MAXIE SHIFFMAN

Real Name: Maxwell "Maxie" Shiffman

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Television and movie booking agent

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Former agent of Spider-Man and Super-Charger;
    former pawn of Mysterio;
    Grace (former secretary)

Enemies: Various loan sharks and mobster types

Known Relatives: Trudy (wife, deceased)

Aliases: Maxie Schiffman (see comments)

Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy I#15/1 (August, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: Maxie had several contacts in television and movie production. He was relatively "street smart."
    He had a weakness for gambling, causing him to often be in debt, usually to the wrong types of people.

History:
(Amazing Fantasy I#15/1) - Maxie observed the future Spider-Man defeating "Crusher" Hogan and realized that the super-strong masked man would be a hit on television. Maxie convinced the masked stranger to let him manage him, encouraging him to keep the mask. Maxie then got him a spot on television, which was an instant sensation. It was after that first show that Spider-Man, caught up in finally being popular and caring only about himself, allowed the Burglar to escape, when he could have easily stopped him.

(Web of Spider-Man#90 (fb)) - Spidey took a ride in Maxie's limousine after the show, and Maxie talked about business with him.

(Amazing Fantasy I#15/1) - Several more appearances only increased Spider-Man's fame and demand.

(Amazing Fantasy I#15/1 - BTS) - After his Uncle Ben was killed by that same Burglar he had allowed to escape, Spidey realized that with great power must come great responsibility.

 

(Web of Spider-Man#90 (fb)) - Maxie was nearby when Spider-Man took down the crook who had killed his uncle, and he was the only one to see Spidey swing away afterwards. Maxie thought about calling it in to his contacts at the Daily Bugle.

(Amazing Fantasy I#16) - As bill's began to creep up on Maxie, and angry bookies threatened to break his thumbs, Maxie put out a classified ad for Spider-Man. This brought in dozens of imposters, but not the real deal. Maxie heard a police report on the real Spider-Man and ran down to try to catch him, but arrived just seconds too late. He yelled to Spidey as he swung away, but to no avail.

(Amazing Fantasy I#17) - Maxie finally bumped into Spidey, and told him he could name his price for any show, magazine, movie, etc. he wanted. Spidey declined, telling him he needed to live up to his responsibilities. Later, Maxie's secretary, Grace, left him because he hadn't paid her in weeks and she was tired of hiding him from mob leg-breakers trying to collect on his gambling debts. He seemed to have a turn of luck when a different costumed powerhouse, Supercharger, showed up and wanted to work with him.

(Amazing Fantasy I#18) - In need of money, Spider-Man finally agreed to work with Maxie, who booked both him and Supercharger on the show, "It's Amazing."     Recruiting Spider-Man for "It's Amazing" at the last minute bumped another guest, astronaut John Jameson, infuriating his father, J. Jonah Jameson. Maxie told Spidey of his plans to make action figures, trading cards, etc., but Supercharger had other plans. He attacked the crowd at the show in an effort to prove the danger of superhumans, and Spidey was forced to stop him. The fight wrecked the set and the show was cancelled.
    Maxie was uninjured by the fight, but he was most hurt when Spider-Man made him give back the money the show had advanced him, since they never put on the performance for which they'd been hired.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#1/Web of Spider-Man#90 (fb)) - A series of scathing editorials by J. Jonah Jameson against Spider-Man, decrying him as a menace, ruined Spider-Man's fame. Maxie tried and failed to convince Jameson to halt his crusade. He could not cash his previous paychecks from Maxie, as no bank would cash them to a masked man who couldn't prove his identity. Spidey confronted Maxie, who explained what Jameson had done to him.

(Web of Spider-Man#90 (fb)) - Maxie thought his career had died with Spider-Man's, but his work with the young super-hero had opened up doors on the West Coast for him. He hit the big time as a producer. His wife, Trudy, and he had it all...

(Web of Spider-Man#90 (fb) - BTS) - Trudy died of cancer, crushing Max's spirit.

(Web of Spider-Man#90 (fb) - BTS) - The super-villain Mysterio used his illusion casting powers to convince Maxie that he could bring Trudy back to him if Maxie would participate in a plot against Spider-Man. Unable to live without his wife, Maxie agreed.

(Web of Spider-Man#90) - About a year after Trudy's death, Maxie fulfilled his part of the deal, acting out a false role in which Mysterio attempted to convince a drugged Spider-Man that he had continued to work with Maxie and become a famous actor. Spider-Man eventually broke through the illusion and knocked out Mysterio, which caused the illusionary Trudy to fade away. Devastated, Maxie confessed what had happened to Spidey, who consoled him on his loss.

Comments: Created by Stan "the Man" Lee and "Sturdy" Steve Ditko.

    From his early appearances, he was named only "Maxie." Howard Mackie was the first to bring him back, in 1992's Web of Spider-Man, naming him first Maxie Shiffman, and later Maxie Schiffman in the same issue. When Kurt had him in Amazing Fantasy, it was Maxie Shiffman. I'm with Kurt; the first one is right unless there is a reason to the contrary.

    Amazing Fantasy#16-18 were ret-con issues by Kurt Busiek, taking place between Amazing Fantasy#15 and Amazing Spider-Man I#1. They're great, and I recommend them highly. Even better, though, are Kurt's Untold Tales of Spider-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

images: (without ads)
Amazing Fantasy I#17, p5, pan2 (head shot)
(with Spider-Man)
Amazing Fantasy I#16, p2, pan4 (Grace)
Web of Spider-Man#90, p4, pan4 (with Trudy illusion)

Appearances:
Amazing Fantasy I#15 (August, 1962) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Amazing Spider-Man I#1 (March, 1963) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Web of Spider-Man#90 (July, 1992) - Howard Mackie (writer), Alex Saviuk (pencils), Sam de la Rosa (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Fantasy I#16 (December, 1995) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Paul Lee (artist), Sarra Mossoff (editor)
Amazing Fantasy I#17 (January, 1996) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Paul Lee, Terese Nielsen, Alexi Taylor, Greg Loundon & Ken Meyer Jr. (artists), Sarra Mossoff (editor)
Amazing Fantasy I#18 (March, 1996) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Paul Lee (artist), Sarra Mossoff (editor)

Last updated: 09/25/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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