History, part one.
Maksim (called Max even then by his friends) grew up in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City the 60’s and early 70’s. His father’s tool shop fell into harsh debt, and when he had been unable and unwilling to pay back the mob boss he’d received loans from, the family met with an unfortunate accident in the form of an orchestrated car wreck. Left on his own at age 11, no one cared initially for the orphaned boy, until he showed up at the door of the boss responsible with a knife in his hand.
Impressed with Maksim’s daring, he was given a job as a discreet messenger, and paid well enough to keep his parents’ house. The scrappy boy became very involved in the underground, training in boxing and earning a rather violent reputation as he grew. Eventually, he grew so much on the boss that he began training him for bigger things, and Max proved to have a surprising aptitude for business. His alias “The Shark” went from a reference to his ferocity in the ring to his sharp focus and frighteningly tactical mind.
With Max’s help, they were able to build up a legitimate company to fund their more illegitimate business dealings, an arms manufacturing and dealership called Les Loups. At the age of 30, he was named Co-Founder, inheriting the CEO title and all business in its entirety after the “mysterious” demise of the mob boss.
I’m thinking of having the mob boss be Sentinal Zeta Prime’s analog, who Max waited patiently to kill in revenge until after he was of no more use.
Of course, almost none of this is public knowledge, and only those closest to him are even aware that Max Lowell is not his real name, let alone the rest of his past.
If any Optimus/Orions want to get in on this, I was thinking of having them be very close friends in early years, even if there’s a significant age difference.
Megatron's back up 