International Journal of Progressive Sciences and Technologies (IJPSAT)
ISSN: 2509-0119.
© 2024 Scholar AI LLC.
Vol. 42 No. 2 January 2024, pp. 240-246
Corresponding Author: Faradilla Artya Susanti
240
The Psychoanalysis (Id, Ego, And Superego) In X- Men: First
Class Movie
Faradilla Artya Susanti
1
, Desthia Amalia
2*
, Nuri Adlina
3
1
Faculty of Letters and Cultures
Gunadarma University
Jakarta, Indonesia
2
Faculty of Letters and Cultures
Gunadarma University
Jakarta, Indonesia
*Corresponding Author
3
Faculty of Letters and Cultures
Gunadarma University
Jakarta, Indonesia
Abstract—Characters in literature are individuals portrayed in a story who possess moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities inferred
from their dialogue and actions. They are the people within a narrative, each with their own distinct personalities and behaviors.
Therefore, the characters hold an important role in a movie. The characters can be seen through the psychoanalysis approach. The
researchers through this research aims to find out the Id, Ego, and Superego found in Erik Lehnsherr's character depicted in X-Men:
First Class movie. The character of Erik Lehnsherr’s as a mutant attracts the interest of the researchers to use the psychoanalysis
theory proposed by Sigmund Freud. The researchers conduct the research using qualitative method. After collecting and analyzing the
data, the researchers found 23 data of Erik Lehnsherr’s id, ego and superego in the X-Men: First Class movie. There are 6 data of Id, 10
data of Ego, and 7 data of Superego. Based on the analysis, it is evident that Erik's Id manifests in urgent situations, particularly those
related to his mother, whom he deeply cares for. On the other hand, Erik's Ego becomes apparent when he is in a calmer state, allowing
him to approach situations more logically while still being influenced by his impulsive and aggressive tendencies. Furthermore, Erik's
Superego emerges when he is confronted with situations that conflict with his personal moral code, which has been shaped by his
traumatic past as a mutant.
Keywords—
Psychoanalysis, X-Men: First Class, Erik Lehnsherr, Id, Ego, Superego.
I. I
NTRODUCTION
Literature, as Eagleton (1996) defines it, encompasses imaginative writing, particularly fiction, which is not factually
true. This includes various forms such as poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, and prose. In this context, the focus is on the
cinematic form of literature, as described by Hornby (2006) as a series of moving pictures with sound that narrates a story,
typically shown in cinemas. The elements of a movie, including setting, conflict, character, dialogue, theme, plot, and climax,
are essential components, as highlighted by Hornby. These elements contribute to the immersive experience and identity work
that movies can evoke, as discussed by (Gauld et al., 2019). Furthermore, the analysis of movies through the lens of
postmodernism, as outlined by (Khan & Khan, 2019), provides a framework for understanding the intertextual elements and
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features of movies like "Tangled" (2010). Additionally, the influence of a movie's quality on its performance, particularly in
evoking emotional responses and fulfilling audience needs, has been studied by (Zhuang et al., 2014). The impact of movies on
various aspects of society, such as smoking behavior among adolescents, has also been explored, as evidenced by Tickle (2001)
and (Soneji et al., 2012).
One of the fundamental components of a film is the portrayal of characters. Characters are the individuals depicted in a
dramatic or narrative piece, and are perceived by the audience as possessing specific moral, intellectual, and emotional
attributes based on their dialogue and actions (Abrams & Harpham, 2009). Based on the definition of character mentioned by
some experts beforehand, thus the researchers see the character holds an important role in a movie. Therefore, characters are
one of the most important elements in a movie. They are the ones who tell the story, carry the plot from the beginning to the
end, and make the movie more interesting with their various characteristics. This research talks about an analysis about a
fictional character and his Id, Ego, and Superego shown in a the ‘X-Men: First Class’ movie. Id, Ego, and Superego is a set of
psychoanalysis theory which was first introduced by Sigmund Freud in 1890. According to Freud, the id is the most primitive
part of our being. It is the part of ‘our nature which is impersonal, and, so to speak, subject to natural law’. The id works by
pleasure principle. It is what makes humans have what 's called as libido. The id unconsciously makes one have a sexual desire
and an instinct to survive. The ego develops out of the id: ‘the ego cannot exist in the individual from the start; the ego has to be
developed’. The ego is there to fulfill Id’s desire in a way that can be accepted in the society. The super-ego originates from the
internalization or absorption of the parental authority, particularly that of the father, during childhood. This initial authority is
subsequently influenced by other sources of authority, giving rise to what is commonly referred to as 'conscience'. Freud's
model of the psyche highlights two significant points. Firstly, the id is inherent from birth, while the ego evolves through
interaction with society, ultimately giving rise to the super-ego. This implies that our innate tendencies are regulated, to varying
degrees of success, by societal influences (Freud, 1991).
The researchers chose the movie X-Men: First Class as the object in this research. The X-Men movie series are adapted
from the characters and stories in the X-Men Comics. X-Men takes several genres such as: action, superhero, science fiction,
adventure, fantasy, drama, and thriller. X-Men: First Class is an American superhero movie which was released in 2011 and
directed by Matthew Vaughn. While being the fifth installment in the X-Men series, this film delves into the origins of the X-
Men. It incorporates fantastical elements that are not present in reality. Fantasy, also known as phantasy, refers to imaginative
fiction that relies on the peculiarity of its setting (such as alternate worlds or time periods) and its characters (including
supernatural or unnatural entities) (Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2022).
X-Men: First Class talks about how the mutants who live among humans were exiled and taken as a threat to society so
they have to hide their superpowers from the public. In the X-Men, mutants are superpowered humans that are born with a
genetic mutation called an X-Gene. During the peak of the Cold War in the early 1960s, Charles Xavier, a mutant, encounters
another mutant named Erik Lehnsherr. Despite their disparate upbringings - Charles hailing from a wealthy family, and Erik
having lost his parents at Auschwitz - the two form a deep bond. As global tensions escalate towards a potential nuclear conflict,
Charles, Erik, and other mutants unite to protect humanity. Nevertheless, a turn of events leads to a rift between the once-close
friends.
The study centers on the character 'Erik Lehnsherr', also recognized as Magneto, a mutant with the ability to control and
manipulate magnetism and magnetic fields. The selection of Erik Lehnsherr as the focal point of the research is attributed to his
portrayal as an anti-hero in the film. An anti-hero is characterized as a narrative protagonist driven by self-interest, often
experiencing societal rejection and embarking on a self-destructive trajectory leading to isolation or demise (Heckmann, 2020).
The researchers made this research based on the interest towards the psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud and chose Erik
Lehnsherr to be the object of the research because his actions in the ‘X-Men: First Class’ movie can be related and analyzed using
Freud’s psychoanalytic Id, Ego, and Superego theory.
II. R
ESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study employs a qualitative approach, which, according to Creswell, serves as a method for delving into and
comprehending the significance that individuals or groups attribute to a social human issue (Creswell, 2012). Consequently, the
researchers opt for a qualitative method as the research aims to scrutinize, investigate, and comprehend the personality of a
character through a psychological lens.
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The research uses ‘X-Men: First Class’ which was directed by Matthew Vaughn, the length of the movie is 2 hours and 12
minutes. The researchers watch the movie from the streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar as the source of the data which will be
analyzed. The researchers also read some books and do internet research related to the topic of the research. The data used to be
analyzed is the scenes and dialogues relevant to the topic.
The researchers do some steps in collecting the data, such as watching the movie “X-Men: First Class” in order to
understand the story, then collecting screenshots and dialogues of the scenes that consist id, ego, and superego, and identifying
screenshots and dialogues of the scenes which are related to Id, Ego, and Superego.
After collecting the data, the researchers also do some steps to analyze the data, such as classifying the data based on the
psychoanalysis theory by Sigmund Freud, analyzing the result in an analytical descriptive manner, and drawing conclusions
from the analysis.
III.
RESULT & DISCUSSION
The objective in this research is to find out the Id, Ego, and Superego found in Erik Lehnsherr's character depicted in X-
Men: First Class movie. The data are analyzed using Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis theory. The researchers have tabulated the
result on Table 1. There are 23 data found which consist of Id (6 data), Ego (10 data), Superego (7 data).
Table 1. Id, Ego, and Superego of Erik Lehnsherr from the X-Men: First Class Movie.
No. Psychoanalysis Result
1. Id 6
2. Ego 10
3. Superego 7
TOTAL 23
3.1. ID
Datum 1
Young Erik: “Mama!”
Erik’s Mother: “My darling.”
Erik’s Mother: “How are you?”
Shaw: “Here's what we're going to do.”
Shaw: “I'm going to count to three and you're going to move the coin. You don't move the coin; I pull the trigger. Understand?”
Shaw: “One”
Young Erik: “Mama.”
Erik’s Mother: “You can do it.”
Shaw: “Two”
Erik’s Mother: “Everything is all right.”
Shaw: “Three.”
Shaw: “Yes. Wonderful.”
Shaw: “Excellent.”
Young Erik: “Nein!”
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Shaw: “Outstanding, Erik.”
Shaw: “So, we unlock your gift with anger. Anger and pain.”
The Id representation by Erik Lehnsherr is shown by the younger version of him. During the duration 00:06:30 – 00:08:30,
the scene showed young Erik which had been captured and taken from his mother. The one who was in charge was Sebastian
Shaw, he called Erik and asked him to move a coin with his mutant power. Shaw told the guard to bring Erik’s mother into the
room then he started counting to three and threatened Erik by saying he was going to shoot his mom if Erik could not move the
coin given by Shaw. After he counted up to three, the coin had not moved yet, so Shaw shot Erik’s mother in front of his eyes.
After that, all of the metal-based items in Shaw’s office flew around and Erik also managed to kill the two guards who were
brought his mother. This scene classified as the Id because Erik let his aggressive decision win in this scene. His Id told him to
kill and control all of the metal-based items and he did it.
Datum 2
Charles: “See that? Try turning it to face us.”
Charles: “You know, I believe that true focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity.”
Charles: “Would you mind if I...”
Erik: “What did you just do to me?”
Charles: “I accessed the brightest corner of your memory system. It's a very beautiful memory, Erik. Thank you.”
Erik: “I didn't know I still had that.”
Charles: “There is so much more to you than you know. Not just pain and anger. There is good, too. I felt it. When you can
access all of that, you'll possess a power no one can match. Not even me.”
The Id representation of Erik Lehnsherr is shown during the duration 01:20:08 – 01:21:45. In this scene, Erik had already
become friends with Charles Xavier, his fellow mutant who was a telepath. He could read someone’s mind and control them. Erik
and Charles were in a training to strengthen their mutant powers. Charles told Erik to move an enormous satellite transmitter, but
Erik could not do it. Charles gave an advice and tried to get into Erik’s mind. There, he found a good memory which was hidden
in Erik’s deepest consciousness. This scene represents Id because essentially, the Id has a lot of hidden good and bad memories
buried in there. Erik himself did not remember he had a good memory of him and his mother celebrating his birthday until
Charles unlocked it.
3.2. Ego
Datum 3
Angel: “For that, daddy-o, you get a private dance.”
Angel: “You cats know it's double for both, right?”
Charles: “Mmm. No, that won't be necessary. Although, I'm sure it'd be magical.”
Erik: “We were thinking more, we'll show you ours, if you show us yours.”
Angel: “Baby, that is not the way it works around here.”
Erik: “More tea, vicar?”
Charles: “Don't mind if I do.”
During the duration 00:46:00 – 00:46:25, the scene shows Erik Lehnsherr and Charles Xavier traveled to find some other
fellow mutants to made a team to defeat Sebastian Shaw. In this scene, they were trying to recruit a female mutant named Angel.
In a strip club, they paid Angel and took her into a private room, but they did not do anything to her. They explained to Angel
about their intention to recruit her into their team. Here, Erik showed his magnetism manipulation ability to Angel to make her
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believe that they were being honest and not going to do anything bad to her. This scene represents the Ego because Erik tried to
fulfill his Id, which was to make Angel join his team, he did it by using a logically and socially acceptable way.
Datum 4
Erik: “I know we've had our differences.”
Emma: “Where's your telepath friend?”
Erik: “Gone. Left a bit of a gap in my life, if I'm to be honest. I was rather hoping you would fill it. Join us.”
Emma: “Erik, I believe.”
Erik: “I prefer Magneto.”
In this scene, Erik had separated his way from Charles because of their different take on humanity. This scene classified as
a representation of Ego because Erik chose to talk nicely to Emma, who happened to be his nemesis in the past, he wanted to form
a new team to stand with him, so he broke into Emma’s prison and saved her. Erik’s Ego told him to find new members in order
to fulfill his desire in order to form a new team who has the same idea towards humanity like he did.
3.3. Superego
Datum 5
Man in black suit: “Hank turned that radar installation into a transmitter. It’s designed to amplify brainwaves, so it could
enhance your telepathic powers, help us find other mutants for our division.”
Erik: “What if they don’t want to be found by you?”
Charles: “Erik. You decided to stay.”
Erik: “If a new species is being discovered, it should be by it’s own kind. Charles and I find the mutants. No suits.”
Man in black suit: “First of all, that’s my machine out there. Second of all, and much more importantly, this is Charles’
decision. Charles is fine with the CIA being involved. Isn’t that, right?”
Charles: “No. I’m sorry, but I’m with Erik. We’ll find them alone.”
Man in black suit: “What if I say no?”
Charles: “Then good luck using your installation without me.”
This scene shows Erik came back after decided to leave the night before, he showed up when Charles and the Man in
Black Suit were talking about how they’re going to find other fellow mutants using Charles’s ability combined with the man’s
installation. There, Erik told the Man in Black Suit to not involve the CIA into this. The ones who found them should be their own
kind---mutants. This scene represents the Superego because Erik thought about the fellow mutants’ feelings. He knew that being a
mutant itself is already threatening, let alone being found by the CIA. Because of his moral standard about mutants, he refused
letting CIA gotten involved in the mutant recruitment.
Datum 6
Charles: “Cuba. Russia, America. It makes no difference. Shaw has declared war on mankind, on all of us. He has to be
stopped.”
Erik: “I’m not going to stop Shaw. I’m going to kill him.”
Charles: “Do you have it in you to allow that?”
Erik: “You’ve known all along why I was here, Charles. But things have changed. What started as a covert mission, tomorrow,
mankind will know that mutants exist. Shaw, us, they won’t differentiate. They’ll fear us. And that fear will turn to hatred.”
Charles: “Not if we stop a war. Not if we can prevent Shaw. Not if we risk our lives doing so.”
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Erik: “Would they do the same for us?”
Charles: “We have it in us to be the better men.”
Erik: “We already are. We’re the next stage of human evolution. You said it yourself!”
Charles: “No...”
Erik: “Are you really so naïve as to think that they won’t battle their own extinction? Or is it arrogance?”
Charles: “I’m sorry?”
Erik: “After tomorrow, they’re going to turn on us. But you’re blind to it, because you believe they’re all like Moira.”
Charles: “And you believe they’re all like Shaw. Listen to me very carefully, my friend. Killing Shaw will not bring you peace.”
Erik: “Peace was never an option.”
The scene showed Erik and Charles debating about their plan after they found Shaw. At first, they have the same goal, to
stop Shaw from flying a missile to Cuba. But in this scene, Erik seemed to have his own goal, which was to kill him. This
happened because of Shaw gave him a lot of traumas since he was a child. Erik also stated his point of view towards humanity,
that they will always be against the mutants. He had a completely different view from Charles. This scene classified as the
Superego because of Erik’s way of seeing the world is already ruined because of his dark childhood such as his own mother killed
before his eyes and Erik being an experiment subject when he was only a child. So, it affected the way he understood the society.
He only stands by the mutants and against the humanity. That was his ideal principle and causing his decision to kill Shaw, that
was his moral standard.
IV.
CONCLUSION
This research discussed about Erik Lehnsherr’s psychoanalysis in X-Men: First Class movie. The researchers chose
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis theory to explain Erik Lehnsherr’s character. Sigmund Freud divided the psychoanalysis into
three functions, which are Id, Ego, and Superego.
From the result of the analysis, the researchers conclude that there are 6 Id, 10 Ego, and 8 Superego of Erik Lehnsherr. From the
analysis, it can be seen that Erik’s Id showed up when he’s in an urgent situation and if the situation is related to his mom,
which he loves. He was mostly controlled by his urge, impulsive, and aggressive thoughts. Erik’s Ego showed up when he is
calmer and can think of a more logical way to fulfill his Id, whereas his decision and thoughts frequently driven by his
impulsive and aggressive way of thinking. So, when he is calmer, he can think clearer and take decision in a common logical
way. His Superego showed up when he was faced to a situation that was not his ideal principle. Because of his dark past, Erik
shaped his own moral standard and point of view towards the humanity. He was tortured as a mutant and he grew up wanting to
protect his fellow mutants so that they will not experience what he had in the past.
R
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