Magneto vs. Thor: Who Would Win & Why?
Magneto is one of the most powerful mutants in Marvel Comics, with absolute control of magnetism. He can control almost every metal in the universe, including uru, allowing Magneto to move Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, several times. On the other hand, Thor is a god and one of the most powerful Avengers. So, if the two ever fought, who would win, and why?
Thor would win against Magneto almost every time the two fought. Despite Magneto’s incredible powers, Thor is simply way too powerful for him to handle. Magneto’s body is frail, and Thor is almost invulnerable. He could lose only if Magneto somehow outsmarts him.
Even if you consider Magneto moving Mjolnir out of the way a few times, there have been instances in the comics when Thor smacked the guy to sleep. Still, one must admit that Magneto is probably the wiser between the two, so if he can figure out a way to utilize his immense powers against the God of Thunder, he stands a chance. Let’s dig in!
Physiology
As mentioned in the intro, Max Eisenhart, aka Magneto, is a human mutant with the power to control magnetism. That includes all metals and objects with magnetic properties, as well as electromagnetic fields such as Earth’s gravity.
His powers grew stronger and weaker throughout the years, depending on the storylines, but he was always among the most powerful mutants in Marvel Comics. That being said, his mutation more or less starts and finishes with magnetism control. He’s still human in terms of physiology and genetics.
Max doesn’t have particularly enhanced durability, but he can use the magnetic fields around his body for protection and minimize the damage taken. He doesn’t really have the superhuman speed or physical strength either.
On the other hand, you got Thor, an Asgardian God of Thunder, Odinson, the Prince of Asgard. As one of the most powerful Avengers, Thor can physically match the Hulk, fly faster than light, and virtually can’t get physically hurt. I mean, the guy took on the full power of a neutron star, touched his enchanted weapon, and instantly regenerated.
Thor doesn’t age – I mean, he does, but as slow as it can be. As a god, he lives for thousands of years. If anything, if Thor wants to win against Magneto without even fighting, it is to just wait for the dude to die from old age. I’m being brutal, but I just want to drive the point home – Thor wins this category with a laughable margin.
Point: Thor (1:0) Magneto
Intelligence
You might think – if Thor wins the physical department by a landslide, then Magneto probably wins in such a way when it comes to intelligence. However, that’s not entirely accurate. You see, Thor might not be known for his wits, but the guy is far from dumb. His personality and borderline immaturity make him appear less intelligent than he really is.
After millennia of experience, knowledge, and growth, Thor actually became quite smart and intuitive. However, he still isn’t exactly an intellectual match for Magneto.
Max is very intelligent, and he uses his intellect almost as effectively as his powers. Magneto is a great tactician, strategist, planner and really knows how to read people.
Regardless of how powerful he is, I think the best chance he would have against Thor is exactly that – outsmarting the God of Thunder and forming a plan on how to stop, beat, or at least move him away from the fight.
It’s easier said and done, but hey, he figured out a way to prevent the most powerful telepath in the world from entering his mind. If any villain could do it against Thor, it’s Magneto.
Point: Magneto (1:1) Thor
Powers
It’s clear by now that Magneto and Thor are two very different characters. So, how do their unique powers stack up against each other? Well, if I’m being honest, it doesn’t look well for the mutant.
We’ve actually already covered most of Magneto’s powers. He has complete control over magnetism, and that’s about it. However, that power is so vast that it manifests in countless ways. That power also includes electromagnetic fields and even photokinesis – creating, manipulating, and projecting various forms of light.
That way, Magneto can become invisible simply by bending the light around himself. Some of the abilities that Magneto’s mutation provides are creating and manipulating force fields, projecting magnetic rays, flying, reducing or reversing gravity, manipulating metals and other objects, controlling organic iron (to a degree), etc.
However, against a guy like Thor, that simply isn’t enough. The God of Thunder has superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability, reflexes, flight, complete control of thunder and lightning (including creation), weather control, etc.
On top of that all, he wields Mjolnir, an enchanted Asgardian hammer that can penetrate through almost anything. We could go on, but this is already more than enough to grant the god of Thunder a point in the superpower category.
Point: Thor (2:1) Magneto
Magnetism Vs. Mjolnir
I feel like this issue has to be cleared to fully understand the power difference between Magneto and Thor. I saw many arguments being made that Magneto would actually beat Thor because he displayed the ability to move Mjolnir.
That is partially the truth. The true part is that Magneto could move and redirect Mjolnir. It’s made out of uru metal, so Magneto’s powers work against it. When Thor throws Mjolnir and Max, the mutant can simply swipe it away. However, that’s about as much as he can do with it.
If Mjolnir weren’t enchanted but rather just a hammer made out of uru, Magneto could wield it as he wishes. However, only those who are worthy can actually wield Mjolnir. Seeing that Magneto is unworthy, all he can do is redirect the hammer or lift it off the ground. However, he couldn’t wield it nor fight against it for too long.
There was even a situation where Thor and Magneto fought hand to hand, and Magneto protected himself from Mjolnir with a magnetic field. However, Thor simply used Mjolnir’s uru energy to absorb the magnetic field and then just smacked Magneto into oblivion, as seen in the scan below.
I’m sure there were other instances where Magneto’s powers worked better. Heck, he even wielded Mjolnir at one point. However, if you match up Magneto’s magnetism versus Thor’s Mjolnir, the God of Thunder comes out on top again, hands down.
Point: Thor (3:1) Magneto
Comic Battles
Finally, we can speculate all we want, but the best way to see which of these fellows would win in a fight is to take a look at the comics and see, well, who won more fights. And, again, the answer is Thor.
Now, they haven’t really fought one-on-one too many times, but they fought against each other as members of teams – or at least, teams versus Magneto – and Thor won most of those fights.
Don’t get me wrong, Magneto had his fair share of battles won throughout the years, but in the end, Thor is much more impressive. Not just in their mutual fights but in overall accomplishments against much more powerful opponents. Whether it’s a solo act or as a member of the Avengers, Thor gets the point against Magneto.
Point: Thor (4:1) Magneto
Magneto Vs. Thor: Who Wins?
In the end, the winner is as clear as day. Thor wins against Magneto in a dramatic fashion. He’s simply much more versatile, powerful, and durable than Magneto to really be threatened by the mutant. Magneto could give the guy a hard time, but he just doesn’t have the firepower to really damage, let alone hurt or beat Thor in a fight.
The best chance he’s got is to outsmart the God of Thunder. And, judging by his history of strategizing and Thor’s history of falling into traps, Magneto could potentially figure out how to defeat the Asgardian in a battle.
Overall, I’d give Thor 9/10 fights, at least. Even if Magneto can control Mjolnir or stop Thor for a while, the God of Thunder is stronger and never goes tired, so all he’d need to do is to outlast Max physically.
