Editing Liege Maximo

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[[File:Liegemaximo.jpg|upright=2.3|thumb|Here I go again on my throne.]]
Evil is infinite, a natural counterforce to good in the universe that cannot be truly defeated. When the [[Prima|first Prime]] was created, so was, necessarily, the '''Liege Maximo''', the [[Thirteen|primordial force of nature]] who now considers himself his opposite, the ultimate evil.

Or so he says, at least. And if you can't trust the self-admitted Prime of lies, mischief and evil, who can you trust? Aside from literally anyone else, that is.

Befitting his nature, the Liege's attitude tends to vary. Sometimes he's a shadowy manipulator, weaving vast plans of such fiendish complexity that they may appear to those not in the know (i.e. everyone) to just be vague or incomprehensible. Sometimes, he's a petty prankster, stirring up mayhem and pitting friends and family against one another for no other reason than he just hates everyone else being all happy when he's not (or maybe he just wants attention, damn it). Regardless, he's trouble. Not as much as [[The Fallen|some we could name]], but definitely not to be trusted. And with good reason. There's no denying he can talk an impressive game. His fellow Primes will admit he's a smooth talker, even when they should probably know better, and more than once people have wound up burnt because of that.

Meanwhile, when it comes to combat, the Liege shirks. He's not a fighter, he's a thinker, a ''leader''. The kind that prefers to sit far away from any actual danger, working through [[Cybertronian (faction)|loyal but disposable armies]] [[Maximal#2005 IDW continuity|of mindless minions]] as he plots and schemes. He'd almost certainly be in big trouble if he ever had to face direct comeuppance for his long list of backstabbing and betrayals, as he'd likely not walk away from it intact. On the rare occasions he does deign to get physical, his weapons of choice are the [[Liegian Darts]], still allowing him to safely strike from a distance. 

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic===
From the Liege Maximo were [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and the [[Decepticon]]s descended. The Liege Maximo's throne sat at the [[Hub (G2)|Hub]], a network of planetoids created by the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] that existed in the outer fringes of known space.

With the [[Liege Centuro]] [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] destroyed, Jhiaxus's fleet wiped out by [[Swarm (G2)|The Swarm]], and the [[Autobot]]s and Decepticons united in peace under one banner, [[Rook (G2)|Rook]] reported to the Liege Maximo on the day's devastating events. The Liege Maximo, an ancient and monumental titan, accepted the destruction of Jhiaxus's forces as merely a minor disruption. Sneering at the Transformers' alliance as a fragile thing, the Liege Maximo promised a day of reckoning. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!|A Rage in Heaven!}}

====Alignment====
{{note|"Alignment" was written by [[Simon Furman]] without permission of [[Hasbro]] and is included here as [[pseudocanon]] to provide insight into [[authorial intent]].}}
[[File:Alignment Liege Maximo.jpg|thumb|My feet aren't canon.]]
Liege Maximo was one of the [[Thirteen|thirteen original Transformers]] created by [[Primus]]. Unlike his fellows, he had chosen not to [[Reproduction|subdivide]] repeatedly, doing so only selectively. This created a small taint in the Transformer race which spread through subsequent generations, ultimately flowering with the rise of the Decepticons. Because of this sparse sub-division, the Liege Maximo's connection to the divine origins of the Transformer race was comparatively undiluted, and he sought to embrace it. To this end, he instructed Jhiaxus and the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] to subject various planets to [[cyberforming|eco-structuring]]. These planets were steadily woven together to form the Hub, a massive, resonating structure that would allow him to ascend to the realm of the gods. Two Transformer groups, one led by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and one by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], disrupted this process by forcing the Liege to leave his corporeal body, then destroying both it and his portal. Left with nowhere to go, the Liege Maximo's essence dissipated, and he was destroyed. {{storylink|Alignment}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 490.0 Gamma]], the Maximo actually became a heroic figure: Unicron devouring Cybertron had caused Primus's essence to be scattered among the surviving Transformers, most of whom were now the Cybertronian Empire. The Liege Maximo would lead this reformed army and the survivors of Cybertron against Unicron, finally battling the Chaos Bringer himself on the astral plane. He saved this reality at the cost of his own spark. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/24}}

In [[Primax 994.0 Gamma]], the Liege Maximo's plot for ascension was foiled by the Autobots, prompting Liege Centuro [[Firecrest]] to move the remnants of the Cybertronian Empire to [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/05}}

===3H comics===
The [[Covenant (group)|Covenant]] witnessed a vision of the ancient past, in which the Liege Maximo tore the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from the defeated [[Primon]]. When and why this happened remain unanswered questions. {{storylink|Covenant (story)|Covenant}}

Centuries later, in a future timeline when Cybertron was ruled by a tyrant named [[Shokaract]], a [[Maximal]] resistance leader known simply as "the [[Swoop (G1)|Veteran]]" reminisced about other tyrants who had come and gone over the years preceding Shokaract's rule. Among these past tyrants was the Liege Maximo. {{storylink|Schism (story)|Schism}}

===''TransTech''===
The city of [[Axiom Nexus]] in the peaceful universe of [[Nexus 208.0 Epsilon]] was able to achieve unimaginable feats in technology and scientific discovery, but these were secretly possible by the amoral experiments of [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]] and his master [[Jhiaxus (TransTech)|Jhiaxus]] under a secret government partnership with the Liege Maximo.<ref>[[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]]'s profile in [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 22|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #22]].</ref> An archivist named [[Optimus Prime (TransTech)|Optimus]] and the military professional [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]] exposed [[Sentinel Prime (TransTech)|Sentinel Prime]]'s ties with the Liege Maximo. After a dramatic, violent battle with the Liege Maximo,<ref>[[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]]'s profile in [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 24|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #24]].</ref> much of the government was caught in this controversy, and as a result, few were left standing when the legal proceedings ended. Optimus became the new [[Prime (rank)|Prime]], and Cybertron entered a new [[Golden Age]], but it was not a complete fresh start, as Megatron convinced the [[High Senate]] to allow Shockwave to continue performing experiments under his guidance, and [[Starscream (TransTech)|Starscream]] miraculously emerged unscathed from the incident despite his heavy involvement.<ref>[[Starscream (TransTech)|Starscream]]'s profile in [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 23|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #23]].</ref> The TransTechs thereafter considered this incident to be the closest that their Cybertron had ever come to a [[Great War (disambiguation)|Great War]] as most other universal streams had. {{storylink|Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist|Rook - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/06}}

===Aligned continuity family===
====''The Covenant of Primus''====
[[File:TFPLiegeMaximo.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"Puny God".]]
Liege Maximo was the eleventh member of the [[Thirteen]] created by [[Primus]] to fight against [[Unicron#Aligned continuity family|Unicron]], and was a master manipulator whose artifact was the [[Liegian Darts]]. Maximo was one of the strategists of the Thirteen, alongside [[Alpha Trion]], [[Quintus Prime|Quintus]], and [[Micronus Prime|Micronus]].

After the defeat of Unicron, Maximo focused on the mining, storage and refining of [[energon]], but grew resentful of [[Prima]] and his allies' interference. Regardless, Maximo acted as an emissary for the different factions within the Thirteen, making use of his natural beguiling charm.

Maximo was ultimately the one who led to the group fracturing, by revealing to the rest that Prima had plotted which of the Primes were the most like Unicron. It was also around this time that it was revealed that Maximo had been experimenting with creating new robotic beasts when he requested a powerful armor suit to deal with them. Prima ordered Maximo to shut down his "[[Farm]]", and it was further revealed by Alpha Trion that Maximo had been pitting the beasts against each other.

Whether Maximo had the right to experiment with the beasts was a source of conflict between the Thirteen and was later resolved by a vote which decided that he did not have the right to do so. However, Maximo convinced [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] to try and retrieve the armor from [[Solus Prime|Solus]]—an action that inadvertently led to Solus's demise and the creation of the [[Well of All Sparks]]. 

Maximo was revealed have placed a monitoring device on a "pet" that he had given to Solus. When the creature tried to attack Megatronus, he reacted by blasting it—leading to Solus attacking him. 

Upon being confronted at the "Farm", Maximo tried to accuse Megatronus of being the true mastermind behind the war beasts by claiming it was all part of Megatronus's need to test himself against them. When Megatronus realized that Maximo had been manipulating and using the Thirteen the whole time, and was trying to blame him, a conflict broke out that led to the Primes being set upon by three massive war beasts.

Once the conflict was over, Maximo was found torn to pieces with his head destroyed by the [[Requiem Blaster (Thirteen)|Requiem Blaster]], though no one was sure who had actually fired the fatal shot. Maximo was buried in a [[Liege Maximo's tomb|tomb]] from where his arm would eventually be taken by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] to allow him to use the [[Forge of Solus Prime]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

====Aligned novels====
[[The Fallen|Megatronus]] and the Liege Maximo disliked [[Nexus Prime]] due to his favor in the eyes of [[Solus Prime]]. After the betrayal of the Fallen and defeat of Unicron the Liege Maximo plotted against his brothers and made his own play for power. He was defeated and fled to a far galaxy. His premeditated betrayal broke the spirit of [[Vector Prime]]. In the end, he was pursued to that far galaxy by [[Maccadam|Alchemist Prime]]. Though he had no firm information, [[Alpha Trion]] believed Alchemist had succeeded in imprisoning the Liege. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

Like the other members of the [[Thirteen]], Liege Maximo was considered a myth. [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] proclaimed Transformers were free to do as they pleased, without pondering what the long-gone Liege Maximo or his [[The Fallen|treacherous brother]] would think. The [[Hub (G2)|Hub]] once became a part of the [[space bridge]] network during the Golden Age. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

====''Prime'' cartoon====
[[File:OneShallRise1-WellofAllSparks.jpg|thumb|300px|Everyone is amazed at the shiny bottomless pit.]]
According to legend, at the beginning of time, [[Unicron#Aligned continuity family|Unicron]] and [[Primus]] battled each other for eons, with neither side remaining victorious for long. Till, that is, Primus created the [[Thirteen]]. These Thirteen defeated Unicron and cast him into space. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

Liege Maximo eventually died and was placed in a [[Liege Maximo's tomb|tomb]]. The tomb was later visited by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] and [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]], who took Maximo's arm so that Megatron could use the [[Forge of Solus Prime]]. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}}

====''Robots in Disguise'' books====
{{quote|Liege Maximo is not necessarily evil, but his petty jealousy and boredom motivate him to be a tricky troublemaker.|''[[The Trials of Optimus Prime]]''}}

After the [[AllSpark]] had been returned to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Liege Maximo persisted within the [[Realm of the Primes]] with several of the other [[Thirteen]]. Possessing a cape, horns, sharp darts holstered at his waist, and a cackling voice, he saw the training of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] to ready him for battle against [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] as an opportunity to cause mischief. He began by increasing the deadliness of the holographic Decepticons that [[Micronus Prime|Micronus]] had created, giving them dangerous buzzsaws. Next, he projected an image of Optimus Prime on [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s computer on Earth, laughingly teasing that the Autobots would soon be attacked by him. Later, Liege Maximo's image of Optimus Prime appeared again while the Autobots were battling the escaped Decepticon [[Skinkbomb]], and the fake Optimus called Bumblebee a fool and the Autobots stupid, and that he was going to join the Decepticons. This severely traumatized Bumblebee, which caused Liege Maximo to laugh a lot to himself because he's kind of a tool. Unfortunately, Micronus found out his plans and Bumblebee wised up to his tricks, enraging him into making Optimus Prime's training even harder. Micronus managed to take him down and Optimus dispatched to fake Bee Team, while Maximo faced punishment from his fellow Primes.
{{storylink|The Trials of Optimus Prime}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The Crucible|''Robots in Disguise'' #34]] (mentioned); [[Rubicon|''Till All Are One'' #8]] (depicted)}}

[[File:OriginMyths-OnyxPrimeAndLiegeMaximo.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"Freedom, freedom is life's great lie. And once you accept that, in your heart... you will know peace."]]

Approximately twelve million years ago, in the primitive era following the departure of the [[Knights of Cybertron]] from their homeworld, Liege Maximo rose to become the monarch of the [[Forgotten Plains]], slaying [[Imperator Maximo]] and [[Praetus Maximo]] to consolidate his power, {{storylink|Origin Myths}} while gathering an army of bestial followers who became known as the "[[Maximal]]s". {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} 

At some point, Liege Maximo came into contact with the bestial "[[Onyx Prime]]", and formed an alliance with the so-called [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]; {{storylink|Origin Myths}} however, Liege Maximo had not yet learned the truth about his new ally: "Onyx Prime" was a convenient alias for a time-travelling [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], who had set himself a new mission: to raise a permanent [[Decepticon Empire]] by manipulating all of Cybertron's history. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}} 

Through a combination of [[shadowplay]] and manipulation Onyx molded the silver-tongued Liege Maximo into the figure that history would later remember; among Shockwave's modifications were psychic barriers akin to Shockwave's own, so that telepathic [[Outlier (group)|outliers]] could not read his mind. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}} Liege Maximo became an ally of "Onyx", even granting him control over his Maximals and granting them the ability to assume animalistic shapes to enhance Onyx's reputation as the "lord of beasts". {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}} {{storylink|Stranger Eons}} 

By the time that Onyx began enacting his ultimate scheme in earnest, he had already groomed another Cybertronian into the dreaded warrior [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] to provide the primitive planet with a threat to unify against. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} In service of this plan, Onyx and Liege Maximo travelled to the village that would one day become the [[Crystal City]], fabricating a story that Liege had lost his kingdom to Megatronus and his hordes of [[Darklands|Darklander]]s. Onyx introduced him to four Primes, who were deeply unimpressed with him; despite their apprehensions, the group decided to unite, pitting their warriors, joined by the Maximals, against the marauding Darklanders. When their fighting summoned a trio of [[Titan (group)|Titans]] from beneath the surface of Cybertron, the warring factions made peace and all eight Primes agreed to join forces to govern their world. {{storylink|Origin Myths}} 

In the age that followed, Liege Maximo became one of the [[Thirteen]], a coalition of Primes who jointly ruled Cybertron. {{storylink|The Crucible}} Each Prime attracted like-minded followers, and the silver-tongued Liege Maximo and his new group of devotees developed a reputation as charismatic diplomats, working to consolidate alliances between the groups. {{storylink|Heavy}} Like the other members of the Thirteen, Liege Maximo won the loyalty of a Titan; in his case, he allied with the mighty warrior [[Vigilem]]. {{storylink|Rubicon}} Unbeknownst to the other members of the Thirteen, Onyx had already turned his attention to destabilizing their alliance—just as history had foretold. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} 

[[File:FirstWhoWasNamed-LiegeMaximo.jpg|thumb|300px|"Remember me as being a super-huge monster with a giant cannon arm!"]]
Cybertronian history would later claim that Maximo had come to realize that a helpful lie could be more useful than a harmful truth, a sentiment that would spread to his followers. {{storylink|Heavy}} How much of this change of heart was due to Onyx's influence is debatable; by the time that Liege Maximo had fully embraced this talent for manipulation, Megatronus had fallen out of favor with their leader [[Prima]] after a disastrous offworld expedition. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} Maximo formed an alliance with Onyx's other pawn, {{storylink|Heavy}} and, on Shockwave's instructions, encouraged him to launch a public coup against their leader. [[Solus Prime]] was slain, and this betrayal would ignite the conflict known as the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]], turning the Thirteen and their tribes against one another and permanently shattering their alliance. {{storylink|The Crucible}} {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} Maximo's plan failed due to one crucial detail: he had failed to take Megatronus's emotions into account, and after killing Solus Prime, his co-conspirator had fled in shame rather than destroying Prima as intended. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} 

[[File:Rubicon-LiegeMaximo.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Liege Maximo's escaped! Recruit a team of teenagers with attitude!]]
At some point, Liege Maximo was "betrayed" by [[Micronus Prime]]. {{storylink|White Heat}} Prima, who had correctly suspected Liege Maximo's involvement in Megatronus's betrayal, was able to catch and try him for his crimes. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} His role in the killing of Solus Prime revealed, many of Liege Maximo's followers chose to turn on him. {{storylink|Heavy}} Liege was tried by his fellow Primes, and a suitable sentence was eventually decided: Liege would be imprisoned inside Vigilem, who himself had been subdued by his fellow Titans, and exiled from Cybertron forever, trapped within his lobotomized servant: {{storylink|Rubicon}} a process carried out by Onyx Prime himself. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} One group of former followers chose to become his jailers, ensuring that their charge would never escape; in repentance for following the deceitful Prime, they swore off lying forever {{storylink|Heavy}} and eventually came to regard deception as the ultimate crime. When the people of Vigilem, now "Carcer", joined the [[Council of Worlds]], {{storylink|The Will of the Few}} they chose to keep Maximo's existence a secret, fearing that his existence could sow undue strife. {{storylink|Heavy}}

For his many crimes, Liege Maximo would come to be remembered by many names in many different Cybertronian societies, including the "Great Betrayer" {{storylink|Rubicon}} and "The Prime of Lies". {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}}

Eons later, the younger [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] sent one of his [[Regenesis]] ores to a planet associated with Liege Maximo, {{storylink|The Crucible}} though he himself was unaware of this connection thanks to the actions of this time-travelling future self. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}}

Liege Maximo remained imprisoned until the year [[2017]], when a crisis on Cybertron prompted a desperate [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] to reawaken Vigilem. {{storylink|Desperate Measures (Till All Are One)|Desperate Measures}} Though [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] and her crew put up a fight, the Titan set about releasing his master. Elita was able to kill the Titan, but not before he finally released Maximo, unleashing a burst of energy that knocked out everyone who had tried to stop the ancient Prime. Free once more, Maximo mocked [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] before thanking Vilgilem for his service, promising to avenge his Titan before teleporting away. {{storylink|Rubicon}} 

[[File:TheChosenOne-Circuit.jpg|thumb|300px|Artist rendition by senior ''*cough*'' the news staff's senior artist.]]
As Cybertron attempted to rebuild from this crisis, Elita warned [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] and several Council members present for the events aboard Carcer that Maximo would soon take his revenge by destroying Cybertron. Fearing that news of his return could cause panic and division amongst the people of Cybertron, Elita argued that they would need to keep the truth hidden to ensure that Cybertron would stay strong and united when he inevitably came back. By a vote of three to two, the Council opted to keep Maximo's freedom a secret for the time being, and Starscream later released [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] on the condition that she hunt down Liege Maximo and bring his head back to Starscream. {{storylink|Heavy}} Chromia was provided with a ship and a crew in the form of [[Greenlight]] and [[Lancer]] to hunt down the ancient Prime. {{storylink|The Chosen One}}

During the [[Iron Ring]]'s attack on Iacon some months later, Elita One and [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] agreed that Liege Maximo was the greater threat, one that was worth killing all humans in Iacon to focus on. {{storylink|First Strike issue 4|First Strike #4}}

[[File:OP15-LiegeChained.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Liege Maximo, Prime of Kinks.]] 
When Windblade was due to properly retake her place on the Council of Worlds, she surveyed the damage done to Iacon and wondered if Liege Maximo would even have anything to tear down. Learning that the public was not yet aware of Liege Maximo's freedom was the final straw for her. Catching up with [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] and [[Longtooth]], Windblade exposed the truth about the events surrounding "Carcer" and told them of Maximo's inevitable return. The news made waves in Cybertronian society, sparking off protests against the Council's duplicity, and kindling feelings of anger, terror, and in at least one case, religious sympathy for the fallen Prime. {{storylink|The Chosen One}}

At some point, Liege Maximo came into contact with Onyx Prime again as his old ally made a course for Cybertron aboard [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]]; in order to win the Council of Worlds' good graces, Onyx pretended to have taken Liege Maximo prisoner, "delivering" him to Cybertron so that he could be tried for his crimes once more. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|Surfeit of Primes}} Onyx brought Maximo to the [[Spire]] so that he could convince the Council that neither he nor his forces were a threat, assigning a pair of Maximals to stand guard over him. Maximo was soon visited by a suspicious [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], who had his doubts about Onyx's pageantry; when he attempted to read Maximo's mind, he found that he could hear nothing thanks to Shockwave's shadowplay. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}} When Onyx detonated a bomb in the Spire to sow confusion, Maximo easily slipped his chains {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}} and rejoined Onyx—now unmasked as Shockwave—as the purple Decepticon monologued to an imprisoned [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}}

Shockwave then ordered Liege Maximo to take a detachment of Maximals to finish off the survivors of [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], whom Shockwave had shot down; despite Maximo's grumbling, he complied, and his forces wound up battling [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}} Though Arcee was able to take down dozens of Maximals, she was eventually taken prisoner by their leader, who brought her back to Nemesis on Shockwave's orders. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}}

Using supplies of Shockwave's gravity-warping [[Ore-4]], Maximo used its powers to begin levitating himself, his prisoners, and Arcee back up to the ship... only for his captive to take advantage of the weightless environment to break free and destroy the Ore-4 crystal responsible for suspending them in midair. The helpless Liege Maximo plummeted from the sky and crashed into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'s shoulder at terminal velocity, dashing his body to bits. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}}
{{--}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[Ser-Ket (BWU)|Ser-Ket]] claimed to be part of a warrior lineage that stretched back to the Liege Maximo and others. {{storylink|Head Games}}

===Fun Publications===
[[File:AphroditeLiegeMaximoAVP.jpg|thumb|The original [[shellformer]].]]
Though Vector Prime would claim that history was likely correct to record Liege Maximo as a "monster", he still had many happy memories of times shared with his brother from before the falling out between the Thirteen, {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14}} and thought of his actions more as "tragic" than evil. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/12}} He recalled his brother's skill at social gatherings, and his ability to spin incredible stories, {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/05/15}} including tales of the [[Covenant (group)|Covenant]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/10}} During the Thirteen's time in ancient Greece, Liege's female holomatter avatar—which, thanks to Liege's flair for the dramatic, first manifested by appearing out of the sea in a giant shell—inspired the myth of Aphrodite. By this time, he had formed an enmity with Solus, who manifested in Greece as the male Hephaestus, and Prima had them "bonded" together in hopes they could work through their differences. Naturally, this only resulted in further conflict; "Interesting times," Vector called them. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/08}} He also noted that legends claimed that the god [[Xal]] might merely be another name for Liege Maximo, but could say nothing with certainty. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/12}}

When the quantum membrane between the wider multiverse and the [[Uniend]] Cluster was punctured, Vector Prime began to experience memories of the Uniend incarnation of Liege Maximo, and expressed surprise at the existence of an iteration of his brother who had died before founding an empire of his own. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/14}}

As Nexus Prime brought together the [[Terminus Blade]] and the [[Star Saber (Thirteen)|Star Saber]], his fellow Thirteen including Liege Maximo were drawn to his actions. These multiversal singularities were splintered and scattered by the act, making them into repeating parallel, but variable, versions of themselves throughout the multiverse instead of the singular beings they were before. {{storylink|Out of the One, Many}}

===''Power of the Primes'' toy bios===
Liege Maximo's [[Spark]] passed into the possession of one of the twelve [[Prime Master]]s; hidden within a suit of decoy armor, they safeguarded the abilities of the Primes until the present day. By uniting with a larger Transformer, the Prime Master could channel the powers of Liege Maximo's Spark and grant them unique abilities that varied with each new partner. {{storylink|#Generations|''Power of the Primes'' Skullgrin / Liege Maximo online bio}}

{{note|For a list of every permutation of Liege Maximo's abilities, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this link]].}}

===''Cyberverse'' cartoon===
Liege Maximo was one of the [[Thirteen]]. {{storylink|Dweller In The Depths (Cyberverse)|Dweller In The Depths}} {{storylink|Silent Strike}} {{storylink|The Other One}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
Liege Maximo was one of the Thirteen Primes. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}} Along with the other Thirteen, he bore witness to Cybertron at the earliest stage of its development as a world. {{storylink|End of Time}}

===''One'' film===
[[File:TransformersOne-AmalgamousLiegeMaximoholograms.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I'm on the right!  So they say.]]
[[File:TransformersOne-LiegeMaximocave.jpg|right|thumb|300px|I'll become green one way or another!!!!]]
Liege Maximo and the other twelve Primes were created by [[Primus]] at the dawn of Cybertron, and they ruled Cybertron benevolently through its Golden Age. When a war with the Quintessons threw the planet into a protracted, violent conflict, the Primes' secretary, [[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]], herded the [[Thirteen]] into a Quintesson ambush within a remote cave. [[Quintesson Soldier]]s swarmed the cave and overwhelmed Liege Maximo, presumably killing him before Sentinel Prime could murderously betray the rest of his brethren. Fifty cycles later, Liege Maximo's corpse, frozen into a defensive position, was found in this cave by [[Optimus Prime (One)|Orion Pax]], [[Megatron (One)|D-16]], [[Elita-1 (One)|Elita-1]], and [[Bumblebee (One)|B-127]].

A vision of Liege Maximo and the other Primes later appeared as Alpha Trion declared a damaged Orion Pax to be the next wielder of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers One (film)|Transformers One}}
{{--}}

===Energon Universe===
After Optimus Prime found himself in the [[Hall of the Primes]], he saw a statue of Liege Maximo among the others.  {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 22|Transformers #22}}

===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Nolan North]] (English)|[[David Krüger]] (French), [[Octavio Rojas]] (Latin American-Spanish), }}

[[File:LegacyofHope-LiegeMaximoRobbyMalto.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Evil is... infinite!  But can be contained within a cape.]]

Long ago, [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Thirteen|other Primes]] were forced to defeat and contain their brother, Liege Maximo, in a "lightless void" and remove all mention of him from Cybertronian history.  Liege considered this a betrayal, and after he secretly escaped his imprisonment, he tracked down and murdered each of the other Primes one by one so he could confiscate their [[Artifacts of the Primes|thirteen powerful Artifacts]].  Intending to resume his original plan from before his defeat, just this time without the other Primes, he prepared to recreate [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as his seat of power from which he would terraform other planets into sources of [[Energon]].  But to accomplish this, he needed Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership]] and [[Quintus Prime]]'s [[Emberstone]], the latter of which had been transformed into the [[cyber-sleeve]]s worn by the [[Earth]] children [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto]].

By this point, nearly all the Transformers on Cybertron had become followers of Liege Maximo, seeing no other way to survive. This was because Liege had claimed Optimus Prime had destroyed the [[AllSpark]] which had resulted in the very planet itself leaching energy from its denizens. When [[Hot Rod (ES)|Hot Rod]], under Liege's command, learned that the Emberstone still lived on in the cyber-sleeves, Liege tasked him with retrieving the Emberstone and had him use one of Liege Maximo's own artifacts, the [[Liegian Darts]], to draw it out of the cyber-sleeves.

Unbeknownst to Liege's followers, whom he ruled over with intimidation and a strict control over their Energon supply, Liege himself had hidden the AllSpark under his base and had used one of his darts to turn it from a life-giving artifact into a life-draining one.

[[File:LegacyofHope-LiegianDartAllSpark.jpeg|right|thumb|300px|He changed the setting from "blow" to "suck."]] 

When the dart was eventually removed by Robby Malto and the AllSpark was returned to normal, Liege's former followers realized he had lied to them and abandoned him to be fought and eventually defeated by the Malto family and their allies. {{storylink|Legacy of Hope}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
While assisting the heroic Autobots of this universe, [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] invoked the name of the noble and honorable Liege Maximo, wishing that his light would shine on his new comrades. {{storylink|Shattered Bridges}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
;'''Liege Maximo Core'''
[[File:Earth Wars Liege Maximo Core.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6]]

Liege Maximo's [[Prime Master#Transformers: Earth Wars|Prime Core]] (his "heart" as one of the primordial [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]]) fell to Earth under mysterious circumstances along with those of his siblings to become a hotly contested resource in the [[Earth Wars (conflict)|Earth Wars]]. {{storylink|Power of the Primes (Earth Wars)|Power of the Primes}}

*'''Effect:''' Hack nearby enemy [[Transformers: Earth Wars#Standard Bots|Bot]]s for a limited time. You are immune to hacking.

[https://tfew.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4733780017183-Prime-Cores-Bot Liege Maximo Core at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

{{chargamestub|{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Liege Maximo was known as the "Prime of Lies", and supposedly helped tear the Thirteen apart. A shadowy manipulator who wielded poisonous [[Liegian Darts]], Liege Maximo relied on minions and proxies, who created mighty empires in his name. Humans sometimes knew him as {{w|Aphrodite}}. {{storylink|Transformers One Sourcebook}}

==Toys==
===''Prime''===
[[File:Primetoy-FinalBattleMegatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Because it would be <s>non-aerodynamic</s> silly to mount the saber onto the back of the vehicle mode like a giant tail-fin.]]
<ul class = "iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Final Battle Megatron''' ([[February 25]], [[2013]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''AM-33'''
:''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' [[Megatron (WFC)/toys#Darkest|Final Battle Megatron]]'s right forearm is decoed (but sadly not remolded) to resemble Liege Maximo's forearm that he substitutes for his own in those episodes.
{{--}}

===''Power of the Primes''===
[[File:PowerOfThePrimestoy-LiegeMaximo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|My alt-mode is a garden tool?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Liege Maximo''' (Prime Master, [[2018]])}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''PP-02'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': '''[[May 25]], [[2018]]'''
:*''Accessories'': [[Skullgrin#Power of the Primes|Skullgrin]] decoy armor, claw
:*''Known designers'': [[John Warden]] (Hasbro), [[Robby Musso]] (concept artist)

:''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Liege Maximo is a [[Prime Master]] with Skullgrin decoy armor, visually based on the original [[Pretender]]'s inner robot and shell.

:This toy has identical features to the other Prime Masters in the line. The decoy armor has a weapon piece which can fold out to create a weapon mode, or detach and be held in the armor's 3 mm-compatible hand. The [[Titan Master]]-like robot can store inside the decoy armor or ride [[Size class|Legends Class]] figures in vehicle mode, and is fully compatible with toys from the previous ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' line. The "Power Swap" gimmick means its [[spark]] form can plug onto any decoy armor's weapon form (which has a [[5 mm post]] to be held by larger figures), Deluxe Class figures' chest armor, Voyager Class figures' bucklers, Leader Class figures' [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Power of the Primes|Matrix]] (in place of their Matrix core), [[combiner]]s' torsos (in place of their [[Enigma of Combination#Power of the Primes|Enigma of Combination]]), or the [[Scepter of Sparks#Generations|Scepter of Sparks]]. With the power of [[you]]r imagination, this bestows the Prime Master's [[Prime Master/Combinations|unique power]] on the larger figure.

:Depending on the individual copy, the peg holes on Liege Maximo's legs varies from normal size to near-shallow, which the latter makes him somewhat prone to falling off from the decoy armor's weapon form. Unlike every other Titan Master/Prime Master, Liege Maximo and his fellow first wave Prime Masters feature backpacks/symbols secured by pins instead of screws.

:Liege Maximo/Skullgrin was retooled with a new [[Prime Master]] sigil and decoy armor front as [[The Fallen/toys#Power of the Primes|The Fallen]]/[[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Power of the Primes|Bomb-Burst]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
*"Liege Maximo" was likely meant to be this character's title or rank, while his proper name remained unknown, but subsequent uses of the character have treated Liege Maximo as the character's name (or, in some cases, "Liege" as his name and "Maximo" as a title in the vein of "Prime"). Jhiaxus has a similar title, [[Liege Centuro]].
*Liege Maximo, was, at one point, established as a [[multiversal singularity]] who existed as one being throughout all of time and space, but that is [[Shroud|no longer the case]].
*In November 2007, [[Simon Furman]] cryptically hinted that the Liege Maximo would make a return in 2008 in IDW's comics.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/script-wrap-15/#comment-1938|quote=Actually, I’m saving LM for something else BIG that’s happening in 08.|name=Simon Furman|site=Simon Furman: The Blog|year=2007|month=11|day=19|title=SCRIPT (W)RAP}}</ref> It didn't happen under his pen, however, and Liege Maximo wouldn't make his IDW debut until over 9 years later, in [[Rubicon|''Till All Are One'' #8]].
*Liege Maximo's "Aligned" design, by [[Eric Siebenaler]], seems to have been heavily inspired by the [[Marvel Comics]] version of {{w|Loki (comics)|Loki}}; fitting enough for a manipulator and liar. Contrary to what you might expect, this was ''not'' done as a response to the massive spike in popularity that Loki would get as portrayed by {{w|Tom Hiddleston}} in 2011's {{w|Thor (film)|''Thor}}; his artwork was first shown at [[BotCon 2010]], prior to the film's Loki's design even being revealed — and, indeed, ''Aligned'' Liege Maximo seems to be based much more heavily on the classic "ugly old man" Loki than Hiddleston's youthful hunk.
*The dead Prime seen in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' episode "[[Alpha/Omega]]" is identified as Liege Maximo in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]''. The concurrently published ''[[Transformers: The Art of Prime|Art of Prime]]'' claims that it is [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]], but that doesn't make sense, since Sentinel is not a true Prime and, as such, his limb would not convey the power to use the Forge on Megatron. The dead Prime's arm in ''Prime'' is red-colored, which neither Sentinel nor Maximo are; it may be due to influence from [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|the live-action Sentinel]].
*The death of Liege Maximo in the ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|Covenant of Primus]]'' is also at odds with other stories from Aligned continuity. The [[Transformers: Exiles|''Exiles'' novel]] reports that Alchemist Prime left Cybertron to hunt down and capture Liege Maximo, while the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]] and [[The Trials of Optimus Prime|related materials]] show Liege Maximo as active in the [[Realm of the Primes]]. This is one of the larger examples of Aligned continuity's "It only works if you squint" rule towards the overall timeline.
*Behind-the-scenes concept art from ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' mislabels Liege Maximo's plinth in the Realm of the Primes as "Siege Maximo". Translating the words on the plinth, however, gives the correct name.<ref>[https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/025/493/315/large/nicolaas-frankefort-prime-slabs.jpg?1585959977 Concept art of "Prime slabs"]</ref>
*''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'' Liege Maximo was designed by [[Nick Roche]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=IT ME|link=https://bsky.app/profile/nickroche.bsky.social/post/3maoucmwxxc2w|name=Nick Roche|site=Bluesky|year=2025|month=12|day=23}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Liege Maximo''' (リージマキシモ ''Rīji Makishimo'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Maximo Dàdì''' (马克西莫大帝 ''Mǎkèxīmò Dàdì'', "Maximo the Great")

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Liege Maximo-Sara Pitre Durocher-TAAO-model.jpg|2005 IDW comic continuity
File:IDW2 The Liege Maximo.jpg|2019 IDW continuity
File:One-Liege-Maximo.jpg|''One'' film
File:LiegeMaximo-earthspark-stock.jpg|''EarthSpark'' cartoon
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Thirteen}}

[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Cybertronians]]
[[Category:Cyberverse Transformers]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Deep lore characters]]
[[Category:Earth Wars Transformers]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Cybertronians]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:One Transformers]]
[[Category:Prime Masters]]
[[Category:Thirteen]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Transformers]]
[[Category:Transcendent Technomorphs]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass Transformers]]