Max grew up in England. Had a father and a sister. His mother divorced his father when he was only young, a natural separation with no overly sour feelings between the two. Custody was kept but, overall, Max grew up just fine. But when he was a kid, that was when his power was found.
He did not come from a family with powers, instead a stroke of dumb luck hit him.
In the world, there was this extremely powerful artefact. A coin. Nothing too interesting, easily hidden amidst the trillions of the world, and the chance that someone would flip it for a bet was practically zero… But whenever that happened, that coin would dictate reality. You bet something on heads, and you hit heads, that thing will happen. Tails, that thing will not happen. Of course, since nobody knew the coin’s power, they only ever bet on things that would be normal. Their favourite game team to win. That old lady to fall over. The waiter to come right out the door at that moment. But the coin’s power was true, regardless of size.
Thank your lucky stars nobody flipped it, looked up to the heavens and said ‘I bet heads the world will end today.’
And Max, as a dumb toddler, found that coin and ate it. The little idiot. The coin dissolved itself in his system, his body a new host for the powers within. Though, the ability never came through until puberty happened. And he can't affect anything else apart from his own actions, for now.
Max never had the desire to use the power for something large, but he felt like it was a burden on him. Something that made him different from the world around him, but he knew of a place where he could feel better. So, when he hit 19, he decided to apply for a place in Cloudfell city, a place where all sorts of empowered people- named Emps- could live alongside each other. To quote The Incredibles, “When everyone’s super, no one will be.”
The city has two halves. One, where people pursue their powers, and two, where people pursue their lives. Those who pursue their powers live in the more ecstatic city half, where fights and competitions are had. Max lived in the other, where he scored a single bedroom apartment and a library job a five minute walk away. And though his life is simple and as relaxed as he hoped… He couldn’t help but imagine, now and then, what it would be like in the other half. But he kept those dreams as dreams, until such a time may come where he is dragged out of civilian life. A kick start to something potentially extraordinary.