Max Thunder streets of rage 4, a tall, muscular, light-skinned male, is a professional wrestler. He is in his late 30s. Max has brown spiked hair and hairy forearms. A vertical scar runs across his right eye.
Max fights shirtless while wearing light blue wrestling pants. His pants are designed with yellow lightning bolts, and his look is completed with black spandex elbow pads and red wrestling boots with black soles and white strings.
Max’s body frame is large, covered with muscles. Also, his muscular body looks very realistic. In Streets of Rage 4, Max is under the control of Y-twins.
His body frame remains the same whereas his hair is changed into a military crewcut. The signs of older age are shown through grey hair flecks and more scars on his chest. In his bio, it is mentioned that he was kicked out of professional wrestling for refusing to perform in an allegedly fixed fight.
Max’s Place in The SoR Storyline:
Max does not have any direct connection with the police or with the Syndicate. He takes part in the plan only based on his friendship with Axel. This shows how his compassionate behavior is covered by his tough exterior.
- Max appeared for the first time in Streets of Rage 2 where he joined Axel’s clan to free Adam Hunter from Mr. X. They hunted down the headquarters and took out the Syndicate’s leader.
- Max has a cameo at the end of Bare Knuckles III or Street of Rage 3 where he is watching the sunset with everyone else on board.
- The Streets of Rage 4 features Max as a boss, being mind-controlled by Ms. Y. He is, later, made a playable character that can be unlocked by reaching a certain number of points. He is the strongest boss who can be damaged by using Star Moves only. After his defeat, Max turns back to normal and explains his clear intentions.
Max was absent in Streets of Rage 3. It is speculated that Max may have never met Dr. Zan. Max was never present in Season 3 and Zan was present mainly in season 3.
If so, they become one of the two sets of characters who have never met (besides Floyd and Skate).
Gameplay:
Due to his heavyweight and bulky body, Max is slow. His attacks, however, are very strong and devastating. Max usually takes the opponent in the air with him which gives him an upper hand.
When both he and his enemy are in the air, he gets to control the fight. Some of his special moves are:
- Spinning knuckle bomb: Max spins quickly with his arms straight in front of him (hands clasped together), to hit his opponent from the front and the back in a circular motion.
- Power slide: Max bends down in a jiffy, slides forward, and hits the enemy in their legs, leaving them staggering.
- Thunder tackle: Max treads forwards with an extended shoulder at a high speed to knock down more than one opponent at the same time.
- Atomic Drop: Due to his slow demeanor, Max defeats his opponents by inflicting damage. In Atomic Drop, Max jumps and smashes his knee into the opponent’s spinal cord. This is the second most dangerous move in the game.
- Bear Hug: The enemy’s skull is crushed 5 times in a row by Max. Bear Hug has been proved deadly at times. If all 5 hits take place successfully, the damage done is insurmountable.
- Thunder Body Slam: Max grabs his enemy from the front and throws them against the ground with an extremely forceful impact.
Also, read about solid Asian-American man Shiva Streets of Rage 4
The Fighting Style of Max Thunder:
Max Thunder is a professional wrestler. He is best known for his throws and grappling techniques. The Atomic Drop and Bear Hug are the most destructive attack moves in the Streets of Rage series.
His power went through electrokinesis to boost his strength. Max’s fighting form is technically perfect with no flaws whatsoever.
Streets of Rage Comics:
The Streets of Rage Comics have a different storyline. They show Max as a police officer similar to Axel Stone and Blaze. They quit the police force after Axel was mauled by senior corrupt officials.
Max also kills his die-hard enemy, Hawk, at the end of the episode in the SoR comics.
Conclusion:
Even though Axel and Blaze exceed in strength, Max has a quirky unmatched fighting style. Max is a powerhouse of energy who does raw damage. From being a simple playable character in Streets of Rage to becoming a playable character and a boss, Max Thunder plays a significantly important role in SoR.
