FUTURE MAX

Real Name: Max

Identity/Class: Human; technology user

Occupation: Student?; inventor

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Spider-Man;
    Beatrice (girlfriend)

Enemies: Alexis Sharp

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Queens, New York

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man Annual#1 (1985)

Powers/Abilities: Max is a brilliant young (teenaged) inventor, highly skilled, and apparently self-taught in electronics, robotics, and exo-skeletons. He suffers from a neuromuscular disorder which causes some incoordination and painful cramping. He wears a variety of metal braces and exo-skeleton units to provide him normal coordination.

    His Future Max robot has superhuman strength (Class 10), as well as  pincers, a high-frequency piercing sonic wail, and an anesthetic gas dispenser. It can also separate into at least five smaller, fully articulated robots able to perform separate tasks, and can reassemble into the composite form in a matter of seconds. It was apparently hooked into his computer, and could respond to his voice commands and carry on at least a limited conversation over the computer.

    Future Max was rebuilt into a suit of armor, operated by hydraulics and possessing superhuman strength (Class 10-25) and durability, and incorporating boot jets and a number of weapon systems, such as a machine gun, a sonic shock blaster (activated when the two hands were touched together), a flame-thrower, and a rocket launcher, using explosive missiles.

    Both the armor and the robot's major weakness was its insulation, and it was susceptible to short-circuiting and releasing an electric shock when exposed to water.

History:
(Web of Spider-Man Annual#1) - Max was a student  apparently living on his own in an apartment in New York City. Apparently self-taught, he built a set of robots, collectively known as Future Max, which he sent out to steal jewelry and other materials to finance his cost of living and work in robotics. Teased by other neighborhood kids because of his disorder, he maintained a close friendship with his neighbor, a girl named Beatrice, but refused to meet her face to face. He sent a series of letters to Reed Richards, hopeful that he might be able to cure his neuromuscular disorder, though his letters went unanswered,

    Spider-Man encountered Future Max while it was robbing a jewelry store, but was stopped by its knock out gas, though he did manage to dislodge and hold onto its head. Later, Max attended a science fair at Midtown High School, where he met Peter Parker, his idol, who had won the science fair years before. Parker offered to do a story on Max's work for the Daily Bugle, and got his address to set it up, but also recognized his work from the robot he had encountered before. At the same fair, Max met Alexis Sharp, who posed as an agent for the Institute for Technological Advancement, and promised to connect Max with Reed Richards if he could design an exoskeleton for him.

    After making the exoskeleton, Sharp took it and went on a rampage. Spider-Man, come to investigate Max's involvement with the robot he'd encountered, came in just after Sharp took off. After some struggle, and with some advice from Max, Spidey short-circuited the exoskeleton, disabling Sharp, and sent him to the police.

    The next day, Parker showed up and did the photo shoot for Max's story, and Max had his first date with Beatrice. And they lived happily ever after...

Comments: Created by Ann Nocenti and Tony Salmons.

File this one deep in the pile of forgotten characters. I'd like to see Max one day working with Reed Richards.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

• MAX - Fortisqian, pilot of Halley's comet, remade Stephan Beckley into Comet Man--Comet Man#1
• MAX - rottweiler, trained by Punisher (Castle) --Punisher II#54
• MAX ?? - mechanic, hired Hulk--Incredible Hulk II#427
• MAX of Earth-NU - technology designed by Professor Swenson, used for armor for Spitfire and the Troubleshooters
    -Man-Amplified eXperiment, aka MACS--Spitfire+Troubleshooters(nu)#1
• MAX of Earth-NU (Maximus Argath) - Far Place --Justice (nu)#13
• MAX - line of non-code approved comics--Alias#1
• FUTURE MAN ( ) - enemy of All-Winners Squad--All-Winners#21; Giant-Size Avengers#1
• FUTURIST (Dr.Randolph James) - former colleague of Reed Richards, evolved self, left for space, former prisoner of the Stranger--Fantastic Four I#216
• ULTRA-MAX - computer virus created by Max E. Mumm --Punisher Annual#5
• other Future or Max characters

Alexis Sharp

Possibly an alias, but it's either that or "Schizo Man" (which I guess is neither the correct terminology (Multiple Personality Disorder, or even more recently, Disassociative Identity Disorder), nor very PC). Anyway, he is an actor, turned con-man, who used his ability to take on different roles and speech patterns to impersonate people in various careers. At some point, though, it became more than acting. He shifts personalities as needed to maintain his confidence, etc. going from a southern twang to Shakespearean Iambic Pentameter, and even mixing his Shakespeare with Dirty Harry--"Doth thou feel lucky today?"

Learning of the science fair at Midtown High, he  posed as an agent for the Institute for Technological Advancement, and promised to connect Max with Reed Richards if he could design an exoskeleton for him. Once he got the exo-skeleton, his professional demeanor faded, and he took the suit out on a rampage. Spider-Man went after him, keeping out of his reach until he exhausted his weapons supply one by one, and then--following recommendations from Max--tossed him into a water tower, where the suit short-circuited. Spidey left the powerless Sharp for the cops.

--Web of Spider-Man Annual#1

images: (without ads)
Web of Spider-Man Annual#1, Cover (main image)