Lest we forget: The Power is yours!

By reading the above title, you're probably thinking either this post is about Captain Planet or the funny spoof of Cap'n Planet by actor Don Cheadle for Laughordie.com.

Well it's not, but I am going to talk briefly about another character with Power as his last name.
I'm talking about Dr. Maximus Power.

You're probably going "who?"

I'm referring to this guy:

Back during the 3rd Volume of Iron Man, writer Frank Tieri created this alien "villain" to fight Tony. His backstory is basically that he was living on a planet that was ruled my magic and outlawed science. Our boy Maximus dared to practice the forbidden art/black magic of science, and was tried, convicted, and sentenced to exile on our planet. You know 'cause that's where all alien criminals wind up in comic book land.

So Maximus does the whole "stranger in a strange land" routine, and eventually learns Earth's customs and languages. While living with bums and free-thinkers in California(because that's where all bums and free-thinkers live apparently) he discovers the whole fascination with Super-Heroes. Being the smart alien that he is, he not only figures out a way to get people high w/o the dangerous side-effects(it's true, just read it) , but he also figures out a way to give everyday, regular people superpowers.
Skip ahead a few years, and now going by the name Dr. Maximus Power, he becomes rich and famous for his discovery. Tony's then girlfriend at the time Rumiko Fujikawa, takes him to a Halloween party where Power is the guest of honor. The people in attendance take power's drugs, get super-powers, and all hell breaks loose. Did I mention that Rumiko takes his drug too? She does, and now Tony has to deal w/ her as well as a whole bunch of drunk and super-powered idiots. You know, kind of like a normal party night for Tony.

He eventually fights w/ Dr. Power, and of course beats him just in time to team-up w/ the FF for a Maximum Security event tie-in issue.  Remember that mess?


























After those 3 issues, we never see Maximus again, and I'm curious why not. Sure he seems to be a knock-off/copy of the Martian Manhunter, but he seemed to have more potential than that off a throw-away character. I'm sure some writer like Bendis can dust him off, and make him relevant again. Right?