Peacemaker (comics)

Peacemaker is the name of a series of superheroes originally owned by Charlton Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. The original Peacemaker first appeared in Fightin' 5 #40 (November 1966) and was created by writer Joe Gill and artist Pat Boyette.[1]

Peacemaker
Peacemaker #1 (March 1967).
Cover art by Pat Boyette.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceChristopher Smith:
Fightin' 5 #40 (November 1966)
Unknown:
Justice League International #65 (June 1994)
Mitchell Black:
The L.A.W. (September 1999)
Created byChristopher Smith:
Joe Gill
Pat Boyette
Unknown:
Gerard Jones
Chuck Wojtkiewicz
Black:
Bob Layton
Dick Giordano
In-story information
Team affiliationsChristopher Smith:
Checkmate
Shadow Fighters
Suicide Squad
Unknown:
League-Busters
Mitchell Black:
L.A.W.
AbilitiesAll:
Peak of human physical condition, body armor, flight pack, communications helmet, advanced military weapons

The Christopher Smith incarnation of Peacemaker will make his cinematic debut in James Gunn's DC Extended Universe film, The Suicide Squad (2021), portrayed by John Cena, who will reprise his role in a television series for HBO Max.

Publication history

The Peacemaker first appeared as a backup series in Charlton Comics' espionage-team title Fightin' 5 #40 (November 1966).[2] When that series was canceled with issue #41, Peacemaker received his own title that lasted five issues cover-dated March to November 1967, with Fightin' 5 as a backup series and later a low reprint run on the Modern Comics imprint. Some of penciler-inker Pat Boyette's artwork for a projected sixth issue later appeared online. Following Charlton Comics' demise in the mid-1980s, DC Comics acquired The Peacemaker and released a four-issue mini-series (January–April 1988).

Fictional character biography

Christopher Smith

The Peacemaker is Christopher Smith, a pacifist diplomat so committed to peace that he was willing to use force as a superhero to advance the cause.[3] He uses an array of special non-lethal weapons, and also founds the Pax Institute. Most of the villains he goes up against are dictators and warlords.[4] Smith later learns that his peace-through-violence efforts were the result of a serious mental illness brought on by the shame of having a Nazi death camp commandant for a father. He believes his father's spirit haunts him continually and criticizes his every move, even as he tries to live down his past.

Becoming a particularly deadly vigilante who would kill at the slightest notice, he begins to believe that the ghosts of the people he killed, or who were killed in his vicinity, are collected inside his helmet and can offer him advice and commentary. For a time, the Peacemaker serves as a U.S. government agent under the auspices of Checkmate, a special-forces unit, hunting down terrorists until his own behavior becomes too extreme. He eventually crashes a helicopter to destroy tanks controlled by the supervillain Eclipso and is reported dead.[5] His soul shows up in the realm of Purgatory in the Day of Judgment series. A team of heroes has shown up to recruit the soul of Hal Jordan. The guardians of Purgatory do not like this and Peacemaker, along with other dead vigilantes, rally and provide enough of a distraction so the group can return to Earth.

Peacemaker later appears in the "Watchmen" sequel "Doomsday Clock" partaking in the battle on Mars against Doctor Manhattan.[6]

JLI Peacemaker
The "League-Buster" Peacemaker from Justice League International #65 (June 1994). Art by Chuck Wojtkiewicz.

Another operative using the name Peacemaker appeared only once, in Justice League International #65, as a member of the "League-Busters".

Mitchell Black

Mitchell Black, a surgeon, was recruited by the "Peacemaker Project", an organization unaffiliated with the Pax Institute and the US government's "Project Peacemaker". Black would reappear in the miniseries titled The L.A.W., reunited with the other heroes acquired from Charlton. As a team, they investigated a powerful being targeting military facilities. He appeared to have been killed by the supervillain Prometheus in Infinite Crisis #7 during a battle to save Metropolis from destruction.

Peacemaker in Blue Beetle
Peacemaker from Blue Beetle #7 (November 2006).
Art by Cully Hamner.

Another individual appearing in the pre-Flashpoint Blue Beetle series has claimed both Smith's name and the Peacemaker identity, both things confirmed by several hints, such as his catchphrase of "loving peace so much, he'd kill for it", spoken by La Dama to define him.[7] However, divested of his trademark helmet, he was shown using the 'Mitchell Black' identity before settling again on his real name.[8] A year prior to his meeting with Jaime, during a fight against Intergang, he found himself in a Bialyan pyramid that happened to be the same one Dan Garrett found the scarab in years before. While inside, he accidentally came into contact with alien technology that allowed him to receive the scarab's database in his mind, explaining the inability of the Reach to control Garrett and Reyes. The Scarab was taken away with only a partly functioning AI with the higher instructions, including the ones needed to control the host, left in the pyramid and downloaded into Smith's mind. Sensing the connection he sought out Jaime, initially to see if the boy would become a threat but eventually becoming a reluctant partner. Upon witnessing Jaime's rebellion, the Reach implanted Peacemaker with a scarab himself,[7] which was dormant until a Sinestro Corps Power Ring contacted the AI and assigned him control of Space Sector 2, including the Reach Empire.[9] He was sent to kill Jaime, but Jaime interfaced with Smith's scarab and helped him face his inner fears. Gathering enough courage for a last stand, Smith forcibly cut the scarab from his spine, leaving him injured but not dead.[9] He helped defend Jaime's family from a Reach attack, and has continued to serve as a sort of mentor to the third Blue Beetle. At the conclusion of the Blue Beetle volume, Peacemaker leaves El Paso; before he departs, he bids farewell to Jaime and advises him to learn to become his own man. Later, he makes an appearance in Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape, as a detainee and potential recruit of the Global Peace Agency.

Other versions

Kingdom Come

The Peacemaker was briefly shown in flashbacks in Alex Ross and Mark Waid's comic Kingdom Come as a member of Magog's Justice Battalion, along with the rest of the Charlton "Action Heroes". In them, he is wearing an outfit more reminiscent of Boba Fett. He was apparently killed with the other team members when Captain Atom exploded.

Watchmen

The character was used as an inspiration for The Comedian in Alan Moore's Watchmen.

Young Justice

Peacemaker is mentioned in the comic book series based on the TV series Young Justice, where it is revealed that after Jaime Reyes became the Blue Beetle, he met Peacemaker. Peacemaker later told Nightwing that he was a good kid. Peacemaker also seems to not approve of the Team and doesn't want Blue Beetle joining it, but Nightwing and Wonder Girl recruit him into the Team anyway.

52

In the final issue of 52, a new Multiverse is revealed, originally consisting of 52 identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-4". As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-4, including Peacemaker and the other Charlton characters. The names of the characters are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear.[10] Based on comments by Grant Morrison, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-4.[11]

Pax Americana

In Pax Americana, the fourth issue of Grant Morrison's Multiversity series and set on Earth-4, Peacemaker is one of the protagonists, along with Blue Beetle, The Question, Captain Atom, Nightshade and Judomaster; Sarge Steel also makes a mostly off-panel appearance.

In other media

Television

Film

Christopher Smith / Peacemaker will appear in the upcoming DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad as one of the eponymous group's newest members, portrayed by John Cena.[14]

References
  1. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 228. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. Morris, Jon (2015). The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half Baked Heroes from Comic Book History. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Quirk Books. pp. 178–179. ISBN 978-1-59474-763-2.
  3. Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 133. ISBN 978-1605490557.
  4. Markstein, Don. "The Peacemaker". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  5. Eclipso #13
  6. Johns, Geoff (2019). Doomsday Clock #9. DC Comics. p. 16.
  7. Blue Beetle #13
  8. Blue Beetle #8
  9. Blue Beetle #20
  10. 52 52: 13/5 (May 2, 2007), DC Comics
  11. Brady, Matt (May 8, 2007). "THE 52 EXIT INTERVIEWS: GRANT MORRISON". Newsarama. Archived from the original on May 10, 2007. Retrieved May 12, 2007.
  12. https://bleedingcool.com/tv/peacemaker-james-gunn-john-cena-set-for-hbo-max-prequel-series/
  13. Andreeva, Nellie (December 14, 2020). "Matt Miller Joins 'Peacemaker' HBO Max Series As EP, Renews Overall Deal With Warner Bros. TV". Deadline. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  14. Sneider, Jeff (March 7, 2019). "'Suicide Squad 2' Exclusive: Meet the New Characters James Gunn Will Introduce in Sequel". Collider. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
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