Headcanon Meme
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Magneto is six-foot two (canon) and heavily built. Marvel lists his weight at 180 lbs. This is completely unrealistic. (see http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html) In all reality, given his very heavy build, he weighs at least 250 lbs, and probably more. I compare his build to that of a rugby player, and he most often takes full advantage of his large frame, aiming to be opposing. Despite that, he steps lightly.
2. How old is he?
Magneto was born in 1928. From what I can figure, it’s roughly 2003 to 2005 in current Marvel time, which makes him 75-77. However, due to his deaging and reaging, he is physically somewhere between 45-50, depending on his health and general other stressors. He looks about fifty, albeit very good for fifty
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
His posture is borderline prefect. Some of it is his upbringing and some is trying to convince the guards at Auschwitz that he was older and healthy. When he’s angry, his posture is painfully erect - an unconscious mimicry of the SS guards of his youth - and when he’s relaxed he tends to have his hands behind his back or in his pockets.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Magneto is fairly physically healthy, on the surface. He’s very physically fit - but that doesn’t mean he’s healthy. He’s had “headaches” - migraines - for decades “every since my powers manifested” which are occasionally accompanied by nosebleeds or a blown blood vessel in his eye.
He has polycythemia which means his blood is “thick” - he has nearly double the number of red cells as a normal person, and a higher dietary need for iron, copper, and electrolytes. This isn’t an illness but blood loss or dehydration hits him much, much harder.
He’s a chronic insomniac and the lack of sleep takes a toll on him - something not helped by his coffee addiction, given he doesn’t eat enough.
A more serious side effect would be the occasional seizures he suffers.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Magneto is poised. He wasn’t as a boy, he was rather well known to be a klutz - but as he grew into his legs, as his powers gave him a better sense of space, as he started learning to smuggle and steal in order to survive - and fight - he developed a certain sense of grace. His large size is deceptive, as most people who are so bulky aren’t quick, but he is - quite a bit more than most people.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Magneto is quite attractive, and he knows this. While he is called ‘Old Man’ by the Xmen and even refers to himself as ‘an old man’ he doesn’t think of himself as “old” in a negative sense. But he doesn’t really like to look at himself. There’s a lot of self-hatred going on.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He’s fair skinned, and doesn’t burn. He has a LOT scars - His back is pretty much covered in scars, there are three punctures on his back less than an inch from his spine, three slashes across his stomach (the line up with the punctures), burn scars to his right shoulder blade, and a mat of scars on his left chest over his ribs a little larger than the palm of his hand, small burns from cooking on his hands, which is also heavily calloused. His arms and legs have minor scars on them, mostly from minor cuts.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
His hair is white, not blond, not grey, but white. His hair is thick, which a slight wave, and typically styled just a bit longer than a typical men’ cut leaving his hair looking a bit messy, or wild, but looking polished somehow. He has two small locks of hair that fall into his face, no matter what he does.
9. What color are his eyes?
Blue. A light, grey-blue that look like storm clouds when he is upset.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
An oft broken nose, and a tattoo on his left forearm - 24005
11. What are his chief tension centers?
His Erector spinæ is where he carries most of his stress, bleeding into his shoulders when it gets to high enough levels. He often has a backache as a result.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
He most often wears red, and dressy clothing. But his clothing combined with how clean shaven he is are a window into his mental state - the more depressed he is, the more bland colors he wears and the less he shaves. He does have more casual clothing but simply prefers dress pants and button downs or fine knit sweaters.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
He’s almost always comfortable in his clothing, and it’s always well tailored.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
For the most part, no. At Skye he wears scrubs, and while working in less public functions, he wears a black uniform with tactical belt, and red boots, gloves, and cape. In his down time, he’s dressed nicely, neatly, and sharply, unless he’s working on machinery, in which he wears work clothing.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Briefs. He’s an athletic guy and needs the support.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
It’s rich, fairly deep and VERY reflective of his mental state.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Despite the lack of formal education from age nine to about age twenty-five, Magneto has an even, educated way of speaking. He’s verbose at times, and somewhat old fashioned or flowerly in his speech. He attempts to think before he speaks but it doesn’t always work.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Magneto tries very hard to maintain accent-neutral speech, but it doesn’t work entirely. He learned his English in Israel, and speaks German as a first language. There are very faint hints of both to his speech. He’ll mutter an ‘oy vey’ or ‘oy yoy yoy’ under his breath at times, and slips the occasional ‘tch’ to ‘ack’ into his speech, and when greatly stressed replies ‘ja’ rather than ‘yes’ which most people mishear as ‘yeah’.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
German, Polish, Yiddish, English, Ukrainian, Russian, Hebrew, French, Portuguese,- all canon, and fluent. Headcanon - Romani, also fluent.
Headcanon - varying amounts of Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Hindi (very little), Greek.
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
The more distressed he is, the more likely he is to fall back in terms of languages. If he is speaking to someone he knows can understand it, he’ll randomly change languages mid conversation to avoid others understanding. He also tends to curse in Hebrew, Russian, or Romani, rather than in English.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
He’s quite good at thinking on his feet, and tends to be good on the fly.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
He’s extremely eloquent although when he’s more intoxicated or angry he becomes less so.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Magneto is a ‘super-genius’ really - extremely intelligent, well educated in both books and the streets, but he attempts to downplay his street education.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Both, depending. He makes decisions on his feet, and his instincts tend to be right, but he likes to plan and plot, although he adapts quickly.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
More intuitive than logical and more idealistic than practical although he believes it’s more logical and practical.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
General public education until age nine, homeschooled until university. He took general science courses in Israel while working at the hospital and nearly finished medical school (he never sat for his boards) due to pressure from other staff. Almost everything else has been self taught.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Genetics, engineering, physics - those are his fields and he is very very good at them. Anything science related drives his interest and due to his nature, politics is something he studies. In part due to his lack of education as a youth, he’s always hungry to learn.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
An introvert actually. A public, commanding figure, but strongly introverted. “Since I was a boy, I’ve been drawn to the desolate places of the world” he told Xavier at one point and there is plenty of proof to back this up - between the far flung bases of the world, to ones hung in space, Magneto craves his space and time alone. Oddly, however, he is much more mentally stable when he has company.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
In a word? Bi-polar. Not clinically bi-polar but damn does the man have mood swings and stubborn as all get out.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
He’s paranoid, and suspicious of most, really. It makes him more hostile and more withdrawn than his nature would otherwise be. But at the same time, he knows what he is good at, and knows he’s ace at it - and he knows when he’s not in his comfort zone and being outside it makes him very uncomfortable.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
React. It’s something that bites him. He doesn’t act, he reacts.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Fight. There was a point in his life where his reaction would have been to run, to flee, but he’s learned that flight only allows others to be victimized.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Desert dry. Little children’s sense of humor will almost always make him laugh, provided it’s not bathroom humor.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
God yes. PTSD, depression, suicidal behavior. Mostly, he ignores these and pretend they don’t exist.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Let’s sum up birth to age seventeen and say “WWII” ok? After that, it was his wife leaving him after their child was murdered. Isabelle’s murder. Death and violence have shaped him, more than the love of the relationships that ended in those events - but he still DOES have some ability to love, to trust, and to hope.
14. What does he fear?
Another genocide, those he loves being killed, being helpless. Failing, at everything.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
Peace, really. He’s never KNOWN peace, and it scares him a little but it’s what he wants. To sit on the beach in Genosha, with his children happy, healthy, and nearby, while his grandchildren play in the bay. And Charles sitting beside him, enjoying the sunset.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
There’s a lot really - mostly, his real name. Who he is. Not the avatar but the man inside.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
He loved them. He and his father were very close, and even when he knew his father’s beliefs wouldn’t work, he tried to follow them. After his father was beaten by the Gestapo, Magneto had to be an adult for the family, providing where his father could not. Losing his father was a crushing blow, but watching him die a little more each day, give up a little more each day, did far more damage.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
He had an older sister, Ruthie, whom he was very protective of.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Only his children and grandchildren. Luna, his granddaughter, he loves dearly, she’s literally his princess. He wants to foster a loving relationship with his new grandsons, as well. His son, Pietro, he has a remarkably difficult relationship with and they often can’t stand each other.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Charles Xavier, Rogue, Kitty Pryde. The three people who he is not related to that he would bleed himself dry for. The New Mutants and Wicked and Freakshow are surrogate children/grandchildren in his mind. Children in general he latches on hard to.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Charles Xavier. In Israel, while working at a hospital. Magneto though Charles was going to be another insufferable prat. He was mostly wrong.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Not really. Isabelle was, but she was murdered. He doesn’t have friends really.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Trouble. The paranoia makes it almost impossible for him to trust people.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Family. But his family is mostly made of ‘friends’ so they are one and the same.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Widowed.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Sort of? Him and Charles are lovers, at any rate as well as living together. He wouldn’t call it a ‘romantic relationship’ but it is.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
Magda. Not counting Charles, as that’s…separate, Rouge.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Inner strength. Intelligence. Beautiful hands. Someone who understands him.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
Yes, he has three he’s fathered and two which were lab created. Anya is his most beloved, forever and always. She was murdered when she was four. The twins…are touchy. Wanda doesn’t trust him and Pietro hates him. He doesn’t trust either of them, not really, but he wants to and he does love them. But their relationship is almost certainly broken. Lorna was created in a lab and that freaks him OUT a little, but she shares his powers and he is driven to connect with her because of it. She is literally the only other person who sees the world as he does. Zaladane was the other - he killed her before learning of their relation and he’s mostly unconcerned. He has three grandchildren, which I covered already.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
MANY.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
He’s dead center, although mostly expresses heterosexuality due to fucked up headspace.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Sex is actually very important. It’s not casual, and it takes a lot of trust. Even more than most men, when the headspace is bad, he’s impotent, because he really does need to have an emotional connection to who he is sleeping with.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
He’s pretty vanilla, but a long massage of his back and neck will perk him up. Violence and bondage are very BIG turn-offs. Probably not weird, but he sleeps nude, or nearly so and keeps the bedroom clear of loose objects.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
Scorpio and he’s textbook.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
He’s spiritual, not religious. He’s also a Jew. Somehow this works. The former is not that important to him but the latter very much is.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
He does, but under everything, he must survive. He’s never really passed that “survive, no matter the cost” mentality and it gets in the way of morals, although he does have them.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Provided they aren’t preaching hate, he doesn’t care what others believe or pray to.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
He hates people. It’s irrational, but it’s there. People kill, they betray you, and you can’t trust them. He’s aware there are those for whom that doesn’t fit but he’ll assume a person is “bad” before anything else.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Very wealthy. Given he can pull metals from the Earth…well, yes. He’s extremely wealthy and he’s comfortable there - he’s been starving, dying for lack of food poor and every level inbetween.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He’s gone from Jewish boy in 1930’s Germany, to Jewish young man in a Roma camp, to a Roma traveler, to a dedicated young aid in Israel, to a Mutant. It’s changed a lot but mostly just to convince him that outsiders are never safe and people will always hunt those they don’t understand.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
He drifts between homes. Mostly he lives alone, things are neat, clean, almost cold save his bedroom and kitchen - and his lab is busy, cluttered but organized. Robots abound, some finished, some not, some working, some not. Some are just places to crash if/when things go south, some are ‘home’ - and some are literal castles.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Not a lot. Fine clothing and shoes, too much wine when he drinks, computer parts he can’t make himself.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
He’s…a lot of things. Magneto, mostly, and he’s very good at it. Enjoying it…is less important, he feels it’s a duty to his people, past and present. In a perfect world, he’s been an engineer or a doctor - maybe both - and teach on a university level on the side. But he’s accepted that it’s not going to happen.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Engineering. Physics. Space. Science. He researches, experiments, plays chess, or reads in his free time, although he tries not to have too much free time.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He skips meals often, living on coffee with sugar and heavy cream but when he does eat, he cooks, only rarely eating out. He’s Jewish and as such never really developed a taste for pork or shellfish. Growing up in the Ghetto and later at Auschwitz has left him willing eat whatever he needs to in order to survive. He drinks, sometimes heavily.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite (all mine):
1. Color? Red. Dark, burgundy colored red
2. Smell? Ozone and coffee
3. Time of day? Very early morning, as the sky is just starting to lighten but the stars still burn brightly.
4. Season? Summer
5. Book? A Once and Future King
6. Music? Assemblage 23
7. Place? A beach with white sand and dark blue-green water, where the sun beats down hot.
8. Substance? Mercury
9. Plant? Roses
10. Animal? A ginger stripped tomcat.
END
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