In the Marvel Comics universe, the character of Magneto is notorious for being one of the most powerful, radical, mutant-rights activists. But have you ever wondered about the Auschwitz identification number tattooed on his arm in the X-Men comic books or movies?

Hot off the press, Magneto: Testament gives us a look into just that—Magneto’s tragic past. The first to be released in writer-and-filmmaker Greg Pak’s new comic book mini-series, Testament features cutting-edge illustrations by Carmine Di Giandomenico and brings its readers back to 1935 when Magneto, then known as Max, was a young Jewish boy trying to survive in Nazi Germany.

Greg, best known for directing the award-winning feature film Robot Stories and writing such hits as Planet Hulk and World War Hulk for Marvel Comics, recently spoke with JVibe to give us the behind-the-scenes details of his newest project.

When Max grows up, what turn of events transforms him into the villainous Magneto?
Different readers have different interpretations of Magneto—many would call him an anti-hero rather than a villain. But the question of Magneto’s later life choices isn’t addressed in our book. Magneto: Testament concentrates on the desperate struggle of Max and his family to survive against the Nazi onslaught from 1935 to 1945. As far as our story is concerned, our hero’s just that—a hero.

What type of research did you do for Magneto: Testament?
In the three years editor Warren Simons and I have been developing this project, I’ve gone through a six-foot stack of histories and memoirs about the Holocaust, watched a dozen or more feature films and documentaries, and, of course, read every Holocaust-related comic book and graphic novel I could find. This is easily the most harrowing and emotionally grueling research I’ve ever done for a project. But it’s also the project for which I’ve felt the most responsibility to do right.

Where will Max’s relationship go with the girl he’s crushing on?
The girl we see in issue No. 1 turns out to be Magda, the gypsy woman whom Magneto marries later in his life. Their later history has been documented in other comic books, but we’ll fill in the gaps about their earliest interactions.

Has Marvel created many superheroes of color?
Actually, Marvel has a pretty decent record with diversity among its superheroes. Many writers over the decades have contributed interesting characters from diverse backgrounds, from the Black Panther to the slew of multicultural X-Men to an African-American superhero called the Blue Marvel, whom Kevin Grievoux will introduce to the world in an upcoming miniseries.

And I’m happy to be continuing the tradition through my own work for the company. One of my proudest moments at Marvel was creating the Korean-American superhero Amadeus Cho, who’s now co-starring with the Lion of Olympus in the Incredible Hercules series, which I’m co-writing with Fred Van Lente. I’m also writing War Machine, a new series launching in December that stars Jim Rhodes, the African-American soldier who became Tony Stark’s best friend and took over his identity as Iron Man for a stretch back in the day. And of course I’m writing Magneto: Testament, starring the most famous Jewish mutant in comics. And even the hero of my Skaar: Son of Hulk series is half-alien, hence multiracial, right?

What kind of message do you want people to get from your comic books?
I want people to be so totally consumed by the characters and story that they don’t even think about what message is in there; they just want to find out what happens next because they care so much about the characters’ conflicts and struggles. But since more often than not I find myself writing about outsiders and outcasts—from racial and religious minorities to robots, cyborgs, mutants and monsters—maybe that’s just another way of saying one of my central themes is that we’re all human.  

Is there any advice you have for future comic-book authors? 
Read. Read comics, of course, to learn the techniques of this particular field’s storytelling. And read comics of all kinds—the big, mainstream superhero books, the indie gems, the crazy underground stuff and the classics. And read everything else you can get your hands on as well—fiction, history, biography, current events, sociology, science, natural history, religion and politics. Anything that sheds light on how people make sense of the world will help in creating believable characters, worlds and conflicts. And the more we read, the more we absorb different ways of using language to tell stories and convey information and drama, which is critical for us as writers.

Do you have a favorite Jewish holiday and food?
I’m a sucker for matzah ball soup. Being of the goyish persuasion, I don’t have a huge amount of direct experience with Jewish holidays, but my editor, Warren Simons, is telling me to say Hanukkah! “You can’t miss with Hanukkah!” he’s yelling [in the background].

If you were a superhero, what superhero would you be and why?
I’d be the amazing “Rosetta-Man,” the mild-mannered writer with the secret power to understand and speak any language in the universe, because that would be awesome!

Michele Pinczuk is a teen journalist who freelances for several publications, including The New York Times. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area. Michele loves New York and Saturday Night Live. Her role models are Gilda Radner, Golda Meir, her grandmom, mom and Aunt Sylvia. She’s also an executive member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board.