“ I will rule the world! I will remake it in my image! I will succeed everywhere you had failed! And the best part, father, is that you will help me do it!
—Morphos to Miles Dread
Max Steel: Maximum Morphos (alternatively titled as Maximum Morphos Part One and Maximum Morphos Part Two) is the third and last animated film of the 2015 trilogy and the third film overall of the second interation of the Max Steel. It aired on August 2, 2015 in the Latin American Cartoon Network. It was directed by Andrew Doucette, Ben Anderson and Barry Karnowski and produced by Margaret M. Dean and Kimberly A. Smith
In the second half of 2016, the official Max Steel YouTube channel and the official website released the film in segmented parts, with each having two to three minutes. The uploads were available for a limited time and were released exclusively in Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish, and Spanish.
Synopsis[]
After being betrayed by his own creator, Morphos returns and stronger than ever. To prove that he is the greatest villain of all, he begins to steal the powers of all of Dread's enemies.
Plot[]
Morphos' new power.
On a rainy night, Dread is calmly walking on the corridors of his mansion when he hears a noise and turns around. Morphos suddenly appears before him, addressing him as "father" and leaving Dread shocked. Miles remarks that he is glad his "son" survived as the creature walks toward him, but Morphos attacks him, punching Dread and hurling him into a wall. He demonstrates his new ability to combine powers, much to Miles' shock. Claiming that he has surpasses his original design, Morphos continues with his attack, ultimately strapping Dread to an operating table. He reveals his intentions of remaking the world and ruling it, stating that Dread would help him while he screams.
Copper Canyon's new "protector".
The following day, Toxzon attacks Copper Canyon using his toxic blimp. Max and Steel quickly arrive, with Max activating Turbo Hydro Heat Mode to confront him. McGrath strikes Toxzon with a combined water and fire attack, knocking him from the blimp, though the villain manages to cling to part of the vessel. Max destroys the ship's control, temporarily halting the release of toxic gas. Toxzon reenters the blimp and pulls a lever, unleashing an army of Goopanoids onto a park in Copper Canyon. During the battle, Sydney contacts McGrath after seeing the events on the news, urging him to stay safe. Meanwhile, Morphos intervenes and destroys the Goopanoids, saving the civilians. Toxzon fires a toxic projectile at Max’s helmet, causing him to lose control and accidentally damage the blimp. As a result, both McGrath and Toxzon are thrown from the vehicle as it begins to crash. Morphos, using his Turbo Strength form, prevents the blimp from causing mass destruction. He then confronts Toxzon, stealing his powers, and trapping him using one of his gauntlets. A suspicious McGrath questions Morphos' true intentions, to which he responds that he wants to protect Copper Canyon. The villain walks toward a cheering crowd, claiming to be their new protector.
Morphos steals Extroyer's powers.
In the following days, Morphos defeats the Elementors and Extroyer, earning widespread fame and public support from the citizens of Copper Canyon. During a public event, the mayor of the city announces his resignation and declares that Morphos is taking his place. A news reporter, commenting on the mayor's decision to shut down THI, interviews Molly McGrath, who states that the company posed no threat to the city. Watching the broadcast from home, Jim and Max support her statement. A worried Maxwell goes outside of their apartment, with Steel following him shortly after. McGrath comments that Morphos' adaptive nature makes him one of their deadliest, as well one of the most cunning villains. Jim approaches the two, assuring that they still possess untapped powers and Turbo Modes.
Max confronts Morphos.
The following day, mayor Morphos is waking with his subordinates and security guards when an angry Max Steel confronts him. Max notices that Jason Naught is among Morphos' allies and demands to know Dread's whereabouts, though the bio-android avoids the question. McGrath warns Morphos that he did not believe his act and intends to uncover his true intentions. Sydney intervenes, grabbing him by the arm while pretending to escort him away. She reveals to be working for Morphos, and as a "concerned citizen", is is trying to learn what is true intentions are so she could inform Max. After she refers to him by his name, McGrath realizes Gardner may know his secret identity. She reveals to know about it, much to his surprise. Steel unlinks from Max's chest to greet Sydney as Max questions how she knows, and she explains that she knew for some time and was waiting for the right moment to tell him. Sydney leads Max out of the building, assuring she will inform him of Morphos' plans so they could do their "super duper hero thing". Shortly after, McGrath is suddenly contacted by a desperate Miles, who warns that Copper Canyon is in danger. He sends his coordinates, leading the two to his mansion.
Max Steel and Miles Dread are cornered by the police.
Max and Steel are attacked by a trio of Morphos-like aberrations. McGrath uses a Turbo Pulse to disperse them, but they quickly recover and charge at the duo, ending up at the mansion's laboratory, where Miles is. The villain instructs a distrustful Maxwell to press a button on the terminal. After a Morphos clone attacks the teen, he presses it, causing a machine to vaporize the creatures. Steel frees Miles, who reveals his mutated, Morphos-like hand, as well as the villain's goal of transforming the entire world into monsters like him. Suddenly, Morphos himself appears, finding it amusing that "two hated enemies" are working together. He charges at Miles Dread and Max Steel, who attempts to use a combined Turbo Mode to defeat Morphos. After a powerful blow, the villain quickly recovers and blasts a projectile at Max Steel and Miles Dread, hurling them from the mansion. The villain approaches the two, boasting about his new ability of merging powers. The Copper Canyon police corners Max Steel and Miles Dread, and the event is broadcasted to Copper Canyon, tainting the image of the hero. The teen instructs Miles to follow the police's orders, though the villain refuses it and attacks them instead. Dread escapes with Max, who activates Turbo Flight Mode to free himself while Miles falls to the ground.
Steel, Max, Miles and Jim in the Takion ship.
Max approaches Miles, stating that he is the one responsible for Morphos and everything that happened. Dread avoids the accusations, and tries to form an alliance with the hero. Meanwhile, Morphos returns to THI's headquarters, where he retells his plans of transforming humanity into monsters like him to Jason Naught. Sydney, who had snuck into the building, calls Maxwell and informs him of Morphos' plans. The villain connects himself to the device of the tower, and launches the first Morphogenic wave across Copper Canyon, transforming countless citizens into mutants, including both Sydney and Jason. After Miles convinces McGrath to work with him, the trio heads to Jim's spacecraft. After a tense reunion between Dread and the Takonian, the former outlines his plan to stop Morphos, which requires Max to be connected to the Morphogenic machine and generate highly calibrated amounts of T.U.R.B.O. to burn off the mutated cells from the infected individuals. Jim decides talks with McGrath privately after Miles senses T.U.R.B.O. in the ship, warning him that they couldn't let him learn about the ship's Turbo Chamber. A Morphogenic wave hits the vehicle, causing Jim to mutate into a monster and charge at Maxwell. Steel operates the terminal and manages to trap the corrupted Takonian inside of an energy field. After the ship is attacked by an army of human-Morphos hybrids, Miles operates the ship and leaves the mountains.
Max and Miles' villainous army.
Miles traps Max and Steel inside of an energy field like Jim, and heads to the prison, where he frees Extroyer, Toxzon and the Elementors, promising them a "once in a life time opportunity for payback and revenge". The villains enter the ship, wrongly believing they will have revenge on Max Steel. Miles clarifies that they are targeting Morphos, much to their confusion. He frees Max and Steel, stating that they would need an army to face the monster. Dread states that Max Steel is the key to their victory and outlines his plan to them: keep Morphos and his minions occupied while the hero ascends to THI and purifies the infected citizens. The group descends to Copper Canyon, facing a large army of monsters. Morphos intervenes and commands his minions to attack Max and Miles' villainous army. McGrath clarifies that they should target their leader rather than the mutated citizens. Extroyer, transforming into a tyrannosaurus rex, charges at Morphos, who quickly recovers and overpowers him. Toxzon attempts to face the monster, but is easily subdued. The Elementors corner Morphos, merging themselves and attacking him. Max Steel, Miles and Metal join them and T-Rextroyer deals the finishing blow. With Morphos seemingly defeated, Max activates Turbo Sonic Flight Mode and ascends to THI, but the Morphogenic generator explodes before he could reach it.
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Turbo Exo Strength Max Steel versus Maximum Morphos.
Morphos recovers and merges all of his powers, becoming a six-armed hybrid creature. The villains once again attempt to overpower him, but they fail. Max charges at him with sonic waves, but Morphos blasts him with an energy ray, hurling McGrath across the battlefield. The teen lands inside of Jim's spacecraft, where Steel unlinks from his chest. McGrath considers the possibility of using the Turbo Chamber to amplify his powers and generate a massive T.U.R.B.O. wave. Miles, who was observing the two, volunteers to help them. Max jumps into the platform of the chamber while Dread operates the machine. Meanwhile, the villains distract Morphos, who easily overwhelms them. The spacecraft descends to ground level, where Max activates Turbo Pulse, successfully burning off the mutated cells from the citizens and creating Turbo Exo Strength Mode. He lastly releases a smaller T.U.R.B.O. wave, curing Miles' mutated hand. Dread compliments Max's new "look" as the two prepare to face Morphos. The hero heads to city and charges at the villain. After a fierce battle, Max launches a powerful T.U.R.B.O. projectile at Morphos' chest cavity, damaging his security device and permanently damaging his powers of Reactive Adaptation.
The aftermath of the battle.
A weakened Morphos is imprisoned inside of an energy field as Miles approaches Max Steel. After the villains flee, Dread thanks the teen, stating he is the greatest hero he ever met. McGrath returns to his Turbo Base Mode to shake hands with Miles, who reciprocates but betrays him as he starts to absorb his T.U.R.B.O. energy. Sydney Gardner, using a blaster, shoots Miles Dread, hurling him into a wall. Jim reunites with his son, who reveals he had used all Takion energy present on his spacecraft. The Takonian affirms that the energy now resided inside of both Max and Steel forever. The Ultralink picks up a robbery signal from Extroyer. Sydney prepares to help them while McGrath activates Turbo Sonic Flight Mode and heads to the bank. Miles approaches Jim, resting his arm around his shoulder while telling him that Max Steel is "something else". In response, the Takonian shoots him with his blaster, hurling him.
Cast[]
- Andrew Francis as Max, Toxzon, Police 2, Fire Elementor and Air Elementor
- Sam Vincent as Steel
- Brian Dobson as Morphos, Mayor, Jason Naught
- Brian Drummond as Earth Elementor, Water Elementor, and Extroyer
- Mark Oliver as Miles Dread and Citizen 1
- Trevor Duvall as Metal Elementor, Jim McGrath, and Police 1
- Sarah Edmondson as Sydney Gardner and Citizen 2
- Nicole Oliver as Molly McGrath
Events[]
Continuity[]
- Maximum Morphos is a direct continuation of Dawn of Morphos.
Noteworthy Events[]
- Sydney Gardner reveals that she knew for some time that Maxwell McGrath is Max Steel.
- Morphos momentarily becomes the mayor of Copper Canyon.
- Morphos succeeds in mutating the citizens of Copper Canyon into monsters like him, but they are ultimately cured by Max Steel.
- Extroyer, Toxzon and the Elementors ally with Max Steel and Miles Dread to take down Morphos.
- Max unlocks Turbo Hydro Heat Mode, Turbo Sonic Flight Mode and Turbo Exo Strength Mode.
- Morphos permanently loses his powers of Reactive Adaptation, leaving him stuck on his default form.
Production[]
Prior to Maximum Morphos's public announcement, two action figures based on the film, Exo Strength Max Steel and Mutant Morphos, were unveiled in the 2015 Nuremberg Toys Fair. A document confirmed the title and existence of the film.
In early 2015, Mattel and Turner Broadcasting partnered to air an exclusive lineup of Mattel content in Latin America on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.[1] Max Steel's lineup featured three animated films: The Wrath of Makino, Dawn of Morphos, and Maximum Morphos.
Maximum Morphos aired on August 5, 2015 on Latin America. However, for unknown reasons, several countries broadcasted The Wrath of Makino.
At some point, Maximum Morphos was released on Sky Store[2] and Showmax.[3]
Turbo Modes Used[]
- Turbo Flight Mode (x6)
- Turbo Hydro Heat Mode (x1)
- Turbo Base Mode (x5)
- Turbo Camouflage Mode (x1)
- Turbo Cannon Spike Mode (x1)
- Turbo Strength Mode (x1)
- Turbo Sonic Flight Mode (x2)
- Turbo Exo Strength Mode (x1)
Gallery[]
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| Max Steel: Maximum Morphos's gallery can be seen here. |
Trivia[]
- For unknown reasons, N-Tek is absent. It is possible that they were recovering from Morphos' attacks in the previous film, leaving Max and Steel alone to deal with Morphos.
- Maximum Morphos is also the first film where N-Tek is absent during major events.
- Maximum Morphos was released theatrically in several Latin American countries in December 2015.
- Alongside the mini episodes, the Maximum Morphos two-parter was the last content of the franchise to be animated by Nerd Corps Entertainment. Team Turbo and Team Turbo Fusion-Tek were animated by Arc Productions and Turbo-Charged and Turbo-Warriors were posteriorly animated by Film Roman Baja J.V..
- In late 2015, Mattel partnered with Kellogg's to release a promotional DVD containing Maximum Morphos and Dawn of Morphos, which was bundled with select cereal products. In 2016, several toys from the Latin American Max Steel contained a copy of Maximum Morphos.
- Maximum Morphos's title could be a reference to Marvel's "Maximum Carnage", a Spider-Man/Venom storyline from the 1990s.
- Additionally, both stories feature a hero allying with a villain to face a larger threat. In Maximum Carnage, Spider-Man allies with Venom (and other heroes) to deal with Carnage and his villainous group, while in Maximum Morphos, Max Steel allies with Miles Dread and his villains to face Morphos.
- Maximum Morphos marks the first time in which Miles and the villains team-up. A scrapped season one storyline featured Dread forming a villainous group named as "The Syndicate" to take down Max Steel and N-Tek.
- A villainous team-up also happened in the mini episode Better Off Dread.
- Maximum Morphos is the only film of the 2015 trilogy to feature Miles Dread's Makinian mode.
- In the scene where Metal Elementor is confronted by the police, real gunshot sound effects are used. Maximum Morphos is the only known instance where this happens, as, in the rest of the series, laser-like effects are used.
- It is revealed that Max has access to his father's modes as well, as, Turbo Sonic Mode's model is seen during the transformation scene of Turbo Sonic Flight Mode.
- Maximum Morphos marks the first time in which a villain taints Max Steel's heroic image. The first was in Me, Myself, and Extroyer, where the titular villain used a corrupted copy of Max Steel's Turbo Strength Mode to terrorize the city.
- The extended synopsis of Maximum Morphos reveals that Max and Steel unlocked Turbo Sonic Flight Mode and Turbo Hydro Heat Mode before the events of the film.[4]
Goofs[]
- Several scenes featured Miles Dread's regular model without his mutated clawed hand.
- Additionally, Miles Dread's mutated hand glows in several scenes.