Trial of Magneto

Last updated
Trial of Magneto
X-Men The Trial of Magneto 1 (2021), standard cover.jpg
The standard cover art for X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #1. Art by Valerio Schiti.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
Genre Superhero
Publication dateAugust – December 2021
No. of issues5
Main character(s) Magneto
Scarlet Witch
X-Factor
Creative team
Written byLeah Williams
Artist(s)Lucas Werneck
Colorist(s) Edgar Delgado
Editor(s)
Collected editions
X-Men: Trial of Magneto ISBN   978-1302932176

"X-Men: Trial of Magneto" is a comic book storyline, which debuted in August 2021, published by Marvel Comics. The limited series spin out of the murder of Scarlet Witch during the "Hellfire Gala". [1] [2]

Contents

Publication history

"Trial of Magneto" was originally the title of a story arc in Uncanny X-Men #200 (1985), by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita Jr., where Magneto was put on trial before the International Court of Justice. [3] [4]

In May 2021, Marvel announced – with a teaser drawn by Romita Jr. – a limited series titled X-Men: Trial of Magneto by writer Leah Williams and artist Lucas Werneck. The limited series is part of the X-Men line Reign of X ; it follows the events of the Hellfire Gala where the Scarlet Witch is murdered in X-Factor (vol. 4) #10. [3] [5] [6] Williams commented that the intended focus of the series is on Scarlet Witch and rehabilitating "Wanda's image with the rest of the mutants on Krakoa"; Williams stated that "her goal is not to write the next defining Magneto story but to write an 'empathy engine', as a Wanda sympathiser, to authentically tell a story that's going to be about healing and catharsis". [7]

Williams informed Bleeding Cool that the X-Factor series was canceled when her Magneto/Wanda story arc pitch for X-Factor "became such a popular pitch at Marvel", however, Marvel didn't believe that X-Factor's readership numbers were "big enough for this story" which led to the development of the Trial of Magneto limited series. [7] The title of the limited series was a marketing decision. Marvel "canceled X-Factor #10 rather than seeing it run as originally planned, with the Trial beginning in X-Factor #15. Williams says she only learned about the cancellation of X-Factor when she was writing #9, so as she had to finish the series quickly, squeezing six issues worth of story into those last two issues, calling it 'cramped and rushed'". [7]

In terms of Marvel comics continuity, Trial of Magneto takes place after the Darkhold event storyline and mostly before the Inferno (2021) event storyline. These storylines were published concurrently; Darkhold was published in 2021 due to delays in comic book distribution in 2020. [8] In September 2022, Marvel announced a Scarlet Witch solo series which follows the events of Trial of Magneto; [9] [10] it premiered in January 2023. [11]

Plot

Due to evidence Wanda's attacker possessed magnetic abilities, Magneto is deemed a prime suspect. Following the attack, the Avengers invade the mutant nation of Krakoa and a complicated confrontation ensues. Wanda resurrects herself to the shock of The Five, who were preparing to resurrect Wanda themselves. The Five are a group of five mutants who are responsible for Krakoa's "resurrection protocols," used to restore mutants by recreating their bodies and then implanting a "back-up" copy of their mind previously recorded to the super-computer Cerebro. However as Wanda resurrected herself in a younger body, her mind's last back-up to Cerebro was recorded before the events of Avengers Disassembled , the resurrected Wanda has no memories of recent years. As others attempt to restore Wanda's mind, she is overwhelmed by the guilt of suddenly remembering the last few years and her actions, causing her to create physical constructs of monsters. Meanwhile, on the astral plane, the spirit of the murderer Wanda finds herself facing is a vision of an older self who confronts her with uncomfortable truths she has denied. Realizing the need to heal by accepting her actions and forgiving herself, the three Wandas stop the monster attack and then merge together, resulting in a fully restored Wanda who now knows there is at least one possible future where she will grow old and wise. [12]

Unwilling to explain their resurrection program to outsiders, the Council of Krakoa remain coy about specifics. Evidence is found against the mutant Toad, who is found guilty of murdering Wanda and punished, and the Avengers leave.

In the aftermath of the events, Wanda works with the mutants Polaris, Legion, and Proteus to increase the capabilities of the resurrection protocols but that doing so required her physical death. She recruited Magneto's help in arranging her own death, a suicide disguised by magic to look like a murder. Thanks to Wanda's plan, Wanda was able to create a pocket dimension "Waiting Room" which now allows all mutants to be resurrected, including those who never had a chance to manifest their X-gene and those whose minds were not able to be copied to the computer Cerebro. This added twenty million mutants to the queue, including everyone who died on Genosha. Learning this, the mutants of Krakoa who once referred to Wanda as a "Pretender" have forgiven her for the M-Day incident and Exodus himself has given her the new title of "The Redeemer". Wanda is now a welcome guest of the mutant nation, telling her story to children so they may learn from her mistakes. [12]

Reception

Sales

In terms of sales, Trial of Magneto #1 was #2 on Diamond's [lower-alpha 1] Top 200 Comics "Based on Total Unit Sales of Products Invoiced" list in August 2021 [14] and Trial of Magneto #2 was #26 in September 2021. [15] Per the ComicHub system, [lower-alpha 2] Trial of Magneto #3 was #10 in "Top 50 Comic Books by Units" and #19 in "Top 200 Comic Books by Dollars" in October 2021; [16] Trial of Magneto #4 was #11 in "Top 50 Comic Books by Units" and #22 in "Top 200 Comic Books by Dollars" in December 2021; [17] Trial of Magneto #5 was #27 in "Top 50 Comic Books by Units" and #42 in "Top 200 Comic Books by Dollars" in December 2021. [17]

On Diamond's Top 2000 Comics for 2021 list, [lower-alpha 3] Trial of Magneto #1 was #36 with 119,657 units sold, Trial of Magneto #2 was #164 with 60,017 units sold, Trial of Magneto #3 was #760 with 21,372 units sold, Trial of Magneto #4 was #953 with 16,106 units sold, and Trial of Magneto #5 was #1018 with 14,832 units sold. [18]

Critical reaction

According to Comic Book Roundup, the entire Trial of Magneto series received a score of 6.4/10 based on 61 reviews – Trial of Magneto #1 received a score of 8.0/10 based on 13 reviews, Trial of Magneto #2 received a score of 7.7/10 based on 15 reviews, Trial of Magneto #3 received a score of 6.0/10 based on 12 reviews, Trial of Magneto #4 received a score of 4.9/10 based on 11 reviews, and Trial of Magneto #5 received a score of 5.4/10 based on 10 reviews. [19]

Charles Pulliam-Moore, reviewing Trial of Magneto #1 for Gizmodo , highlighted that the script "is more interested in reestablishing who the Scarlet Witch was to different people throughout Marvel's comics. [...] The quiet grief that Werneck and Delgaldo's illustrations evoke is beautifully contrasted by the visceral, kinetic action sequence between Magneto and the new flagship X-Men team taking place elsewhere in the issue. [...] Trial of Magneto raises far more questions than it answers, but there's a pointed tranquility to Wanda's presence throughout the floral sequence that culminates in her being quite certain that she's not exactly 'dead,' per se". [20]

Jamie Lovett, reviewing Trial of Magneto #1 for ComicBook.com , commented that this series is "off to a clumsy start" and that "the creators seem to know that it's retrograde without doing much to elevate it". [21] Lovett wrote, "Aside from a few pink-hued flashbacks to Wanda's final moments, Werneck draws flat panels of characters standing around doing nothing interesting during these scenes. [...] The series has potential as the ending hints at something far more significant than Magneto's tantrums happening, but this opening chapter can't seem to settle on a consistently compelling tone". [21]

Tim Webber, reviewing Trial of Magneto #5 for CBR , wrote: "Before most of Marvel's X-Men titles relaunch next year, X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #5, brings several long-gestating X-Men plot points to an understated but satisfying end. [...] Although Magneto almost feels like an afterthought here, the comic ably covers a lot of ground well. [...] Most impressively, The Trial of Magneto sets the Scarlet Witch up with a sustainable new status quo after spending years in relative comic book limbo". [22]

Hannibal Tabu, reviewing Trial of Magneto #5 for Bleeding Cool , commented that this issue "betrays every promise the story created from its title to its promise of justice. The innocent are condemned, the powerful are confused, and the story, such as it is, only exacerbates the lack of consequences introduced with the Krakoan regime". [23] Tabu wrote, "This book is bad. [...] There wasn't much Lucas Werneck, Edgar Delgado, or Clayton Cowles could do to steer this speeding car away from the sequoia with this foundation. [...] This 'story' will be a minor footnote in this era of mutant history, a tedious attempt at a mystery that ended up as a horrible mistake". [23]

Dan Spinelli, reviewing the series for AIPT Comics, commented that Trial of Magneto was initially a hyped series especially because "fan-favorite writer Leah Williams and rising star artist Lucas Werneck" were on the creative team, but "the reaction was much less effusive and, in some corners of the Internet, even hostile" after the series was published. [24] Spinelli highlighted that Trial of Magneto was originally planned as an arc of Williams' X-Factor, however, X-Factor was cancelled and The Trial of Magneto became a standalone event comic which was published at the same time as the 2021 Inferno event storyline. Spinelli wrote that series' issues seem "mostly structural. If designing a Scarlet Witch redemption arc from scratch, there doesn't seem to be much of a reason to involve X-Factor, a team mostly disconnected from her [...]. But Trial of Magneto also serves as a de facto sequel to X-Factor, meaning Williams devotes ample page time to" X-Factor characters "somewhat tangential" to Magneto and Wanda's story. [24] While Spinelli "found the series flawed at times", he wrote, "I did appreciate Williams' comfort with leaving the reader in an ambiguous position at the end of the series, thrilled to see Wanda's redemption but deeply uncomfortable with its cost". [24]

Issues

Trial of Magneto was released from August 2021 to December 2021.

#Publication Date Writer Artist Colorist
1August 18, 2021Leah WilliamsLucas WerneckEdgar Delgado
2September 15, 2021
3October 20, 2021
4December 1, 2021
5December 22, 2021

Collected editions

TitleMaterial collectedFormatPublication datePagesISBNRef
X-Men: The Trial Of MagnetoThe Trial Of Magneto #1–5 Trade paperback March 9, 2022152 ISBN   978-1-302-93217-6 [25]
Trials of X Vol. 1The Trial of Magneto #1–2, S.W.O.R.D. #7, New Mutants #20–21, Marauders #23Trade paperbackOctober 19, 2022176 ISBN   9781302949532 [26]
Trials of X Vol. 2Cable: Reloaded #1, X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #3–5, Wolverine #14Trade paperbackNovember 15, 2022152 ISBN   9781302949549 [27]

Notes

  1. ↑ This monthly sales chart no longer includes sales of DC titles, since DC Comics left Diamond Comic Distributors in July 2020. [13]
  2. ↑ Per ICv2, "as this is a small, non-random sample of over 3,000 stores selling American comics worldwide, these rankings may not be typical for all stores, but do represent a variety of locations and store emphases". [16]
  3. ↑ Per ICv2, "for this period, Diamond did not distribute DC Comics, so these ranks do not include titles from that publisher; Marvel Comics moved its primary distribution to Penguin Random House Publisher Services in August, so Diamond accounted for only a portion of Marvel sales to comic stores for the remainder of 2021". [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genosha</span> Island nation in comics published by Marvel Comics

Genosha is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in the Marvel Universe and a prominent location in the X-Men comics. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South African apartheid before becoming a mutant homeland and subsequently a disaster zone. The island is located off the southeastern African coast southwest from Seychelles and northeast of Madagascar. Its capital city was Hammer Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brotherhood of Mutants</span> Fictional team by Marvel Comics

The Brotherhood of Mutants is a fictional group of mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Brotherhood are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magneto (Marvel Comics)</span> Fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics publications and related media

Magneto is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1 as an adversary of the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quicksilver (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Quicksilver is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in the comic book The Uncanny X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character has since starred in two self-titled limited series and has historically been depicted as a regular team member in the superhero title The Avengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polaris (Marvel Comics)</span> Fictional character from Marvel Comics

Polaris is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Jim Steranko, the character first appeared in The X-Men #49. Lorna Dane belongs to the subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. She can control magnetism in a manner similar to her father Magneto. The character has been known as Polaris, Malice, and Pestilence at various points in her history. Dane has also been a member of the X-Men and the X-Factor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toad (Marvel Comics)</span> Fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics

Toad is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The X-Men #4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Frost</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #129. She belongs to a subspecies of humans called mutants who are born with superhuman abilities. Her mutation grants her high-level telepathic abilities and the power to turn into organic diamond. Emma Frost has evolved from a supervillain and foe of the X-Men to becoming a superhero and one of the team's most central members and leaders. The character has also been known as the White Queen and the Black King at various points in her history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Mastermind is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly as an adversary of the X-Men. The original Mastermind was a mutant with the psionic ability to generate complex telepathic illusions at will that cause his victims to see whatever he wishes them to see. He was a founding member of the first Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and later a probationary member of the Lords Cardinal of the Hellfire Club, where he played an important role in "The Dark Phoenix Saga".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Avengers</span> Group of fictional characters

The Young Avengers are the names of two superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, the first team appeared in Young Avengers #1. The Young Avengers team features numerous adolescent characters who typically have connections to established members of Marvel's primary superhero team, the Avengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of M</span> Marvel Comics storyline

"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of an eight-issue comic book limited series with a number of crossover tie-in books written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel. Its first issue appeared in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled storylines. The Scarlet Witch, her twin brother Quicksilver, and their father Magneto play major roles in the series. Like the Age of Apocalypse (1995–1996) storyline, House of M replaced the Earth-616 as the main reality for a brief time until Scarlet Witch reverted it to normal. The events of the storyline were later indicated to have occurred on Earth-58163.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speed (character)</span> Fictional character and member of the Young Avengers

Speed is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a member of the Young Avengers, a team of teenaged superheroes in the Marvel Universe. His powers are similar to his uncle Quicksilver. Created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, Speed first appeared in the comic book Young Avengers #10. In the 12th issue, he adopts the costumed identity Speed and joins the Young Avengers.

<i>Ultimatum</i> (comics) Ultimate Marvel storyline, 2009

"Ultimatum" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics under its Ultimate Marvel imprint. It consists of a core five-issue eponymous miniseries written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by David Finch that was published from January to September 2009, and a number of tie-in books. The storyline deals with Magneto's attempts to destroy the world following the apparent deaths of his children, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in The Ultimates 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet Witch</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Scarlet Witch or Wanda Maximoff is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in the Silver Age of Comic Books. Originally said to have the ability to alter probability, the Scarlet Witch has been depicted as a powerful sorceress since the 1980s and on occasion has become powerful enough to alter reality by tapping into greater energy sources.

<i>X-Men</i> (comic book) Ongoing American comic book series

X-Men is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the titular team of superheroes, published by Marvel Comics, beginning in September 2010.

<i>House of X</i> and <i>Powers of X</i> Comic books

House of X and Powers of X are two 2019 comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics featuring the X-Men by writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Pepe Larraz, R. B. Silva, and Marte Gracia. Both books are part of a crossover storyline within the Marvel Universe that lead to the "Dawn of X" relaunch and started the Krakoan Age.

<i>X-Factor</i> (2020 comic book)

X-Factor is an American superhero comic book written by Leah Williams and published by Marvel Comics. The title was launched in July 2020 as part of Dawn of X, a relaunch of Marvel's X-Men related titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reign of X</span> 2020 relaunch of X-Men

"Reign of X" is a 2020 relaunch of the X-Men line of comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the sequel to the "Dawn of X" publishing initiative and second phase of the Krakoan Age, which culminated in the limited series "Inferno" and was followed by a sequel relaunch named "Destiny of X".

<i>Children of the Atom</i> (comics) 2021 comic book series

Children of the Atom is a comic book series written by Vita Ayala, and illustrated by Bernard Chang and Paco Medina and published by Marvel Comics. The title was launched in March 2021 as part of Reign of X, a relaunch of Marvel's X-Men related titles.

<i>Hellfire Gala</i> 2021 Marvel Comics storyline

"Hellfire Gala" was initially a 12-part X-Men comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics in June 2021. It is the first storyline featured in the "Reign of X" relaunch after the "X of Swords" storyline. Krakoa opens its gates to non-mutants to celebrate mutant culture at an evening party. The gala unveiled the new team of X-Men and showcased the terraforming of Mars into Planet Arrako.

<i>Immortal X-Men</i> Comic book title

Immortal X-Men is an American superhero comic book series written by Kieron Gillen and published by Marvel Comics, which followed the Quiet Council of Krakoa during the Krakoan Age.

References

  1. ↑ "A Shocking Murder at the Hellfire Gala Leads into... The Trial of Magneto". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  2. ↑ X-Factor (vol. 4) #10
  3. 1 2 Dar, Taimur (2021-05-10). "SUMMONS: Leah Williams & Lucas Werneck go to court in TRIAL OF MAGNETO limited series". The Beat. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  4. ↑ Harth, David (2022-09-21). "10 Best X-Men Stories Of The 80s". CBR. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  5. ↑ "Marvel Comics' Trial of Magneto About More Than Scarlet Witch's Death". Gizmodo. 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  6. ↑ Polo, Susana (2021-07-06). "It looks like Wanda Maximoff's crimes against the X-Men finally caught up with her". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  7. 1 2 3 Johnston, Rich (2021-08-17). "Leah Williams On X-Factor #10 Being Cancelled, Then Rewritten". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  8. ↑ Marston, George (2021-09-29). "Marvel clarifies order of X-Men: Trial of Magneto and Inferno events". GamesRadar+ . Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  9. ↑ "Marvel Comics' Scarlet Witch Conjures a New Solo Series". Gizmodo. 2022-09-14. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  10. ↑ Schreur, Brandon (2022-09-14). "Marvel Announces New Scarlet Witch Series". CBR. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  11. ↑ Kaplan, Rebecca Oliver (January 6, 2023). "The Marvel Rundown: Little shop of helpers in SCARLET WITCH #1". The Beat. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  12. 1 2 X-Men: Trial of Magneto #1-5 (Marvel Comics).
  13. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (June 5, 2020). "DC Cuts Ties With Diamond Comic Distributors". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Top 200 Comics: August 2021". Diamond Comic Distributors . Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Top 200 Comics: September 2021". Diamond Comic Distributors . Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Top 50 Comics - October 2021". ICv2 . November 2, 2021. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Top 50 Comics - December 2021". ICv2 . January 4, 2022. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Diamond Top 2000 Comics - Full Year 2021". ICv2 . February 8, 2022. Archived from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ "X-Men: The Trial of Magneto (2021) Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  20. ↑ "X-Men's Trial of Magneto #1 Said What Needed to Be Said". Gizmodo. 2021-08-20. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  21. 1 2 Lovett, Jamie (August 18, 2021). "Comic Book Reviews for This Week 8/18/2021". ComicBook.com . Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  22. ↑ Webber, Tim (2021-12-23). "Major Issues: Scarlet Witch Stuns the X-Men and Nightwing Flips Out". CBR. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  23. 1 2 Tabu, Hannibal (2022-01-02). "X-Men: The Trial Of Magneto #5 Review: This Book Is Bad". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  24. 1 2 3 Spinelli, Dan (2022-03-09). "'X-Men: The Trial of Magneto' is a fascinating, if flawed, Scarlet Witch story". AIPT Comics. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  25. ↑ "X-Men: The Trial Of Magneto (Trade Paperback)". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  26. ↑ Johnston, Rich (June 16, 2022). "Marvel Comics Relaunches Reign of X As... Trials of X". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  27. ↑ "TRIALS OF X TP VOL 02 (AUG220981)". www.previewsworld.com. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.