Max Levy went from patient to superhero in just a few short months.
VOORHEES TWP. -- A few months ago, Max Levy needed surgery to implant a port in his chest, and now, he's fighting Dr. Doom in the latest Iron Man comic book, according to a report by CBS 3.
Max's journey from patient to superhero started when his dad, Dan, told the 5-year-old that the port in his chest would make him just like the Armored Avenger.
"I'll remember it for the rest of my life," his dad said in the report. "He said, 'I get to be Iron Man?"
Max -- a Voorhees resident with hemophilia, a disorder that prevents blood from clotting -- and his 8-year-old sister, Zoe, decided to help others with the disorder by making a calendar called Hearts 4 Hemophilia and sold it door to door to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. They raised more $7,500 selling the calendar.
Marvel heard about Iron Max and decided to put him in the latest issue of the "Invincible Iron Man" comic book. He's not just a bystander either. He actually gets to don an Iron Man suit and blast some bad guys.
At the end of the issue, Marvel told the story of the real Max and why they felt like they had to make him a part of the story.
"Heroes belong in comics," the issue read. "We couldn't resist giving Max a cameo in ours."
Alex Young may be reached at ayoung@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AlexYoungSJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
