.gif)
Maxima (comics)
Encyclopedia
Maxima is a fictional character
from the DC Comics
Superman
titles. She was created by writer Roger Stern
and artist George Pérez
.
, her betrothed. Maxima's first appearance in Metropolis was not actually her but a simulacrum of her brought to Earth by her servant Sazu, who took it upon herself to convince Superman to be her mate. The simulacrum was destroyed and Sazu imprisoned. The real Maxima then appeared to free Sazu and came face to face with Superman. She and Superman, she argued, were genetically compatible; she could "give him what no Earth woman could - children". She was infuriated when Superman rejected her offer, saying he had no desire to father despots.
Maxima later found herself reluctantly working with Brainiac
who had destroyed Almerac with the Warworld
. She turned against him, and helped Earth's heroes defeat him, subsequently joining a reformed Justice League
for her own reasons. When League helped her save Almerac from Starbreaker, the planet's ruling council exiled her. As a Leaguer, she helped in the fight against Doomsday, and when that version of the League disbanded, she became a member of Captain Atom
's Extreme Justice
team. She considered Captain Atom as a potential mate, but he was not interested. During the period of her flirtation with Captain Atom, an angry jilted Ultraa attacked him. Maxima eventually stopped the brawl and sent Ultraa back to Almerac. She later had a brief fling with another teammate, Amazing-Man, which lasted until the team was dissolved.
She offered herself sexually to Superman again, hoping that her recent good deeds would offset her earlier ruthlessness. Superman, now married to Lois Lane
, was even less interested in her proposal than before. Angry and humiliated, she joined the Superman Revenge Squad
. She swore that Superman had rejected, humbled and humiliated her for the last time, and threatened that the next time they meet, it would truly be war.
However, in her next appearance, during the build up to the Our Worlds at War
crossover, Maxima and the 'Chosen People of Almerac', as she phrased it, showed up in Earth's solar system where they met up with Superman and fellow JLA member, Green Lantern
. Superman and Green Lantern were just beginning to investigate the disturbing disappearance of Pluto and the even more distressing engine ion trail associated with Warworld, when they stumbled across Maxima, her people, and the supervillain Massacre.
After a battle full of wounded pride, Maxima eventually conceded her position when Almerac's rendezvous showed up using a Boom Tube. She explained that she was leading her people to safety from Imperiex
, the force that conquered her world. Massacre had seemed to meet his death, however, somehow Maxima came across him and described her association in these words: "Massacre serves only me now." To save her people, she allied herself with Darkseid
's son, Grayven
, who was taking them to regions unknown. This was also being undertaken without the knowledge of Darkseid. Maxima left Superman with the following words: "Mark my words, when Imperiex comes for your precious homeworld, you'll see alliances you've never dreamed of."
All that Maxima warned eventually came to fruition as she and a myriad of other characters (both heroes and villains) formed alliances with Earth and Apokolips
in an effort to destroy Imperiex.
Maxima ultimately met her demise in a heroic effort
to put her ship between the destructive beams of Brainiac 13's Warworld which would have resulted in the destruction of the entire universe.
, gorge themselves on jelly donuts, hamburgers, French fries, and other assorted junk foods at a mall food court.
and years of gene therapy
. In her first face to face encounter with Superman she displayed a high level of psionic powers, such as psychokinesis and seemingly hypnotic mind control. Maxima possesses superhuman strength, enhanced endurance, as well as some degree of superhuman speed.
Through skillful application of her psionic powers Maxima has been shown to emit powerful optical beams that can stagger even Superman, and she can create nearly impervious force fields. She is also able to channel her psionic powers internally to boost her physical strength (to a level approaching Wonder Woman
and Superman
). In the first battle with Doomsday
in Adventures of Superman #498, Maxima is the only one in that incarnation of the Justice League that was able to actually hurt and withstand blows from Doomsday, besides Superman.
story that was part of the Armageddon 2001
crossover
in which Waverider
looked at possible futures of DC characters. In this scenario, Superman is overcome with grief from the death of his wife Lois Lane, after their unborn child causes her death from internal bleeding when it kicks in her womb. Apparently, even a half-Kryptonian child was too much for a normal Earth woman to bear. Blaming himself and grief-stricken, Superman exiles himself from Earth once again, and is ready to die in space when he comes across one of the many enemies of Almerac. He is saved by Maxima, who at this time is unwillingly engaged to the Krenon cyborg De'Cine. Following on the advice of her handmaiden Sazu, she pretends to become more tactful and 'nice' in order to win Superman's heart, but in the process, she truly falls in love with him. At the end, she and Superman leave Earth forever to protect it from a potential reprisal from the Krenon Empire after the death of De'Cine. As they leave, Maxima remarks what fine children they would have.
, appeared in the episodes "Neila" and "Neila and the Beast", played by Christina Moore
.
In her two appearances on the series, Neila displayed a wide array of superhuman powers, including superhuman strength, speed, invulnerability, and flight (all of which were at least equal to those of Superboy
), as well as pyrokinetic generation and manipulation, teleportation (whether this is an actual power of Neila's or it was accomplished through the use of alien technology was never revealed), and minor shape-shifting powers that enabled her to alter her hairstyle and the color of her hair.
Maxima appeared in the episode "Warrior Queen", voiced by Sharon Lawrence
. According to the official episode description, "Maxima, Queen of Almerac, chases Superman as a potential mate. She takes the Man of Steel up to her planet, where, as she prepares to marry him, Superman educates Maxima that a mate isn't something to take, but a person who is won over and loved." Maxima is not impressed and literally drags Superman to her planet, only to find herself deposed, largely due to Almerac's inhabitants believing her to be self-absorbed and neglecting her leadership responsibilities. Superman also helps to keep Maxima's "because I can" attitude in check by teaching her consent of the governed
in that as Queen of Almerac she exists to serve the people of Almerac, not vice versa. Superman helps Maxima regain her throne, and she allows him to return home. Fortunately, whatever disappointment she has is quickly dispelled by the sudden arrival of the destructively rambunctious bounty hunter
, Lobo whom she judges with giddy delight as an adequate substitute to woo in her violent way.
Some modification was made to the character in her animated interpretation. Her appearance keeps her original colors from the comics although her clothing seems reminiscent of Jack Kirby
's character designs. Her personality seems more whimsical. Finally, of her myriad powers, only her strength and durability remained, and she was also seen to be capable of metal manipulation (seen when she turned a piece of metal into a sword) and opening teleportational portals with a high-tech bracelet.
De'Cine (voiced by Miguel Ferrer
) also changed from an alien cyborg to an Almeracian courtier.
) comes to Earth to seek a Kryptonian mate after her home planet of Almerac receives a signal that originated from a Kryptonian artifact. Not knowing who sent the signal, she begins kissing random strangers; her kiss causes heart rates to peak, killing human males, but Clark Kent's Kryptonian physiology registers only arousal. After a violent confrontation, she states that she can sense love between Clark and Lois Lane. However, Maxima believes that she and Clark are "soul mates" and refuses to give up, until Clark triggers her teleport bracelet to take her home.
Unlike her comics counterpart, she did not display telekinesis. She displayed superhuman strength, speed, invulnerability, mind control, the aforementioned toxic kiss and empathic powers.
Maxima appeared in "Instinct", the fourth episode of Season 8.
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...
from the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
titles. She was created by writer Roger Stern
Roger Stern
Roger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.-Early career:In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine CPL , one of the first platforms for the work of John Byrne...
and artist George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
.
Fictional character biography
Oldest child of the Royal family of the planet Almerac, the fiery-tempered Maxima came to Earth in search of a suitable mate to sire her heir, leaving behind UltraaUltraa
Ultraa is a DC Comics character, originally the first superhuman on Earth Prime. The original first appeared in Justice League of America #153 , he was created by Gerry Conway and George Tuska...
, her betrothed. Maxima's first appearance in Metropolis was not actually her but a simulacrum of her brought to Earth by her servant Sazu, who took it upon herself to convince Superman to be her mate. The simulacrum was destroyed and Sazu imprisoned. The real Maxima then appeared to free Sazu and came face to face with Superman. She and Superman, she argued, were genetically compatible; she could "give him what no Earth woman could - children". She was infuriated when Superman rejected her offer, saying he had no desire to father despots.
Maxima later found herself reluctantly working with Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
who had destroyed Almerac with the Warworld
Warworld
Warworld is a fictional artificial planet published in several stories by DC Comics, most of which feature Superman. It first appeared in DC Comics Presents #27 , and was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin.-History:...
. She turned against him, and helped Earth's heroes defeat him, subsequently joining a reformed Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
for her own reasons. When League helped her save Almerac from Starbreaker, the planet's ruling council exiled her. As a Leaguer, she helped in the fight against Doomsday, and when that version of the League disbanded, she became a member of Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
's Extreme Justice
Extreme Justice
Extreme Justice was a monthly Justice League spin off title in the DC Comics universe. It replaced the cancelled Justice League International and ran for nineteen issues from 1994 to 1996.-Overview:...
team. She considered Captain Atom as a potential mate, but he was not interested. During the period of her flirtation with Captain Atom, an angry jilted Ultraa attacked him. Maxima eventually stopped the brawl and sent Ultraa back to Almerac. She later had a brief fling with another teammate, Amazing-Man, which lasted until the team was dissolved.
She offered herself sexually to Superman again, hoping that her recent good deeds would offset her earlier ruthlessness. Superman, now married to Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, was even less interested in her proposal than before. Angry and humiliated, she joined the Superman Revenge Squad
Superman Revenge Squad
The Superman Revenge Squad is the name of two fictional organizations in the DC Comics universe. As their name suggests, they are enemies of Superman.-Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths:...
. She swore that Superman had rejected, humbled and humiliated her for the last time, and threatened that the next time they meet, it would truly be war.
However, in her next appearance, during the build up to the Our Worlds at War
Our Worlds at War
"Our Worlds at War" was a comic book crossover, published by DC Comics during the summer of 2001. OWAW was written by Jeph Loeb, Joe Casey, Mark Schultz, Joe Kelly, Phil Jimenez, and Peter David...
crossover, Maxima and the 'Chosen People of Almerac', as she phrased it, showed up in Earth's solar system where they met up with Superman and fellow JLA member, Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
. Superman and Green Lantern were just beginning to investigate the disturbing disappearance of Pluto and the even more distressing engine ion trail associated with Warworld, when they stumbled across Maxima, her people, and the supervillain Massacre.
After a battle full of wounded pride, Maxima eventually conceded her position when Almerac's rendezvous showed up using a Boom Tube. She explained that she was leading her people to safety from Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
, the force that conquered her world. Massacre had seemed to meet his death, however, somehow Maxima came across him and described her association in these words: "Massacre serves only me now." To save her people, she allied herself with Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
's son, Grayven
Grayven
Grayven is a fictional deity and supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern v3 #74, , and was created by Ron Marz and Darryl Banks.-Fictional character biography:...
, who was taking them to regions unknown. This was also being undertaken without the knowledge of Darkseid. Maxima left Superman with the following words: "Mark my words, when Imperiex comes for your precious homeworld, you'll see alliances you've never dreamed of."
All that Maxima warned eventually came to fruition as she and a myriad of other characters (both heroes and villains) formed alliances with Earth and Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
in an effort to destroy Imperiex.
Maxima ultimately met her demise in a heroic effort
Our Worlds at War
"Our Worlds at War" was a comic book crossover, published by DC Comics during the summer of 2001. OWAW was written by Jeph Loeb, Joe Casey, Mark Schultz, Joe Kelly, Phil Jimenez, and Peter David...
to put her ship between the destructive beams of Brainiac 13's Warworld which would have resulted in the destruction of the entire universe.
Personality and motivations
Overall, portrayal of Maxima varied by writer. In her appearances in the various Superman titles, Maxima was typically depicted as a haughty and shallow individual with only self-centered motivations, lacking any real depth as a character. By contrast, in her appearances in the comic book series Extreme Justice and Steel, Maxima was developed as an individual with a warrior's sense of honor and a strong countenance of noble pride that had its humorous moments in relation to other characters. This was evident during Extreme Justice #10 and #11, where Maxima hosted the bachelorette party for Captain Atom's fiance, Plastique, wearing a stylish and elegant "red carpet" dress while everyone else wore jeans to the event that was held in the party room of a humble Tex-Mex restaurant. This occurred again in later issues of that series, where she's visibly uncomfortable from seeing newly joined members, Zan and JaynaWonder Twins
The Wonder Twins, Zan and Jayna, are fictional extraterrestrial comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Their first comic book appearance was in Super Friends #7 , by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon...
, gorge themselves on jelly donuts, hamburgers, French fries, and other assorted junk foods at a mall food court.
Powers & Abilities
As a scion of the Blood Royale of Almerac, Maxima commands a vast array of powers that come from selective breedingSelective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
and years of gene therapy
Gene therapy
Gene therapy is the insertion, alteration, or removal of genes within an individual's cells and biological tissues to treat disease. It is a technique for correcting defective genes that are responsible for disease development...
. In her first face to face encounter with Superman she displayed a high level of psionic powers, such as psychokinesis and seemingly hypnotic mind control. Maxima possesses superhuman strength, enhanced endurance, as well as some degree of superhuman speed.
Through skillful application of her psionic powers Maxima has been shown to emit powerful optical beams that can stagger even Superman, and she can create nearly impervious force fields. She is also able to channel her psionic powers internally to boost her physical strength (to a level approaching Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
and Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
). In the first battle with Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
in Adventures of Superman #498, Maxima is the only one in that incarnation of the Justice League that was able to actually hurt and withstand blows from Doomsday, besides Superman.
Other versions
An alternate history where Superman marries Maxima after Lois dies was presented as an ElseworldsElseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
story that was part of the Armageddon 2001
Armageddon 2001
"Armageddon 2001" was a 1991 crossover event storyline published by DC Comics. It ran through a self titled, two issue limited series and most of the annuals DC published that year from May through October...
crossover
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
in which Waverider
Waverider (comics)
Waverider is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe, a time traveler who was merged with the time stream. Waverider first appeared in Armageddon 2001 #1 and was created by Archie Goodwin and Dan Jurgens....
looked at possible futures of DC characters. In this scenario, Superman is overcome with grief from the death of his wife Lois Lane, after their unborn child causes her death from internal bleeding when it kicks in her womb. Apparently, even a half-Kryptonian child was too much for a normal Earth woman to bear. Blaming himself and grief-stricken, Superman exiles himself from Earth once again, and is ready to die in space when he comes across one of the many enemies of Almerac. He is saved by Maxima, who at this time is unwillingly engaged to the Krenon cyborg De'Cine. Following on the advice of her handmaiden Sazu, she pretends to become more tactful and 'nice' in order to win Superman's heart, but in the process, she truly falls in love with him. At the end, she and Superman leave Earth forever to protect it from a potential reprisal from the Krenon Empire after the death of De'Cine. As they leave, Maxima remarks what fine children they would have.
Superboy
A character similar to Maxima, called NeilaNeila
Neila is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 235 inhabitants....
, appeared in the episodes "Neila" and "Neila and the Beast", played by Christina Moore
Christina Moore
Christina Moore is an American actress. She is most notable for her membership in the main cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv, for replacing Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman on That '70s Show during the sixth season and for portraying Candy Sullivan in the TNT show Hawthorne.She had...
.
In her two appearances on the series, Neila displayed a wide array of superhuman powers, including superhuman strength, speed, invulnerability, and flight (all of which were at least equal to those of Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
), as well as pyrokinetic generation and manipulation, teleportation (whether this is an actual power of Neila's or it was accomplished through the use of alien technology was never revealed), and minor shape-shifting powers that enabled her to alter her hairstyle and the color of her hair.
Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)
Sharon Lawrence
Sharon Elizabeth Lawrence is an American television actress. She is best known for the role of Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in the Television series NYPD Blue...
. According to the official episode description, "Maxima, Queen of Almerac, chases Superman as a potential mate. She takes the Man of Steel up to her planet, where, as she prepares to marry him, Superman educates Maxima that a mate isn't something to take, but a person who is won over and loved." Maxima is not impressed and literally drags Superman to her planet, only to find herself deposed, largely due to Almerac's inhabitants believing her to be self-absorbed and neglecting her leadership responsibilities. Superman also helps to keep Maxima's "because I can" attitude in check by teaching her consent of the governed
Consent of the governed
"Consent of the governed" is a phrase synonymous with a political theory wherein a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is only justified and legal when derived from the people or society over which that political power is exercised...
in that as Queen of Almerac she exists to serve the people of Almerac, not vice versa. Superman helps Maxima regain her throne, and she allows him to return home. Fortunately, whatever disappointment she has is quickly dispelled by the sudden arrival of the destructively rambunctious bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
, Lobo whom she judges with giddy delight as an adequate substitute to woo in her violent way.
Some modification was made to the character in her animated interpretation. Her appearance keeps her original colors from the comics although her clothing seems reminiscent of Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
's character designs. Her personality seems more whimsical. Finally, of her myriad powers, only her strength and durability remained, and she was also seen to be capable of metal manipulation (seen when she turned a piece of metal into a sword) and opening teleportational portals with a high-tech bracelet.
De'Cine (voiced by Miguel Ferrer
Miguel Ferrer
Miguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
) also changed from an alien cyborg to an Almeracian courtier.
Smallville
Maxima (Charlotte SullivanCharlotte Sullivan
Charlotte Sullivan is a Canadian actress. Her first on-screen role was an extra in a Liza Minelli music video. She has had a starring role in The New Ghostwriter Mysteries and Harriet the Spy as well as smaller parts in How to Deal and Fever Pitch...
) comes to Earth to seek a Kryptonian mate after her home planet of Almerac receives a signal that originated from a Kryptonian artifact. Not knowing who sent the signal, she begins kissing random strangers; her kiss causes heart rates to peak, killing human males, but Clark Kent's Kryptonian physiology registers only arousal. After a violent confrontation, she states that she can sense love between Clark and Lois Lane. However, Maxima believes that she and Clark are "soul mates" and refuses to give up, until Clark triggers her teleport bracelet to take her home.
Unlike her comics counterpart, she did not display telekinesis. She displayed superhuman strength, speed, invulnerability, mind control, the aforementioned toxic kiss and empathic powers.
Maxima appeared in "Instinct", the fourth episode of Season 8.