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Peacemaker (character)

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This article is about the comics character. For the DCEU character, see Peacemaker (DC Extended Universe).

Peacemaker
The Christopher Smith incarnation of Peacemaker as depicted in Who's Who in the DC Universe #5 (December 1990).
Art by Grant Miehm and Tom McCraw.
Publication information
PublisherCharlton Comics
Modern Comics
DC Comics
First appearanceChristopher Smith:
Fightin' 5 #40 (November 10, 1966)
Unknown:
Justice League International #65 (June 10, 1994)
Mitchell Black:
The L.A.W. #1 (September 10, 1999)
Peacewrecker:
Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (December 20, 2022)
Created byChristopher Smith:
Joe Gill
Pat Boyette
Unknown:
Gerard Jones
Chuck Wojtkiewicz
Mitchell Black:
Bob Layton
Dick Giordano
Peacewrecker:
Joshua Williamson
Rafa Sandoval
In-story information
Full nameChristopher Smith
Mitchell Black
SpeciesHuman
Team affiliationsChristopher Smith:
Checkmate
Shadow Fighters
Suicide Squad
Unknown:
League-Busters
Mitchell Black:
Peacemaker Project
L.A.W.
Abilities
  • Peak of human physical abilities
  • Durable armor
  • Flight pack technology
  • Communications helmet
  • Indomitable will
  • Expert combatant
    • Hand-to-hand combat
    • Axe mastery
    • Sword mastery
    • Shield mastery
    • Knife expertise
  • Access to advanced military weapons
  • Skilled marksman
  • Expert assassin
  • Espionage
  • Stealth
  • Proficient tactician and strategist

Peacemaker is the name of a series of fictional characters 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]

John Cena portrayed the Christopher Smith version of Peacemaker in the 2021 DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad and the eponymous 2022 television series on HBO Max. This portrayal will continue into the rebooted DC Universe.

Publication history

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The Peacemaker #1 (March 1967). Cover art by Pat Boyette.

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 lasting 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

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Christopher Smith

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Pre-Crisis

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The Peacemaker is Christopher Smith, a pacifistic diplomat so committed to peace that he is willing to use force as a superhero to advance the cause.[3] He uses an array of special non-lethal weapons and also founded the Pax Institute. Most of the villains he battles are dictators and warlords.[4][5]

Post-Crisis

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The post-Crisis version of Peacemaker differs greatly from the pre-Crisis version of the character. Smith 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, Wolfgang Schmidt. He believes his father's spirit haunts him continually and criticizes his every move, even as he tries to live down his past.[6]

Smith later becomes a vigilante, believing that his helmet contains the ghosts of the people he killed or were killed in his vicinity. For a time, the Peacemaker serves as a U.S. government agent under the auspices of Checkmate, a special-forces unit, hunting terrorists until his own behavior becomes too extreme. Peacemaker plays a part in the Janus Directive and battles Adrian Chase / Vigilante.[7] Although he is seen as an ally, some of the other heroes think that he is too extreme to be helping them. He eventually crashes a helicopter to destroy tanks controlled by Eclipso and is reported dead.[8] Years later, Peacemaker resurfaces and becomes a mentor to Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes).[9][10][11]

Peacemaker appears in Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape as a detainee and potential recruit of the Global Peace Agency.

In Infinite Frontier, Peacemaker joins the Suicide Squad.[12]

League-Busters version

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

Mitchell Black

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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. He is later killed by Prometheus in Infinite Crisis.

Other versions

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Earth-Four

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On Earth-Four, Christopher Smith is the son of an unnamed diplomat who built a special body armor and fought in troubled areas as Peacemaker.[13]

In Crisis on Infinite Earths, Peacemaker is among the Earth-Four heroes who are mind-controlled by Psycho-Pirate.[14] After being freed, he battles the Anti-Monitor before being killed and replaced with his main universe counterpart.[5][15][16]

Kingdom Come

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Peacemaker makes a minor appearance in flashbacks in Kingdom Come #2 as a member of Magog's Justice Battalion.[17]

Watchmen

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Peacemaker was used as an inspiration and influence for the Comedian in Alan Moore's Watchmen.[18]

52

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The Earth-Four incarnation of Peacemaker appears in 52 and The Multiversity.[19][20][21]

Armageddon 2001

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A group called the Peacemakers appear in Armageddon 2001 #2.[22]

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths

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An unnamed female A.R.G.U.S. agent known as Peacewrecker was introduced in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7.[23]

In other media

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Television

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The Christopher Smith incarnation of Peacemaker appears in Suicide Squad Isekai, voiced by Takehito Koyasu in Japanese[24] and Seán Patrick Judge in English. This version is a member of the Suicide Squad.

Film

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An unidentified Peacemaker makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths.[citation needed]

DC Extended Universe

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See also: Peacemaker (DC Extended Universe)

The Christopher Smith incarnation of Peacemaker appears in media set in the DC Extended Universe, portrayed by John Cena.[25][26][27][28]

Video games

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References

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  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. ^ a b Crisis on Infinite Earths #12. DC Comics.
  6. ^ Peacemaker vol. 2 #1
  7. ^ Vigilante #37
  8. ^ Eclipso #13. DC Comics.
  9. ^ Blue Beetle (vol. 7) #13. DC Comics.
  10. ^ Blue Beetle (vol. 7) #8. DC Comics.
  11. ^ Blue Beetle (vol. 7) #20. DC Comics.
  12. ^ Infinite Frontier #0. DC Comics. 2021.
  13. ^ Fightin' 5 #40. DC Comics.
  14. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #6–7. DC Comics.
  15. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #10. DC Comics.
  16. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #11. DC Comics.
  17. ^ Kingdom Come #2
  18. ^ Kogod, Theo (February 22, 2022). "How Peacemaker and the Comedian Influenced Each Other (And Revolutionized Comics)". CBR. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023.
  19. ^ 52, no. 52, p. 13/5 (May 2, 2007). DC Comics.
  20. ^ Brady, Matt (May 8, 2007). "THE 52 EXIT INTERVIEWS: GRANT MORRISON". Newsarama. Archived from the original on May 10, 2007. Retrieved May 12, 2007.
  21. ^ The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1
  22. ^ Armageddon 2001 #2
  23. ^ Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7
  24. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 1, 2023). "Suicide Squad Isekai Anime Reveals Main Cast in New Trailer". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  25. ^ Sneider, Jeff (March 7, 2019). "'Suicide Squad 2' Exclusive: Meet the New Characters James Gunn Will Introduce in Sequel". Collider. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  26. ^ Flook, Ray (September 23, 2020). "Peacemaker: James Gunn, John Cena Set for HBO Max Prequel Series". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  27. ^ Ridlehoover, John (January 26, 2021). "Peacemaker Set Photos Feature Some Surprising – and Not So Surprising – DC Easter Eggs". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  28. ^ Anderson, Jenna (February 10, 2022). "Peacemaker Just Confirmed a Major Character is Bisexual". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  29. ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects – Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  30. ^ "Peacemaker Gameplay Reveal – Injustice 2 Mobile". YouTube. Injustice 2 Mobile, Warner Bros. Entertainment. February 27, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  31. ^ Onder, Cade (July 21, 2023). "Mortal Kombat 1 Reveals Homelander, Peacemaker, and Omni-Man as DLC". Retrieved July 21, 2023.
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