Maximum Security

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For maximum-security prisons see Supermax or Prisons in the United States.
For the third book in the CHERUB series see CHERUB: Maximum Security.
"For the Tony MacAlpine album see Maximum Security (album).

Maximum Security is a comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics in 2001 as the core of a company-wide crossover. In it, a multitude of alien civilizations that have previously interacted with Earth and faced negative consequences join forces to prevent humans from interfering further with galactic affairs. To accomplish this, they designate Earth as a penal colony and transfer their worst and most dangerous prisoners there.

The miniseries and its crossover in the pages of Avengers were written by Kurt Busiek. There are other issues besides the ones mentioned below.

Contents

[edit] Plot

[edit] Avengers Infinity

While not covered by the Maximum Security logo, the Avengers Infinity miniseries partially leads into "Maximum Security". The group seen in Avengers Infinity consisted of Thor, Tigra, Starfox, Quasar, Moondragon, Photon and the Jack of Hearts. The plot revolved around a group of cosmic entities called the Infinites, who were going to rearrange galaxies (destroying all life in those galaxies in the process) in order to improve the flow of their energies. The heroes convinced the Infinites not to destroy the Earth and the other threatened planets. At the end, the unofficial team began to make their way to Earth, which set them up for their reappearance later in the crossover.

[edit] Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet

At the Shi'ar Empire's Intergalactic Council, the Skrull ambassador files a formal complaint against humans, charging that Professor X and a band of Skrull mutants, known as Cadre K, have been interfering in the extermination of other Skrull mutants.

Other alien races share his anger and the Skrull Ambassador calls for "M'ndavian Justice". This worries Lilandra, Majestrix of the Shi'ar Empire, who has long been an ally of Earth's heroes in general and Professor X in particular.

Meanwhile, Ego, a living planet obsessed with finding another being like itself, destroys the planet of Krylor and plans to destroy further planets until one of them "wakes up". There is some argument over what should be done and a new race, the Ruul, offer to help destroy Ego. Ego easily destroys the ships sent to attack it and the Silver Surfer picks up the survivors.

Back at the council, more reasons for Earth's demolition are put forward. The Silver Surfer's act of kindness is cited against the humans, even though he is not human. Professor X and Cadre K set out to stop Ego, succeeding and barely escaping with their lives.

At the end at the council, it is revealed that the guardians of time, known as the Time-Keepers, have been murdered by Kang the Conqueror (a human), as depicted in the Avengers Forever miniseries. This act is enough for the council to condemn Earth. After the council adjourns, the mysterious Ruul offer Lilandra another option.

[edit] Maximum Security #1

Maximum Security #1 starts off with a former Avenger, USAgent, capturing a super-human criminal. During the fight, a bystander is injured and revealed to be an alien. This is the first of multiple incidents where superheroes and costumed vigilantes fight aliens. At a prison for aliens, USAgent interrogates English-speaking inmates. He discovers that they are not invading Earth, but were sentenced there. USAgent is instructed by his boss to call in the Avengers, who at this point are comprised of The Wasp, Iron Man, Goliath, Scarlet Witch, Warbird, The Vision and Triathlon. Captain America is not officially back on the active team, and Wonder Man is in a restorative tank after a battle with the super villain Count Nefaria.

The Avengers set out to space in their ship, the Quinjet, and encounter a huge invisible spaceship called 'The Citadel'. It destroys the Quinjet, but the team escapes, only to be caught up by a tractor beam and conveyed into the Citadel. They meet Ronan the Accuser, an agent of the Kree Empire who explains that, despite initial appearances, the Kree are not to blame for the banished aliens. Ronan tells them the whole story and reveals that he has been made their warden. He teleports them back to Earth using his universal weapon.

The Wasp calls for all inactive Avengers members to be summoned while USAgent tries to take them over in the name of the government. They are shown a video of an alien 'baby' that was found on Earth but has since 'melted' and expanded, covering about a square mile of land with its mass. The 'baby' is Ego, who had its essence condensed. One of the transported alien prisoners was in fact a host for the living planet. At the rate it grows, it could possibly assimilate the entire planet Earth within a week.

[edit] Amazing Spider-Man volume 2 #24

This issue is loosely connected to the storyline. During this issue, Spider-Man meets and is about to fight two aliens exiled to Earth. They turn around and flee, as they were scared of him. The Green Goblin is also seen fighting a member of the alien race Aakon at the gates of the Osborn Industries Factory.

Meanwhile, Senator Stewart Ward has been carrying a dormant alien pathogen in his body for years. He has two exiled Z'Nox scientists following and obeying him. They release the pathogen and it takes over his body, infecting anyone who touches him. Ward plans to infect the whole planet and hold the cure ransom. He is eventually beaten when he is pumped by Arthur Stacy with the pure version of the pathogen. The pathogen makes him swell up and explode. The Z'Nox are also stunned by the pathogen and presumably killed in the explosion.

[edit] Maximum Security #2

Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Silver Surfer are trying to stop Ego from expanding, but with no success. On Earth, Beta-Ray Bill, an alien ally of Thor, appears at the Avengers' Mansion. He was teleported there by the Ruul for no apparent reason. Meanwhile, Cadre K are trying to get into the council meeting but find resistance, particularly from the Skrull Ambassador. On Earth, people are rallying the aliens to fight back against Ronan.

Before long, the still-expanding Ego awakens while U.S. Agent spies on a group of Ruul on Earth. He watches them operate an Omni-Wave device for communication. He also realises that the only race who can do that are the Kree. Meanwhile, at a S.H.I.E.L.D. base on the moon, the Ruul/Kree have released their leader, the Supreme Intelligence.

[edit] X-Men volume 2 #107

Rogue stops two aliens from killing a girl and it turns out that it is Z'Cann, a member of Cadre K. Z'Cann lets Rogue use her powers to absorb her memories. Her fellow X-Man Bishop is in a space prison and stops some aliens trying to "teach him his place". Like Z'Cann, he's on a mission for Professor X.

Rogue returns to the mansion looking like a Skrull, which is due to her absorbing Z'Cann's appearance along with her memories. Naturally, the other X-Men are suspicious. Rogue remembers Z'Cann's memories only blurrily and believes they must destroy the Transmat Ring, the device used to send the alien criminals to Earth. Meanwhile, as Bishop is being teleported to Earth, it comes to Rogue that they were supposed to keep the Transmat Ring safe.

Goliath and Warbird of the Avengers come to pick them up. They return to Ronan's Citadel where Ronan activates a machine that fills him with Ego's power. They are forced to flee in the Quinjet. Meanwhile, Cadre K are prisoners in the watchtower as a result of their interruption of the council meeting.

[edit] Avengers volume 3 #35

The group of heroes seen in Avengers Infinity are held by the Shi'ar and demand to see Lilandra. They speak with her, but nothing is done. Later, they are attacked by the Ruul. They wake up imprisoned by machines that turn their power against them. They have been captured under the orders of the Supreme Intelligence, and subsequently learn that the Ruul are Kree. The Supreme Intelligence tells them how he made use of the Destiny Crystal, a device of great power lost during a recent battle with Kang (as seen in Avengers Forever). He has used the crystal to accelerate the evolution of the Kree, who then manipulated the Council as a way to destroy the Avengers and the rest of Earth's champions, who have stopped his plans in the past. Thor then tries to send a message to the rest of the Avengers.

On Earth, U.S. Agent tells the Avengers that he has persuaded the alien prisoners to fight on the side of Earth. He takes command of the Avengers, and all the other heroes they can find, and brings the battle to Ronan.

[edit] Maximum Security #3

The intruder alarm goes off in the Ruul spaceship. The intruders include alien prisoners, the X-Men, the Avengers, Spider-Man, and many others. They get through the barrier. Tigra manages to escape from her chains and frees the other imprisoned heroes, who are then teleported away by Quasar.

On Earth, a number of magicians are trying to stop Ego. The X-Man Gambit arrives and gives the Fantastic Four data that can help stop Ego.

The escaped Avengers teleport to the council meeting, where they are booed, but stay nevertheless. Moondragon telepathically sends their memories of what happened to the council members. The Supreme Intelligence appears in front of the council and admits the truth, but claims that it is too late to stop it.

The Fantastic Four, Iron Man and the Silver Surfer start to push back Ego, but Ronan appears. Quasar appears with all the superheroes from the Citadel to fight the soldiers. The Silver Surfer tries to absorb Ego through a machine created by the Fantastic Four but fails. Quasar tries as well and succeeds. Ronan is captured, and Quasar decides to leave Earth to avoid the risk of unleashing Ego again. All the aliens leave Earth, and the council is embarrassed by its gullibility. It will be a while before the matter of Earth is mentioned again.

[edit] Tie-ins