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Max Hatchet

Maxhatchet

Max Hatchet is one of the main characters from the Streets of Rage series. Along with Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding, Max has appeared in every story.

History

For an unknown number of years, Hatchet was one of the few non-corrupt police officers in The City, only deciding to quit the force when good friend Axel Stone was attacked and almost killed by officers believing Axel to have "squealed" on them. Knowing that he was must fight back and clean the streets of corruption, Max takes Blaze to the gun store where they can begin their campaign. After that, the pair start with small gangs causing destruction and terror, although he lets Blaze handle things on her own on at least one occasion. During an attack on a gang fighting Ken's Korner Shop, Max commandeers a bazooka. Ready to have "some fun" with it, the pair take the Battle Wagon to The Safe House, a 24-hour drug-producing factory owned by Max's former colleague Hawk. Destroying it, Max soon becomes the target of Hawk's wrath and his ninjas.

Two weeks after Axel was admitted into hospital, the ninjas make a visit to Max's home while he is exercising. With every sense sharpened to perfection, Max leaps over the crossbow fire of two ninjas, watching as they knock each other out. He then smacks some dumbbells into the face of a third, but is foiled by a fourth ninja who puts him to sleep with a tainted dart. When he wakes up, Max discovers that he is tied up in a foundry with a gun in his face. Hawk reveals that it has been five years since Max put his old partner kicked off the force for corruption. However, Hawk plans to play with his food and doesn't want to kill him just yet. Max is then dismayed when Blaze has also been captured and demands that Hawk untie him and fight like a man. When Axel bursts in and causes a commotion, Max breaks out of his confines by tipping his chair over a balcony. He then hides and takes out Hawk's henchmen with a weight, leaving it between the two of them. Even an incendiary bomb (technically called for by Max with the police tracer) won't stop the conflict between them and Max eventually wins by kicking Hawk into molten slag.

Six months later and Max is still cleaning up the streets with his former colleagues. Hatchet learns that Mr X has planted a bomb aboard the Princess Grace in order to eradicate officials that won't be bribed. Max is sent to locate the device but is unsuccessful. He rushes along with the other three and stops Mr X. When Skates arrives with the bomb removed, the giant congratulates the kid (despite there being a second bomb). After everything has died down, Max offers Skates a place in their gang.

A future mission sees them having to rescue informant Julio from a gang attack and it is Max who volunteers to pull him from his chains. The warrior survives but has to kick the Battle Wagon's door out when they are attacked, revealing themselves to be surrounded. Hatchet expresses disappointment when the wagon is carted away. A subsequent attack involving gang members on motorbikes sees Max grab an oncoming bike and shake off its rider, demanding to know about Mr X's plan. They are soon rescued by a police helicopter, with Max kicking off any stragglers while holding on to the ladder. He then has to give a positive Blaze a negative reality check when their helicopter is destroyed. With that, Max gets to lay into even more gangers. After Axel is later "killed" and comes back to rescue them, Max assists a dying Stone by grabbing him and pulling him up the scaffolding over East River.

Character

Max is easily the biggest and strongest of the four vigilantes, but his personality isn't quite so burly. Hatchet cares intensely about his friends, quitting the police force when Axel is attacked and panicking when Blaze is captured. despite this, Max's temper can rise to dangerous levels when a foe displays extreme cowardice or his life is at stake. Fortunately, when he is substantially calmer, Max has a cool enough head to act as a mediator between the "bipolar" Axel and the headstrong Blaze while also being responsible for recruiting Skates.

Trivia

  • Max only has two lines in the whole story until the penultimate page (where he gets four more) and doesn't even appear until the third installment.
  • He has a scar on his face (over his left eye) which Max decides to paint over when he quits the force - a lightning bolt in the same shape as the scar.

Appearances