Max Guevara
Encyclopedia
Max Guevara is a fictional television character
and protagonist
in the cyberpunk
science fiction
television program Dark Angel
. She is portrayed by Jessica Alba
as an adult and Geneva Locke
as a child. Max Guevara is a genetically enhanced
transgenic super-soldier, created in a secret government lab known as "Manticore", where she lived with other X-5
children until their escape in 2009. From that time, Max has lived in hiding, fearful of being recaptured by one of her guardians, Colonel Lydecker (John Savage
). At the same time she is desperate to locate her "brothers and sisters" and attempts to do so with the help of Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly
), a cyber-journalist also known as "Eyes Only". The character Max was ranked #17 in TV Guide
's list of the "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends" (August 1, 2004 issue).
program called "Manticore", then located in Gillette, Wyoming. As with almost all Manticore's soldiers, Max has a barcode
on the back of her neck, with her identifying number sequence (332960073452). She is an X5
model and is thus referred to as X5-452. Max Guevara is the name that she gave to herself.
Max and her X5 "brothers and sisters" were raised and trained by Colonel Donald Michael Lydecker (John Savage
) who also had a role in the components of their creation. He trained them to be soldiers using harsh and brutal techniques, described by Max later as torture. During their training, Max was the subject of at least one brutal medical experiment involving the re-healing of deliberately shattered limbs. Max also was required to take part in an exercise involving the hunting down and killing of a prisoner, her reaction to which haunts her later.
The brutality of the X5s' lives eventually led to escape. In 2009, led by Zack (X5-599) (William Gregory Lee
) and pursued by Manticore, twelve of the X5s escaped through a snow-filled forest. Max fell into a frozen pond, and having learned how to hold her breath underwater for long periods of time, managed to outwit the men looking for her. She was eventually found by Hannah, a sympathetic Manticore nurse who took Max to her house, a move which eventually allowed Max to escape to the world outside.
, where she met Lucy Barrett, a little girl who helped Max stow away in her mother‘s SUV. Later, after arriving in Los Angeles, California
, Lucy’s mother, Joann, agreed to let Max live with them. Max and Lucy endured much abuse from Lucy’s alcoholic father, Jack. On June 1, 2009, terrorists detonated an electromagnetic pulse weapon in the atmosphere over the U.S.
which destroyed the vast majority of computer
and communication
systems. As a result, the United States
fell into chaos and violence. Over time this chaos was replaced with a combination of martial law, corruption, and crime. On the same day, after defending herself from Jack, she ran away from the Barrett’s home. She eventually joined up with Moody and the Chinese Clan, a group of thieves taking refuge in the remains of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. In 2019, Max left Los Angeles to search for one of her Manticore siblings in Seattle, Washington. While stopping in Eureka, California
, Max met “Original Cindy” McEachin and the two of them traveled to Seattle together.
. She works as a bicycle messenger
for Jam Pony, giving her freedom to travel around the city, and resides as a squatter
in an abandoned building, first with Kendra (Jennifer Blanc
) and later with Original Cindy (Valarie Rae Miller
). Other friends from work include Herbal Thought (Alimi Ballard
) and Sketchy (Richard Gunn
). Max also lives a secret life as a cat burglar, in order to fund the expensive search for her missing brothers and sisters.
It is during one of these attempts that she meets Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly
), the cyber-journalist "Eyes Only". Cale allows her to escape from his apartment, however, since he is interested in learning more about her. Through the use of security footage he discovers who she is and invites Max to his apartment. It is there that he identifies her as one of the escaped X-5s. Max and Logan make a pact: he will help her find her missing siblings if she will help him solve mysteries. Logan also helps to protect Max from Lydecker, who is searching for her and the other escaped X-5s. Through their work together, Max and Logan eventually fall in love.
Their feelings for each other, however, become complicated when Max finds Zach, who is concerned with her loyalty to Logan as it may compromise her safety. Eventually, as more siblings are discovered, and after Manticore betrays the escaped X-5's and murders one of them, Tinga, a plan is developed to attack Manticore, destroying its genetic engineering facility, one which eventually involves Lydecker who defects after he is betrayed and targeted for execution by Manticore's director Dr. Elizabeth Renfro/Madame X (Nana Visitor
). While the mission is successful, both Max and Zach are caught, with Max being critically injured (actually shot by a younger clone). Zach sacrifices himself to save Max.
With Max last seen having apparently fatal injuries, and now a secret prisoner of Manticore, she is assumed to be dead by Logan.
), because he was a "smart alec". Max also secretly befriends an early creation of Manticore, part-human, part-canine, named Joshua (Kevin Durand
). He was the first (viable) Manticore creation, and is the only one without a barcode.
Max subsequently escapes, with Joshua and Alec's help, only to find Alec's help was a Manticore ploy, and that a genetically-specific retrovirus designed to kill Eyes Only has been encoded to her DNA. In revenge, she broadcasts the location of Manticore, and returns for the antigen and to free the transgenics, eventually leading to public knowledge of their existence.
Lydecker disappears, leaving mysterious clues to Manticore's origins. Max's problems are further compounded when her kind is suddenly being hunted, and exterminated by Ames White. He is both a government agent, and a member of a breeding cult which spans back centuries into humanity's past. He particularly targets Max, who is revealed to have been created for a special purpose by White's father, Sandeman, the designer of all the Manticore transgenics. At the same time, Max tries to help Joshua, the gentle transhuman whose physical appearance makes him a target on the outside, avoid the increasing risk of exposure as a transgenic, and not re-infect Logan with the deadly virus while hoping for a long-shot at a cure. Max and Alec, despite their differences and rocky start, often worked together to help save their fellow escapees. Eventually, all the transgenics (in Seattle), make a stand in a joint effort to fight against the vicious prejudice trying to destroy them, and for a place to call their own.
Max is unique among the all homo Sapiens in that she possesses no "junk DNA,"; every one of her nucleic acid sequences was coded by Sandeman, the original maker of the transgenics, for a purpose. Her unique DNA is somehow related to thwarting the Familiar breeding cult's plans to become the dominant species; she is, in all likelihood, the proverbial Eve of the human race, with unmangled DNA sequences, prior to its adultery by original sin. Max also possesses DNA inspired by Colonel Donald Lydecker's dead wife, but is not a clone of her.
(first indicated by the name of her original home, Manticore
, a creature in Greek mythology). It is further demonstrated through a conversation in the pilot episode:
Of her genetic make-up, she notes in Season One, Episode 2, "Heat":
Max also displays her affinity for cats in the pilot episode of the series, when she meets Logan for the first time while attempting to steal a statue in his apartment. When Logan asks why she was interested in the statue, Max replies, "because it's the Egyptian goddess
Bast. The goddess
who comprehends all goddesses, eye of Ra
, protector, avenger, destroyer...giver of life who lives forever".
As a result of her genetic makeup and training, Max has the following special abilities:
. This condition leads to uncontrollable seizures and complete powerlessness. Of her condition, Max states, "I’m supposed to be a revved-up girl ... truth is, I’m a lemon." Max's powers can be revived through external means: either through the food supplement, tryptophan
, or by drinking a glass of milk
. In season 2 this no longer became an issue as the government captured her and repaired the faulty genes (this was never expressly stated in the show but it was implied in season 1 that design flaws in the genetic codes of the transgens could be repaired and in the second season after being captured by manticore her serotonin levels were never an issue).
Max considers the other X5 children to be her only real family. Ben (Jensen Ackles
) or X5-493 (twin of Alec/X5-494), her brother, becomes deranged after the escape and eventually Max must kill him. Max and Zack eventually find Brin or X5-734 (Nicole Bilderback
), who has a fatal design flaw and realizes she has no choice but to return to Manticore. Max also encounters Jace (Shireen Crutchfield
) who did not escape and resented Max for having done so. When Jace discovers she is pregnant, however, she defects from Manticore, informing Max that she'll name her baby after her sister. Tinga/Penny or X5-656 (Lisa Ann Cabasa
) is married to Charlie and has a highly gifted son, Case who is kidnapped by Lydecker and eventually trades herself in exchange for her son's release. She (secretly tearfully) has to send her nephew away, knowing she may never see him again. Two other X5s are Krit or X5-471 (Joshua Alba
) and Syl or X5-701(Nicki Lynn Aycox). Max has a genetic twin Sam (X5-453) who was in a different unit. Sam never escaped Manticore's influence until Max brought it down, and bears resentment towards her twin sister.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
in the cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television program Dark Angel
Dark Angel (TV series)
Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
. She is portrayed by Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
as an adult and Geneva Locke
Geneva Locke
Geneva Alexa Locke is a Canadian actress who portrayed young Max Guevara in the TV series Dark Angel.-Personal life:...
as a child. Max Guevara is a genetically enhanced
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
transgenic super-soldier, created in a secret government lab known as "Manticore", where she lived with other X-5
X5 (Dark Angel)
The X5 Series supersoldiers are a fictional group of elite, genetically-enhanced supersoldiers in the television series Dark Angel.-History:...
children until their escape in 2009. From that time, Max has lived in hiding, fearful of being recaptured by one of her guardians, Colonel Lydecker (John Savage
John Savage (actor)
John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :...
). At the same time she is desperate to locate her "brothers and sisters" and attempts to do so with the help of Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly
Michael Weatherly
Michael Manning Weatherly, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on the television series NCIS, and Logan Cale on the television series Dark Angel.-Early life:...
), a cyber-journalist also known as "Eyes Only". The character Max was ranked #17 in TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
's list of the "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends" (August 1, 2004 issue).
Early life at Manticore
Max was genetically engineered, and carried to term by a human woman, some time around the turn of the 21st century. She was created for a secret government supersoldierSupersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
program called "Manticore", then located in Gillette, Wyoming. As with almost all Manticore's soldiers, Max has a barcode
Barcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
on the back of her neck, with her identifying number sequence (332960073452). She is an X5
X5 (Dark Angel)
The X5 Series supersoldiers are a fictional group of elite, genetically-enhanced supersoldiers in the television series Dark Angel.-History:...
model and is thus referred to as X5-452. Max Guevara is the name that she gave to herself.
Max and her X5 "brothers and sisters" were raised and trained by Colonel Donald Michael Lydecker (John Savage
John Savage (actor)
John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :...
) who also had a role in the components of their creation. He trained them to be soldiers using harsh and brutal techniques, described by Max later as torture. During their training, Max was the subject of at least one brutal medical experiment involving the re-healing of deliberately shattered limbs. Max also was required to take part in an exercise involving the hunting down and killing of a prisoner, her reaction to which haunts her later.
The brutality of the X5s' lives eventually led to escape. In 2009, led by Zack (X5-599) (William Gregory Lee
William Gregory Lee
William Gregory Lee is an American actor.His first prominent role was as Virgil on Xena: Warrior Princess...
) and pursued by Manticore, twelve of the X5s escaped through a snow-filled forest. Max fell into a frozen pond, and having learned how to hold her breath underwater for long periods of time, managed to outwit the men looking for her. She was eventually found by Hannah, a sympathetic Manticore nurse who took Max to her house, a move which eventually allowed Max to escape to the world outside.
2009-2019
Max eventually made her way to Casper, WyomingCasper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
, where she met Lucy Barrett, a little girl who helped Max stow away in her mother‘s SUV. Later, after arriving in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Lucy’s mother, Joann, agreed to let Max live with them. Max and Lucy endured much abuse from Lucy’s alcoholic father, Jack. On June 1, 2009, terrorists detonated an electromagnetic pulse weapon in the atmosphere over the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which destroyed the vast majority of computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
systems. As a result, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fell into chaos and violence. Over time this chaos was replaced with a combination of martial law, corruption, and crime. On the same day, after defending herself from Jack, she ran away from the Barrett’s home. She eventually joined up with Moody and the Chinese Clan, a group of thieves taking refuge in the remains of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. In 2019, Max left Los Angeles to search for one of her Manticore siblings in Seattle, Washington. While stopping in Eureka, California
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
, Max met “Original Cindy” McEachin and the two of them traveled to Seattle together.
2019-2020 (TV series season 1)
By the year 2019, Max is living in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. She works as a bicycle messenger
Bicycle messenger
Bicycle messengers are people who work for courier companies carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business districts of metropolitan areas...
for Jam Pony, giving her freedom to travel around the city, and resides as a squatter
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
in an abandoned building, first with Kendra (Jennifer Blanc
Jennifer Blanc
Jennifer Blanc is an American actress.She was born Jennifer Tara in New York City, New York.-Selected filmography:* Jerseyboy Hero * The Blood Bond...
) and later with Original Cindy (Valarie Rae Miller
Valarie Rae Miller
- Early life :Raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Miller became interested in acting when she was quite young. She attended a high school for the performing arts and landed a number of high-profile commercials while still in college....
). Other friends from work include Herbal Thought (Alimi Ballard
Alimi Ballard
Alimi Ballard is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as FBI agent David Sinclair on the CBS drama television series Numb3rs....
) and Sketchy (Richard Gunn
Richard Gunn (actor)
Richard Gunn is an actor best known for his role as Sketchy in Dark Angel . He has also starred temporarily in Showtime TV series Dexter as Sean, appearing in the episode Crocodile in season 1. He also appeared in the TV series The Mentalist. Richard Gunn has starred in the feature films Garden...
). Max also lives a secret life as a cat burglar, in order to fund the expensive search for her missing brothers and sisters.
It is during one of these attempts that she meets Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly
Michael Weatherly
Michael Manning Weatherly, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on the television series NCIS, and Logan Cale on the television series Dark Angel.-Early life:...
), the cyber-journalist "Eyes Only". Cale allows her to escape from his apartment, however, since he is interested in learning more about her. Through the use of security footage he discovers who she is and invites Max to his apartment. It is there that he identifies her as one of the escaped X-5s. Max and Logan make a pact: he will help her find her missing siblings if she will help him solve mysteries. Logan also helps to protect Max from Lydecker, who is searching for her and the other escaped X-5s. Through their work together, Max and Logan eventually fall in love.
Their feelings for each other, however, become complicated when Max finds Zach, who is concerned with her loyalty to Logan as it may compromise her safety. Eventually, as more siblings are discovered, and after Manticore betrays the escaped X-5's and murders one of them, Tinga, a plan is developed to attack Manticore, destroying its genetic engineering facility, one which eventually involves Lydecker who defects after he is betrayed and targeted for execution by Manticore's director Dr. Elizabeth Renfro/Madame X (Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor
Nana Visitor , born Nana Tucker, is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Jean Ritter in the television series Wildfire.-Early life:...
). While the mission is successful, both Max and Zach are caught, with Max being critically injured (actually shot by a younger clone). Zach sacrifices himself to save Max.
With Max last seen having apparently fatal injuries, and now a secret prisoner of Manticore, she is assumed to be dead by Logan.
2020-2021 (TV series season 2)
At the start of season 2, Max is at Manticore, relocated to an hour south of Seattle. After receiving medical treatment for her injuries, Max is re-integrated with her fellow X5s and then required to take part in a breeding program, intended to replace Manticore's destroyed genetics laboratory, and is paired with a clone of Ben, whom she promptly names, Alec (Jensen AcklesJensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville...
), because he was a "smart alec". Max also secretly befriends an early creation of Manticore, part-human, part-canine, named Joshua (Kevin Durand
Kevin Durand
Kevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Archangel Gabriel in Legion, and Little John in Robin Hood....
). He was the first (viable) Manticore creation, and is the only one without a barcode.
Max subsequently escapes, with Joshua and Alec's help, only to find Alec's help was a Manticore ploy, and that a genetically-specific retrovirus designed to kill Eyes Only has been encoded to her DNA. In revenge, she broadcasts the location of Manticore, and returns for the antigen and to free the transgenics, eventually leading to public knowledge of their existence.
Lydecker disappears, leaving mysterious clues to Manticore's origins. Max's problems are further compounded when her kind is suddenly being hunted, and exterminated by Ames White. He is both a government agent, and a member of a breeding cult which spans back centuries into humanity's past. He particularly targets Max, who is revealed to have been created for a special purpose by White's father, Sandeman, the designer of all the Manticore transgenics. At the same time, Max tries to help Joshua, the gentle transhuman whose physical appearance makes him a target on the outside, avoid the increasing risk of exposure as a transgenic, and not re-infect Logan with the deadly virus while hoping for a long-shot at a cure. Max and Alec, despite their differences and rocky start, often worked together to help save their fellow escapees. Eventually, all the transgenics (in Seattle), make a stand in a joint effort to fight against the vicious prejudice trying to destroy them, and for a place to call their own.
Characteristics and skills
Max and the other X-5 children were given extensive combat training while at Manticore, including martial arts, acrobatics, infiltration, marksmanship with many weapons, and computer technology. Max, while an exceptionally powerful and astute fighter, has a standing personal philosophy which she states several times throughout the series: "I don't do guns."Max is unique among the all homo Sapiens in that she possesses no "junk DNA,"; every one of her nucleic acid sequences was coded by Sandeman, the original maker of the transgenics, for a purpose. Her unique DNA is somehow related to thwarting the Familiar breeding cult's plans to become the dominant species; she is, in all likelihood, the proverbial Eve of the human race, with unmangled DNA sequences, prior to its adultery by original sin. Max also possesses DNA inspired by Colonel Donald Lydecker's dead wife, but is not a clone of her.
Feline DNA
While outwardly indistinguishable from any normal human (except for the bar code on her neck), Max possesses several physical and mental enhancements as a result of genetic engineering. This genetic makeup is often connected with images from classical mythologyClassical mythology
Classical mythology or Greco-Roman mythology is the cultural reception of myths from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Along with philosophy and political thought, mythology represents one of the major survivals of classical antiquity throughout later Western culture.Classical mythology has provided...
(first indicated by the name of her original home, Manticore
Manticore
The manticore is a legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth , and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both...
, a creature in Greek mythology). It is further demonstrated through a conversation in the pilot episode:
- MAX: "I know they made me. Even got the designer label on the back of my neck to prove it."
- LOGAN: "Technical term for you is ChimeraChimera (genetics)A chimera or chimaera is a single organism that is composed of two or more different populations of genetically distinct cells that originated from different zygotes involved in sexual reproduction. If the different cells have emerged from the same zygote, the organism is called a mosaic...
." - MAX: "Yeah, made-up creature, like in mythology. Head of a lion, body of a goat. Your basic hot-as-hell hodge-podge."
Of her genetic make-up, she notes in Season One, Episode 2, "Heat":
- "Kendra was right. I am in heat, or something like that...all because they spiced up that genetic cocktail called me with a dash of felineFelidaeFelidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
DNADNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
. So I can jump fifteen feet of razor wire and take out a 250-pound linebacker with my thumb and index finger, which makes me an awesome killing machine and a hoot at parties. But it also means that three times a year I'm climbing the walls, looking for some action".
Max also displays her affinity for cats in the pilot episode of the series, when she meets Logan for the first time while attempting to steal a statue in his apartment. When Logan asks why she was interested in the statue, Max replies, "because it's the Egyptian goddess
Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...
Bast. The goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
who comprehends all goddesses, eye of Ra
Ra
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
, protector, avenger, destroyer...giver of life who lives forever".
As a result of her genetic makeup and training, Max has the following special abilities:
- Enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes, durability, stamina and coordination
- Accelerated healing
- Enhanced eyesight, hearing, and night vision
- Enhanced immune system
- Eidetic memoryEidetic memoryEidetic , commonly referred to as photographic memory, is a medical term, popularly defined as the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision and in abundant volume. The word eidetic, referring to extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall not limited to, but...
- Very high I.Q.
- Expert martial artist and sharpshooter.
- Specialist in Close Quarters BattleClose quarters battleClose quarters combat or close quarters battle is a type of fighting in which small units engage the enemy with personal weapons at very short range, potentially to the point of hand-to-hand combat or fighting with hand weapons such as swords or knives...
, infiltration and tracking - Computer proficiency
- Peak athletic condition
Design flaw
Max also has a design flaw which can leave her virtually helpless: the inability of her brain to create enough serotoninSerotonin
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
. This condition leads to uncontrollable seizures and complete powerlessness. Of her condition, Max states, "I’m supposed to be a revved-up girl ... truth is, I’m a lemon." Max's powers can be revived through external means: either through the food supplement, tryptophan
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet. It is encoded in the standard genetic code as the codon UGG...
, or by drinking a glass of milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
. In season 2 this no longer became an issue as the government captured her and repaired the faulty genes (this was never expressly stated in the show but it was implied in season 1 that design flaws in the genetic codes of the transgens could be repaired and in the second season after being captured by manticore her serotonin levels were never an issue).
Quotes
- Max: Girls kick ass; says so on a t-shirt. ("Pilot")
- Kendra: I feel almost human.
Max: Yeah. Me, too. ("Pilot") - Max: Kendra, this is a motorcycle. Its sole reason for being is to go fast, very fast. Not for you to use as a clothesline. Now, make no mistake. I love you as a friend and a roommate, but I love my motorcycle more. Stay away from the bike, okay? ("Pilot")
- Max: I don't want a used ride. I want my motorcycle.
Original Cindy: It's just a machine.
Max: It's an extension of my soul, if there is such a thing. ("411 on the DL") - Original Cindy: Trouble follows you around like the tail on a dog. We're gettin' the vibe there's something going on here that you don't want us to know about for some reason.
Max: I don't know what you guys are talking about.
Kendra: This mysterious condition of yours …
Max: All right. You guys really want to know what's up with me? [...] What if I told you I was a genetically revved-up female?
Kendra: Like we're not.
Max: But...I'm a different kind of female altogether.
Original Cindy: Like you so special. Okay, fine, don't tell us. ("Flushed") - Original Cindy: What am I supposed to say? My homegirl just tells me she’s not even human.
Max: I'm mostly human. I thought about telling you a million times, but ... I was afraid to [...] I was scared that if I told you what was up, it would all change and that you would look at me like you are right now like I was some kind of freak you didn't even recognize. ("Rising") - Normal: Well, well, well. Someone who's two hours late for work looks like they were a dirty little party girl last night. My God, girl, look at your eyes. Whaddaya been drinkin', gasoline?
Max: I had to have radical emergency amateur brain surgery to remove a nanochip from my cerebellum before I stroked from a neurochemical overload.
Normal: This is all one great big joke to you, isn't it? ("Rising") - Logan: Isn’t it against the superheroSuperheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
code to use your powers to take advantage of we mere mortals?
Max: Yeah, and I’m not done taking advantage, either. ("Blah Blah, Woof, Woof") - Logan: I always knew that underneath that bioengineered, military issue armor plating, there was a beating heart.
Max: Let's not go overboard here. I'm not signing up to join the Logan Cale Brigade for the Defense of Widows, Small Children and Lost Animals. ("Flushed") - Max: See, you don't have to take orders anymore. Not from anyone.
Bugler: Even you?
Max: Especially not from me. ("Bag' Em") - Phil: Max ... is that short for Maximum?
Max: Maximum?
Phil: As in maximum force? Ooh! Maximum girl? Woman. I meant maximum woman!
Max: It's not short for anything. ("I And I Am Camera") - Jace: Nothing matters except the objective.
Max: You stay out in the world long enough, you'll find out ManticoreManticoreThe manticore is a legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth , and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both...
had it backwards. Everything matters except the objective. ("Female Trouble")
Max's circle and influences
While her primary training as a child (both negative and positive) came from Zack and Lydecker, as an adult, Max was influenced by a number of other individuals, including Logan, Original Cindy, and Joshua. She also befriended Phil, The Street Sweeper, a deluded moral crusader who lends his exoskeleton to Logan so the paralyzed man could walk once more. She went out of her way to rescue gene therapy test subject, Jude Thatcher from being captured by Lydecker.Max considers the other X5 children to be her only real family. Ben (Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville...
) or X5-493 (twin of Alec/X5-494), her brother, becomes deranged after the escape and eventually Max must kill him. Max and Zack eventually find Brin or X5-734 (Nicole Bilderback
Nicole Bilderback
Nicole Bilderback is an Korean-born American actress, known for her recurring guest roles on the television programs Dark Angel and Dawson's Creek, and the films Bring It On and Bad Girls From Valley High...
), who has a fatal design flaw and realizes she has no choice but to return to Manticore. Max also encounters Jace (Shireen Crutchfield
Shireen Crutchfield
Shireen Crutchfield is an actress best known for her role as Jace on the series Dark Angel and The movie Hot Boyz. She graduated from St. Bernard High School in Los Angeles, California, where she grew up. She was the lead singer of the R&B group The Good Girls from the late 1980s through the early...
) who did not escape and resented Max for having done so. When Jace discovers she is pregnant, however, she defects from Manticore, informing Max that she'll name her baby after her sister. Tinga/Penny or X5-656 (Lisa Ann Cabasa
Lisa Ann Cabasa
Lisa Ann Cabasa is an actress best known for her role as Tinga on the series Dark Angel.-External links:...
) is married to Charlie and has a highly gifted son, Case who is kidnapped by Lydecker and eventually trades herself in exchange for her son's release. She (secretly tearfully) has to send her nephew away, knowing she may never see him again. Two other X5s are Krit or X5-471 (Joshua Alba
Joshua Alba
Joshua Lauren Alba is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Krit on the television series Dark Angel. He is the younger brother of actress Jessica Alba.-Early life:...
) and Syl or X5-701(Nicki Lynn Aycox). Max has a genetic twin Sam (X5-453) who was in a different unit. Sam never escaped Manticore's influence until Max brought it down, and bears resentment towards her twin sister.