10 Smartest Decisions In Marvel Hero History
6. Nick Fury Proves Magneto's Crusade Was Founded On A Lie - Ultimatum #5 (2009)
Okay, Ultimatum is one of the worst comic book mini-series of all time. No one is going to contest that.
However, the way Magneto was beaten was surprisingly clever. In this misaligned story, the Master of Magnetism prepares to wipe out humanity, so his fellow mutants can take over the world. After reversing Earth's magnetic field, natural disasters are triggered across the globe, killing millions.
The X-Men head to Magneto's lair, beating their arch-nemesis within an inch of his life. Unfortunately, the team know killing Mags won't solve anything, since the world's magnetic field is still screwed up.
Luckily, Nick Fury encouraged Magneto to reverse the damage he caused by unleashing the greatest weapon of all - knowledge. Using Jean Grey's psychic powers, Fury showed his memories to Magneto, revealing the time he discovered mutants were created by a mad scientist. In that moment, Magneto realised mutants were NEVER the next step in evolution, annihilating his entire philosophy.
Acknowledging the evil he committed, Magneto used his powers to return the Earth's magnetic field to normal. With nothing else to live for, he asked the X-Men to put him out of his misery. Cyclops happily obliged.