The Nazi America twist on Peacemaker season 2 had a lot of fans questioning what characters they did and didn’t like. But we got to meet one alternate universe character in episode 6 that really is kind of iconic. I am talking about Vigilante, of course.

The reveal that we are in a world where the Nazis won World War II comes to us in multiple ways, one being Adrian 2 (Freddie Stroma) telling our original Vigilante that Peacemaker is his enemy and that Vigilante 2 fights with the Sons of Liberty. Meaning that Adrian 2 is fighting for freedom for people oppressed by the Nazi ideals that have taken over that earth.

Adrian 2 shows a stark difference between how some people operate in that world vs. what others can do. Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick) is upholding ideals he doesn’t believe in because it is the way of the world and then we have Adrian 2 who is actively fighting against said ideals. It is a great comparison to our world as well.

Yes, the Nazis did not win World War II here but as Ads (Danielle Brooks) points out on the show: “The sad part is, I’m not so sure this Nazi world is as different from our world as we wish it was.”

But to that point, we do have both the Adrian 2s and the Auggie Smiths in our world as well. Adrian is willing to fight back against the oppressors to help those who need them and Auggie would rather sit back and just uphold the law and benefit from his status as a white man, despite disagreeing with the way of the world.

It ultimately made Adrian 2 an absolute badass and a character that I wanted to know more about.

Is Vigilante the best character on Peacemaker?

When the Prime Adrian meets Adrian 2, he quickly realizes that there are many similarities between them. They both love the same Pokémon and continue to answer questions the same. But when Prime Adrian asks if he’s best friends with Chris Smith, things take a turn. What it shows though is that Adrian is someone willing to stand on business.

We know that our Vigilante is loyal and often to a fault. He loves Chris and will do anything for him. Adrian 2 wants to actually be a hero and will do what it takes to succeed at that. Which makes him a badass.

Yes, Auggie was talking about how he doesn’t agree with the Nazis and the way they think and he was saying that he tries to take on the “monsters” of the world but the Blue Dragon and his sons are known for coming after the Sons of Liberty, a group actively working to oppose the Nazi views. So…does that mean that Auggie considers them monsters?

The entire situation is a lot of complacent behavior on behalf of Auggie but at least this Nazi America has men like Adrian there, ready to fight.

(featured image: HBO Max)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Rachel Leishman

Assistant Editor

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.

Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.

Peacemaker is spending most of its sophomore season delving into a tried and true superhero trope by introducing the concept of an alternate Earth where everything goes right for Chris Smith (John Cena). His brother Keith (David Denman) is alive, while their father Auggie (Robert Patrick) fights crime alongside them. Instead of being regarded as a joke, he’s considered to be one of the greatest heroes in the world. He’s even managed to win the love of that world’s Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), while the Harcourt of Earth-1 constantly rebuffs his attempts to figure out their relationship. Chris declares this to be “the best dimension ever”, but comic book fans have noticed that a lot of things are off.

In the episode “Another Rick Up My Sleeve“, Chris — having killed his alt-universe self — starts to explore the new dimension. A fan on Reddit noticed that every one of the background extras is Caucasian, which is a sharp contrast to Earth-1’s diverse cast of characters. Factor in the fact that Auggie was a virulent racist known as the White Dragon on Earth-1, and the fact that Keith refers to Nightwing’s hometown of Bludhaven with a German inflection, and the evidence seems to be pointing to the fact that the alternate dimension that Chris has traveled to is Earth-X, where Nazi forces won World War II. That’s not even the worst part, as Earth-X has its own superpowered beings who couldn’t be any less interested in the notions of truth and justice.

Earth-X Is One of the Darkest Alternate Realities in DC History

Earth-X follows the trajectory of history with two major differences: then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt suffers a fatal heart attack, and Germany develops the atomic bomb, giving the Axis Powers the edge they needed to win World War II. As a result, pockets of resistance started to form, including the superpowered revolutionaries known as the Freedom Fighters. Earth-X would be one of many parallel worlds to fall during the universe-shattering Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, until it was eventually brought back…this time, with a dark twist. Instead of using nukes to win World War II, Germany would have the might of Superman, or rather, Overman, on their side as Kal-El’s rocket had crash-landed in Germany instead of Smallville. It’s hardly the first time the Man of Steel’s origins have been altered, but it’s still a chilling thought.

If Peacemaker is saving the reveal that Chris has traveled to Earth-X for its final three episodes, it wouldn’t just make sense, it would also be a massive gut punch. Finding out the world where you get everything you want was built on a fascist ideology wouldn’t be fun for anyone, but Chris’s sense of self-worth is dangerously fragile, and this could be the event that shatters it. There’s also the fact that Gunn has teased some major cameos in the final three episodes, as well as a link to the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. Could that link be David Corenswet as Overman? Or could fans see the live action debut of Creature Commandos‘s Nazi-slaying machine, G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn)?

Another DC Series Beat ‘Peacemaker’ When it Comes to Exploring Earth-X

Fans will have to wait and see if Peacemaker does bring Earth-X to the DCU, but it wouldn’t be the first time that a DC series has pitted superheroes against their twisted Nazi dopplegangers. Crisis on Earth-X would see the CW’s biggest shows at the time — Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow — taking part in a crossover event that saw them battling the forces of Earth-X. It was a big deal for many reasons: while previous CW crossovers had felt pretty big, Crisis on Earth-X felt less like four different shows and more like a feature-length film. It also marked a big deal for the Flash, as it saw Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Iris West (Candice Patton) finally getting married after four seasons of romantic buildup. Peacemaker only has one season under its belt, but if anyone else could pull off an Earth-X twist, it’s James Gunn.

Release Date

January 13, 2022

Network

HBO Max, Max