Villain Max Lord puts his life at risk in Wonder Woman 1984 by becoming the Dreamstone — but despite the risk, this was all part of his plan. The megalomaniacal television-personality-turned-oil-baron executes his ambitious plot to near-perfection, becoming the most powerful being in the world. Over the course of the film, viewers watch his health deteriorate precipitously. Why, with all the power of the illustrious Dreamstone, does he still face such weakness?
The main conflict in Wonder Woman 1984 involves "wishes." Each character wishes on the Dreamstone for something: Diana for Steve, Barbara power, and Roger coffee. It's only when Lord gets his hands on the artifact that his plan kicks into gear, as he wishes to become the Dreamstone itself, thereby gaining control of its powers. After his ascent to global power throws humanity into a greed-fueled vindictive apocalypse of its own making, Diana must appeal to the world's better nature to rescind their wishes — sacrificing personal desires for the greater good.
But the Dreamstone doesn't merely grant wishes carte blanche. It obeys certain rules, functioning as a sort of Monkey's Paw in that for every wish it grants, it takes something in return. When Lord wishes to become the Dreamstone, he gets to set the terms of every future exchange thereafter, effectively giving him infinite wishes by virtue of deciding what he will take from each unwitting accomplice he convinces to wish on him.
Just as with any Dreamstone wish, however, there is a price. While he might set the terms of exchange for every wish in Act II and III, he got this power by using a wish himself. What the stone takes as its last penance before becoming one with Max Lord is his health. Audiences see this creeping up on him: He inquires about his vitamins, he seeks to take a televangelist's good health for himself, and his nose starts bleeding after he convinces the President to wish on him. Pedro Pascal's performance illuminates everything audiences need to know about the cost of Lord's wish: he's dying.
Despite the risks, the Dreamstone "cost" was part of Max Lord's plan. Aware that he would need to stave off the steep price he paid for his power, he mobilizes an effort to grant wishes to everyone on Earth. In exchange for granting them their hearts' desires, he'd sap the collective life force of humanity to sustain himself. During the Wonder Woman 1984 climax, when it appears as though his plan has succeeded and his health is restored, he renounces his wish on behalf of his son's safety. Although he eventually steps down from his dominant position, Lord's plan was technically successful, and the fate of the Pascal's villain is left up to the audience to determine.
