DCU

A high-powered businessman and entrepreneur, manipulative Maxwell Lord IV was the benefactor of Justice League International. Initially, a sentient rogue computer created by the New God Metron controlled Lord. The computer's plan resulted in the formation of the League after Darkseid's assault on Earth's legends, the team's rise to international status, and the recruitment of various members. Eventually, Lord realized how much a marionette of the computer he had become and destroyed it. During the Invasion, Lord discovered that his meta-gene had been activated, giving him a power whose limits and exact nature were not yet fully understood. Ultimately, Lord was assassinated, but his consciousness merged with yet another computer construct, a nefarious amalgam of Lord Havok and the Kilg%re. (GA)

Little is known about the early life of Maxwell Lord IV other than his ever-present preoccupation with the rise to power, fortune and fame. He has been twice married, first to a college sweetheart, Sylvia Duani. (JLQ-08) This was short-lived and Max married Claire Montgomery sometime after that. (JLQ-01) Early in his career, he was seen present at an early appearance of the Justice League of America. Max had been trying to schmooze with Bruce Wayne at the Gotham City Executive's Club (JLAYO-07). (MK)

While out on a spelunking expedition with his boss, Maxwell Lord was abducted by an alien supercomputer buried near the center of the Earth.  This computer somehow managed to convince Max to establish a benevolent world wide peace organization that the computer hoped to sue as part of its own grandiose plot aimed at complete global domination.  With the computer's help, Max was able to operate behind the scenes during the formation of Justice League International, seizing control of the League after he negotiated the agreement that led to its formal recognition by the United Nations (JLIA-007).  The computer's owner, who turned out to be Metron of the new Gods, eventually returned to Earth to reclaim his equipment, prompting the computer to begin manipulating the Justice League into an epic conflict with Metron, in the hope that the heroes could destroy its former master, allowing the computer to remain on Earth to carry out its master plan.  Of course, things didn't quite work out the way the computer had intended, and in the end, Lord personally destroyed the computer and begged the forgiveness of his heroic compatriots (JLIA-012).

Max continued to operate as the Justice League's benefactor and caretaker.  During the invasion of Earth that was masterminded by the vicious Dominators, Max developed formidable telepathic powers (INV-03, JLIA-024).

Max briefly considered using his powers as a costumed hero, but a nightmare in which he killed several people while dressed as a hero called "Maximum Force" convinced him that his role as the JLI chief executive was best for him (JLIA-041). (RW)

This didn't stop him from using the powers to "push" the occasional person, as he did when he coerced the Huntress to join the JLI (JLIA-030).

Max underwent a violent series of events engineered by the Queen Bee of Bialya. First, he was shot and critically injured (JLIA-052), then replaced as U.N. liaison to the League by her puppet, Rolf Heimlich (JLIA-053). While he was in the hospital, his body was taken over by the twisted Dreamslayer. The villain then reassembled his android cohorts, the Extremist (JLEI-032). Before he was thwarted by the League however, Dreamslayer ultimately killed one of their own -- the Silver Sorceress.

Afterwards, Max returned to full health and was ready to rebuild the League, but his role was more limited when Superman took control of the American team (JLSPECT-01). The two clashed at every turn, but Max did broker a new deal with the U.N. to provide a new headquarters for the team. After Superman's death, he continued to work with the next JLA team lead, Wonder Woman. But eventually both JLI branches were decimated by the Overmaster and splintered into three groups (JLIA-000).

When Wonder Woman reformed the League outside the U.N., Max tried one last time to wiggle his way into their graces. But the League had had enough of him and he soon discovered that he had brain cancer (JLIA-093). Also at this time, details about his private life surfaced which cast serious doubts on Lord's sincerity. It seems Max was a member of the Arcana, a new (or secret) incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang (JLIA-093>94). It is possible that his ties to this organization are nearly as old as his involvement with the JLA. He was known to have staged the Royal Flush Gang's attack with the purpose of admitting Booster Gold to the JLA (JLIA-004). Perhaps this was a trial, as he is known to have officially joined the Arcana soon after this (JLIA-A09).  When he learned about his cancer, he was a junior member of the Arcana.

To cheat death, Max stole the power of the Kilg%re (a techno-organic being who'd brought him back to life) and called himself Lord Havok. (JLIA-098>099). Subsequently, a funeral was held for him (JLIA-095). The Arcana's Queen of Spades was sent to try to stop him(JLIA-108),  but Max was too powerful and he assumed leadership of the Arcana (JLIA-111). In the end, Max's agent, Judgment, killed the Arcana's ruling "four Aces." Max and the Arcana haven't been heard from since, but the JLA did trace some of their communications to Lord Enterprises (JLIA-113). (MK)

Although his intentions were honorable, Max was a sly  manipulator who is well accustomed to using people in order to accomplish his goals.  Most of the Justice League members kept a suspicious eye on Max at all times. (RW)

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