Thanks to a stellar performance by John Cena and the creative vision of James Gunn, Peacemaker has transformed from a deep-cut comic book reference into a household name for DC. The character’s journey began in Gunn’s 2021 film The Suicide Squad, where he was introduced as a jingoistic killer willing to do anything for peace. That memorable debut led to the highly successful HBO Max series, Peacemaker, which further explored the complexities of its titular anti-hero. Now, with the second season of Peacemaker underway, Christopher Smith has been fully integrated into the new DC Universe, and his popularity is at an all-time high.
Despite his current success, Peacemaker’s comic book history is convoluted, a direct result of his origins at Charlton Comics, a defunct publisher whose characters were acquired by DC. This acquisition brought a host of new heroes and villains into the DC fold, many of whom have since become fan favorites. Now, Peacemaker’s successful transition from an obscure Charlton property to a cornerstone of the new DCU serves as a powerful proof of concept. With the second season of Peacemaker now exploring alternate realities, Gunn and DC Studios have the perfect opportunity to bring other classic Charlton characters into the live-action DCU.
The Forgotten Heroes of Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was a publisher that operated from 1945 to 1986, infamous within the industry for its notoriously frugal business model. The company built its catalog by acquiring properties from defunct publishers and paid its writers and artists some of the lowest rates available, which allowed it to survive numerous industry downturns. Despite these financial constraints, Charlton became a proving ground for future legends, including editor Dick Giordano and writer-artist Steve Ditko, who found a home there after his initial departure from Marvel Comics.
In the 1960s, under Giordano’s editorial leadership, Charlton launched its “Action Hero” line, a collection of unique superhero titles that served as the company’s answer to the Silver Age boom happening at DC and Marvel. The core of the Action Hero line included some of the most innovative characters of the era. Captain Atom, created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko, was an Air Force captain disintegrated in a nuclear accident, only to re-form his body with complete control over the atomic spectrum. The Question, another Ditko creation, was an investigative journalist named Vic Sage who fought corruption using a mask that made him appear faceless, adhering to a strict objectivist philosophy.
The line also featured a significant legacy character in Blue Beetle. The mantle originated back in 1939 with hero Dan Garret at Fox Feature Syndicate. After acquiring the rights, Charlton first reimagined Garret as an archaeologist who gained superpowers from a mystical scarab. Steve Ditko then built upon this history by creating a successor, Ted Kord. Following Garret’s death in the comics, Kord took up the Blue Beetle name but was unable to make the scarab’s powers work for him. This forced him to become a hero who relied entirely on his own genius-level intellect, athletic prowess, and an arsenal of high-tech gadgets.
Rounding out the central group was Peacemaker, a diplomat so devoted to peace that he was willing to use an arsenal of advanced, non-lethal weaponry to enforce it. This core group, along with other heroes like Nightshade and Judomaster, represented a distinct and compelling corner of the superhero genre.
In 1983, with Charlton Comics on the verge of collapse, DC Comics acquired the rights to its most prominent superheroes. The original plan was to feature these newly obtained characters in a mature-themed story pitched by writer Alan Moore. However, DC executives, including former Charlton editor Dick Giordano, correctly recognized that Moore’s deconstructionist plot would kill off or irrevocably damage the characters, rendering them useless for future integration into the main DC Universe. Moore was then asked to create original characters who were direct analogues for the Charlton heroes, and that project became the seminal 1986 comic miniseries Watchmen. The Comedian was based on Peacemaker, Nite Owl was inspired by Blue Beetle, Rorschach was a stand-in for the Question, Doctor Manhattan was modeled after Captain Atom, and Ozymandias drew from Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt.
The Charlton characters themselves were officially introduced into the DC multiverse in the 1985 crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths. That crossover story established the heroes as the protectors of Earth-Four before it was merged with the rest of the DC realities.
Peacemaker Season 2 Can Mirror Comic Book History
James Gunn’s established creative patterns provide a clear framework for more Charlton Comics characters to be integrated into the DCU. Beyond elevating Peacemaker himself, Gunn included another Charlton hero, Judomaster (Nhut Le), as a recurring antagonist throughout the first season of the show. In Season 2 of Peacemaker, Le will reprise his role, teased by the trailers as a reluctant ally.
In addition, Gunn has confirmed that the 2023 film Blue Beetle, starring Xolo Maridueña as the modern hero Jaime Reyes, can be incorporated into the DCU continuity with minor changes, similar to what happened with Peacemaker. That film’s entire plot is built on the legacy of a key Charlton-era character, Ted Kord. The story revolves around Kord’s technology, his secret base, and his mysterious disappearance, leaving the door wide open for his eventual return.
The current storyline of Peacemaker Season 2, which sends its protagonist to an alternate Earth, also provides the perfect narrative mechanism to accelerate the introductions of Charlton-era heroes. This plot directly mirrors the comic book history of the Charlton characters, who originated on the parallel world of Earth-Four before being integrated into the main DC continuity during Crisis on Infinite Earths. Gunn, a known comic book historian, can leverage this parallel to introduce other original Charlton heroes like The Question and Captain Atom as potential refugees from another reality who can be permanently folded into the main DCU.
Whatever the narrative path DC Studios takes, we hope to see more Charlton-era heroes appearing in the DCU. Plus, since Gunn has teased some surprising twists for Peacemaker Season 2, the appearance of these characters could be coming sooner rather than later.
New episodes of Peacemaker premiere on HBO Max on Thursdays.
Which Charlton Comics character are you most excited to see make their live-action debut in the DCU?
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