The Bionic Dog: Slower Than a Speeding Bullet Quiz

Answer: He cost a million dollars to create - Max-a-million.

Maximillian cost one million dollars to create. The cost for scientific advancement was often discussed on the shows, e.g., "The Six Million Dollar Man". The cost of the Bionic Woman was vague. They did say her bionic implants cost a lot more than those of Max. Max had four bionic legs and a bionic jaw.

He could run 90 mph, leap tall obstacles and rip a good size tear in a truck tire with that bionic jaw! "The Bionic Woman" aired from 1976 to 1978. In season 3, Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner) meets Max, who joins her as a do-good agent of the government. Martin Caidin wrote the novel "Cyborg". Maximilian Morrel is a character in "The Count of Monte Cristo".

Answer: German Shepherd

Max was a German Shepherd. That's the only herding dog mentioned, and while a Newfoundland is lovable, it's only more powerful than a locomotive in the water. A Chihuahua is so brave it would leap tall buildings, but could it save the day on bionic legs? You might point out that a mouse regularly saved the day on television, but he could fly.

The producers most likely chose a German Shepherd because of their excellent obedience and beauty, but also owing to prior successful dog stars, such as a military K-9 German Shepherd in, "Run, Joe, Run!" (1974), and of course Rin-Tin-Tin (first seen in the 1920s to 50s).

Answer: It was engulfed in flames.

Suspending the trauma and potential death present in any animal testing laboratory, this particular fictional lab was on fire. Poor Max was trapped in his cage as flames surrounded him, creating such fear and helpless stress he developed post trauma symptoms.

Instead of death by fire, however, he entered the bionics program, where he received four bionic legs, a bionic jaw, intensive training, and he underwent tests to determine effects and side effects of cyborg condition. Max, an "early warning system" was kept a secret, so that the human cyborgs who came a few years later wouldn't worry about their own fate, should something go wrong with Max. Uh-oh, something DID go wrong. Fembots were female robots the Bionic Woman had to battle.

Answer: Using his bionic jaw, he opened his dog food can

Max opened the top of his dog food can with his bionic jaw, then used his jaw once more to pick up the can and empty the food into his bowl. Jaime had amplified bionic hearing in her right ear, so she heard noise in the kitchen and went to check on Max. There he was, eating his breakfast. She asked him if he could make breakfast for both of them. A typical dog, he just kept eating.

Answer: Destroyed

Max was growling and barking, he jumped out of a glass window, and he even attacked the Bionic Woman during a forest fire. Not understanding that dogs develop post trauma symptoms, the OSI failed to make the connection to the fire that nearly took Max's life as a puppy.

They believed he was rejecting his bionics implants, and would have to be destroyed. Happily, Jaime figured it out in time to save him.

Answer: Nope. They were on separate channels.

Max the bionic dog was a secret until season 3 of "The Bionic Woman". Her romance with Steve Austin (Lee Majors) meanwhile was forgotten in Jaime's memory because she'd rejected her implants at the end of Season 2 and, well, died. "The Six Million Dollar Man" continued on ABC, while "The Bionic Woman" was dropped, despite its top ratings. NBC then picked up "The Bionic Woman", explained to viewers that Jaime had not actually died, and thereafter, no on-screen contact or mention of Steve Austin was allowed. Jaime needed a new bionic partner at work. Having Max on the show also allowed NBC to reference bionics history, and the history of the Office of Scientific Intelligence, without mentioning Steve.

Answer: OSI (Office of Scientific Intelligence)

The OSI, Office of Scientific Intelligence, was a department of the U.S. CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). They created Steve Austin, Jaime Sommers, and Maximillian the bionic dog. The surgical implants were designed by Oscar Goldman (Richard Anderson) and Dr. Rudy Wells (Martin Brooks), who played identical roles on two different television stations on two different shows, once "The Bionic Woman" moved to NBC for its final season. Prior to 1963 the OSI was a real-life department in the CIA. The Office of Scientific Intelligence was referenced in Stephen King's 1980 novel "Firestarter", and a 1994 film, "The Puppetmasters".

The Party is the agency in the novel "1984".

Answer: Stopped the car with your bionic legs and jaw

Max saved the day. He couldn't fly, he would never put his paws over his eyes since he was a cyborg do-good agent of the United States Government, and the Bionic Woman was nearby, but she could only run 60 mph. Max raced his maximum 90 miles per hour and caught up with the car, locked his bionic jaw onto the back guard, and then braked repeatedly with his bionic legs. Viewers were able to take in all of this in detail because bionic speed was shown in slow motion with special effects sounds.

Answer: Jumped through fire

Max snarled, attacked, jumped through a glass window, and also jumped off a high balcony to follow the Bionic Woman. But Max was terrified of fire because of his trauma with fire as a puppy, so jumping through a hoop of fire was one feat he would never do. He did save the Bionic Woman, and others, from a forest fire, however. And he opened his own can of dog food.

Answer: He left OSI and became Jaime's pet dog at home.

Max lived out his life with his friend Jaime. The OSI was going to have him destroyed because of his strange aggressive behavior, but his life was saved. He could no longer function as a reliable OSI agent, however. Besides, both "The Bionic Woman" and "The Six Million Dollar Man" were cancelled after Max completed his first season in 1978.

It seems there were no further appearances of Max in comic, film or television, though both bionic humans reappeared many times. Max was mentioned in "Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman," (1987) but was not seen. Max never dated any of the male dogs who played Lassie, nor went to the moon. Bracken, who played Max, continued his happy career.