Magneto is a mutant with the power to manipulate
magnetic fields to achieve a wide range of effects.
[143]
The primary application of his power is
control over magnetism and the manipulation of both ferrous and indirectly nonferrous metal via metal ores they may contain. Magneto is also c
apable of creating powerful electromagnetic fields capable of moving and manipulating nonmetallic objects, as well as levitating them (he can also do this via force fields). He can even perceive tachyons and a variety of antiparticles.
[144] While the maximum amount of mass he can manipulate at one time is unknown, he has moved large asteroids several times and effortlessly levitated a 30,000 ton
nuclear submarine filled with sea water from the depths of the ocean.
[145] His powers extend into the atomic level (insofar as the electromagnetic force is responsible for chemical bonding),
allowing him to manipulate chemical structures and rearrange matter, although this is often a strenuous task. He can manipulate a large number of individual objects simultaneously and has assembled complex machinery with his powers. He can also affect non-metallic and non-magnetic objects to a lesser extent.
He can also generate electromagnetic pulses of great strength and generate and manipulate electromagnetic energy down to photons. He even uses the electromagnetic energy that surrounds earth to fly.
He can turn invisible by warping visible light around his body.
[146] Another way in which Magneto frequently uses his power is the
projection of force-fields which selectively block out matter and energy. These fields are
strong enough to withstand the simultaneous detonation of multiple thermonuclear weapons, hence Magneto is invulnerable to most harm when surrounded by his shield and
can survive in deep space thanks to it. He can also c
hannel his powers through his own body to increase his strength and durability far beyond human limits and has a baseline reaction time 15 times faster than those of regular humans. On occasion
he has altered the behavior of gravitational fields around him, which has been suggested as evidence of the existence of a
unified field which he can manipulate. He has demonstrated the
capacity to produce a wormhole and to safely teleport himself and others via the wormhole.
[147]
Magneto has been frequently depicted as able to
resist all but the strongest or most unexpected of telepathic attacks. A number of explanations have been proposed for his unusually strong resistance to telepathy, among them: (a) technology wired into his helmet (the explanation given in several comic plotlines
[148]), (b) some physical aspect of his electromagnetic powers that can interfere with telepathy (he once used the Earth's magnetic field to dampen the powers of all telepaths within his reach), (c) latent telepathic powers of his own or (d) sheer force of will (cf.
X-Men #2). The theme of latent telepathic powers has been explored in a number of stories, among them the
Secret Wars limited series. In some of his earliest appearances, Magneto was depicted as capable of engaging in
astral projection. He has used Cerebro to locate mutants at great distances while leading the
New Mutants.[
volume & issue needed] He has also, on rare occasions, been shown reading others' dreams, issuing telepathic commands, and probing the minds of others.
[149] He has demonstrated the ability to shield his mind, while in intense meditation, so completely that even
Emma Frost was not able to read his thoughts, despite being directly in front of him and actively attempting to do so.
[100]
In addition to his powers, Magneto has many other skills.
He is a genius with competence in various fields of advanced science, especially in genetic manipulation, particle physics, engineering, and other fields of technology. He has engineered advanced weaponry, space stations, superpowered humanoid lifeforms, devices that generate volcanoes and earthquakes, that block telepathy, and that can nullify all mutant powers across a few miles except for his own.
[150] He has promptly reconstructed such computerized devices from memory.
[150] He has bio-engineered new species including the
Savage Land Mutates,
[151] and, using
Deviant technology,
Alpha the Ultimate Mutant.
[152] He is fluent in many human languages and once single-handedly deciphered the unknown language of a lost civilization.
[153] He possesses
extraordinary skill in "reading" the microexpressions on others' faces and sensing what they are thinking and feeling, whether they are lying, fearful, etc. a skill which he refers to as "taking your enemy's measure".
[154] He also is
a master strategist and tactician with extensive combat experience, and has often been successful in single-handed combat against entire groups of superhuman adversaries. He also has some military training in hand-to-hand combat and has been shown to be effective with his fists, but he prefers to use his powers when in combat situation