Maximums

Maximums
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Superman/Batman #20 (June 2005)
Created by	Jeph Loeb Ed McGuiness
In-story information
Base(s)	San Francisco
Member(s)	Soldier Viking Robot Monster Skyscraper Hornet Wolfen Bug Bowman (deceased)

The Maximums is a DC Comics team of super heroes parodying Marvel Comics's Ultimates and New Avengers, including the lower-case speech bubbles associated with the Ultimate Universe and the Avengers' battlecry "Avengers Assemble!" to their "Maximums March!" They are based in San Francisco.

They were introduced in Superman/Batman #20 (June 2005) as inhabitants of an alternate world. It was eventually revealed they had been created by the Joker and Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Team members

• Soldier (Captain America): Real name possibly Scout. A military minded and uncompromising leader, apparently the first "super-soldier" of his world. His son "Lucky" (Bucky) is proverbially the only super-soldier to stay dead.
• Viking (Thor): Red-bearded, berserker son of the frost giants, who wields an axe forged by Ymir. The axe is capable of wounding Superman.
• Robot (Iron Man/Vision): A living machine, believed by some to be a man in armour. Demonstrates calm and reason in battle.
• Monster (Hulk): Real name Becky. A young girl who becomes a rampaging monster, which is referred to with male pronouns. Vulnerable to electrical discharges. And eventually turns green from kryptonite.
• Skyscraper (Giant Man): Real name Harvey. Apparently killed by Superman. Unlike Giant Man, Skyscraper's enormous size seems to be permanent.
• Hornet (The Wasp): Real name Jaime. Appears much more insect like than her Marvel Universe and Ultimate counterparts. Shown charmed by Godiva's mental powers. During her appearance she seeks vengeance for the death of her boyfriend, the Skyscraper.
• Bowman (Hawkeye): Real name Clive. Deceased by the time of the story, but (supposedly) still appearing as a ghost.
• Wolfen (Wolverine/Beast): Physically resembles the Beast, with Wolverine's costume markings on his fur. Like Wolverine, he tends to go into berserker rages.
• Bug (Spider-Man): Wisecracking young insect-based hero with four arms.

Enemies

Apart from Batman and Superman, the team's greatest enemies are the Axis of Evil, parodying the Masters of Evil. The Axis members are Godiva (the Enchantress); Annihilate (the Executioner); Demise (the Grim Reaper); and Rapier (the Swordsman/the Black Knight).

Other villains may include the Bug's archenemy Halloween (based on the Green Goblin), although the appearance of Halloween throwing Kristen off the Golden Gate Bridge (modeled after the death of Spider-Man's former girlfriend Gwen Stacy) turned out to be a ploy to distract Superman.

Hornet has commented that the team seems to spend most of the time fighting itself, most notably a battle with former member the Chaos Witch in which Bowman was killed (a reference to the Scarlet Witch and the events of Avengers Disassembled).

The Maximums' Earth also includes a version of Ghost Rider named the Skull Biker, but nothing more is known about him, except that his powers are Satanic in origin.

Additionally, Captain Atom was briefly sent here as a result of an atomic explosion involving Kryptonite. While recuperating, he was delusional, glowing green, and destroyed several buildings. He was, essentially, this Earth's equivalent to the Radioactive Man.

See also

• Champions of Angor

External links

• Comic book homages and parodies