The second season of Peacemaker kicks off by officially planting its flag in the new DCU, with the premiere episode making narrative adjustments to align Christopher Smith’s (John Cena) story with the continuity of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s revamped universe. The episode’s central plot then sends its titular anti-hero on a journey to an alternate Earth, where he discovers a version of his life in which he is the celebrated hero he always wanted to be. This premise gives Peacemaker a tantalizing glimpse of a better life, forcing him to reflect on his violent past and uncertain future. For eagle-eyed fans, however, the premiere is also a treasure trove of Easter eggs celebrating the weird and wonderful history of DC Comics, including a nod to one of Batman’s most obscure and bizarre villains. Warning: Spoilers below for Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 1
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On the alternate Earth, Peacemaker discovers a wall of newspaper clippings detailing his heroic adventures. In this reality, his white supremacist father, Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick), is a noble hero. Most shockingly, his brother Keith (David Denman), whom Chris accidentally killed as a child, is alive and well. Together, the three family members form a beloved superhero team known as the “Top Trio.”
The newspaper articles celebrate the Top Trio victories, including a moment where they saved Gotham City from the clutches of the Ultra-Humanite. One headline, however, stands out for its sheer absurdity: “The Top Trio Defeats the Rainbow Creature.” Accompanying the text is a picture of the villain that is strikingly accurate to its comic book counterpart, a deep-cut reference that signals the new DCU’s willingness to embrace even the strangest corners of its source material.
Who Is DC’s Rainbow Creature?
The Rainbow Creature is a bizarre monster hailing from DC’s Silver Age of comics, first appearing in Batman #134, a 1960 issue from creators Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff. In this debut story, the creature emerges from a volcanic eruption in a South American country. Its sudden appearance is quickly exploited by a local revolutionary named Diaz, who attempts to use the monster as a scare tactic to seize power, despite having no actual control over the beast.
As a mindless monster, the creature’s abilities are directly linked to the distinct colored stripes on its body. For instance, its red stripe can generate intense heat capable of burning through buildings, while its blue stripe emits an aura of extreme cold that can freeze and shatter artillery shells. Additionally, its yellow stripe possesses the power to vaporize objects, and perhaps its most bizarre ability comes from its green stripe, which can flatten living beings into two-dimensional forms.
However, after an ability is used, the corresponding stripe on the creature’s body turns white and becomes inert until it can recharge by absorbing that specific color from a nearby object. This vulnerability is precisely what Batman and Robin exploit to defeat the monster. By cleverly tricking it into using all of its powers in rapid succession, they cause the creature to turn completely white, leading to its disintegration into dust.
Beyond the comic books, the Rainbow Creature has also appeared in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It first appeared in “Legends of the Dark Mite!”, where it was a monster on an alien world that was scared away by Batman. Later, in the episode “Emperor Joker!”, the villain Firefly summoned the creature to combat Batman and Robin. To defeat it, Batman wore a rainbow-colored costume, which he used to block the creature’s attacks before defeating it. While a nice nod to the Silver Age era, the Rainbow Creature still came short of being a fully fledged character in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, making its Peacemaker Easter egg all the more curious.
New episodes of Peacemaker premiere on HBO Max on Thursdays.
Did you know the Rainbow Creature before Peacemaker Season 2? What other deep-cut Easter cut have you spotted in the episode? Let us know in the comments!
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Image Credit: Marvel Comics
