Max Steel (2000 TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Max Steel
Created by	Mattel (original toys)
Developed by	Greg Weisman Jeff Kline
Starring	Christian Campbell Chi McBride Keith Szarabajka Jacob Vargas Debi Mae West Ed Asner Mae Whitman
Country of origin	United States Canada
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	35 (+ 9 films and 37 "Turbo Missions" episodes) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Richard Raynis Jeff Kline
Producer(s)	Bob Richardson Greg Weisman Marsha F. Griffin
Running time	23 minutes
Production company(s)	Columbia TriStar Television (2000–2001) (seasons 1–3) Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001–2002) (season 3) Mainframe Entertainment Netter Digital Animation Adelaide Productions Mattel Inc.
Distributor	Columbia TriStar Television Distribution
Release
Original network	Kids' WB (seasons 1–2) Cartoon Network (Season 3)
Original release	February 26, 2000 (2000-02-26) – January 15, 2002 (2002-01-15)
Chronology
Related shows	Max Steel (2013), Max Steel (2016)

Max Steel is an exciting action and science fiction cartoon series. It was first shown from February 26, 2000, to January 15, 2002. The show is based on a popular action figure from Mattel. Max Steel had three seasons and a total of 35 episodes.

After the TV series, several movies were made directly for DVD from 2004 to 2012. These movies continued the adventures of Max Steel. The first movie, Max Steel: Endangered Species, followed the original story. Later movies changed the story a bit. Famous voice actors like Chi McBride and Christian Campbell were part of the show. Even sports stars like Tony Hawk lent their voices!

The company Mainframe Entertainment took over making the third season and the movies. This happened after other companies, Netter Digital and Foundation Imaging, had problems. The very last episode, "Truth Be Told," aired on January 15, 2002. Max Steel was special because it was the first computer-animated series to be shown on Kids' WB.

A new version of the show, called a reboot, started on Disney XD in 2013. However, the characters and stories in this new series were very different from the original.

Max Steel's Origin Story

The main character is Josh McGrath, a 19-year-old extreme sports star. His parents passed away when he was younger. He was then adopted by Jefferson Smith, his father's best friend and business partner. Jefferson runs a company called N-Tek, which seems to make sports gear. But N-Tek is actually a secret spy agency!

One night, Josh visited Jefferson at work. A bad guy named Psycho broke in. Josh tried to fight him, but Psycho shot a container of tiny machines called "Max Probes." These nanomachines went into Josh's body. They started to die, taking Josh's energy with them. To save Josh, Jefferson gave him a special energy called "T-Juice." This saved Josh's life and gave him amazing superpowers!

Because of these powers, Josh became Max Steel. He fights super-powered villains, especially Mr. Dread, Psycho's evil boss, and his spy group called DREAD. In later movies, Max also battles mutants, robots, mad scientists, and monsters.

Episodes and Where to Watch Them

The Max Steel series started on Kids' WB with an episode called "Strangers" on February 26, 2000. It ended with "Truth Be Told" on January 15, 2002. The show had three seasons and 35 episodes.

You could find the series on DVD. Volume one had episodes 1–6, Volume 2 had episodes 7–13, and there was a box set for all of season one. Seasons 2 and 3 were never released on DVD. Some VHS tapes were also sold with Max Steel action figures.

In 2009, some episodes were available on Crackle's YouTube account, but they are no longer there. The series was also shown on TV channels like ONTV and Tiin. Today, you can watch the series on Hulu in both English and Spanish.

Meet the Characters

N-Tek Heroes and Friends

• Josh McGrath / Max Steel (voiced by Christian Campbell): Josh is a college student and a famous extreme sports athlete. He works for his adoptive father, Jefferson Smith, at N-Tek. He later finds out N-Tek is a secret anti-terrorist group. During a fight with Psycho, Josh was covered in tiny machines called nanoprobes. These gave him super senses, the ability to change his look, turn invisible ("Stealth mode!"), and become super strong, agile, and fast ("Going turbo!"). He also heals very quickly. But he needs regular doses of special energy to stay alive. Josh uses his powers to become Max Steel, a hero who looks different from his normal self. His hero work often gets in the way of college and his girlfriend, Laura Chen.
• Jefferson Smith (voiced by Chi McBride): Jefferson is the boss of N-Tek, both the sports company and the secret spy agency. He adopted Max after Max's father died. N-Tek is an international group that reports to the UN. Jefferson worries when Max is in danger, but he knows Max is strong enough to fight villains. Their relationship can be tough, but they always work things out.
• Dr. Roberto Martinez (voiced by Jacob Vargas): Everyone calls him 'Berto. He's a super smart technical genius, still in his late teens. 'Berto is the main expert on the nanoprobes that give Max his powers. He usually works at N-Tek headquarters, watching Max's missions on a computer. But he also joins missions sometimes. He and Josh are very close, like brothers.
• Rachel Leeds (voiced by Shannon Kenny): Rachel was Max's first partner at N-Tek. She's very capable and trained Max to be an agent. She can handle herself in a fight! Her relationship with Max was a bit complicated, as she often argued with him but also cared about him. She was promoted after season one and appeared in a few episodes of season two.
• Kat Ryan (voiced by Debi Mae West): After Rachel's promotion, Kat became Max's new partner. At first, they didn't get along, but they learned to respect each other. Kat is around the same age as Josh and 'Berto, and they act like siblings. In season three, it was revealed that Kat used to be part of a street gang when she was younger but has since changed her life.
• Laura Chen and Pete Costas (voiced by Lauren Tom and Thomas F. Wilson): These are two of Josh's college friends. Laura was Josh's girlfriend, but they broke up because Josh's secret life as Max Steel made him unreliable. Pete found out about Josh's secret identity in season two and promised to keep it quiet.
• Jean Mairot (voiced by Keith Szarabajka): Jean was Jefferson Smith's second-in-command in season one. He was calm and smart, often giving agents their missions. At the end of season one, it was revealed he was a spy working for John Dread! His fate is unknown after Dread's base exploded.
• Charles "Chuck" Marshak (voiced by Edward Asner): Chuck was an N-Tek chief in charge of the Behemoth, a huge flying fortress that helped Max. He was older and very experienced. He was also good at fighting hand-to-hand! He didn't appear in later seasons.
• Cytro: Cytro started as an enemy robot made to fight Max. But he grew to like Max and even saved him. 'Berto rebuilt Cytro, and he became the fourth member of Team Steel, helping Max on missions.
• Forge Ferris: Forge took over as the leader of N-Tek. He's strict but encourages Max and gives him advice. He has a daughter named Jet.
• Jet Ferris: Jet is Forge Ferris's daughter. She often got into trouble but proved herself when she helped Max and Cytro cure Toxion, earning her father's respect.

DREAD Villains

• John Dread (voiced by Martin Jarvis): John Dread is the leader of the DREAD organization and the main bad guy in the first two seasons. He's a mysterious figure, often seen in dark rooms. He was thought to be killed several times but kept coming back.
• Psycho (voiced by Keith Szarabajka): Psycho's real name is unknown. He has a metallic face that looks like a skull with a big smile, which is why Max sometimes calls him "Smiley." His main weapon is a bionic right arm that can turn into a claw or a laser gun. He's a dangerous and unpredictable villain.
• L'Etranger (voiced by John de Lancie): His name means "The Stranger" in French. He wears a mask that looks like a metal skull. He was the first villain Max fought. He's a mercenary with super strength and gloves that shoot powerful electric sparks.
• Dragonelle (voiced by Mia Korf): Dragonelle is the first major female villain. She wears golden armor and can perfectly copy anyone's actions and appearance. She's more of a spy than a fighter and is very loyal to John Dread.
• Vitriol: Max says Vitriol isn't the smartest villain. He often works with Psycho. His arms are green and glow, and he can shoot destructive energy beams. He sometimes tries to work with N-Tek but usually goes back to his old ways.

Other Villains Max Fights

• Woody Barkowski and Annabelle Barkowski / Electrix (voiced by Jeff Bennett and Susan Eisenberg): Woody blames N-Tek for an injury that ended his sports career. He sees himself as Max Steel's biggest enemy, but Max thinks he's just "comic relief." His sister, Annabelle, helps him. In season two, Annabelle has an accident that gives her electrical powers, and she becomes Electrix.
• Bio-Con (voiced by René Auberjonois): His full name is Bio-Constrictor. He was once Dr. David Klimo, an N-Tek employee who had an accident. He mutated into a half-human, half-reptile creature with snake-like powers. He can poison people and turn them into copies of himself.
• Elementor: Elementor is a clone of Bio-Con. He can control different elements like water, earth, fire, air, and even metal. He's a very powerful enemy who tries to absorb energy and merge with the earth.
• Exstroyer: Originally Troy Winters, Max's rival in extreme sports. He became Exstroyer after an accident involving a comet crystal and lava. Exstroyer can drain energy from anything and turn himself into a super-charged copy of it.
• Toxion: Toxion was an N-Tek agent named Tox. An explosion at a waste plant mutated him, giving him control over toxins and chemicals. He blamed N-Tek for what happened and became a dangerous villain. He was later cured by Jet Ferris.
• Makino: Makino was Mike Nickelson, who stole 'Berto's equipment. He was hit by a substance that fused him with the tech, giving him the power to control all technology. He can also change his body by absorbing vehicles like tanks or jets.

Main Voice Actors

• Edward Asner – Charles "Chuck" Marshak
• Christian Campbell – Max Steel/Josh McGrath
• Martin Jarvis – John Dread
• Matthew Kaminsky – Max Steel/Josh McGrath (for two episodes)
• Shannon Kenny – Rachel Leeds
• Mia Korf – Dragonelle
• John de Lancie – L'Etranger
• Chi McBride – Jefferson Smith
• Keith Szarabajka – Jean Mairot, Psycho
• Jacob Vargas – Dr. Roberto Martinez
• Debi Mae West – Kat Ryan

Behind the Scenes Crew

• Susan Blu – Dialogue Director
• Bob Richardson – Producer, Supervising Director

Max Steel's Journey Continues

After the original TV series ended, Max Steel toys became very popular in Latin America, even more so than in the United States. So, Mattel decided to focus on foreign markets. After a break, Mattel, Sony Family Pictures Entertainment, and Mainframe Entertainment (now called Rainmaker Animation) continued Max Steel's adventures. They made a series of movies that went straight to DVD and many short, one-minute video clips. These were used to keep Max Steel on TV and to promote new toys.

These movies and clips were often given as bonus gifts with Max Steel toys. Many of the short TV ads were grouped together as "Turbo Missions."

The New Max Steel Show (Reboot)

In January 2012, news came out that Mattel and Freemantle Media were working on a brand new Max Steel TV series. This new show would keep the name but have different characters, villains, and a completely new story.

This new series follows a 16-year-old boy named Maxwell "Max" McGrath. He's half-human and half-Tachyon (a special alien race). Max learns he can create "TURBO energy," but he struggles to control it. Then he meets Steel, an alien partner. Steel helps Max control his power, and they merge to become one powerful superhero! This new action-adventure series launched on March 1, 2013, in Latin America. It then premiered in the United States on Disney XD on Monday, March 25, 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Max Steel (serie de televisión de 2000) para niños