Maximums
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The Maximums is a DC Comics superteam 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 as inhabitants of an alternate world. It was eventually revealed they had been created by The Joker and Mr. Mxyzptlk.
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[edit] Team members
- Soldier (Captain America): Real name possibly Scout. A military minded and uncomprimising leader, apparently the first "super-soldier" of his world. His son "Lucky" (Bucky) is proverbially the only super-soldier to stay dead.
- Viking (Thor/Loki): Red-bearded, beserker son of the frost giants, who wields an axe forged by Ymir.
- Robot (Iron Man/Vision): A living machine, believed by some to be a man in armour. Possibly the most reasonable of the Maximums.
- Monster (Hulk/She-Hulk): Real name Becky. A young girl who becomes a rampaging monster.
- Skyscraper (Giant Man): Real name Harvey. Apparently killed by Superman.
- Hornet (The Wasp): Real name Jaime. Possibly a human/alien hybrid, she appears much more insect like than her Marvel Universe and Ultimate counterparts. Possibly a lesbian, as she was seduced by Godiva.
- 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 beserker rages.
- Bug (Spider-Man): Wisecracking young insect-based hero with four arms. His girlfriend is Kristen (partly based on Mary Jane Watson portrayer Kirsten Dunst and Lana Lang actress Kristin Kreuk).
At the end of "With a Vengeance", Mxyzptlk reveals that Soldier and Wolfen are based on Batman, while Viking and Monster bear a slight resemblance to Superman's powers. As Mxy implies for Viking, "Ice axe or arctic breath, what's the diff?" (the latter power being one of Superman's.)
[edit] 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 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 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.
