Peacemaker: From Comic Obscurity to HBO Stardom
You know him. You love him. Or maybe you just can’t believe he actually exists.
Peacemaker… The man who “loves peace so much, he’s willing to kill for it.
” Sounds ridiculous, right? That’s because it is. But this ridiculousness has carried him from forgotten ’60s comics all the way to one of DC’s most successful shows ever. Let’s break down how we got here.
Charlton Comics Origins
Peacemaker first blasted his way into existence in 1966’s Fightin’ 5 #40, created by Joe Gill and Pat Boyette. His alter ego, Christopher Smith, was a diplomat obsessed with peace who decided the only way to stop war was… lots and lots of weapons. Decked out in a dove-stamped chrome helmet and high tech gadgets, he swore he’d never use violence unless absolutely necessary.
Spoiler: it appears to always be necessary.
He got his own five issue solo run in 1967.
However, Charlton Comics folded soon after, and Peacemaker vanished into comic limbo.
DC Comics Picks Him Up
In the mid ’80s, DC bought Charlton’s heroes and dropped them into Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985).
Suddenly, Peacemaker was standing shoulder to shoulder with Superman and Batman… though mostly in the background.
DC quickly gave him a darker makeover.
In 1988’s Peacemaker miniseries, Christopher Smith was reimagined as a haunted vigilante.
Turns out his dad was a Nazi war criminal, and now Smith hears his voice taunting him from beyond the grave.
Oh, and he believes the souls of everyone he kills live inside his helmet.
Yeah… DC leaned into the crazy.
The Watchmen Connection
Here’s a Fun fact!
Peacemaker almost became the star of Watchmen.
Alan Moore originally planned to use the Charlton heroes in his dark deconstruction of superheroes, even titling his pitch “Who Killed the Peacemaker?”
DC said no, wanting to keep the characters for continuity. Moore and Dave Gibbons created new versions instead, with the Comedian directly based on Peacemaker.
Ironically, DC’s darker 1988 revamp of Peacemaker ended up looking a lot like the Comedian anyway.
Death, Rebirth, and Reboots
Peacemaker joined Amanda Waller’s government black ops, but his “peace at any cost” mindset made him too unstable. He was eventually killed off in the early ’90s fighting the villain Eclipso.
Of course, comics don’t let anyone stay dead forever.
By the 2000s, Christopher Smith was back, even serving as a grumpy mentor to the new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes. The New 52 reboot mostly shelved him, but in DC Rebirth he resurfaced in Suicide Squad comics, once again as Waller’s unpredictable attack dog.
Key Stories
Fightin’ 5 #40 (1966): The bizarre, pacifist-but-violent debut.
Peacemaker (1988): The dark, haunted vigilante revamp.
Eclipso #13 (1993): Peacemaker dies in battle.
Blue Beetle (2006): Returns as a reluctant mentor figure.
Suicide Squad (2021): Lined up perfectly with his film and TV portrayal.
Mainstream Explosion
For decades, Peacemaker was a C list oddity… That was until James Gunn cast John Cena in The Suicide Squad (2021).
Cena’s absurdly serious, over the top patriot stole the show (and killed Rick Flag while he was at it).
Audiences loved it.
Then came HBO Max’s Peacemaker (2022). Gunn wrote the series and directed many of the episodes, giving us not just the jokes and violence but genuine depth. We met Peacemaker’s toxic father, saw him wrestle with guilt, and watched him slowly grow into something resembling a hero.
Add in an iconic yet obscure hair metal dance opening, and the show blew up, becoming one of the most watched streaming series worldwide.
Why It Works
Peacemaker works because he’s absurd yet human. He’s violent, funny, broken, and occasionally heartbreaking. James Gunn found the sweet spot between parody and pathos, and John Cena delivered the performance of his career.
From forgotten Charlton oddball to HBO Max superstar, Peacemaker proves one thing.
In comics, no character is too weird to make it big.
