| NOTE: This article will only focus on the version in the novelisation as his original film version was not voted Pure Evil. Therefore, only the novelisation version's info and crimes should be listed here. |
| “ | B.O.B.: These poor creatures are what's left of the original human crew. They are kept alive by a technique of Reinhardt's I don't pretend to understand. V.I.N.CENT: They are humans, then? B.O.B.: More robot now than human, Vincent. There was nothing a mere B.O.B. unit like myself could have done. Reinhardt had constructed Maximillian as a therapeutic research project, or so he told the other humans. With Maximillian's aid, he was able to take over the ship. He and Maximllian had secretly reprogrammed the other robots to help him. They were not responsible... he'd altered their circuitry and memories radically. This altered programming did not manifest itself until the time he'd chosen for the takeover, when their secret, special programming was keyed by a selected phrase spoken only be Reinhardt. Those humans who survived--you see what's left of them working around the ship. Occasionally some die, despite the best efforts of Reinhardt's programmed surgeons. Some die from natural causes, I'm sure, but I believe others experience a flash of reality and kill themselves. V.I.N.CENT: Only a flash? Couldn't some of them, still retain enough to be returned to a normal state? B.O.B.: I doubt it. Their brains have been altered to do Reinhardt's bidding. They retain no individual will, react to nothing save the task they are assigned to. When I was able to isolate myself with one, I tried to communicate. None has ever responded to me. |
„ |
| ~ B.O.B. telling V.I.N.CENT the truth about what happened to the Cygnus crew thanks to Maximillian and Reinhardt. |
Maximilian is the secondary antagonist of Alan Foster's novelisation of Disney's 1979 live-action sci-fi film The Black Hole. He is a sinister and intimidating red robot who aids his master and creator Dr. Hans Reinhardt in his plans involving the titular black hole, having enslaved the crew of the Cygnus into doing his bidding. Unlike his film version, this version of the character is far more murderous and heinous. He is also the arch-nemesis of V.I.N.CENT and B.O.B.
What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]
- 20 years ago prior to the story, he was created by Reinhardt to help destroy the resistance formed on the Cygnus by reprogramming all the Sentry Robots on the ship, sans B.O.B., to kill the majority of the ship's crew, with him and Reinhardt even personally murdering Frank McCrae, Kate's father. He then forcibly captured the remaining survivors and stripped them of their free will via rearranging their brains all while removing all of their flesh and bone, resulting in them becoming soulless faceless metallic husks called Humanoids controlled by him for two whole decades.
- Upon spotting the Palomino crew, he threatens to slice them all with his drills and would've done so had Reinhardt not told him to stand down.
- He intimidates and pressures V.I.N.CENT throughout the story just because he accidentally bumped into him one time, and nearly forces him into a corner before being told to stop by Reinhardt, before storing V.I.N.CENT's words in his database for later.
- He also terrorises Holland by hovering over him and showing he's more than willing to kill him if he wasn't restrained.
- He more than likely abused B.O.B. given that he's seen shoving him onto the ground and he starts to try and crawl far away from him.
- Eviscerates and kills Alex Durant with a laser when he learns his true nature before attempting to roboticize Kate into a Humanoid.
- He gleefully attempts to carry out Reinhardt's command to execute the Palomino crew with his Sentry Robots.
- He takes control of the Cygnus and fires at the crew while they're in the Palomino, successfully blowing up the ship and killing Booth.
- After V.I.N.CENT destroys the sentries, he goes and fights him and B.O.B. personally, abandoning a mortally wounded Reinhardt when the ship is about to perish, and mortally injuring B.O.B. by tossing him into a wall, before being impaled and sucked out of the Cygnus and into the black hole by V.I.N.CENT when he tries to dismember him, as a satisfying death and avenging all the people he's killed and/or put in a state of constant torment.
- While he serves Reinhardt, he shows no genuine care towards him as he's willing to disobey his orders and leave him trapped just because he's more prioritised over getting his revenge on V.I.N.CENT just because he one-upped him, showcasing his petty side as well.
- While he doesn't speak, he has enough of a personality to have Moral Agency as showcased by his beeping communication sounds and body language, enjoying having control over and sending orders to his drones, showing genuine displeasure towards everyone and everything around him, and barely stopping himself from brutally tearing Holland to shreds upon being unconvinced by his explanation of why he made a wrong turn looking for the ship.
- Despite Reinhardt being the mastermind, he still stands out from him for his personal villainy towards V.I.N.CENT and B.O.B. and being the one directly controlling and roboticizing dozens of survivors from the original Cygnus crew in a fate worse than death for 20 years, all while causing several others to die when quelling the resistance against them. Also, unlike his boss, who expressed genuine sadness over Durant's death, he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Trivia[]
- The film version does not qualify as Pure Evil due to lacking his personal villainy towards V.I.N.CENT and B.O.B. and his unique crime of being the one responsible roboticizing the Cygnus crew, making him bog-standard and a generic Kill the Heroes villain.
External Links[]
- Maximilian on the Villains Wiki
- Maximilian on the Disney Wiki
- Maximilian on the Black Hole Wiki
