BIOGRAPHY - Page 5
Magnus returned to Asteroid M but, not long thereafter, it was inadvertently destroyed by the techno-organic alien, Warlock, during his frantic descent to Earth. Magneto barely survived the destruction of Asteroid M. He was found gravely injured, unconscious and afloat in the ocean by 
Captain Lee Forrester. She rescued him from hungry sharks and took him to a hospital. [New Mutants (1st series) #21, Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #188] After he had recovered sufficiently from his injuries to be moved, Captain Forrester transported him to his island home. During Magneto’s absence, Lee had begun studying the island in the hopes of unraveling its origins. For a while, she remained there with Magneto, despite his protests that he did not need help from a “human.” He quickly saw the errors of his ways and apologized for the way he treated her. Over the course of the weeks they spent together, an attraction grew between them and they eventually became lovers. Lee came to understand the “human” side of the master of magnetism and he, in turn, came to care for her in a way he had not cared for anyone, mutant or human, in a very long time. [New Mutants (1st series) #23-24]
At first, Lee could not help but question their relationship. She witnessed Magneto’s power and even wondered if he had coerced her into making love. He assured her that he would never seek to harm her and opened his heart to her. He told her how he had lost Magda and begged her not to run away in fear as well. He confessed that he was sickened by what he had become and asked her help in starting anew. Despite her fears, Lee agreed and they admitted their growing love for each other. Their brief time alone was interrupted by a telepathic call for help from Charles Xavier. He had sensed the arrival on Earth of the Beyonder and asked Magneto to gather Earth’s heroes and lead his X-Men in his absence, while he was on Muir Island, recuperating from injuries he recently received. [New Mutants (1st series) #26, 28-29]
Magneto donned a new costume and explained the situation to the X-Men. He then sought out errant members of Xavier’s latest group, the New Mutants to aid them in finding the Beyonder. Magneto led the mutants against the powerful alien and they were soon joined by Captain America and other heroes. However, the Beyonder fled, eager to understand and experience humanity. Following this encounter, Magneto remained with the X-Men and Professor Xavier at his mansion and Lee joined him there. Naturally, the X-Men were wary of their former foe and, unconvinced of his desire to reform, but Magneto seemed determined to change his ways. [Secret Wars II #1, Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #196]
A few days later, Magnus accompanied Kitty Pryde to a special reception at the National Holocaust Memorial. There, he was recognized by some survivors whom he had helped survive in the camps. Their reunion was cut short by Mystique, leader of the government newly installed Freedom Force, whose job was to bring Magneto to trial. Magneto and the X-Men fought Freedom force to a standstill until Magneto decided to come along willingly, as he had come to wonder whether he had become what he was fighting against. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #199]
Magnus was brought to the International Court of Justice in Paris, France with Gabrielle Haller (with some help by Charles Xavier) acting as his attorney. With anti-mutant sentiment running 
high, matters became worse as a group of terrorists committed assaults across Europe, claiming to be the X-Men and demanding Magneto be freed. In the meantime, Haller convinced the court to limit the indictment to cases only pertaining to Magneto’s actions after his return to infancy at the hands of Mutant Alpha and Magneto explained his cause, pertaining to safety of mutantkind rather than world dominance.
In the meantime, the X-Men seemingly found the terrorists, actually just hired mercenaries, the real villains being a superpowered duo calling themselves Fenris. They were children of Baron Strucker who sought revenge on Magneto, Xavier and Haller and assaulted them during the trial. 
Magneto protected the others present until the X-Men arrived, even willing to sacrifice his own life in the process. The court building destroyed by Fenris’ final attack, Magneto and Xavier were swept away by the current of the river Seine. While the judge seemed unwilling to follow the case any further, the dying Xavier made Magneto promise to take his place, helping the X-Men and teaching the New Mutants, right before he was teleported aboard the Starjammers’ ship, where his life could possibly be saved with alien technology. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #200]
Having only just returned from an adventure in Asgard, Xavier’s junior class, the New Mutants, were shocked and dismayed to learn that Xavier was gone and had been replaced by a former enemy, now officially “Michael Xavier,” Charles’s “cousin.” They were split on whether or not to give Magneto a chance with some of them even considering quitting the school. Shortly after, one of their number, Danielle Moonstar, was assaulted by some drunken frat boys who intended to rape her. Though Dani escaped, Magneto confronted the men to teach them a lesson. Witnessing the incident (and the fact that Magneto showed constraint) convinced the teenagers to accept him as their new headmaster. [New Mutants (1st series) #35]
Magneto also continued to work with the X-Men, such as joining them in following Phoenix in a confrontation with the Beyonder in San Francisco. However, while he and the X-Men spent some time there, helping to repair the damages to the city, the Beyonder encountered the New Mutants. Annoyed when they refused his gift of absolute perfection, the Beyonder killed the New Mutants and erased any memory of them. Eventually, the Beyonder recreated the teenagers in another display of power. After the heroes - among them Magneto - had destroyed the Beyonder, Magneto returned to his role as headmaster. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #202-203, New Mutants (1st series) #37, Secret Wars II #9]
However, the kids were in a zombie-like state, due to the trauma of dying, from which none save Mirage and Warlock could rouse themselves. Consumed by nightmares about dying, which the psychically sensitive Magneto shared, Magneto turned to self-doubt, rage and drink and eventually accepted the White Queen’s offer to have the New Mutants transferred to the Massachusetts Academy where she as a skilled telepath could help them.
When he found school attendants Sharon Friedlander and Tom Corsi abused by Emma Frost’s pupil Empath, Magnus realized he’d been manipulated and decided to get his students back along 
with Warlock. Frost used the advantage of her civilian identity to sic the Avengers on Magneto. The Avengers were close to defeating Magneto and the frightened Warlock was about to drain them of their life energy, but Magneto used his power to stop him, making the Avengers realize he may be a different man. They were joined by the New Mutants who recovered had decided to help Magneto. Magik teleported all of them away, leaving the Avengers to wonder whether they had been right in fighting Magneto. Working together, Magneto and the White Queen healed the mutants for good and they decided to return to Xavier’s School with him. [New Mutants (1st series) #38-40]
In between adventures, Magneto, in his role as headmaster Michael Xavier, was somewhat befriended by Amalie Hogarth, headmistress of Salem Center High School, while also managing to squeeze in the occasional meting with his girlfriend Lee Forrester, who had returned to her work as a boat Captain. [New Mutants (1st series) #38, 44, Marvel Fanfare (1st series) #33]
Following a particularly trying battle between the X-Men alongside the Hellfire Club and a mutant-hunting robot named Nimrod, the Lords Cardinal of the Hellfire Club offered Magneto he position as White King, for himself alone or in the name of the X-Men, pointing out that the worsening anti-mutant climate made it necessary for them to stick together. Magneto was doubtful but soon events would happen to make him reconsider. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #210]
A group named the Marauders attacked the Morlock tunnels, slaying nearly all the mutants living there. For Magneto, this was as though his nightmares about the mutant race being exterminated had finally come true. The X-Men went to help and, while every fiber of his being shrieked for action, Magneto stayed behind as Storm reminded him that someone needed to take care of the New Mutants should the school be attacked as well. Magneto then supervised the efforts of Xavier’s staff to give medical attention to all of the many incoming wounded and dying Morlocks. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #211, New Mutants (1st series) #46]
To make matters worse, the New Mutants disappeared following the massacre. Magneto was left waiting and hoping and doing household chores. While others believed the teenagers dead, Magnus kept on hoping, admitting that he was no longer acting solely due to his promise to Xavier, but because he had grown to care for the youngsters. [New Mutants (1st series) #48] When the New Mutants returned, explaining that they had been trapped in some alternate reality after being hunted by Warlock’s father, Magneto grounded them all due to their foolish decision to leave the school during the battle with the Marauders. [New Mutants (1st series) #52]
Urged along by the X-Men’s leader, Storm, Magneto jointly with her accepted the role as White King of the Hellfire Club, as this allowed them to keep a watchful eye on the Club’s activities and, at the same time, to use their vast resources against the X-Men’s many other enemies. Yet, Magneto already broke with tradition by refusing to wear the club’s traditional garb for his induction ceremony. [New Mutants (1st series) #51]
