Singly charged metal cations do not normally activate the pi-ring in monoaromatic ligands. Here pyridine complexes of six dipositive metal cations (Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, and Cu) are probed using collisional dissociation. Except for Cu, species with one-three ligands (depending on the metal) exhibit two significant aromaticity-destroying ligand cleavage processes. One proceeds with charge reduction yielding singly charged bare or ligated metal cyanide cations and C4H5+, and the other retains the double charge eliminating one or two small neutrals such as NH2 or CH3. The previously reported cluster-to-metal charge transfer producing charged ligand clusters is shown to not occur. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.