House of Almerac Maxima Appreciation 2021

[Thor-Ul]

I think a good design can be made from it with some heavy lifting. Hell, I may break out my pencils after like a decade of not drawing anymore just to take my shot at it, but yeah. It's not a look that aged well. The green/gold scheme works, but the breast plate that exposes her abdomen and thong is not a good look for an alien empress. Honestly, just a skintight suit covering her abdomen to her feet may be enough to fix the design but I'd have to photoshop it to be sure.

That's Maxima in a nutshell though. A lot of potential never fully realized before she was killed and reintroduced as someone completely different.

Well resumed. Something than applies to so many other characters too I must add.

On the costume, when you think of alien empress, I always thought of Dejah Thoris. That is my taste, but I supposse is not the correct one. A rework is on the need, I admit. Originally, I liked the Minima suit, now it just bring me rejection.

[Vordan]

You know I don’t want to get my hopes up, but given PKJ is said to be focusing on both the cosmic side of Superman, and said to be developing an “underserved area of Superman lore” you guys think there’s a chance Maxima and/or Almerac could play a role in his upcoming plans? Wish someone would ask stuff like that rather than whining about Jon for the 100th time in these interviews.

Can we also talk about her costume or wardrobe? It literally reeks of 90's

I thought the Rebirth update was great!


And I don’t mind “sexy” costumes for when she’s actually trying to seduce someone, but I don’t think the exposed midriff outfit is acceptable for when she’s geared up to fight. If she’s meant to be a serious warrior, then have her dress appropriately. Save the revealing outfits for the bedroom, not the battlefield.

[Robanker]

You know I don’t want to get my hopes up, but given PKJ is said to be focusing on both the cosmic side of Superman, and said to be developing an “underserved area of Superman lore” you guys think there’s a chance Maxima and/or Almerac could play a role in his upcoming plans? Wish someone would ask stuff like that rather than whining about Jon for the 100th time in these interviews.


I thought the Rebirth update was great!


And I don’t mind “sexy” costumes for when she’s actually trying to seduce someone, but I don’t think the exposed midriff outfit is acceptable for when she’s geared up to fight. If she’s meant to be a serious warrior, then have her dress appropriately. Save the revealing outfits for the bedroom, not the battlefield.

The posted image was a step in the right direction but I don't know, it just didn't really pop. Felt like Maxima cosplay more than proper Maxima. Maybe that's by design since that story treats her like an imposter. I like it. Hell, I still like the old costume because I'm 13 on some level (lol) but I still feel like there's a better design. I'll probably take a crack at it for fun so I'm not just some asshole saying "do it again but better," though I don't think I'll succeed where the pros failed.

Otherwise I agree. How she dresses when she's with a concubine, lover or the like is her business. Perhaps if all Almerac is shown to be scantily clad with equally sexualized males, you can even pass that off as regal garb, but yeah. She's going to war and they're too scientifically inclined to fall back on barbarian archetypes. She should have more practical armor.

[Ascended]

And I don’t mind “sexy” costumes for when she’s actually trying to seduce someone, but I don’t think the exposed midriff outfit is acceptable for when she’s geared up to fight. If she’s meant to be a serious warrior, then have her dress appropriately. Save the revealing outfits for the bedroom, not the battlefield.

Generally I agree, I don't need skimpy costumes on people who are in danger of getting stabbed.

In Maxima's case though I think there's an argument for *some* skimp. Almerac is supposed to be loosely based on ancient Rome right? Their warriors didn't usually wear a lot going into battle either, far as I know. And since Maxima can take a hit from Clark when he means it, we know there's not a whole ton of stuff out there that's a legit threat to her.

I'd still get rid of the thong and de-porn the whole thing, but I think Maxima's one of those characters where a skimpier costume makes some sense.

[Vordan]

Generally I agree, I don't need skimpy costumes on people who are in danger of getting stabbed.

In Maxima's case though I think there's an argument for *some* skimp. Almerac is supposed to be loosely based on ancient Rome right? Their warriors didn't usually wear a lot going into battle either, far as I know. And since Maxima can take a hit from Clark when he means it, we know there's not a whole ton of stuff out there that's a legit threat to her.

I'd still get rid of the thong and de-porn the whole thing, but I think Maxima's one of those characters where a skimpier costume makes some sense.

If it’s a culture wide thing then ok, I can roll with that.

[Robanker]

If it’s a culture wide thing then ok, I can roll with that.

It's conditional for me. If we're going Roman empire with excessive debauchery by way of Caligula, then I'll accept that in more the high courts or political sphere, but I just can't get with the thong for her practical costume. I'm a huge Power Girl fan, so I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say someone who can fight Kryptonians needs to constantly think someone can one-shot her if she's not in armor, but unlike a teardrop cut-out (which are real things), Max walking around in an armored crop top and thong with thigh boots isn't really tracking well for "Empress" nor does it have much basis in reality. It just feels like a design for the cover of Heavy Metal magazine, and while that's cool, I don't think it's the best direction for Maxima in 2021.

[SJNeal]

It's conditional for me. If we're going Roman empire with excessive debauchery by way of Caligula, then I'll accept that in more the high courts or political sphere, but I just can't get with the thong for her practical costume. I'm a huge Power Girl fan, so I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say someone who can fight Kryptonians needs to constantly think someone can one-shot her if she's not in armor, but unlike a teardrop cut-out (which are real things), Max walking around in an armored crop top and thong with thigh boots isn't really tracking well for "Empress" nor does it have much basis in reality. It just feels like a design for the cover of Heavy Metal magazine, and while that's cool, I don't think it's the best direction for Maxima in 2021.

Okay that should be the official pitch to DC for Max's first ongoing!

[Ascended]

Okay that should be the official pitch to DC for Max's first ongoing!

I feel like Vertigo would've run with it.

[Prime]

You know I don’t want to get my hopes up, but given PKJ is said to be focusing on both the cosmic side of Superman, and said to be developing an “underserved area of Superman lore” you guys think there’s a chance Maxima and/or Almerac could play a role in his upcoming plans? Wish someone would ask stuff like that rather than whining about Jon for the 100th time in these interviews.


I thought the Rebirth update was great!


And I don’t mind “sexy” costumes for when she’s actually trying to seduce someone, but I don’t think the exposed midriff outfit is acceptable for when she’s geared up to fight. If she’s meant to be a serious warrior, then have her dress appropriately. Save the revealing outfits for the bedroom, not the battlefield.

We need them to reveal she is the real Maxima

[Robanker]

I feel like Vertigo would've run with it.

I mean it's in my pitch if I ever get my foot in the door at DC.

[Gaius]

It's conditional for me. If we're going Roman empire with excessive debauchery by way of Caligula, then I'll accept that in more the high courts or political sphere, but I just can't get with the thong for her practical costume. I'm a huge Power Girl fan, so I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say someone who can fight Kryptonians needs to constantly think someone can one-shot her if she's not in armor, but unlike a teardrop cut-out (which are real things), Max walking around in an armored crop top and thong with thigh boots isn't really tracking well for "Empress" nor does it have much basis in reality. It just feels like a design for the cover of Heavy Metal magazine, and while that's cool, I don't think it's the best direction for Maxima in 2021.

[Robanker]

1664297-681157_almerac_actioncomics650.jpg

This is early Max, but keep in mind how she dresses when she's alone and how she envisions Superman as her ideal mate and warlord. It strikes as a very Roman gladiatorial take on Barbarian garb. Lots of revealing outfits, sex appeal is built in but there's a deep warlike nature to them. The exposed chest (much like with Max) seems to invite danger to the traditionally vulnerable location. It exudes confidence and sexuality at the cost of protection because it implies that's not needed. That's her fantasy of Superman as an ideal mate, so it tells you what they value on Almerac-- or at least what Max did before she started getting infected with our soft Earth ways.

Obviously I'd personally reign it in a little in their actual armor, but sex is clearly a part of that society. That their queen has no qualms presenting herself in that manner shows they probably don't have as restrictive views on nudity or revealing clothing. By what we can gather, they view exposure likely as some degree of power (based on their armor) and that the less you wear, the more you don't fear someone in the room. Again, I'm reading the way she presents herself and how she fantasizes the ultimate warlord.

In reality, they were trying to make her Clark's Catwoman and sexed up her design a lot. Let there be no delusions, I don't think a ton of this was intended. But we have to tell a story so sexually liberated space Romans who are immensely corrupt is a good place to start. If I was tasked to put it simply, it's cosmic Game of Thrones. With all the sex, murder, excess and drama.

I have no doubt their society is one where fashionable affectation did nothing to actually indicate character. This is a culture that pride themselves on sending their queen to bed a foreign champion and genetically engineer a superior child and then continue their conquest, hopefully with her new mate in tow but not necessarily. The honey trap would absolutely be in that arsenal, so you better believe it's probably employed in whatever other dealings are had with Almerac, either externally with other planets or internally with their senate (if we're modeling them after Rome) down to their small courts and so forth. It's been floated that Max probably has concubines or a harem for her pleasure not related to political marriage (should Almerac even have some equivalent), and I think that tracks if we're really building Almerac as, well, the Roman empire in space by way of Caligula.

More importantly, Nu Max and her plight at refusing to use sex as a tool/weapon and being shunted off to some school (to get "fixed" or stay out of the way) says a lot about how Almerac views duty versus the will of its people. I imagine even Maxima proper has reservations with tradition but adheres to it by the nature of her position, though she clearly loves the power she has and exerting it on others. She's shown to not be amoral, though. She's not just an outright villain. I'm sure she has some genuine affection for Clark to match her clearly overwhelming attraction to him, very much in part because he doesn't bend to her will. He's strong. She respects strength. Like her, he doesn't waver from his beliefs. I imagine she loves her daughter (assuming they go with making Nu Max her kid, which is what I'd do) and thinks shipping her off to the Crucible was probably protecting her. Max is a mess, but she is a person.


But they're a galactic empire and one that's expanding; it works despite being a rather ruthless machine. They're not just up to their eyes in wine and backstabbing and unable to function.

It's raw. Honestly, in 2021 it would take a lot of updating rather than just having a society where everyone is having affairs and stabbing each other in their bed chambers after three jugs of wine while touring the local nebula. But that's certainly a touchstone Almerac was built on and probably something to consider. I think entirely removing the Roman influence kind of strips Almerac of its identity and turns it into a generic planet, as does their clearly more liberated views on sex. I get the Caligula bit more because, well, they created Maxima. She is born of this empire and embodies it, ergo the person she arrived as reflects them; sex is a weapon, openly displayed and her ambition is matched only by her pride. Time on Earth changes her a bit (because we're incapable of believing someone would come here and be worse for it ) but not all that much.

Is Almerac problematic as I've described it? Well, yeah. So was Game of Thrones. There's a reason Clark never really goes for it with Max, and if he did, you'd better believe Almerac would change drastically by his influence. It's not supposed to be a good place; literally look at their queen. She's interesting, but everything about Max isn't exactly screaming "progressive." Own it. Craft a world that's engaging and awful but you want to learn more. Maybe you want someone to fix it from the inside. Maybe you root for Max and her daughter to change it for the better. But there's potential to give it a galactic signature as something to recognize instead of just "the planet with the lady in the iron thong who wants Superbabies except when she's gay and then she mostly just wants to be a teenager."


Yes, I can get a ton from just a few images. But a lot is from memory of her appearances in comics, though I admit it's been a while since I read Maxima in print. I'll brush up on her when I finally have time (I have so many things in my reading queue right now), but I don't feel like anything I've extrapolated is a stretch. Just my two cents. If you think I'm off base, well just be glad I'll never write for DC.

[Vordan]

Man world building is so much fun. It’s when you actually have to write a plot that things get tough

[Robanker]

Man world building is so much fun. It’s when you actually have to write a plot that things get tough

I was stuck home for a couple weeks recently so I got a lot of actual plotting done and committing stuff to document as it were. Really satisfying. Even picked up drawing again. I think getting started is really just the difficult part. Once you get going, the only thing in your way is yourself. Get a friend to peer review and just roll with it, man. Nothing more rewarding than being creative and seeing it coalesce into something tangible. So much fun!

But I will agree, world building is rad. I usually end up with copious notes that amount to like one scene. lol

[Prime]

1664297-681157_almerac_actioncomics650.jpg

This is early Max, but keep in mind how she dresses when she's alone and how she envisions Superman as her ideal mate and warlord. It strikes as a very Roman gladiatorial take on Barbarian garb. Lots of revealing outfits, sex appeal is built in but there's a deep warlike nature to them. The exposed chest (much like with Max) seems to invite danger to the traditionally vulnerable location. It exudes confidence and sexuality at the cost of protection because it implies that's not needed. That's her fantasy of Superman as an ideal mate, so it tells you what they value on Almerac-- or at least what Max did before she started getting infected with our soft Earth ways.

Obviously I'd personally reign it in a little in their actual armor, but sex is clearly a part of that society. That their queen has no qualms presenting herself in that manner shows they probably don't have as restrictive views on nudity or revealing clothing. By what we can gather, they view exposure likely as some degree of power (based on their armor) and that the less you wear, the more you don't fear someone in the room. Again, I'm reading the way she presents herself and how she fantasizes the ultimate warlord.

In reality, they were trying to make her Clark's Catwoman and sexed up her design a lot. Let there be no delusions, I don't think a ton of this was intended. But we have to tell a story so sexually liberated space Romans who are immensely corrupt is a good place to start. If I was tasked to put it simply, it's cosmic Game of Thrones. With all the sex, murder, excess and drama.

I have no doubt their society is one where fashionable affectation did nothing to actually indicate character. This is a culture that pride themselves on sending their queen to bed a foreign champion and genetically engineer a superior child and then continue their conquest, hopefully with her new mate in tow but not necessarily. The honey trap would absolutely be in that arsenal, so you better believe it's probably employed in whatever other dealings are had with Almerac, either externally with other planets or internally with their senate (if we're modeling them after Rome) down to their small courts and so forth. It's been floated that Max probably has concubines or a harem for her pleasure not related to political marriage (should Almerac even have some equivalent), and I think that tracks if we're really building Almerac as, well, the Roman empire in space by way of Caligula.

More importantly, Nu Max and her plight at refusing to use sex as a tool/weapon and being shunted off to some school (to get "fixed" or stay out of the way) says a lot about how Almerac views duty versus the will of its people. I imagine even Maxima proper has reservations with tradition but adheres to it by the nature of her position, though she clearly loves the power she has and exerting it on others. She's shown to not be amoral, though. She's not just an outright villain. I'm sure she has some genuine affection for Clark to match her clearly overwhelming attraction to him, very much in part because he doesn't bend to her will. He's strong. She respects strength. Like her, he doesn't waver from his beliefs. I imagine she loves her daughter (assuming they go with making Nu Max her kid, which is what I'd do) and thinks shipping her off to the Crucible was probably protecting her. Max is a mess, but she is a person.


But they're a galactic empire and one that's expanding; it works despite being a rather ruthless machine. They're not just up to their eyes in wine and backstabbing and unable to function.

It's raw. Honestly, in 2021 it would take a lot of updating rather than just having a society where everyone is having affairs and stabbing each other in their bed chambers after three jugs of wine while touring the local nebula. But that's certainly a touchstone Almerac was built on and probably something to consider. I think entirely removing the Roman influence kind of strips Almerac of its identity and turns it into a generic planet, as does their clearly more liberated views on sex. I get the Caligula bit more because, well, they created Maxima. She is born of this empire and embodies it, ergo the person she arrived as reflects them; sex is a weapon, openly displayed and her ambition is matched only by her pride. Time on Earth changes her a bit (because we're incapable of believing someone would come here and be worse for it ) but not all that much.

Is Almerac problematic as I've described it? Well, yeah. So was Game of Thrones. There's a reason Clark never really goes for it with Max, and if he did, you'd better believe Almerac would change drastically by his influence. It's not supposed to be a good place; literally look at their queen. She's interesting, but everything about Max isn't exactly screaming "progressive." Own it. Craft a world that's engaging and awful but you want to learn more. Maybe you want someone to fix it from the inside. Maybe you root for Max and her daughter to change it for the better. But there's potential to give it a galactic signature as something to recognize instead of just "the planet with the lady in the iron thong who wants Superbabies except when she's gay and then she mostly just wants to be a teenager."


Yes, I can get a ton from just a few images. But a lot is from memory of her appearances in comics, though I admit it's been a while since I read Maxima in print. I'll brush up on her when I finally have time (I have so many things in my reading queue right now), but I don't feel like anything I've extrapolated is a stretch. Just my two cents. If you think I'm off base, well just be glad I'll never write for DC.

Good God. That picture of Superman just reeks of 90's.