X-Men ’97: How Old Is Magneto?

The Magneto/Rogue romance in X-Men ’97‘s two-part premiere caused quite a stir, with some fans weirded out by the pair’s apparent age gap. So, just how old is Magneto in X-Men ’97?

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Magneto’s Age in X-Men ’97, Explained

Magneto’s exact age is never explicitly stated in either X-Men ’97 or its precursor, X-Men: The Animated Series. It’s hard to even estimate, given the conflicting details available. For example, Magneto’s white hair suggests he’s an older gent – but flashbacks show him with platinum blond hair as a child and (presumably) a middle-aged adult. What’s more, he’s super buff in a way that few elderly folks can manage. But there’s one major clue from Magneto’s backstory that helps pinpoint his age: he’s a Holocaust survivor. True, this is never outright stated, but it’s as heavily implied as X-Men: The Animated Series‘ censorship would allow.

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So, if we assume Magneto was around seven or eight during the Holocaust’s 1941-1945 window, then the Master of Magnetism is in his early to mid-60s in 1997, when X-Men ’97 takes place. How old does that make Magneto when he and Rogue were an item? Again, this requires some guesswork. Magneto and Rogue’s fling seemingly happened before Rogue joined the X-Men, presumably when she was still a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This means it pre-dates X-Men: The Animated Series Season 1, set in 1992. Allowing a few more years of float time – Rogue’s not a new recruit in Season 1 – and they likely dated in the late 1980s, when Magneto was 50-56. Meanwhile, Rogue was in her late teens or early 20s at best; make of that what you will.

How Old Is Magneto in Marvel’s X-Men Comics?

Magneto and Rogue also have a romantic history in Marvel’s X-Men comics – and the former is no spring chicken in this version of the canon, either. There’s a key difference, though: the Magneto of the comics is biologically younger than his chronological age. Confused? We’ll try to explain it as simply as possible. Basically, in a 1974 issue of The Defenders, Magneto wound up de-aged into a baby. Alien spy Erik the Red later undid this transformation, with a twist. Magneto didn’t revert to his previous age, but to his physical prime, instead. So, despite being chronologically around 60, biologically, he was in his late 20s/early 30s.

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This all happened before Magneto and Rogue first hooked up in the comics, which means on a physical level, they weren’t that far apart in age (mentally and emotionally is a different story). It also doesn’t hurt that their on-off relationship didn’t start until Rogue was well and truly in her 20s, either. It’s unclear whether X-Men ’97‘s Magneto underwent a similar rejuvenation to his comics counterpart, however, it would explain his muscular frame – without quite vindicating his history with a barely legal Rogue.

X-Men ’97 is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.