| Maxie Zeus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Maxie Zeus as depicted inWho's Who in the DC Universe #14 (November 1991). Art byJim Aparo. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #483 (May 1979) |
| Created by | Dennis O'Neil (writer) Don Newton (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Maximilian "Maxie" Zeus |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | The New Olympians |
| Abilities |
|
Maximilian "Maxie"Zeus is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics, primarily as a minor enemy ofBatman. He is depicted as a mentally ill former history professor who is obsessed withGreek mythology and believes himself to be the godZeus, becoming a crime lord inGotham City.
Maxie Zeus first appeared inDetective Comics #483 (April–May 1979) and was created byDenny O'Neil andDon Newton.[1]
Maxie Zeus is a former Greek history teacher who goes insane following the death of his wife.[2] He becomes a criminal mastermind and battles Batman on several occasions before being committed toArkham Asylum.[3]
Because Maxie appears to be less dangerous than other notorious Arkham inmates, Arkham's administrators do not commit him in the maximum security wing, despite repeated recommendations from Batman to do so. Batman's concern is vindicated when Maxie escapes to form a team of Greek mythology-based superhuman agents called the New Olympians. He attempts to kidnap Olympic athlete Lacinia Nitocris and force her to marry him before being defeated by Batman and theOutsiders.[4]
InBatman: Knightfall, Zeus is among the villains who escape Arkham afterBane destroys Arkham Asylum. However, he is quickly stopped after colliding with a tree.[5] Some time later, he is drawn into a plot engineered by theChildren of Ares to merge Gotham City withAres' throne capital, the Aeropagus, during which he is sacrificed to resurrect Ares.
InRobin, Maxie Zeus appears alive and becomes the head of the illegal casino "Maxie's" beforeRobin defeats him. InBatman: Cacophony, Zeus works with the Joker and uses his funds to create a public school. After Batman rescues Zeus from the Joker, he temporarily restores his sanity using antipsychotics and convinces him to turn himself in to the police.
Zeus' sole link to sanity is his elementary-school age daughter Medea--who is usually kept in exclusive boarding schools, safe from the consequences of her father's actions. Batman is aware of her existence and once gifted her with a doll that Medea gave a multi-syllable Greek name.
InThe New 52 storyBatman Eternal,Deacon Blackfire's ghost possesses Maxie Zeus in an attempt to resurrect himself.[6][7] InDoomsday Clock, Zeus appears as an inmate of Arkham Asylum.[8]
An alternate universe variant of Maxie Zeus appears inArkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth.[9]
