Max Young (Mendel Stromm's former assistant)

MAX YOUNG

Real Name: Max Young

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Criminal;
formerly an assistant to Professor Mendel Stromm

Group Membership: Alistaire Smythe's asylum escapees

Affiliations: Professor Mendel Stromm, fellow asylum inmates (Stewart, others);
Formerly Dr. Roberts, Alistaire Smythe

Enemies: Black Cat (Hardy), Patch (Foswell), Spider-Man (Parker)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Formerly Alistaire Smythe's isolated rural estate in an unidentified location many miles from Manhattan;
   formerly a private sanitarium;
   formerly Mendel Stromm's private lab;
   formerly State Prison

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man I#37 (June, 1966)

Powers/Abilities: Gifted with robotics and electronics, Young trained under robotics expert Mendel Stromm. The full depth of his expertise is unrevealed.

History: (Amazing Spider-Man I#37 (fb) - BTS) - While incarcerated in State Prison for an undisclosed crime, Max Young encountered fellow inmate Professor Mendel Stromm and made plans to work with him on their release.
Released before his associate, Young made arrangements per Stromm's instructions, including the purchase and set-up of a well-equipped lab using funds Stromm left hidden prior to his arrest.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#37) - Picking up Stromm after he was released from State Prison, Young drove the Professor to his new lab. After showing off the gadgetry he'd acquired, Young returned home for the night. Returning later, Young saw Stromm complete his Amoeboid robot and stood by while it was sent to ransack a lab owned by Norman Osborn, Stromm's former business partner. Eventually the Amoeboid was destroyed during a fight with Spider-Man, and Young and Stromm began work on a second robot.
As work on the second robot wrapped up, Young was sent to investigate an intruder snooping around Stromm's hideout. Bringing the intruder, underworld figure Patch (secretly Daily Bugle reporter Frederick Foswell), into the lab at gunpoint, Young told Patch that his knowledge of Stromm's activities made him a liability and he prepared to shoot him. Thwarted by Spider-Man (who'd been trailing Patch), Young ran, leaving his gun behind in the sealed room. He quickly returned to Stromm's lab to observe the second robot's attack on Osborn.
After the second robot destroyed one of Osborn's plants and appeared to kill Spider-Man (who'd broken out of the sealed room and followed the robot to the plant), Young stood by while Stromm recalled it to his lab. Surprised to see that Spider-Man survived and followed the robot back to Stromm's hideout, Young tried to escape but was stopped by Patch using Young's discarded handgun.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#371/#372 (fb) - BTS) - Young began suffering from schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder and was placed in a private sanitarium in Long Island. (see comments)

(Amazing Spider-Man I#371/I#372 (fb) - BTS) - Fellow inmate Alistaire Smythe escaped, taking Young, among others, with him to a private estate.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#367/I#368/I#369/I#370 (fb) - BTS) - Smythe put Young and the others to work designing new Spider-Slayers for him, including a model resembling Stromm's Amoeboid robot.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#371) - Young created the Mark 14 Spider-Slayer and was tasked with using it against Spider-Man and the Black Cat. While the three parts of Young's personality -- his independence, his sanity, and Stromm's influence -- argued via the Mark 14's three-sided face plate, Spider-Man used Young's instability against himself, resulting in Young turning his weapons against one of his other "sides" and destroying the Mark 14.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#372) - Scolded by Smythe for his failure to kill Spider-Man with the Mark 14, Young's personalities responded in sequence, accepting responsibility for the failure, blaming Smythe, and apologizing for his anger. Choosing to make an example of Young for his insolence, Smythe activated a switch in his hoverchair that electrocuted Young, leaving him a charred skeleton.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

Young's schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder were allegedly caused by living in the shadow of Mendel Stromm; that would imply that Young was associated with Stromm prior to their business in Amazing Spider-Man I#37, possibly working as his assistant before their arrests (which adds credence to how Young is referred to as such during his return appearances).

Many, many thanks to Jim Sharpe for the image from Amazing Spider-Man I#37.

Profile by G Morrow.

CLARIFICATIONS
: Max Young has no known connections to

Mr. Young, husband of Agnes, father of Brian and Louise, abusive toward his children, first name unrevealed, @ X-Factor I#146
Agnes Young, wife of Mr. Young, mother of Brian and Louise, abusive to her children, @ X-Factor I#146
Brian Young, son of Agnes and unnamed father, brother of Louise, killed during terrorist attack while running away from home, @ X-Factor I#146
Carol Young, actress, lead in in the movie "The Tyrant", @ Captain America Comics I#3
Harmony Young, former model, ex-girlfriend of Luke Cage, killed by a pawn of Darklove, @ Power Man/Iron First I#50
Jim Young, special assistant to the New York mayor's office, opposed Code: Blue, @ Thunderstrike I#13
Kim Sung Young, Four Horsement of Don Geraci, killed by Hachiman, @ Punisher III#2
Larry Young, aka Deathlok, captured Deathlok (Truman), had mind transferred into Deathlok, @ Cable II#60
Louise Young, daughter of Agnes and unnamed father, brother of Brian, @ X-Factor I#146
Dr. Richard Young, psychiatrist, had his body corrupted by a minor demon many lives ago, relived by Dr. Stephen Strange, @ X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl I#1
Young Allies, World War II kid's fighting force, members included Bucky, Toro, Jeff, Knuckles, Tubby, Whitewash, @ Young Allies I#1
Young Allies, Counter Earth (Franklin), members included Bucky, I.Q., Toro, Kid Colt, Rip, Jolt, @ Heroes Reborn: Young Allies I#1
Young Avenger, Bill Bryan, fought Nazis during WWII, @ USA Comics I#1
Young Avengers, organized by Iron Lad using fail-safe after disbanding of Avengers, members included Asgardian, Hulkling, Patriot, Hawkeye, Stature, Wiccan, Vision, Speed, @ Young Avengers I#1
any other "Max" or "Young" characters

Dr. Roberts

(Amazing Spider-Man I#373 (fb) - BTS) - An official at a private sanitarium, Dr. Roberts alledgedly treated his patients like prisoners.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#371) - Roberts met with Peter Parker and Felicia Hardy to discuss Max Young's escape. Roberts explained that the circumstances of Young's departure were kept quiet and threatened legal action against Parker and Hardy if they revealed it publicly. When Young later attacked the sanitarium using the Mark 14 Spider-Slayer, Roberts was used by Parker (acting as Spider-Man) to stop Young's rampage. In the aftermath Roberts revealed that Alistaire Smythe was the mastermind of the breakout.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#373 (fb) - BTS) - After Smythe was defeated by Spider-Man, the kidnapped inmates were returned to the mental institution where Roberts assured Parker they would receive special counseling.

--Amazing Spider-Man I#371 (I#373

Stewart

(Amazing Spider-Man I#372 (fb) - BTS) - Stewart was one of the inmates kidnapped by Alistaire Smythe when he escaped from the sanitarium he'd been placed in after an encounter with Spider-Man in Pittsburgh. As with the other kidnapped inmates, Stewart was held in a "shackle-cart", which Smythe controlled via a keypad.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#367/I#368/I#369/I#370 (fb) - BTS) - Smythe put Stewart and the others to work, designing new Spider-Slayers for him.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#369 - BTS) - The inmates were forced to watch as he sent the Mark 12 Spider-Slayer after Spider-Man.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#372 - BTS) - Smythe made an example of inmate Max Young, electrocuting him in his shackle-cart in front of the other inmates.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#373) - Present when Spider-Man arrived at Smythe's remote lair, Stewart attempted to explain that he and the other kidnapped patients were being held against their will and forced to help Smythe. Freed from his shackle-cart during Spider-Man's fight with Smythe, Stewart tried to talk Smythe into sparing Spider-Man's life but was slain for his efforts.

--Amazing Spider-Man I#367 (I#368-373

unnamed asylum inmates

(Amazing Spider-Man I#372 (fb) - BTS) - When Smythe escaped the sanitarium he'd been placed in after an encounter with Spider-Man in Pittsburgh, he took a dozen of his fellow patients with him, selecting them for their technological expertise. To keep them under his control, the kidnapped inmates were held in "shackle-carts", which Smythe controlled via a keypad.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#367/I#368/I#369/I#370 (fb) - BTS) - Smythe put the inmates to work, designing new Spider-Slayers for him.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#369) - The inmates were forced to watch as he sent the Mark 12 Spider-Slayer after Spider-Man.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#372) - Smythe made an example of inmate Max Young, electrocuting him in his shackle-cart in front of the other inmates.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#373) - The inmates were assembled to confront Spider-Man when he located Smythe's estate, and watched as their shackle-carts were used offensively against the wall-crawler. After the murder of fellow inmate Stewart at Smythe's hands pushed Spider-Man to defeat Smythe, the inmates were returned to the sanitarium were they were promised special counseling.

--Amazing Spider-Man I#367 (I#368-373

images: (without ads)
Amazing Spider-Man I#37, p12, pan1 (main image)
Amazing Spider-Man I#372, p2, pan2 (close-up)
Amazing Spider-Man I#371, p9, pan2 (controlling the Mark 14 Spider-Slayer)
Amazing Spider-Man I#371, p5, pan2 (Dr. Roberts)
Amazing Spider-Man I#373, p8, pan6 (Stewart)
Amazing Spider-Man I#369, p6, pan1 (Smythe's "partners")

Appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man I#37 (June, 1966) - Stan Lee (writer), Steve Ditko (plotter/artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#367 (October, 1992) - David Michelinie (writer), Jerry Bingham (guest penciler), Randy Emberlin (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#368 (Early November, 1992) - David Michelinie and DeMatteis (writers), Mark Bagley (pencils), Lopresti (artist), Randy Emberlin (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#369 (Late November, 1992) - David Michelinie and J.M DeMatteis (writers), Mark Bagley and Tod Smith (pencils), Randy Emberlin and Don Hudson (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#370 (Early December, 1992) - David Michelinie (writers), Mark Bagley (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#371 (Late December, 1992) - David Michelinie and Milgrom (writers), Mark Bagley and Lopresti (pencils), Randy Emberlin and Hudson (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#372 (Early January, 1993) - David Michelinie and Milgrom (writers), Mark Bagley and Lopresti (pencils), Randy Emberlin and Stegbauer (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#373 (Late January, 1993) - David Michelinie (writers), Mark Bagley (pencils), Todd Smith (artist) Randy Emberlin (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)

Last updated: 12/09/09

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