Known mostly for his popular toys, Max Steel has been a minor superhero staple since the '90s in cartoons, movies and toy aisles. The Mattel-created character has evolved from its original, more science fiction and military-oriented themes to recently taking on a more superheroic approach. This has given the franchise superficial similarities to everything from G.I. Joe to Iron Man and Bloodshot.
With how much the character has drifted into more firmly superhero territory in recent years, it makes sense for the character to jump into the world of comics too. Now, we're taking a look back at the evolution of Max Steel’s different cartoons and movies, and the accompanying comic books that were released alongside each of them.
Max Steel (2000 TV series)
The original Max Steel animated series, based on the first toy line, aired from 2000 to 2002. It told the story of Josh McGrath, an orphaned athlete who is taken in by his father’s scientist friend Jefferson Smith. During an attack at Smith’s lab by a cyborg, Josh is injured and exposed to nanites. In order to save his life, Smith exposes Josh to transphasic energy, stabilizing him and the nanites, as well as giving the teen superpowers. From there, Josh would take on the superhero identity of Max Steel, and would face monsters, robots, and the evil Mr. Dread while practicing various forms of extreme sports. Lasting for three seasons, the series would continue through a number of direct-to-video movies, although only the first of these shares the show's continuity.
Much of the show's first season was based on the pre-existing comic book which was distributed with the original toyline. Each toy included a 12-page comic book that detailed a mission briefing that displayed Max's powers, with Dread and Jefferson both giving their perspectives on the situation. In this comic, however, the founder of the N-Tek scientific corporation is Max's dad, Jim McGrath.
Some mini-comics for this version of the character were released in 2006, to coincide with the release of the 2005 direct-to-video animated movie, Max Steel: Forces of Nature. These comics further detailed the threat of the monstrous Elementor, who could control the various elements. Like the rest of the franchise, these toys and comics were especially successful in Latin America.
Max Steel (2013 TV Series)
The 2013 Max Steel animated reboot updated the character design to give him a more Tron like appearance in his superhero form. It also heavily changed backstory, right down to the hero himself. Josh McGrath is now Max McGrath, who, after moving to Copper Canyon with his mom, begins to develop powerful T.U.R.B.O. energy. Joining N-Tek to learn how to harness the energy, he meets an "ultralink" called Steel, which he combines with when a dangerous villain begins attacking Copper Canyon. The series aired for two seasons and continued on as three direct-to-video movies after its finale, much like the hero's previous series.
To coincide with the new show, Viz Media released a series of full-length graphic novels in the reimagined continuity, starting with The Parasites. This was followed by Hero Overload and Haywire, which greatly expanded the superhero universe of the toyline. These books featured veteran comic book creators such as B. Clay Moore as part of the larger multimedia push that Mattel gave the franchise. Revamped versions of villains such as Dread and Elementor also showed up across these accompanying adaptations.
Max Steel (2016 Movie)
While 2016 had plenty of major superhero movie releases, one of the year's more minor superhero films was the first live-action adaptation of Max Steel. Intended to begin production after Paramount purchased the rights in 2009, the beleaguered film was eventually shelved when Mattel decided to put Max back on the small screen first in 2013. After the launch of the show, production began again, with this version of Max's origin story finally hitting the big screen in 2016.
Many of the story and design elements, such as Max's suit and the ultra-link Steel, were based on the recent cartoon. The release was relatively low-key, especially considering the blockbuster intentions that initially guided the movie. There was no accompanying media tie-in for the film, making it the first big entry in the Max Steel franchise without a coinciding comic book or toyline. Due to a likely combination of a deluge of superhero films that year and practically non-existent marketing, Max Steel was a commercial and critical flop.
With the show off the air and the movie had failed, it's unknown where the Max Steel franchise will go from here. If the past is any indication, any revival would be incomplete without a toyline and a comic book of some sort.