Earth-X? ‘Peacemaker’s Giant Twist Is Smarter Than It Looks

It’s been weeks since fans noticed Peacemaker’s alternate dimension, where he could escape his troubles and just be with his father and brother, wasn’t quite right. James Gunn’s DC Universe has always been very diverse, but every time Peacemaker Season 2 cut to this other dimension, there wasn’t a single non-white character on screen, leading fans to believe this world may be way more insidious than we think.

In Season 2 Episode 6, the first of the three final episodes that James Gunn has hyped all season, we finally learn the chilling reason for this. It’s one of the most outrageous plot twists in the DCU, but underneath lies an interesting critique of a topic often too nuanced for superhero media.

Spoilers ahead for Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 6, “Ignorance is Chris.”

At the end of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 6, Chris Smith, now totally in the identity of his alternate self, finally meets the Harcourt who followed him through the portal. As they walk into the A.R.G.U.S. offices, she mentions that something in this universe doesn’t feel right: She hasn’t seen a non-white person since she entered the portal. Chris immediately scoffs and dismisses it, but he grabs a flag on a desk only to find a swatstika where the stars should be.

Meanwhile, back at the Top Trio’s house, Adebayo gets tired of cleaning up after a rambunctious Eagly and decides to take a walk around the park, only to incite an angry mob because “one got out.” Clearly, this isn’t just a world that doesn’t value diversity as much as the original universe, this is a fascist state where the 14th Amendment is void and minority groups have been rounded up and detained. It’s clearly the show’s adaptation of DC Comics’ Earth- X, an alternate world where the Nazis won World War II.

What is Earth-X?

First introduced by writer Len Wein and artist Dick Dillin in 1973’s Justice League of America #107, Earth-X is an alternate reality where Germany won World War II, resulting in a dystopia ruled by Nazis, with small pockets of resistance fighters resisting the regime. That’s it — the world isn’t fleshed out that much in the comics, mostly serving as a way for DC Comics to explore the multiverse and let its heroes punch Nazis. But in 1985’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” comic crossover arc, Earth-X, along with many of the other alternate universes introduced in the ‘60s and ‘70s, was destroyed after Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-4 (where the Charlton Comics heroes reside) and Earth-S (home to the Captain Marvel family) were merged into one.

But Earth-X has made a comeback in recent years with 2006’s “Infinite Crisis” arc introducing a new universe called Earth-10, where Superman’s pod crash-landed in Czechoslovakia, resulting in him becoming Overman, a Nazi puppet who leads a super-team called the New Reichsmen (subtle, we know). Earth-X was even adapted to the small screen before, in the Arrowverse’s crossover special “Crisis on Earth-X.”

Why This Twist Works

It’s not exactly the most nuanced plot twist — in fact, it’s about as subtle as a human torpedo to the face. However, this actually reveals something crucial about Chris’ character. He escaped to this world because it’s where his family was intact, but he never realized anything was wrong. In fact, if anything, he called his new home the “best dimension ever.”

But Chris was raised by a white supremacist, and, even if he’s unaware of it, benefits from white privilege. It’s kind of like how Adebayo was surprised he didn’t realize his alien portal was uncommon, because “It was so normal to him, he grew up with it so he didn’t think twice about it.”

Peacemaker may have put the beliefs of his father behind him, but clearly he is still willing to turn a blind eye to things — or not notice them at all — because of his trauma. He’s happy to be with his family now, so he doesn’t notice the bigger picture. It doesn’t make him a bad person, but it does point out something a lot of other superhero stories overlook: even superheroes are people, and people can benefit from systemic discrimination.

This ending may be over-the-top, but its examination of Chris’ ignorance is actually carefully portrayed. It’s a perfect microcosm for the show as a whole: underneath all the shocking humor and big action sequences, there’s a subtle story about how trauma and guilt can make you retreat into your own world. It’s just usually not a world overrun with Nazis.

Peacemaker is now streaming on HBO Max.