If you spent any time playing LEGO Marvel Super Heroes back in 2013, you probably remember Magneto as just another unlockable character with a cool metal-bending mechanic. He was fine. He was useful for pulling blue sparkling levers. But for a specific corner of the internet—the speedrunners and the glitch hunters—the phrase LEGO Marvel Magnetic Personality refers to something much more chaotic than a simple character trait. It’s the name of a specific achievement, sure, but it’s also the gateway to one of the most broken, beautiful movement exploits in LEGO gaming history.
Honestly, the game shouldn't work this way. TT Games designed these levels to be played at a certain pace. You walk, you build, you swap characters. But when you figure out how to manipulate Magneto's flight and the "magnetic" physics of the game world, everything changes. You aren't just playing a superhero game anymore. You're basically breaking the laws of plastic physics.
The Achievement That Started the Hunt
Let's get the basics out of the way first. Officially, LEGO Marvel Magnetic Personality is a Bronze Trophy or 20G Achievement. To get it, you just have to play as Magneto and arrive at the Baxter Building. It sounds simple. It is simple. Most players trigger it by accident while flying over the city during the free-roam segments. But the name itself became a bit of a meme in the community because Magneto’s personality in this game—and his mechanical kit—is so distinctively powerful compared to almost everyone else on the roster.
Magneto isn't just a reskinned Iron Man. While Iron Man has the missiles and the flight, Magneto has a unique interaction with metallic objects. In the LEGO engine, "Metal" isn't just a texture. It’s a specific object class. Because of how the developers coded the interaction between Magneto’s "Magnetic" power and these objects, players discovered they could clip through geometry or gain massive height boosts if they timed their inputs just right.
It’s kind of funny how a simple "travel from A to B" achievement became the nickname for mastering Magneto's movement. You’ve got people on forums still debating the best way to "snap" his flight path to avoid the invisible walls that surround the Helicarrier.
Why Magneto is Secretly the Best Character in the Game
Most casual players stick with Thor or Silver Surfer for travel. They’re fast. They look cool. But if you're trying to 100% the game or shave seconds off a mission, Magneto is the real MVP. His "Magnetic Personality" isn't just fluff; it’s a mechanical advantage.
Think about the "Magnetic Shield." It’s supposed to protect you from projectiles. However, if you activate the shield while transitioning between certain animations, you can actually negate knockback from enemies that usually stun-lock other characters. This is massive in the late-game levels like "A Doom with a View." While Captain America is getting knocked around by Doombots, Magneto just floats through the chaos. He’s untouchable.
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Breaking the Open World
The Manhattan hub in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is huge. Or at least, it felt huge in 2013. If you’re hunting for those elusive Gold Bricks, you realize quickly that the verticality of the city is the biggest hurdle.
- Magneto’s flight speed is deceptively consistent.
- His ability to interact with "Blue" LEGO objects from a distance saves minutes of platforming.
- The "Snap-to" logic on his magnetic pulse can be used to pull him toward objectives faster than standard flying.
There’s this one specific Gold Brick near the top of the Empire State Building. Usually, you have to complete a series of switches and jumps. With Magneto? You can often trigger the final switch through the wall if you angle your magnetic beam correctly. It’s these little "personality" quirks of his code that make him a staple for any serious playthrough.
The Speedrunning Meta and "Mag-Hops"
Let's talk about the speedrunning community. If you watch a world-record run of LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, you’ll see Magneto used in ways the developers definitely didn't intend. There’s a technique some players call "Mag-hopping." By rapidly toggling his magnetic levitation power while near a metallic surface, you can generate a physics overlap.
Basically, the game tries to figure out where Magneto should be standing vs. where he is floating. For a split second, the coordinates get messy. If you jump during this frame? Boom. You’re launched.
It’s not as famous as the glitches in LEGO Star Wars, but for Marvel fans, it’s the holy grail of movement. It turns a 10-hour casual story experience into a 2-hour blitz. This is why people still care about the LEGO Marvel Magnetic Personality keyword—it represents the transition from a casual fan to someone who understands the "bones" of the game.
Common Misconceptions About Magneto’s Powers
I see this all the time on Reddit. Someone asks why they can't move a specific object with Magneto, even though it looks like metal.
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Here’s the deal: LEGO Marvel distinguishes between "Silver" LEGO (which requires explosives like Iron Man’s rockets) and "Magnetic" LEGO (which is blue and sparkly). Magneto cannot break Silver LEGO. This is a huge point of frustration for new players. They think "he’s the master of magnetism, why can’t he break a silver crate?"
Honestly, it’s just a balance thing. If Magneto could do both, you’d never need another character. But his "Magnetic Personality" is limited to that specific blue-tinted metal. Knowing the difference is the first step toward actually being good at the game.
Another weird thing? Magneto can actually manipulate some items that aren't strictly metal in the comics, simply because they are tagged as "interactive" in the game code. He’s one of the few characters who can bypass certain "Telekinesis" puzzles if the object has a hidden metallic property. It’s inconsistent, but it’s a lifesaver when you don’t want to swap back to Jean Grey for the tenth time.
How to Optimize Your Magneto Gameplay Right Now
If you're jumping back into the game for a nostalgia trip, or maybe playing the remastered versions on newer consoles, don't just use Magneto for the achievement. Use him as your primary navigator.
First, get used to the "double-tap" flight. Instead of holding the jump button, tap it twice quickly to enter a hover state. From here, Magneto’s strafing speed is actually higher than his forward flight speed if you angle the camera 45 degrees. It’s a classic "strafe-running" trick that works surprisingly well in the LEGO engine.
Second, master the "Pulse Cancel." Magneto has a radial attack where he sends out a wave of magnetic energy. If you use this attack and immediately swap characters, the energy wave stays active for a few frames while the new character spawns in. This can be used to trigger two switches at once if they are close enough together. It sounds like high-level nonsense, but it’s actually really easy once you get the rhythm down.
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The Best Team-Ups for Magneto
Magneto is a loner in the comics, but in LEGO Marvel, he needs a crew to be truly efficient.
- Magneto + Iron Man (Mark 42): This is your bread and butter. Magneto handles the blue metal and flight puzzles, Iron Man handles the gold and silver objects.
- Magneto + Galactus: If you've managed to unlock the big guy, pairing him with Magneto is hilarious. You have the smallest, most precise movement character paired with the largest, most destructive one.
- Magneto + Mystique: For the true Brotherhood of Mutants vibe. Mystique is great for stealth and panels, while Magneto does the heavy lifting.
Real Talk: Is Magneto Still Top Tier?
In the years since 2013, we’ve had LEGO Marvel Avengers and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2. Both games introduced dozens of new characters and refined flight mechanics. But many fans still prefer the original Magneto.
Why? Because he feels "weightier." In the later games, flight became very arcade-y and floaty. In the first game, Magneto feels like he’s actually exerting force on the world. His "Magnetic Personality" isn't just a gimmick; it’s a core part of the game's identity.
The achievement itself might just be a little trophy you get for flying to a building, but for the community, it’s a reminder of a time when LEGO games were a little more "broken" in all the right ways. The glitches, the skips, and the weird physics interactions are what keep people coming back to this 13-year-old game.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you want to truly master the LEGO Marvel Magnetic Personality style of play, here is exactly what you should do:
- Farm the "Magneto Mobile" early: It’s one of the best vehicles in the game for ground travel, even if you can fly. It has a high top speed and handles better than the fancy SHIELD cars.
- Practice the "Switch Clip": Find a blue magnetic switch near a wall. Use Magneto's power and walk into the wall at the same time. With a bit of luck, the animation will push your hitbox through the barrier. It’s the easiest way to skip the interior puzzles in the "X-Mansion" levels.
- Don't ignore his combat: Magneto’s heavy attack (holding the special button) has a massive Area of Effect. It’s better for clearing mobs of enemies than almost any other character’s basic combo.
- Check your achievements: If you’re playing on a new platform, make sure you don't miss the actual "Magnetic Personality" trophy. Fly to the Baxter Building as soon as you unlock him in the Free Play roster. It's a freebie.
The game might be old, but the mechanics are timeless. Whether you're a trophy hunter or a speedrunner, Magneto remains the most interesting character in the LEGO Marvel universe. Stop treating him like a utility tool and start treating him like the game-breaker he actually is. Dive back into Manhattan, find some blue LEGO, and see how far you can push the engine before it snaps. That's the real way to play.