Maxima (comics)

Maxima
Interior artwork from Superman Villains Secret Files and Origins 1 (June 1998 DC Comics). Art by Amanda Conner.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Action Comics #645 (September 1989)
Created by	Roger Stern George Pérez
In-story information
Species	Almeracian
Team affiliations	Justice League Extreme Justice Superman Revenge Squad
Abilities	Superhuman Strength Superhuman Speed Superhuman Endurance Invulnerability Flight Telekinesis Empathy Telepathy Hypnosis Teleportation Optical Force-Beams Force Field-Generation

Maxima is a fictional character from the DC Comics Superman titles. She is known for searching for mates among Earth's superpowered male population; as a result, Superman becomes her obsession. Morally ambiguous, she occasionally serves both as an adversary for Superman and a superheroine working as a member of the Justice League.

Maxima first appeared in Action Comics #645 and was created by writer Roger Stern and artist George Pérez.

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 Ultraa, 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 the 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, a jilted Ultraa angrily 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. While part of the Extreme Justice team she joined with other heroes on a trip to Hell itself, mistakenly believing that Superman was trapped there. During the battle, Maxima fell and was lost in one of the 'Nine rings'. She was sent back to Earth when Neron, the current ruler of hell, was subdued.