Max

Born into the Copper Age of Marvel in Steve Englehart and Kieron Dwyer's Fantastic Four Annual #21 (1988), Max is a quietly fascinating figure whose footprint spans an impressive 23 years despite a modest appearance count — the kind of character dedicated collectors love to track down. With affiliations on both sides of the Marvel universe — the sinister think-tank A.I.M. and the storied Fantastic Four — Max occupies a genuinely intriguing position, the sort of character whose loyalties alone raise questions worth exploring. Popping up across Marvel Comics Presents, Fantastic Four, and the Evolutionary War Omnibus, and sharing pages with the likes of Johnny Storm, Wolverine, and Comet Man, Max clearly runs in consequential circles. Eight appearances spread across more than two decades makes every issue a small discovery — exactly the kind of deep-cut Marvel mystery that makes hunting through long boxes so rewarding.