Viral Video Implicates Magneto in JFK Murder: Cue the Backlash?

The X-Men are entering Oliver Stone territory.

On Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed, and now the brain trust behind “X-Men: Days of Future Past" has launched a viral campaign suggesting that Lee Harvey Oswald may have had an unlikely accomplice … Magneto.

A new video titled “The Bent Bullet” suggests that Erik “Magneto” Lehnsherr used his mutant powers to bend Oswald’s second bullet, which fatally wounded the president.

"Half a century ago, Magneto was implicated in the mutant plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy," the video description states. "The events of that fateful day in November have been a point of contention between humans and the mutants ever since. After years of incarceration, do you think Magneto is guilty or innocent?" (Or do you think he might have been framed by his fellow mutant baddie, the shape-shifting Mystique?)

[Related: Meet Hollywood’s Go-To JFK Guy]

While this is the first we’ve heard of Magento’s hand in one of the most significant events in our nation’s history, he’s not the first comic book character to have been so accused. In the film “Watchmen,” based on the DC Comics series, The Comedian was shown firing the fatal headshot from the grassy knoll.

And toying with history is nothing new for “X-Men” franchise director Bryan Singer. In his 2010 flick “X-Men: First Class” he used the Cuban Missile Crisis as the backdrop for the film, which followed Magneto and his onetime friend Charles Xavier in their early days.

[Slideshow: The Men Who Have Played JFK]

Last Friday marked the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination in Dallas’ Dealey Plaza, and clearly this new video was planted to add an interesting twist to the many conspiracy theories that already exist.

While the overwhelming number of fanboys and fangirls are rejoicing over this mind-bending new theory (which you can fully dive into on "The Bent Bullet’s" website), there has been some backlash, with some saying the timing of the video so close to the anniversary is in bad taste.

"Probably the most ridiculous way to mar the murder of JFK," writes commenter Alice Esra on the clip’s YouTube page. "It’s not fiction, and the blown brains of another human being is in never going to be a great marketing campaign. What a way to trivialise murder."

"Shame on you Fox or Marvel or whoever came up with this idea. You should never take a real life tragedy, especially on the 50th anniversary, and try to use it as a market tactic. This is distasteful," adds one Sam00722 Classic. In a similar vein, Kyle Mccaskill writes: "Fox should be ashamed of themselves."

And as Nicole R puts it succinctly: “Not cool.”

Likewise, on Twitter, the reception was generally positive among the film’s fans. With the occasional critique.

Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, says many critics of the video may feel it is in bad taste because of the timing and context.

"JFK has certainly been a story that has been penetrating the entire culture for the last couple of weeks. Clearly that video coming out now is no coincidence," Thompson explains.

"The whole issue of the ‘bent bullet,’ we’re talking about not only did the president literally have his brains blown out in an assassination, but we have captured it on film. At the 50th anniversary of course … there is a certain reverence to it all."

Thompson also explained that fans of the “X-Men” franchise likely won’t find the video inappropriate. “If you’re a fan and you followed that whole universe — the idea of developing a story with the characters that you’re a fan of now being implicated in America’s greatest mystery — I can see how they would really like that. In that context you wouldn’t see it as a bad joke.”

Do you think the release of the video at this time was ill-advised? Or are you more excited than ever to see “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” which hits theaters May 24?