How old is Magneto? Age in X-Men ’97 and Marvel Comics explained

X-Men ‘97 fans are taking note of Magneto, but many would be surprised to learn the sinister villain isn’t as old as they think he is.

Sure, Cyclops is getting a lot of shine coming out of X-Men ‘97’s premiere. But the former evil mutant Magneto is also getting his share of attention. 

The villain appears to have reformed in X-Men ’97, replicating story beats from all-time classic stories. However, it also hints at another comic book element: his controversial relationship with Rogue. 

Many fans have turned their noses up at the Rogue relationship, in part due to the age gap. But that brings up a very important question: just how old is Magneto, anyway? 

How old is Magneto in X-Men ’97?

In X-Men ‘97, Magneto is likely in his 60s, given the show’s throwback setting.

While neither X-Men ‘97 nor X-Men: The Animated Series have given Magneto a definitive age, we do know that this version was also a Holocaust survivor. We see visions alluding to it (or, at least, as much as a ‘90s children’s cartoon can) in a Season 1 episode where Professor Xavier attacks him psychically. 

This Magneto does not appear to have undergone many of the physical changes as his comic counterpart, so he has presumably aged naturally, though remaining at the physical peak for someone his age. 

Magneto’s age in Marvel Comics, explained

In X-Men comics, Magneto is almost 100 years old as of 2024. However, he appears much younger, as Marvel had to take unique steps to keep him a threat to the X-Men while maintaining his backstory. 

Like his film and cartoon counterparts, Magneto was a Holocaust survivor. However, he was already a full-grown adult at the time, as seen in 1989’s X-Factor Annual #4, when his origin is recounted by Doctor Doom. 

He was already older when he first fought the original X-Men but has maintained his origin thanks to some traditional comic book nonsense. One early story saw him regressed in age to an infant. Years later, he was restored to his physical peak rather than his natural age. He’s also been resurrected and reborn in new bodies on a few occasions, such as the recent Resurrection of Magneto mini-series, which saw him make a new body upon his revival. 

How old is Magneto in X-Men movies?

The Magneto who appeared in 2000’s X-Men would be around 70 years old. We last see him during the future portions of Days of Future Past. As those scenes are set in a dystopian 2023, he would be 93 at the time of his death.

We can pinpoint this Magneto’s age with a little more precision. In the opening flashback of the original X-Men film, which shows his powers manifesting in 1944, Magneto is 14 years old. This would place his date of birth sometime in 1930. 

The second version of Magneto we see, played by Michael Fassbender, is presumably the same age. This would put him in his early-to-mid 30s when he first meets Xavier in X-Men: First Class.