This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at the Charlton Comics hero Peacemaker BEFORE DC Comics bought him and changed him.
PEACEMAKER
Secret Identity: Christopher Smith
First Appearance: Fightin’ 5 #40 (November 1966)
Origin: American diplomat and scientist Christopher Smith was a noted pacifist in his public persona but was secretly affiliated with the Pax Institute’s covert operations arm in Geneva, Switzerland.
When peaceful solutions to an international situation hit a dead end, Smith donned the costume of his alter ego Peacemaker, who used violence against global dictators and other aggressors to nip potentially larger conflicts in the bud.
This hero’s adventures were every bit as focused on Cold War situations as early Marvel Comics stories were in Iron Man and the The Hulk.
Powers: Peacemaker was in peak physical condition and was a master of armed and unarmed combat. He designed and tested his own weapons in his secret “Peace Palace” lair in the Swiss Alps. Peacemaker’s action outfit included body armor, a jetpack for flight, plus a helmet for protection AND for radio communication. This hero’s weapons included his powered laser gun and the sonic beams shot from his helmet.
Comment: Peacemaker was the model for the Comedian in Watchmen, but the original Charlton version was neither the violent maniac of Watchmen nor the buffoonish character from recent movies and television shows.
FIGHTIN’ FIVE Vol 1 #40 (Nov 1966)
Title: Introducing the Peacemaker
Villain: Emil Bork, Arms Dealer
Synopsis: Diplomat Christopher Smith is in his car in Geneva, Switzerland being briefed about international arms dealer Emil Bork by his secretary Miss Blair. The weapons merchant has agents in two fictional South American countries egging on their war so that Bork can make more and more money. Two agents of Bork try to kill Smith and Blair but fail.
The following day Christopher attends an embassy dinner in Geneva, at which Bork and Smith needle each other. Smith dons his Peacemaker outfit and assembles his weapons, then flies out to Bork’s mansion in the Alps. Bork’s private army tries to kill Peacemaker but he outfights them all.
He then interrogates a defeated mercenary and learns that Emil has just flown off for South America to exacerbate the war between the two nations he is profiting from. Our hero flies off after Bork’s overhead jet but the villain fires a missile at him. Peacemaker damages it with his laser but the missile still goes off with him in the blast range. Continue reading
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