Action Comics #898

THE BLACK RING PART 9

While Spalding's co workers mutter about his untimely demise Lois-bot is busily monitoring data. Lex is also surprised the drone he stole from Brainiac wasn't reporting her finds on the black sphere energy. They have now firmly tracked all the Black Lantern energy and Lex's quest is almost over.  At this moment Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern, and his 'pet' energy constructs attack Lex and his base of operations. Apparently, Glomulus, one of the constructs had found and eaten one of the spheres.  Glomulus is ill from the containment so Lex offers to help by taking possession of the sphere. A fight ensues and when the Orange Lantern takes a hostage, yet another Lexcorp employee dies, at Lex's hand.  The battle turns in favor of Lex and Larfleeze is swallowed up like Spalding into the Black Lantern sphere that had converted itself to white. Lois-bot tries to convince Lex to convert the energy of the other space bound black spheres remotely but Lex prefers the personal touch and readies a plan to retrieve the spheres.  For the distress caused and the success of locating all the spheres, Lex awards his staff a hundred-thousand dollar bonus. Meanwhile Larfleeze escapes through one of the other converted spheres and discovers the truth behind the energy Lex is addicted to so do we, unbeknownst to Lex, Brainiac's Lois-bot has been secretly working for Brainiac all along.