Mighty Max - Episode 13 - The Maxnificent 7

THE MAXNIFICANT 7

This is the last episode of series 1, and is my particular favourite from this first series. Max has been having recurring nightmares in which he is being chased by the barnacled dead who had drowned in the ocean, thousands of years ago. As he runs he is stopped by Skullmaster who tells him that he is dead. The barnacled dead catch up with Max and rip him apart as Skullmaster stands watching, and laughing.

Episode Captures (Click to enlarge)

Max stands miserably against a wall in his home city. It's night time and he is telling Virgil and Norman about these recurring nightmares\in which he keeps getting killed. Virgil tells Max that it probably means that Skullmaster is growing stronger, and wants to kill Max. He explains that what they need to do now is to get themselves a small gathering of heroes. Max is surprised to hear that there are real heroes out there. "You mean that all this time I have been getting killed, you are friends with Batman?" Virgil explains that every country has it own heroes, and in this case they need to recruit four of them from all over the world.

The first stop is Copenhagen in search of the mighty Beowulf. However when they find him they discover that he is a failed wrestler who has just been given the boot. Max can't believe that Virgil would consider this slob, but he soon sees that Beowulf is not as he seems. Max, knowing that he must convince the reluctant Beowulf, tells him of all the stories that he has heard about him. He pretends to cry as if disheartened by what he now sees. Beowulf will not allow a boy to be upset because of his shortcomings, and so agrees to join the crew.

Next stop is to find an old red Indian hero (sorry I have no idea how to spell this guy's name). They find him sitting on top of a mountain, chanting as he sits in front of a fire. Max says, "We want his old fossil?" to which the Indian stops his chanting, picks up his bow and loads a bow into it. Startled, Max holds up his hands and apologises, but the Indian releases the arrow - which impales a snake through the mouth onto a tree, a snake which was about to inflict a fatal bite upon Max. The second hero is recruited.

Nepal next, and Max is amused to find out that the next hero is nothing more than a flea bitten monkey. However, imagine Max's surprise when the monkey turns to him and tells him he knows who he is. This monkey king tells the team that he is not interested in helping them, and just wishes to stay put where he is looked after, and enjoys the good life. Max knows that the need him and so he sends Norman, Beowulf, and the Indian in to get him.

The next hero is found in Africa, and at first appears to be nothing more than a woman who issues parking tickets to game hunters. She too seems reluctant to help out, even when her old friend Norman talks to her, but when she is approached by Max, who she instantly recognises as being the Mighty One, she relents and joins the other 6. The collection is complete.

We next see Max, Virgil, Norman, and the four heroes standing in the basement of Max's house where the entrance to Skull Mountain exists. Max stands before the doorway where the portal is located. He takes off his cap, turns around, and tells Virgil that he doesn't not want to go. Virgil tells him that he must go, he is a hero. Max disagrees and points to the others; "These are the real heroes, " he says. "I'm just a kid!" He confides in Virgil that he is scared. Virgil puts his wing on Max's arm and comforts him, telling him that he is not just an ordinary kid, that it is his destiny that this day should come. Max knows this is true, and donning his cap he glances around once more, and steps into the portal.

The seven now stand in Skull Mountain. At first it all seems deserted. Where is Skullmaster? Suddenly there is a screeching noise, and an army of creatures advances on them. Max sees lava beasts, dragons, skeletal dinosaurs, Warmonger and....Skullmaster. It's a trap! The army fall upon the 7 heroes, and battle commences. Everybody seems to be holding out and Max finds himself out of the fight. He goes to help each member of his team but they just tell him to get back and give him lots of strange advice. Virgil finally tells Max that he, Max, has to fight Skullmaster alone. It's your destiny he tells him. Max rushes off full of dread, to look for Skullmaster.

Eventually Max finds a cavern and there within is the Crystal of Souls. Max knows that this is something powerful for Skullmaster to have, and he knows that he must destroy it. An eerie blue light fills the cavern, and somewhere within he sees and hears Skullmaster moving about. The advice he had been given by his team members comes rushing back to him, and taking a final deep breath Max runs into the cavern. He sees Skullmaster moving quickly toward him wielding a huge scimitar. Max leaps for the Crystal, grabs it, and thrusts it before him to protect himself from the sword strike that Skullmaster has just performed. Max closes his eyes waiting for the pain of the sword, but it does not come. Instead there is a smashing sound, the cry of many souls; souls that had been held captive for eons and now suddenly freed. Multicoloured light bursts out if the smashed crystal, lights up the cavern and surrounding areas. Max looks up and sees thousands of jubilant souls flying to their freedom. Skullmaster is furious with Max and promises him a thousand subtle shades of pain. Once again he reaches for Max with his sword, but he is suddenly distracted when something leaps on his back. The Monkey King! Max cries out for him to stop as he knows that Skullmaster is way to strong for this hero to defeat, but the Monkey King instead tells Max to flee. "This is my destiny! Perhaps I will come back as a butterfly!" he tells Max. Max reluctantly flees the cavern leaving the doomed Monkey King to fight with Skullmaster.

Max joins up with the other 5 and sees too that they are now losing their battle against Skullmaster's army. He sees the Indian hero holding his last arrow, a length of rope attached to it. Max sees a means of escape for them all and tells the Indian hero to fire the arrow at a dragon which is flying past them. The Indian hero does as Max tells him, whilst Norman ties the other end of the rope to his own belt. The arrow is released and Norman grabs hold of Virgil and Max. The rope is yanked as the dragon flies off and the three are lifted into the air. He shouts for the others to grab on to him, but they refuse, telling him that they must stay here and fight, even though it spells their doom. They know that Max has to survive for Skullmaster to be defeat once and for al in the long run.

Back home Max has created a little memorial of the fallen heroes in his front garden. He kneels down full of sorrow for his lost friends. He stands up, turns around and walks back into his house. As he does so a colourful butterfly flutters down onto the memorial.