When you see “Magneto” trending on the same day that “Loki” arrives on Disney+, it’s natural to assume the two are related. But on Wednesday, that was surprisingly not the case. This time, Magneto was trending because of the COVID vaccine.
The connection started being drawn thanks to a viral video of a hearing in Ohio. Originally posted by Tyler Buchanan, a reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal, the video shows the testimony of anti-vaccine doctor Sherri Tenpenny, voicing her support for a bill that would prohibit any Ohio business or school from mandating vaccines. According to Tenpenny, the vaccines are unsafe, because there is metal in them that causes people who have received the vaccine to become magnetized.
“I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures all over the internet, of people who’ve had these shots and now they’re magnetized! They can put a key on their forehead, it sticks,” Tenpenny says. “They can put spoons and forks all over them and they can stick.”
You can watch the moment below.
Of course, having magnetic powers isn’t necessarily a detractor for some people. In fact, it’d be more of an added bonus, making them feel like Magneto, an iconic villain from Marvel comics (though it’s worth noting that Magneto, despite his name, isn’t just a guy who’s magnetic. He can literally bend and control metal with his mind).
Omari Hardy, a member of the Florida House of Representatives, even said that if the vaccine can turn him into Magneto, his only response is “Where can I sign up?”
But it wasn’t necessarily the absurdity of the idea that had people reeling, though it was certainly part of it. Really, people were just surprised to find that Magneto wasn’t a surprise “Loki” spoiler.
Obviously, this isn’t the first crazy conspiracy theory to come from the COVID vaccines. Just last week, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, was forced to publicly debunk videos claiming COVID-19 vaccines include microchips.