Patrons of the Arena! A warm welcome to Season I of Ultimate Maximum Battle Circus, and an even warmer welcome to the very first edition of MAX! It sure has been a scary couple of days what with the Network finally disappearing for good, but it looks like we’re back with a BIGGER, BETTER, PROBABLY LESS CORRUPT Monster-battling institution already!
I’ll be your guide through the first Season of brand-new Monster-fighting ACTION – and, I hope, through all the Seasons to come! Stay tuned for stats, predictions and BRUTALLY HONEST opinion pieces…
- Foreword by Editor Max Entropy in the only published issue of MAX, known to have been pulled from print following a lawsuit by Maximum Taste.
During the sale of the Network in Season 36, Diamond went to great lengths to ensure that no single entity could acquire all of the old assets - to be sure that the corruption of the old Network would not arise again. How, then, did UMBC arise, apparently from the ashes of the old Network?
The answer lies in a careful reading of the contracts and business structures which underlie the Ultimate Maximum Battle Circus.
The Arena itself is a separate entity - effectively renting out the space to UMBC for their fights. The “Ultimate Maximum Battle Circus” organisation itself is registered as a “fight promoter”, with the business operations being headed up by Bullhorn, and which simply coordinates the fights and gives out nominal “gift vouchers” as prizes.
These “gift vouchers” can then be exchanged with another entity (Ultimate Maximum Battle Circus administration) which handles the gambling, and most of the financial side of the organisation, which is owned by a series of shell companies and quasi-legal entities (most of which are rumoured to lead back to Bullhorn, but that has never been confirmed), for actual prizes, whether cash or otherwise.
Non-fight entertainments (e.g. the now infamous half time shows, with their wide variety of monster music and acrobatics) are headed up by Beetle Circus - a company formed and wholly owned by Morose Progress and Pennythrift Steeple.
While Maximum Taste got his name in the title, he does not actually hold a controlling interest in either UMBC or the adminstration company - though he has the largest slices allowed by the complex rules set down by Diamond, and it is certain that he has significant de facto influence, even if they have none on paper.
- From The Ultimate Monster Business Compedium, by Affidavit
One particularly striking aspect of this takeover was the careful attention paid to historical precedent. Perhaps caution at the notion of repeating the mistakes of the past was what made one book quite so vital in the perpetration of this coup.
Maximum Taste in particular was adamant that the artist formerly known as [BAD STAR]'s Bastion: A Storybook be required reading for all involved in the future running of the Arena and its subsidiaries. Its painstaking documentation of the difficulties encountered by the Network in previous Seasons proved invaluable. [BAD STAR] was eager to highlight the dangers of corruption, infighting and economic inexpertise, and with the benefit of historical hindsight, Maximum Taste was able to plan for the future with care.
Naturally, not all crises could be averted via careful planning. There were many stories detailing how the city had almost fallen to Monster incursions in the past, or been brought to the brink of collapse by natural disaster, and no amount of access to historical precedent could leave these pioneers completely prepared for the uncertainties of the future. Nonetheless, it provided a beacon of hope for the future: a star chart by which the darkness of future Seasons could be navigated.
In particular, one fable from [BAD STAR]'s collection of stories appeared to resonate with the minds behind UMBC. This was the story of three siblings, whose disparate skills at creative marketing, technology and Monster-fighting allowed them to keep control of the Network for an unprecedented space of time, ensuring a period of tranquility and cultural growth for Bastion. With the establishment of UMBC, readers were quick to note the parallels: three different organisations came together in order to secure Bastion's survival and prosperity. Beetle Circus, Maximum Taste and Bullhorn banded together to make UMBC. UMBC, Arena Maintenance and AMBER were the three sources of official fights. Meanwhile, UMBC, AMBER and Fight Club became the city's threefold sources of entertainment.
It felt nothing if not fitting.
- From Fight Ring to Phenomenon: A Cultural History of the Arena, by Coral
Though carefully kept at arm's length from the UMBC project, Monster House experienced a somewhat inevitable boom following Maximum Taste's efforts to replace the Network. It seemed that the relentless marketing from Season XXXVI had paid off: Monster House was to become a permanent Bastion institution. Whilst Max Taste of Monster House was determined not to profit unduly from his position as an UMBC Producer, Monster House itself was nonetheless unmistakeably present in the Arena - not the least because it was the primary source of catering.
- From I'm Lovin' It: Culinary Commercialism in Bastion, by Lobster
And in the final stretch of Season I, all eyes are on UMBA Season XXXVI Fan Favourite Pepper, trained by Saffron. After sweeping through the League and knocking current Fan Favourite Murk, trained by Noggin’, into a very respectable position at the top of Beta Division, all that stands between Pepper and the Lightweight Champion title is Geyser, the explosive Monster which made quite the splash with its entrance to UMBC.
The odds are against her with this final battle between fire and water, but the glint in Saffron’s eyes when asked how she felt about her chances suggests that this legendary Trainer has a couple of tricks up her sleeve…
- ENTROPY Season 1, Issue 7