7. Magneto Hunts Nazis (X-Men: First Class)
20th Century FoxX-Men has never been shy about the parallels between mutant persecution and historical prejudice, and its often at its most explicit well, excluding that scene with Bobby and his parents in X2 when Magnetos backstory is under scrutiny. Both the first film and X-Men: First Class open with a scene set in a concentration camp, and Eriks traumatic childhood is always framed as integral to his beliefs about mutants and humans in the future. First Class was originally conceived as a Magneto origin story and was revamped after the relative failure of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but some ideas clearly remained intact, such as the welcome interlude in which Erik hunts and kills Nazis in Argentina. Surprisingly, the scene in which he confronts three former Nazis in an Argentinian pub showcases perhaps the deepest understanding of the character in the whole series. Theres his brutality, as he coldly finishes his beer before killing the final man, and his flair for the dramatic: Lets just say Im Frankensteins monster, and Im looking for my creator. Fassbender chokes the line out in a manner which suggests hes almost overcome with emotion, and its difficult to tell whether its anger or pleasure. Throughout it all, its hard to remain unsympathetic, which is the crux of Magnetos character, and thats an achievement which is exciting all on its own, give or take the Nazi murder spree.