Erik Lehnsherr|| FC: Michael Fassbend || 36 || Taken
Mutation: Magnetism Manipulation. Erik has control over all kinds of metals. This has a variety of effects, including a magnetic force field which he can project around himself, magnetic rays that he can shoot, magnetic flight using a repulsive force between him and the planet, and more. His weaknesses are based around the fact that he is only human with a human’s strength. He can become weakened if he uses his powers too fast or is injured physically.
As a boy, Erik was forced to live in a death camp during the Holocaust. Sebastian Shaw, a secret mutant, killed his mother in an attempt to get him to use his powers. Erik then exploded in rage, causing him to tear the lab apart with his powers. After WWII, Erik spent years trying to find Shaw. He met Charles Xavier, a telepath, and Raven Darkholme, a shapeshifter, who were trying to help the CIA find Shaw. Charles and Erik then gathered together a team of mutants to battle Shaw, who was attempting to start a nuclear war between the US and Soviet Union to eradicate all humans. Erik and Charles helped the other mutants develop their powers and became close. Finally, the team had to fly into action to stop Shaw, who had overtaken one of the Soviet Union’s ships and were about to launch a missile. Erik confronted Shaw, who tried to convince him to join his side, but Erik took his helmet that blocked him from telepaths, allowing Charles to suspend him. Erik took Shaw’s helmet and put it on, ignoring Charles’ protests. Erik then told Shaw that he agreed with everything he said, but he couldn’t forgive him for killing his mother. He then killed Shaw in the same way Shaw had killed his mother. The US and the Soviet Union created a temporary alliance and sent missiles at the mutants, but Erik sent them back at the ships. Charles tackled him, allowing the missiles to fall into the sea. The CIA agent MacTaggert attempted to kill Erik, but he deflected the bullets. However, one of the bullets he deflected hit Charles in the back, permanently crippling him. Horrified, Erik bid farewell to his friend and left with Raven and the other mutants that had stood with Shaw vowing to overthrow mankind in favor of mutants.
The scars of the holocaust and the anger Erik feels for what was done to his mother leads him to see all human conflict as a sign that humans are flawed. Since he is one of the most powerful mutants on the planet thanks to his abilities, he sees humans as flawed, and his kind as something else. This helps instill an us-vs.-them mentality. This along with his fighter’s instinct leads him to place the responsibility of confronting human conflict on himself. It is because of this in addition to his intelligence that he is able to become such a powerful leader for mutants. He not only has the abilities to carry him through the conflict, he has the charisma to rally others to his cause. He has created a distance that allows him to see other humans like insects. He has no qualms about hurting them in the same way people have no qualms about hurting bugs. He blames humanity for all his suffering and because of this anger, he doesn’t think rationally despite his intelligence.