Justice League International #12 (2012)

Back at Maxwell Lord)'s home, he is disturbed to find the body of his personal assistant Ms. Wootenhoffer lying dead before him. The computer intelligence that once belonged to Metron informs Lord that Wootenhoffer was a Manhunter), and had to be destroyed. Max stares at the computer monitoring station, as the A.I. converses both on the screen and in Max's mind. The computer intelligence is committed to replacing mankind's leaders with robots who can rule with efficiency.

Max reflects upon the dark choices he has made in his career. He remembers plotting the death of his company's former president by faking a spelunking accident, and how those very circumstances first brought him into contact with the Kilg%re. With no idea of the device's Fourth World origins, Max interfaced with the machine and used its abilities to acquire financial power. From there, he insinuated his way into the Justice League, and manipulated events to gain the team an international charter. His schemed a terrorist event to gain them international fame,<ref>Justice League Vol 1 1</ref> persuaded Booster Gold)<ref>Justice League Vol 1 3</ref> and Dr. Light) to join, and even created the Ace Android for the Royal Flush Gang).<ref>Justice League Vol 1 4</ref> Eventually, the computer intelligence faked a global crisis to get the United Nations to charter the JLI.<ref>Justice League International Vol 1 7</ref>

Max feels sickened by everything he has done. Picking up an iron bar, he smashes the control console of the retrieval unit, ending its existence, and by extension, its hold over him. Elsewhere, this causes Metron's psychic connection with it to terminate and so he rapidly leaves Earth to pursue knowledge elsewhere. Exhausted and injured, Max falls over unconscious. He awakens the next day in a hospital bed. Mister Miracle and Oberon) visit, confident that Max is going to be okay.