Krakoa's doom imminent, Storm will boldly venture into the great unknown to bring the Master of Magnetism back from the afterlife so he can help her reverse mutantkind's cruel turn of fate. Before her quest unfolds in the pages of Al Ewing and Luciano Vecchio's RESURRECTION OF MAGNETO (2024), explore key chapters of their shared history.

Early battles

Magneto and Storm first met in UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #104 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum. Still in opposition to the X-Men, a revitalized Magneto lured Professor’s X’s newest recruits to Muir Island to test them. It was one of the team’s earliest outings, and Magneto made quick work of the “all-new, all-different X-Men."

Still, from the moment they locked eyes during this pitched battle, Magneto was impressed with Storm’s abilities. Unfortunately, she wasn’t skilled enough yet to prevent Magneto from effortlessly redirecting her lightning bolts right back towards her.

Storm wouldn’t have to wait long for a rematch. In UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #112 by Claremont and John Byrne, Magneto captured the X-Men at his volcanic base in Antarctica. Having learned her lesson about Magneto’s ability to control her lightning, Storm opted to pummel him with a powerful blizzard instead.

If not for her vow to never take a life, she may have neutralized him. Instead, Magneto’s magnetism was enhanced by the extreme cold and he easily subdued her. Magneto defeated the X-Men yet again, but it was clear that—when it came to matching his raw power—Storm was among those who stood the best chance.

A changed man

In Claremont and Cockrum’s UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #150, the X-Men infiltrated Magneto’s base in the Bermuda Triangle to stop him from unleashing a global nuclear strike, leading to an interaction that shifted Storm and Magneto’s dynamic forever.

Coming across Magneto asleep in his chamber, Storm saw the man beneath the helmet for the first time. Knowing the stakes, Storm debated ending the threat he posed by taking his life there and then—but she understood that, for all their differences, Magneto was a man shaped by his own past and they had more in common than either of them fully realized. She stayed her blade but played a vital role in the X-Men's eventual confrontation with him.

Armed with knowledge from her previous experiences with him, Storm weakened Magneto by lowering the air pressure around him. Although he admired her courage, Magneto was still able to use the hurricane she whipped up to his advantage.

This turning point between the X-Men and their oldest foe came to a dramatic end when Magneto angrily lashed out at Kitty Pryde. Thinking he had slain the X-Men’s youngest and newest member, Magneto was overcome with horror and his tragic childhood memories at Auschwitz resurfaced. Before fleeing, he confided his regret to Storm, who recognized a profound change in him.

Leading the X-men

Moving forward, Magneto tempered his more aggressive nature so much that he was able to rekindle his friendship with Professor X and ally himself with the X-Men. Meanwhile, Storm developed a more hardened attitude after becoming leader of the X-Men.

When Professor X left Earth for Shi'ar space, he put Magneto in charge of the school. With Magneto serving as headmaster and Storm leading the team in the field, the two guided the X-Men and the New Mutants through some of their darkest moments, including the traumatic Mutant Massacre.

Magneto and Storm's approach to defending mutantkind proved to be more morally flexible than Professor Xavier’s, allowing them to take proactive action. In NEW MUTANTS (1983) #51 by Claremont and Kevin Nowlan, they joined the infamous Hellfire Club, jointly assuming the leadership title of the White King to access the club's vast resources. They also proposed a radical plan to fake the X-Men's deaths so they could operate from the shadows and strike at their enemies with impunity.

During these dangerous times, Magneto and Storm were compatible partners. Unfortunately, Magneto eventually resorted to his more villainous methods, forcing him and Storm to fight on opposite sides in the war for mutantkind's future once more.

utopia

When mutankind was decimated and most of the remaining population lived on the island haven known as Utopia, Magneto and Storm reunited under Cyclops’ command on what was dubbed the “Extinction Team.” This formidable team’s purpose was to provide an example of mutant might by taking down grand-scale threats on the world stage.

In UNCANNY X-MEN (2011) #1 by Kieron Gillen and Carlos Pacheco, Magneto and Storm discussed their different approaches towards their mission statement. While Magneto took glory in their show of strength, Storm regretted the X-Men's current position and knew Cyclops was on a slippery slope towards compromising everything they once stood for.

Her fears were realized in the crossover event, AVENGERS VS. X-MEN (2012), where five X-Men, including Cyclops, became hosts of the Phoenix Force. Storm and Magneto watched from the sidelines as their teammates—despite their best intentions—became corrupted by their god-like cosmic power. Storm switched sides to help the Avengers take Cyclops down. Magneto followed suit and the pair of them rallied against their former leader during the event's explosive final battle.

In the aftermath of Utopia, Storm joined Wolverine at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning while Magneto aligned himself with Cyclops' revolution. Given all they'd been through together, they reached a new level of understanding before parting ways in Gillen and Mark Brooks' AVENGERS VS. X-MEN: CONSEQUENCES (2012) #4. This would serve them well years later when mutantkind looked to them both for guidance through another set of dire circumstances: the Terrigen Mist crisis and INHUMANS VS. X-MEN (2016).

krakoa and arakko 

When the mutant nation Krakoa was founded, Storm and Magneto naturally secured seats on its ruling body: the Quiet Council. Steering mutantkind through uncertainty side-by-side again, they became revered figures in the developing Krakoan society and were cautiously optimistic about Krakoa's success. However, by the time Krakoa's foundation began to crack, they found themselves captivated by another mutant society altogether: Arakko.

An ancient civilization of mutants, the Arakki returned to earth after millennia of war in a hellish dimension. In Gerry Duggan and Pepe Larraz's PLANET SIZE X-MEN (2021) #1, Storm and Magneto—alongside their fellow Omega-Level mutants—created a home for their newfound brethren by terraforming Mars and christening it Arakko.

Endless conflict had made Arakki develop unique laws and customs, many of which revolved around challenges and duels. They frowned at weakness and assistance, leading them to refuse the immortality that Krakoa offered all mutants. Despite these beliefs, Storm stepped forward to represent both Arakko and Krakoa on the galactic stage and fought for a seat on the Great Ring, Arakko's Quiet Council equivalent.

Disillusioned with the promise of Krakoa, Magneto also relocated to Arakko in Al Ewing and Stefano Caselli's X-MEN RED (2022) #1. Although he sought nothing more than peaceful seclusion, he couldn't refuse Storm's request to help her form a new Brotherhood of Mutants. The Brotherhood aimed to defend Arakko while preserving its way of life.

United under her cause, Magneto too fought his way to a seat on the Great Ring. They jointly protected Arakko from manipulation while making an effort to acclimate to its culture—even going as far as removing themselves from Krakoa's miraculous resurrection protocols in order to hold their place on the Great Ring.

judgment day

When the Eternals waged war with mutants in A.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY (2022), they launched a brutal attack on Arakko that involved Thanos' grandfather, Uranos. Temporarily released from his prison, Uranos unleashed his notorious arsenal of killing machines while fighting the Great Ring personally in Ewing and Caselli's X-MEN RED (2022) #5. With Storm preoccupied by the Eternals' assault on Krakoa, Uranos overpowered the Great Ring and savagely ripped Magneto's heart out of his chest.

Expertly controlling the iron in his blood, the Master of Magnetism managed to stay alive long enough to save Arakko from total annihilation. The tide turned when Storm returned. Where they once used their powers against each other, they now acted in perfect harmony. Attuned like never before, Storm used her lightning to keep Magneto's blood pumping effortlessly, and together they took down the worst of Uranos' weapons.

After enacting their revenge on Uranos, Magneto succumbed to his fatal injury. As he died in Storm's arms, he warned his friend to keep an eye on Professor X, knowing that he was capable of martyring them all to save humanity—a prophecy that sadly came true in X-MEN: HELLFIRE GALA (2023).

Storm and Magneto's final battle together inspired some of their peers on the Great Ring to expand their views, which led to civil war on Arakko. After claiming victory, Storm rededicated herself to restoring hope to the mutants of Earth—and to start, she aims to bring the man she now calls Max back from the dead.

How does she plan to accomplish this monumental undertaking, and how will Magneto feel about Storm denying his final wishes?

Discover all this and more when RESURRECTION OF MAGNETO (2024) #1 hits stands tomorrow.

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