Maxima

Publication History

 
Origin

Maxima imagining Superman as her warlord husband

Maxima once ruled a vast intergalactic empire based on the planet Almerac. She became obsessed with expanding her galactic reach and, most importantly, securing a suitable mate to father an heir for her glorious realm.  When her minions intercepted a subspace transmission detailing Superman's astonishing feats in the gladiatorial games of Mongul's Warworld, Maxima was sure she had found her man. Without further delay, she resolved to make the Man of Steel her husband. Superman rejected her advances on several occasions, expressing among other things that he did not wish to be a warlord, and that he had no desire to father despots.  As a result, her admiration turned to rage, and she became his enemy.

However, as time passed, her fury abated and Maxima sided with Superman to repel Brainiac's intergalactic invasion of Earth. Maxima was later banished from Almerac and elected to remain on Earth, where she was a respected member of the Justice League of America for a while. Eventually, Ultraa, her betrothed from childhood, followed her to Earth after hearing that Maxima was seeking to mate with one called 'Superman'.  As a sign that she still had feelings for the Man of Steel, she rejected the Almeracian warlord on the grounds that since coming to Earth, she had become familiar with mercy and unselfishness.  Maxima attempted to fill the void left by Superman's dismissal by chasing Captain Atom, Amazing Man, and Aquaman, but each of these pursuits failed to pan out for various reasons.  Ultimately, her own superiority complex and lingering resentment over Superman's rejection of her led Maxima back to villainy and a partnership with the so-called Superman Revenge Squad.

Fickle as she was, Maxima never ever backed down from a fight. After the world-destroying being known as Imperiex leveled Almerac, Maxima seemingly gave her own life so that Earth, her adopted home, would not suffer the same terrible fate.

Personal Data

Maxima inside her imperial craft.

• Height: 6'2"
• Weight: 164 lbs.
• Eyes: Brown
• Hair: Red
• Citizenship: Almeracian
• Marital Status: Single
• Occupation: Queen of the Almeracian Empire, Adventurer

Known Powers & Abilities:

Maxima clobbers Doomsday

• Super Strength – Maxima possesses a level of superhuman strength that puts her in Wonder Woman's and Superman's class.  During Doomsday's first battle with the Justice League, other than Superman, Maxima was the only other leaguer able to trade blows with him.
  
• Enhanced Stamina – Based on her first account to Superman, Maxima comes from a hearty star-spanning people who wage war tirelessly.  Her own family spent thousands of years conquering, and assimilating only the strongest survivors from carefully selected worlds with rich genetic stock.  Accordingly, Maxima continued the same progression of striving without exhaustion through sheer force of will and psychic discipline. 
  
• Invulnerability – Thanks to her Almeracian physiology, Maxima is nearly impervious to injury.  Her level of resistance to physical harm approaches that of a Kryptonian.  As Maxima is able to boost her constitution and physical strength attributes by channeling her psionic powers internally, conversely, she is also able to direct the same abilities externally to increase her resistance to physical harm.
  

  Maxima's Super Speed
• Super Speed – Maxima has exhibited a degree of speed in combat that goes well into the hypersonic.  In Action Comics No. 651, while rocketing into orbit at escape velocity, she engaged Superman head on in a game of chicken.  As the two were about to pass one another, she reached out, grabbed his arm, and performed a judo throw on the Man of Steel.
  
• Flight – By applying her telekinesis as a means for propulsion, Maxima is able to "fly".  She has shown the ability to maneuver herself, other beings, or objects through the air at escape velocity.  Having served on several incarnations of the Justice League, she was often counted on to provide flight for those teammates who were not gifted with the ability to fly.
  
• Telekinesis – In Justice League America No. 65, despite having been drained from a previous encounter with Starbreaker, Maxima closed numerous fissures on her home world by re-shifting continental plates together telekinetically.
  

  Maxima teleports Sazu.
• Teleportation – As one who prefers to stand toe-to-toe with a worthy adversary regardless of the outcome, to date, Maxima has been relatively conservative with the use of this powerful skill.  When she first appeared on Earth in the flesh, she employed this ability in more of a theatrical way as a means to instill fear in her servant, Sazu.  While governing her passions closely by maintaining the ruse of an Alliance with Brainiac, she used this ability to retreat when Matrix Supergirl, and Draaga ceased being mind-slaves in the middle of a heated battle.  She has shown the ability to teleport herself or others in and out of a battle over interstellar distances.  In Justice League America No. 66, while she was attempting to win Superman's heart as a Justice League member, Maxima complied with Earth's judicial process by teleporting Sazu back to Metropolis.  Maxima mentioned that Sazu was teleported to Earth from a prison on a distant planet.  This feat is especially noteworthy since in her earlier appearances, Maxima has stated that Earth is a backwater world far from established star routes.  Moreover, in Superman Man of Steel No. 115, Adam Strange used his Zeta-Beam technology to teleport Superman and himself from Earth's solar system to Almeracian space.  The Savior of Rann mentioned a distance traveled of 100 trillion light years. 
  
  

  Maxima's force field.
• Forcefield Projection – Maxima can generate defensive force-field bubbles to shield herself, and or others.  This skill allows her to travel unaffected by the intense pressures of the ocean's depths, or the vaccuum of outer space.  She can also use this skill for offense by trapping an opponent and constricting the space inside the shield, crushing them, or letting the air run out.  In Aquaman No. 41, Power Girl attempted an underwater ambush on Maxima's shield as the King of Atlantis was being psionically assaulted inside.  Maxima's shield didn't drop, but Kara's surprise attack winded the Almeracian warrior briefly.  Although Aquaman took the opportunity to mention that Maxima's force bubble wouldn't be able to hold up to the pounding of Power Girl's punches, Maxima's shield was more solid for Kara's second punch.   
  
• Ferrokinesis – Maxima has exhibited immense telekinetic control over metals at the molecular level.  She can cause metal to melt with a thought, or rearrange the molecules of scraps into anything she chooses, such as weapons or armor.  In Extreme Justice No. 6, Maxima used this ability to isolate herself atop a massive metal tower.  When Captain Atom ascended the tower to try and reason with her, Maxima restrained him with metal tendrils that she animated in a liquid-like fashion out of the structure around her.  In Justice League America No. 75 , Maxima directed this ability on the Red Tornado, easily pulling him apart.
  
• Matter Manipulation – In addition to metals, Maxima has shown the ability to alter other inorganic matter with a thought.  The extent of Maxima's skill in this area is unknown.  She has typically applied her transmutation powers when switching her attire from civilian disguise, to ceremonial Almeracian garb.
  
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   Maxima's Heat Vision.
  Optical Force Beams –  When firing her psionic powers out of her eyes, Maxima has shown the ability to control the level of physical damage she causes to an attacker.  She can focus her optic beams to deliver immense concussive force, or emulate searing heat vision.  On several occasions, Maxima has shown that she can stagger even Superman with this ability. 
  

  Maxima and Brainiac duel telepathically.
• Mind Bolts –  The powerful Almeracian Mind Bolt, Psi-bolt, or Psychic Blast is a favorite of those in the Royal House.  This skill targets an opponent's mind directly by delivering pain, unconsciousness, brain damage, and even death. Despite all of his strength, Orion was quickly rendered paralyzed when Maxima turned this deadly power on him during the ' Panic In The Sky' event .  At the conclusion of the same story arc, Maxima was in the process of killing Brainiac using this ability, but Superman intervened just before it was too late.  Brainiac was left in a lobotomized state.
• Telepathy – Maxima can communicate with other intelligent beings telepathically.  She has used this skill as a probe to 'hear' a target's thoughts, and pinpoint their location.  On several occasions, she has used this ability to locate Superman in Metropolis; nearly exposing his secret identity in one case.  During the 'Death of Superman' story arc, she was able to track Doomsday in a similar manner but without the benefit of a previous encounter.  Maxima described Doomsday's mind as harboring nothing more than hate, death and bloodlust personified.  In Superman Man Of Tomorrow No. 10, Maxima discovered that Superman had been split into two beings.  To verify that what she was seeing wasn't a trick, Maxima employed a mental probe.   She uncovered that both Superman Red, and Superman Blue had virtually identical minds and the same surface memories.   This ability has also allowed her to better understand the hidden motives of those around her.  In Justice League America No. 102, Maxima sensed a greater darkness behind Obsidian's pessimistic mood.  Two issues later, Obsidian tried to commit suicide.
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  Eclipso uses Maxima's mind-control powers.
  Mind Control – Maxima has the ability to subject others to her mind control abilities.  In several appearances, she has shown the capacity to bend masses of people to her will.  In Action Comics No. 730, while a member of the Superman Revenge Squad, Maxima was battling the Man of Steel in a scrapyard.  She threw a car at a loaded ferry crossing Metropolis Harbour, causing the ship to sink.  After Superman rescued the ship's full compliment of passengers, their eyes went blank and began attacking him by way of Maxima's mind control.  In Justice League Quarterly No. 17, she altered a crack dealing pimp's mind by removing his capacity for violence, and erasing his ability to lie.  In Justice League America Annual No. 6, while Maxima was being possessed by the villain Eclipso, the Almeracian's mind control powers proved powerful enough to enslave Wonder Woman.  
  
• Hypnotic Gaze –  The Empress of Almerac has the ability to paralyze an opponent with her gaze.  Against enemies with greater willpower, this skill has shown to be particularly effective as a lead in to another attack.  In Action Comics No. 645, her duplicate used this skill on Lois Lane, and the staff at the Daily Planet, leaving them all standing around like zombies.  Later that morning, Clark arrived and got Lois to snap out of her trance by shaking her and shouting.  During Maxima's first face to face encounter with Superman, she used this skill to freeze the Man of Steel, leaving him more susceptible to her illusion casting.  Despite her rather unfocused and irrational behavior in Aquaman No. 41, during a melee with Doctor Polaris, she lured him into her stare.  Dolphin took advantage, and delivered an uppercut to his jaw while he was still disoriented.         
• Illusion Casting –  Maxima has shown the ability to project powerful illusions into the minds of others.  In Action Comics No. 651, Maxima cast the illusion into Superman's mind that he was a warlord on the Almeracian Queen's home world.  The overriding presence of the Eradicator in Superman's mind at the time exposed the false reality for what it was.  In Superman Man of Tomorrow No. 10, Maxima used her illusions against Dana Dearden, an obsessed Superman fan called Obsession.  In the illusion, Superman had separated into four differently colored supermen.  As the Empress of Almerac wanted Superman for herself, she showed each of the supermen disintegrating into powder.  The ruse helped implant the suggestion into Obsession's mind that her love would bring Superman to an early end, and so she fled. 
  
• Mental Defense –  When Brainiac had seized control of Warworld, and used the planet to boost his telepathic abilites to cosmic levels, Maxima was still able to plot behind his back and resist becoming one of his mind-slaves.
  

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   Maxima playing possum.
  Suspended Animation – Maxima's constitution combined with her mental control is such that she can suspend her own vital functions temporarily.  Despite being in a state of suspended animation, she has demonstrated the ability to be completely aware of potential danger around her.  Near the end of her first encounter with the Man of Steel in Action Comics No. 651, Maxima halted her breathing and heartbeat to appear dead.  Superman could not detect a pulse with his super-senses.  When Maxima sensed that he was close enough, she woke up quickly and paralyzed him.
  
• Self Duplication – Maxima uses a simulacrum of herself that possesses powers similar to her to act in situations when she cannot be present.  These proxies appear to be less invulnerable, and more restrained than the original Maxima. At the end of Action Comics No. 645, it is revealed that the Maxima on Earth at the time was indeed a simulacrum.  This duplicate was atomized by Sazu's optical force beams.  In Extreme Justice No. 11, Maxima appeared cut in two pieces on the floor at a bachlorette party.  Her torso and lower body were left smouldering where Star Sapphire had sliced her with a sword.  During a break in the fight that ensued, Plastique examined the dead body.  The corpse was already starting to lose cohesion.  Later, the real Maxima appeared on the scene, thus confirming that the dead Maxima was once again a simulacrum.       
  
• Possession –  Maxima has displayed the ability to place her own psychic consciousness into her simulacrums.  The full extent of her skill in this area is unknown.
  

Costume

 Aside from the gowns, and casual attire she wears that are generally immodest by Superman's standards, Maxima has had three main costume variations:
 

• Maxima's original costume designed by George Pérez was mostly green and gold.  This look is the one most associated with her, and has been said to convey an exotic beauty.  During the Maximum Orbit story arc, the Queen of Kreno requested that Maxima wear this costume specifically.   The fiery tempered monarch was to be put on display in her familiar ceremonial Almeracian garb in a live intergalactic broadcast of a staged marriage to De'Cine.
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  In Justice League America No. 71, many were still trying to cope with the loss of Superman after his climactic battle with Doomsday.  Wishing to separate herself from those she felt were wallowing in misery, Maxima created a new costume as a cathartic exercise, hoping to leave her sense of loss in the past.  From then on, her appearances on various incarnations of the Justice League had her sporting this new outfit.   Although this costume was new for Maxima, the violet/yellow color scheme and design matched the retro costume worn by Ultraa.  In Justice League Quarterly No. 13, the connection was taken further as Ultraa, retaining his look from the Silver Age, was retconned into an Almeracian. 
  
• Although Maxima considered many of Earth's heroes on the JLA her family, eventually, the alien monarch grew tired of the internal politics and left the team.  Her later appearances had her back in her familiar green, gold and red.  This version of her costume was very close to the original, but has more of a light armor feel to it.
  

Other Media

DC Animated Universe

The animated version of Maxima

Maxima on Smallville

 Maxima, played by Charlotte Sullivan.

After receiving a Kryptonian beacon signal originating from Tess Mercer's testing of the Crystal of Knowlege, Maxima teleported to Earth from her home planet of Almerac.  Upon her arrival in Metropolis, she assumed that the first man she saw was the owner of the beacon.  She soon discovered the truth when they locked lips, and the man, a wandering stock broker in the wrong place at the wrong time, died.

Looking for the source of the beacon, she was led to Luthor Mansion in Smallville.  While Tess Mercer was inside the mansion admiring a dress she had just received from Oliver Queen, Maxima entered displaying her super-speed.  When Maxima began asking questions about the owner of the crystal, Tess feigned ignorance.  Knowing that Maxima may hold some secrets to the crystal, Tess suggested that she might be able to help Maxima if she knew more about the owner.  Maxima informed Tess that the owner was Kryptonian, and her perfect mate.  She also conveyed her disappointment of finding a planet full of human men instead of Kryptonians.  
 

 Maxima finds Clark Kent

Soon, Maxima sensed that Tess Mercer was hiding something, and came to the conclusion that Tess may be trying to keep the Kryptonian for herself.  She threw the CEO across the room, stole the dress, and took a note addressed to Tess with instructions to meet at the Ace of Clubs.  With Tess lying unconscious on the floor, Maxima went to the club in her place.  She met Jimmy Olsen there , and applied her endorphin kiss on him.  Just as she was coming to the realization that Jimmy wasn't the Kryptonian s he had been searching for, Maxima noticed Clark Kent super-speed past her to save Jimmy and take him to the hospital.  Clark's display of super-speed tipped the Queen of Almerac off that Clark was in fact Kryptonian.

Maxima then tracked Clark down to the Daily Planet and kissed him.  The two began to embrace and grope each other in the elevator.  When the elevator descended to the lobby, the doors opened and revealed Lois Lane.  There was an awkward pause, and Lois turned away upset.  Maxima could feel the tension between Clark and Lois. 

Angrily, Maxima waited until Lois was alone in her car so that she could kill her without Clark seeing.  After flipping her car in the air, and watching it land upsidedown with Lois inside, Maxima went to confront her.  Maxima explained that she could sense a deep connection between Lois and Clark and that he wouldn't have been able to resist her had Lois not arrived.  As Lois was doing her best to try and convince her otherwise, Tess Mercer's security team arrived.  Maxima killed all of them before turning her attention back to Lois.  While Maxima was winding up to punch Lois, Clark saved her life and super-sped away.  Once again, Maxima and Clark were alone together.  The Almeracian Queen took the opportunity to tell Clark that she had heard of the brave and gallant men of Krypton when she was a little girl.  Believing that only a Kryptonian man was worthy to stand at her side, she also mentioned that she had prayed for survivors after hearing of Krypton's destruction.  Despite her advances, Clark managed to trigger her teleportation bracelet, sending her back to Almerac against her will.