Maria Alvarado

Maria Alvarado © Juke Box Productions AstroFacts Status: Active Real Name: Maria Luisa Alvarado Earliest Appearance: early 1960s Base of Operations: Astro City; formerly Los Angeles Personal Data Occupation: Owner Alvarado Funds Civil Status: Divorced InfoDump Appearances (in Publication Order): Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.2 #16, 18 Event Timeline Maria Alvarado A former love interest of Esteban Rodrigo Suarez Hidalgo(El Hombre). History In her younger years, she worked as a executive director for one of Hidalgo's many charities. She was quick with her tongue and caught his attentions almost immediately. Working together to rebuild the local Hispanic community, they became close. Her sharp words about Hildago being a rich playboy stung deeply, she made clear her feelings about his cavalier gestures of who just thought throwing money at problems would solve them. He realized that actions speak louder than dollars and this led to him taken more direct focus on helping his hispanic community and identity by becoming El Hombre. But as El Hombre took up more and more of Hidalgo's time, Alvarado found herself drifting towards another. Enter Ramon Vega, a young lawyer. Vega fought more for social justice and change, rather than the street justice that was El Hombre's operational mode. Vega's affections for Alvarado increased and soon they were close professionally and then romantically. Vega and Alvarado married in the mid-1960s. That action shattered Hidalgo's spirits, sending him in a downward spiral physically and emotionally. Decades later, 1998 to be precise, Steeljack tracked her down as part of his investigation of the [Kiefer Square murders]. She was still in Astro City, working as a trust fund manager, complete with a high-brow office located in AstroBank Tower. Sha had long ago divorced Vega, and to all appearances, traded her community-centric goals from her younger days for something more financially rewarding.