10 Comic Book Characters Who Were Forced To Change Their Name
5. Magneto Became Magnetor
In 1963, the Master of Magnetism, Magneto debuted in the very first issue of X-Men. Because of his detailed backstory and complex character, Mags went on to become one of the greatest supervillains of all time.
However, he wasn't the first Marvel character with that appellation. That honour belongs to Hunk Larken who debuted two years prior in Strange Tales #84. Despite standing 8ft tall, Hunk had little success in his life due to his intellectual impairments. Strapped for cash, he decided to become a test subject for a dangerous space program.
After being exposed to a radioactive material during his mission, Hunk developed the ability to attract anything towards him by raising his left hand or by repelling it by raising his right hand. Despite what his name suggests, Hunk, now calling himself Magneto, could use his powers on any object, not just metal. With his newfound abilities, Hunk went on a crime spree and exacted revenge on everyone who wronged him.
Even though Hunk only made one appearance, it still posed a problem since he shared a name with Marvel's most famous supervillain. To get around this, he was renamed Magnetor when the story was reprinted.