The man now called Joseph was once the X-Men's deadlist enemy: Magneto. After Professor Xavier mind wiped Magneto, the self proclaimed savior of homo-superior became a vegetable. He lived in the spacestation Avalon where his faithful Acolytes waited on him. For a time the X-Man Colossus had lived with Magneto on Avalon after becoming dis-enchanted with the dream. Now that Exodus commanded the Acolytes, Colossus began to realize the error of his ways.

   When Holocaust, from the Age of Apocalpse, was found floating in space, Exodus commanded he be brought into Avalon. Once there he began to devour the life-forces of the Acolytes. The teleporter Voght went for help on earth and brought back Cyclops and Phoenix. These two quickly assesed the situation, and while Exodus battled Holocaust, they lead the remaining Acolytes to escape. Colossus had already taken Magneto with him to a life pod and escaped the falling space station. While Jean went after Skids and Cyclops commanded the Acolytes, the three parties became seperated. Colossus fell to Magneto's old Antarctic Citadel, Jean landed in the tropics, and Cyclops landed in the Australian desert.

   When Colossus awoke he was found by Calisto, leader of the Morlocks. She found him alone and brought him to the warmth of the citadel. However it remained a mystery as to where Magneto had gone...

   ...across the globe, in South America, a man fell from the stars. Though he was amnesic, he possesed magnetic powers the likes of which only Magneto weilded. He possesed memories of the Holocaust, which Magneto had experienced as a boy, and spoke both German and English. This man calling himself Joseph had one grave difference from Magneto; namely he was in his twenties, even though when he was first found he appear to be much older. Sister Maria nursed him back to health and in time, she sent him to america to find the X-Men. She suspected who he was and yet did not tell him.

   Before finding the X-Men he encountered Rogue of the X-Men. She recognized him as Magneto and hoped to bring him back to the X-Men for help. On route, the two were confronted by the Avengers, including Quicksilver and the Scarlett Witch, the children of Magneto. A battle ensued and it was finnaly the Scarlett Witch who ended the conflict when she realized that Joseph was a changed man. Along with the Avengers, they went to battle Onslaught. With no other place to go, Joseph joined the X-Men.

   Feeling guilty for crimes he commited as Magneto, Joseph strove to discover a way to cure Rogue of her inability to touch others. Using the Z'Noxx chamber he suceeded and for a time it appeared the two were in love. When Gladiator arrived in New York and teleported the X-Men to Sh'iar space to combat the Phalanx, Joseph was among them. He watched as Rogue revealed her true love for Gambit. When he saw the merciless slaughter that the Phalanx had inflicted, Joseph began to remember Magneto's experinces in the Holocaust. Enraged, he attacked the Phalanx without warning and only with difficulty were the X-Men able to pull off their plan.

   On the way home the X-Men's ship crash landed near Magneto's Antarctic Citadel. Nanny, a creation of Magneto, forced Joseph to watch the events of Operation: Zero Tolerance in hopes of awakening Magneto's old pride and anger. In actuallity however, it was the image of Moira MacTaggert that awoke his long dormant need for revenge. However Joseph managed to free himself and save the X-Men. After they had been freed from Nanny, and Spat and Grovel took Gambit to pay for his crimes, the X-Men followed.

   In Magneto's old Citadel, Joseph became increasingly ill. In the depths of the citadel he encountered the true Magneto. Whether Joseph realized who it was is not clear, he was severly beaten and may have forgotten as a result. After the trial of Gambit, he returned with the other X-Men to the mansion and continued to console Rogue over her loss of Gambit. Most recently, he has left with the mutant named Sabra to go in search of the 'other' Magneto. What will happen when the two meet again is anyone's guess.