Per usual with the House of Ideas, a major comic book event is lurking around the corner in the form of Secret Empire – the Captain America/Hydra-centric event that promises to reveal Steve Rogers’ recent double life as an agent of Hydra to the greater Marvel Universe.
Fans will likely remember the outrage that came from the reveal of Captain America’s uncharacteristic heel turn nearly one year ago. However, upon the release Dan Mora’s Secret Empire “Villains of Hydra” variant covers, fans are up in arms for a whole new reason, as Max Eisenhardt – better known as Magneto – appears to have aligned himself with the villainous organization that, historically, has very close ties to the Nazi party.
It’s a baffling move by the publisher; one that has many fans scratching their heads, and for good reason, too. Here are five reasons why Magneto being in Hydra doesn’t make any sense:
He’s A Holocaust Survivor
First and foremost, one of the most defining aspects of Magneto’s backstory is that he’s a Holocaust survivor. It generates sympathy for the character when he’s acting as a hero, and similarly, adds a profound layer of depth that makes him such a compelling villain.
When Hydra was first introduced in the comics, control of the group was quickly seized by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker – a Nazi who restructured Hydra to be dedicated to world domination through terrorist activities. Although Marvel has long tried to distance Hydra from the Nazi party over the years - citing that Hydra merely used the Nazi party as a vehicle to spread their message - the two groups are still intrinsically associated with one another.
That being said, why would Magento – a Jewish Holocaust survivor – ever align with Hydra?Â
He Has Long Stood Against The Red Skull And Hydra
Although in the beginning, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker controlled Hydra, another man that has very close ties with the fascist organization is longtime Captain America villain Red Skull. However, despite being a Cap villain, the Skull, who worked directly with Adolf Hitler during World War II, has had his fair share of run-ins with none other than Magneto.
In one instance, as punishment for his involvement in Hitler’s regime, Magneto actually goes as far as to bury the Skull alive in a tomb, leaving him with nothing but 10 gallons of water. Fortunately for the Skull, though, he is rescued by Crossbones just as he’s about to die.
During the AXIS storyline, Magneto and the Red Skull would cross paths again when Magneto learns that the Skull has turned the island nation of Genosha into a mutant concentration camp. Magneto eventually goes on to kill the Red Skull, but he soon returns as Red Onslaught. Still, Magneto would keep fighting, putting together a team that included the likes of Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom, to take Red Onslaught down.
Now, all things considered, does it really make sense that Magneto would join an organization that, in the comics, is currently led by the very man who fought alongside Adolf Hitler? The man he’s fought so valiantly against in the past? It certainly seems like a stretch, and that’s being generous.
He Has Historically Fought Against Oppression
For better or worse, Magneto has always been a character that has fought against oppression. Admittedly, it’s usually fighting against the oppression of mutants by trying to establish them as the superior and dominant species. Still, in recent storylines, Magneto’s methods have strayed from villainous to more anti-heroic in nature, with Magneto simply trying to defend mutants at any cost.
Hydra, on the other hand, has always been an oppressive group. As mentioned in the previous entry, it’s now being led by the Red Skull, who is very much embracing his fascist beliefs.
Why, then, would Magneto – a man trying to defend his race from harm and oppression – join an organization founded on the idea of creating a neo-fascist New World Order?
It’s Simply Retreading Old Ground
In the beginning of this article, it was mentioned that last year, Steve Rogers was revealed to be a double agent working for Hydra. This results from the Red Skull using Kobik – a sentient Cosmic Cube – to manipulate Steve Rogers' memories so that he believes that he has been a Hydra sleeper agent since childhood. Naturally, this revelation left many fans furious.
Given Magneto’s current status in the comics, if Marvel truly plans on making him an agent of Hydra, it’s going to require a pretty hefty explanation. It’s hard to believe Magneto would join the organization willingly, so would they simply opt to use a similar method to convert him as the one used on Captain America?
Whether Marvel decides to use the Cosmic Cube to warp Magneto’s mind, or if they decide to have his change in conscience come completely out of the blue, the fact remains that it will feel repetitive and lazy, especially considering how little time will have passed between this and the Hydra Cap reveal.
It Would Be A Disappointing Direction For The Character
Taking all of the previous points into consideration, the possibility of Magneto becoming an agent of Hydra would be a very disappointing direction to take the character in. Yes, he’s trodden the line between sympathy and antipathy throughout his entire career, but to align this Holocaust survivor and warrior of oppression with a fascist organization that has deep ties to the Nazi party does little to develop Magneto as a character.
Truthfully, we won’t know whether or not Marvel will truly place Magneto among the ranks of Hydra until Secret Empire begins. After all, he could be simply acting as a double agent, himself, in an attempt to take the group down, or the variant cover could just be a red herring. However, if Magneto does join Hydra this spring, it will certainly be one of the more questionable decisions Marvel has made in recent memory.