Maxwell Lord
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Maxwell Lord | |
---|---|
Notable aliases | Black King, Lord Havok |
Abilities | Telepathic persuasion |
Maxwell Lord IV is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Justice League #1 (May 1987) and was created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire.[1] Maxwell Lord was originally introduced as a shrewd and powerful businessman who was an ally of the Justice League and was influential in the formation of the Justice League International,[2] but he later developed into an adversary of Wonder Woman and the Justice League.
The character made his cinematic debut in the 2020 DC Extended Universe film, Wonder Woman 1984, portrayed by Pedro Pascal. A new iteration portrayed by Sean Gunn will appear in the upcoming DC Universe (DCU) franchise.
Fictional character biography
Maxwell Lord IV is the son of Maxwell Lord III, a successful businessman and head of the Chimtech Consortium. Maxwell III set out to be a good example for his son by striving to always do what was right.[3] When Maxwell IV was 16, he came home to find his father dead in an apparent suicide. His father had discovered that his company had produced a highly carcinogenic product, and could not bear the guilt.
Lord's mother was convinced by her husband to employ a similar practice, cajoling heroic
Giffen and DeMatteis years
Lord initially works behind the scenes to establish the Justice League, while under the control of a computer created by the
A later
Lord's ruthlessness at this time is illustrated when he sets up a disturbed would-be terrorist as a villain for the League to defeat, resulting in the man's death. Later, Lord rebels against the computer's influence and destroys it.
Once free of the computer's influence, Lord is portrayed as an amoral businessman, but not a real villain. During the time that Giffen and DeMatteis were writing the Justice League, Lord is shown struggling with his conscience and developing heroic qualities, though he would remain a con-artist.[clarification needed][citation needed]
From Invasion! to Identity Crisis
Originally a normal human, Lord is one of many people on Earth gifted with superpowers during the Invasion crossover, when a Gene Bomb is exploded by alien invaders. This bomb activates Lord's latent metagene, granting him the ability to control the minds of others, albeit at great difficulty.[7] Despite being a metahuman, Lord never identifies as one. Instead, at the urging of his mother to act for the benefit of non-metahumans, he shifts his hatred for the generic "authority figures" who caused his father's death to the metahuman community.[4]
After he is shot and placed in a coma at the beginning of JLAmerica/JLEurope
Later, Lord is diagnosed with a brain tumor and dies.
Lord puts together several former JLI members, including
In Brad Meltzer's Identity Crisis (2004), Lord attends Sue Dibny's funeral and speaks to Booster Gold, further denting his already dwindling faith in superheroes.[10]
Infinite Crisis
The 2005 80-page one-shot Countdown to Infinite Crisis reveals that Lord is no longer a cyborg, and is apparently a criminal mastermind who spent years running the JLI while gathering sensitive information about the world's superheroes, whom he considered a threat to the planet. Simultaneously, he sabotaged JLI efforts to render the superhero team as ineffectual as possible. At the end of the prologue special issue, he shoots and kills one-time JLI member, Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle, when the hero discovers Lord's secret and refuses to join Lord.
During this time, Alexander Luthor Jr., the god-like son of Lex Luthor from an alternate Earth, gives Lord control over Batman's Brother Eye, a satellite system Batman created to monitor all superhuman contact. Lord uses Brother Eye to create an army of OMACs (humans infected with a nano-virus that transformed them into cyborgs), programmed to hunt down and kill all superhumans.[volume & issue needed]
Lord also uses his powers to influence
At the "Crisis Counseling" panel at
One Year Later
Lord reappeared in 2007 in the first two-story arcs of the new
Lord next makes an appearance in the Trinity maxi-series (2008-9). Lord's skull is stolen by a group called the Dreambound and brought to Morgaine Le Fey for usage in a spell, which requires an item connected to Wonder Woman.[14]
Blackest Night
During the
Brightest Day
Lord is among the other resurrected heroes/villains featured in the
In the first issue of Justice League: Generation Lost, Lord is the subject of an unprecedented international manhunt. He is found hiding in the old Justice League International embassy by Booster Gold, whom Lord is able to defeat. Lord then uses a device to amplify his mind control powers to unprecedented levels. With these, he erases the world's memory of his existence. Initially, it appears that only his former Justice League colleagues Booster Gold, Ice, Fire, and Captain Atom remember Max.[21] It is later revealed in Brightest Day #8 that Deadman also remembers his existence. Lord uses his powers to disgrace the team, having Fire ousted from Checkmate, Captain Atom turned in as a fugitive for betraying the U.S. Army, and Ice isolated from Guy Gardner, who Lord causes to believe that she tried to kill him. He also influences the superhero community into believing Ted Kord committed suicide, which enrages Booster Gold. He then sends OMACs after the current Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, who calls Booster Gold and the others for help.[22] Meanwhile, Lord discovers that his resurrection has come with a side effect: some of his efforts to control others' minds transform his targets into cadavers wearing Black Lantern uniforms.[23] Contacting his former colleagues through a fallen Rocket Red's armor, Lord reveals that he intentionally exempted them from the worldwide mindwipe, and that he wants them to protect the world as they did in the old days. He then warns the group not to come looking for him, unaware that Blue Beetle had located his transmission signal.[24]
Captain Atom tells the others that an explosion, seen in Brightest Day #1, propelled him briefly into the 24th century, where he saw a world reduced to a pre-industrial state by a metahuman war instigated by Lord. The team resolves to try to prevent Lord from bringing about this dystopia.
When the team next encounters Lord,[30] after mind-controlling first Fire and then Booster Gold to prevent them from stopping him, he teleports from the old JLI embassy back to Checkmate, where he attempts to enlist Magog to kill Captain Atom.[31] Lord uses technology to upgrade Magog's staff into emitting energy blasts.[28] Meanwhile, Lord asks Professor Ivo to reprogram the Metal Men.[28] He then asks Doctor Sivana to create a genetically engineered humanoid clone of Power Girl.[32]
When Captain Atom and Magog battle in the heart of Chicago, Captain Atom is able to convince Magog that he's being used,[clarification needed] and Magog remembers Lord. Lord uses his powers to force Magog to kill himself. He then makes everyone believe that they watched Captain Atom murder Magog. The Entity proclaims that Lord has completed his task, and his life is restored to him.[33][clarification needed] After briefly receiving a White Ring, the recently returned Bruce Wayne seems to be aware of Max Lord's resurrection.[34] When Captain Atom absorbs the energy from Magog's spear, he is propelled forward through time to 112 years in the future, where Lord, while long dead, has plunged humanity into a massive metahuman war ruled by OMACs. Captain Atom is eventually returned to the present, but not before a dying Power Girl tells him that the catalyst for all this was Wonder Woman's death by Lord's hand. Also, Batman (Damian Wayne) tells him how to stop Lord's ultimate plans.[35] However, Lord is struck with the discovery that, with the exception of the original four ex-JLI members, no one in the world remembers Wonder Woman.[36]
Later, when the Creature Commandos attack the JLI embassy, Lord poses as a member. He captures Jaime Reyes, and heads towards the teleporter with him, while the others are unable to stop him.[37] Lord regains his abilities to transform his targets into cadaver OMACs, and he tortures the captive Blue Beetle.[38] Lord's mindwipes feed off psychic energy, so the more people who are around, the faster some of them will forget.[clarification needed][39] In issue #19, the rest of the team locates Lord's secret facility in a submersible below the Sea of Japan. Seconds before the team reaches him, and as predicted by the White Ring, Lord shoots Jaime in the head (echoing his execution of Jaime's predecessor, Ted Kord).[40] The JLI arrives and attacks Lord, but he escapes from the JLI in one of his headquarters' escape pods, and the headquarters vanishes.[4]
While the JLI learns Jaime is alive, the team also learns that Lord not only manipulated them, but also wanted the JLI to chase him to distract Checkmate. Later, Lord uses a device to enhance his mental powers, turning people around the world into OMACs to attack Wonder Woman and the JLI.[41] Before the device activates, Lord sends the OMAC Prime that he controls to attack the heroes. Booster Gold manages to locate Lord's flying headquarters, attacking it to confront him face-to-face.[42] Lord gains the upper hand with his mental powers, but Captain Atom grabs him, after having become overloaded with quantum energy in the fight with OMAC Prime and about to be pulled into the timestream. Atom threatens to take Lord with him unless Lord undoes the global mindwipe, and a desperate Lord complies. Captain Atom is pulled away and Lord teleports to escape from the heroes. Later, he posts an online video where he blames Professor Ivo for Magog's rampage. He also says that he only wants to protect the world from the metahuman threat, and he will continue to do so in secret.[43]
The New 52
In September 2011,
DC Rebirth
Still the running head of Checkmate during
Although the combined forces of the League and the Squad are able to defeat Lord's allies, they are unable to prevent Lord from achieving his goal; with the aid of a controlled Killer Frost, Lord acquires the Heart of Darkness from a vault, using it to enhance his powers to "infect" (take control of) the League.[47] Lord uses the infected Justice League (apart from Batman, who Lord did not infect) to achieve "peace" across America, and has Waller kidnapped and taken before him. However, despite believing that he had taken precautions to control the Heart, Lord is forced by Waller to recognize that it is manipulating his perceptions, using Lord's powers to spread chaos and evil across the world, and twisting Lord's perception of what is transpiring. When Waller is able to bring him to his senses, Lord tries to remove the Heart of Darkness, but it consumes him and transforms him into Eclipso.[48] Eclipso is driven out of Lord when Killer Frost is able to use her powers to create a prism of ice, channeling Superman's heat vision at just the right frequency to disrupt Lord's hold on his slaves, with Lord subsequently being immobilized by Killer Frost. Lord awakens in a cell specially designed to hold him, with injectors pumping so much blood thinner into him that he would bleed to death if he attempted to access his powers. He mockingly asks Waller if she set this whole thing up just to 'justify' the Squad to the League, but Waller declines to reply, and simply informs him that he is to prepare himself for service on "Task Force XI".[49]
Lord later works under the supervision of Wonder Woman to stop his dangerous technology from threatening innocent people.[50]
Powers and abilities
In his original depictions, Maxwell Lord had no abilities, but later became a
When the character was resurrected, following Blackest Night, in the story Justice League: Generation Lost, he prepared to erase the world's memories of his past criminal actions; to survive the trauma to his brain, he placed his body in a large tub of ice and hooked himself up to a blood transfusion machine. The life entity somehow changed his abilities and would initially convert living people into the corpses of a Black Lantern.[51] With his task completed, Lord was now fully restored, he then exhibited voluntary activation and control over every resting O.M.A.C. infected within the global populace.[52]
Following a company-wide reboot, Lord was reintroduced as part of the DC Rebirth publishing event, now having been a metahuman since his youth. His primary power is tweaked to a form of powerful psychic persuasion which works best when paired with a vocal command. In this later depiction, his powers work by exploiting and promoting people's underlying desires and inhibitions to make them do his bidding. His power does not give him outright control over them, as he can only push them to act on their own subconscious wants.[53] For example, he could draw out Deadshot's subconscious desire to kill his daughter so that he could be free to kill anyone, but when he used his power on Killer Frost, he only drew out her desire to make a difference.
Other versions
Earth One
In Wonder Woman: Earth One, Maxwell Lord is an expert entrepreneur who provides his services to the US Army in areas such as robotics, tactical analysis and psychology. He was the main expert against alleged plans of an Amazon invasion and domination of the men of the world by women. He is also the mind behind the Project A.R.E.S.[54] It is subsequently revealed that he is actually the modern disguise of Ares.[55]
Amalgam Comics
In the Amalgam Comics universe, Lord is combined with Cameron Hodge to form Lord Maxwell Hodge.
Elseworlds
In the Elseworlds tale Justice Riders, Lord is reimagined as a villainous 19th Century railroad baron who employs Felix Faust.[56]
In other media
Television
- Maxwell Lord appears in the Ultimen, a team of genetically-engineered superheroes who operate independently of the Justice League.
- Maxwell Lord appears in the Tess Mercerin a mental illusion to try to find the Book of Rao. However, she intentionally gives him incorrect information that eventually allows her to escape so she can move the book. Following this, Lord is incapacitated by the Red Queen for his failure.
- Maxwell Lord appears in the Black Mercy's effects. Following this, he creates a synthetic form of Kryptonite to cure Supergirl after she is exposed to Red Kryptonite he had created to stop Non's impending invasion before secretly giving General Lanesome of it.
- Maxwell Lord appears in the DC Super Hero Girls episode "#WorldsFinest", voiced by P. J. Byrne. This version is a public relations specialist.
Film
- Maxwell Lord was meant to appear in Justice League: Mortal, portrayed by Jay Baruchel.[60] This version, named Jonah Wilkes, was abducted as a child and given psychic abilities by the US government as part of the OMAC Project.[61]
- Maxwell "Max" Lord appears in Wonder Woman 1984, portrayed by Pedro Pascal as an adult, Lambro Demetriou as a child, and John Barry as a teenager.[62] Born Maxwell Lorenzano, this version grew up poor, was abused by his father, picked on by bullies, and bootstrapped himself on the idea of image and publicized promises. By 1984, he became an aspiring businessman, the owner of the company Black Gold, and father to a son named Alistair (portrayed by Lucian Perez). While seeking out the Dreamstone, an artifact created by the Duke of Deception that grants users one wish while extracting a heavy toll unless they renounce their wish or destroy the stone, he manipulates Barbara Ann Minerva into helping him acquire it and grants himself the stone's powers to save his failing company and grant others' wishes in exchange for whatever he desires. Over time, he rapidly rises to power and becomes an influential figure while unknowingly causing international chaos and self-inflicted mental and physical distress. After learning of and utilizing a satellite system to grant wishes around the world and restore his health, he is confronted by Wonder Woman, who eventually convinces him to renounce his original wish. Following this, Lord comes to terms with his flaws and reunites with Alistair, promising to be a better father to him.
- Maxwell Lord will appear in the DC Universe franchise, portrayed by Sean Gunn.[63]
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ISBN 978-0-345-50108-0.
- ^ "Maxwell Lord (Character) - Comic Vine". Comic Vine. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
- ^ a b c d e Justice League: Generation Lost #20 (February 2011)
- ^ Kirk, Jason (2010-06-13). "Who is Maxwell Lord? – Part I: Origin | the Captain's JLA blog". League.jmkprime.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ Flash vol. 2 #51 (1991)
- ^ Kirk, Jason (2010-06-15). "Who is Maxwell Lord? – Part II: The JLI | the Captain's JLA blog". League.jmkprime.org. Archived from the original on July 13, 2010. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ Kirk, Jason (2010-06-19). "Who is Maxwell Lord? – Part III: The Fall | the Captain's JLA blog". League.jmkprime.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ Kirk, Jason (2010-06-27). "Who is Maxwell Lord? – Part IV: The Super Buddies | the Captain's JLA blog". League.jmkprime.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ Identity Crisis #1
- ^ The OMAC Project (2005). DC Comics.
- ^ Kirk, Jason (2010-07-06). "Who is Maxwell Lord? – Part V: Checkmate | the Captain's JLA blog". league.jmkprime.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ "WWC: DAY 2 – DC Crisis Counseling Panel". Newsarama.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009.
- ^ Trinity #14 (September 2008)
- ^ Blackest Night #1 (September 2009)
- ^ Blackest Night #3 (November 2009)
- ^ Blackest Night: Wond#1 (February 20)
- ^ Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #3 (April 2010)
- ^ Blackest Night #8 (May 2010)
- ^ a b Brightest Day #0 (April 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #1 (May 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #2 (May 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #4 (June 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #5 (July 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #6 (July 2010)
- ^ Brightest Day #7 (August 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #7 (August 2010)
- ^ a b c Justice League: Generation Lost #10 (September 2010)
- ^ Power Girl (vol. 2) #15 (August 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #8 (August 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #9 (September 2010)
- ^ Power Girl #18 (November 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #13 (November 2010)
- ^ Brightest Day #14 (November 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #14 (November 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #15 (December 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #16 (December 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #17 (January 2011)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #18 (January 2011)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #19 (February 2011)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #22 (March 2011)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #23 (April 2011)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #24 (April 2011)
- ^ O.M.A.C. #1 - Office Management Amidst Chaos
- ^ Justice League VS Suicide Squad #1
- ^ Justice League VS Suicide Squad #3
- ^ Justice League VS Suicide Squad #4
- ^ Justice League VS Suicide Squad #5
- ^ Justice League VS Suicide Squad #6 (2017)
- ^ Wonder Woman #764 (2020)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost (vol. 1) #4 (August 2010)
- ^ Justice League: Generation Lost #17/23 (2010-2011)
- ^ Justice League (vol. 3) #12 (March 2017)
- ^ Wonder Woman: Earth One #2
- ^ Wonder Woman: Earth One #3
- ^ Justice Riders
- ^ "KryptonSite Scoop: Maxwell Lord Is Coming To Smallville!". Kryptonsite.com. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (12 July 2015). "Supergirl Finds Her Maxwell Lord: Peter Facinelli Joins CBS Show – Deadline". Deadline.
- ^ "Supergirl Recap: Episode 112, Bizarro". SuperHeroHype. 2 February 2016.
- ^ "Justice League: Mortal - What Really Happened?". 23 November 2018.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Leaked 'Justice League: Mortal' Script Review ~ Superhero Movie News – Comic Book Movie News 24/7". superheromoviesnews.com.
- ^ Pantozzi, Jill (October 24, 2019). "Pedro Pascal's Wonder Woman 1984 Character Is Exactly Who You Thought He Was". io9. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 8, 2023). "Sean Gunn To Play Villain Maxwell Lord In James Gunn & Peter Safran's DC Universe – The Dish". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 8, 2023.