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Strength Level: Maaxa endows the bearer of the
axe with superhuman strength, the exact limits of which have not been
revealed. The current carrier is certainly stronger than Spitfire,
and has proved at least an equal match for Colossus, who can lift/press
70 tonnes under optimal conditions.
Known Superhuman Powers: Maaxa endows the bearer
with a range of superhuman abilities. In addition to superhuman strength,
the bearer of Maaxa possesses incredible resistance to injury, and
to extremes of heat and cold. Maaxa is immune to disease, never ages,
and her body does not generate fatigue poisons. Maaxa creates magical
armour on the host, decorated with runes of invulnerability and strength.
The Axe Maaxa is apparently indestructible and can apparently cut
through any substance. Maaxa can channel devastating bursts of energy
from the haft or blade. The Axe will still retain its link to its
host even if they are not in physical contact, enabling the axe to
be thrown as a ranged weapon. If a stranger were to pick up the axe,
Maaxa will not transfer her ‘gifts’ to the new bearer
unless the demon decides it wants to.
Abilities/Special Skills: Maaxa has existed
for thousands of years and has amassed a huge amount of knowledge
of both the black arts and armed and unarmed combat. The bearer of
Maaxa is proficient in almost every weapon known to man, ancient and
modern, and has a mastery of armed and unarmed combat. Maaxa is also
a tactical genius, skilled in directing and manipulating an army.
Weapons Used: While Maaxa’s bearer is
capable of using any weapon, she usually only uses the Maaxa battle-axe. |
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Personality:
Maaxa revels in combat – she has a superiority
complex and believes herself superior in battle to anyone, and is
driven to prove this again and again. While she can be ruthless and
single minded in battle she is no berserker – Maaxa is a calculating
and skilful fighter.
Personal
Interests: Battle.
History: Maaxa is a demon, a demi-god of the
ancient world fallen into corruption and black magic. The circumstances
of its birth, and its transformation into a demonic being have not
yet been revealed. Maaxa’s original form was undoubtedly human,
presumably a woman, since she seems to favour female bearers today,
although this is purely supposition. It appears that at some point
in the past the physical body was destroyed, but Maaxa’s spirit
continued to exist in the weapon that she had carried while she was
alive. When the axe is touched, Maaxa is able to take over the actions
of the bearer, and with her magic, change the victim to a new demonic
form, perhaps mirroring that of the original demon. It is not known
how many bearers Maaxa has had over the years, or when the current
bearer took up the axe.
Recently, Maaxa – as one of the most powerful demonic presences
on Earth – was contacted by Samhain, an emissary of Chthon.
Whether Maaxa too was originally a follower of Chthon, or whether
it swore allegiance to the Elder God at this point is not known. Whatever
the reason, Maaxa is now fanatically loyal to Chthon and became the
general of the Horde’s armies, co-ordinating the vast demon
legions poised in Chthon’s dimension to invade the Earth.
Maaxa participated in the Horde’s attack on a group of heroes,
including the Sorceress Supreme Clea Strange. Maaxa battled the former
X-Man Colossus to a stand-still. She also battled members of Neo-X
in an attempt to gain the Darkhold, a powerful spell book. With the
most powerful mystic on Earth in their power, the Horde began to capture
other psychics and mystics to feed the Chaos Engine, a magical machine
that drained the power of its victims and used that power to break
down the boundaries between Earth and Chthon’s dimension. Maaxa
participated in a ritual called the Blood Canticle, which fully empowered
her with the spirit of Maaxa. Now that the Horde were at their most
powerful, they launched their attack.
While Samhain dealt with the Shadow King and Professor Charles Xavier,
the remaining members of the Horde gathered more and more psychics
and sorcerers to feed the Chaos Engine. Among others Maaxa personally
captured Amanda Sefton, and the psychic criminal Brainstorm. During
this attack she encountered the heroine Spitfire, who she defeated
easily.
When Samhain killed Xavier, the psychic shockwave that followed provided
enough raw power to finally break the barrier between the Earth and
Chthon’s demon world. Under Maaxa’s direction the demons
poured through cracks in the sky, targeting the most heavily populated
areas. Maaxa personally directed the attack on London, and again encountered
Spitfire. Spitfire succeeded in separating Maaxa from her host, and
thinking that the bearer was Maaxa, picked the weapon up. Maaxa then
attempted to control Spitfire, who barely resisted. The previous bearer
reclaimed the weapon and once again under Maaxa’s control, killed
Spitfire.
With the cities of the world falling to Maaxa’s armies, the
demon returned to Wundagore for the final rituals that would bring
Chthon to Earth. When the Earth’s defenders launched their last
desperate attack on the mountain, Maaxa battled Touch and the resurrected
Spitfire. This time, Spitfire managed to separate the host from the
axe for a longer period of time, and no longer sustained by the demon-weapon,
the host being crumbled to dust. Subsequently the Horde’s plan
was defeated by the combined efforts of Spitfire, the Hellions and
Neo-X. However, as long as the axe remains, Maaxa could return by
possessing a new host. |
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