Easter Eggs You Missed In Peacemaker

The irreverent and crass comedic wit James Gunn is famous for has once again graced the DCEU in the "Peacemaker" TV series on HBO Max. While he may be one of DC's more obscure characters, Peacemaker (John Cena) now has his time to shine. The ruthless mercenary who vows to "kill anyone" to obtain peace shocked viewers when he unceremoniously ends the life of Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) in "The Suicide Squad," all for the sake of keeping damning state secrets, well, secret. Ultimately, Bloodsport (Idris Elba) takes him down after Peacemaker attempts to take out the Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) for the same reason.

The series picks up right where Chris Smith's (aka Peacemaker) story ended in "The Suicide Squad" –- in a hospital recovering from his wounds. Much to his surprise, he is discharged without being sent back to prison. However, his past catches up with him when Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), John Economos (Steve Agee), and Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) offer him a chance to work on their black ops team sanctioned by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to avoid returning to prison. Not seeing much of a choice, he accepts, and that's where Peacemaker's adventure begins. 

The team sets out to stop the alien butterflies from spreading in a series that hides countless references and Easter eggs along the way. Let's take a look at some of the season's best and most obscure Easter eggs and references in "Peacemaker."

You'd be mistaken if you thought Peacemaker didn't walk away from "The Suicide Squad" with a few souvenirs aside from the mark that Bloodsport left behind. After emptying the personal items he is carrying during his hospital visit in the first episode, viewers can plainly see a postcard from Corto Maltese. Furthermore, once Peacemaker attempts to pay his taxi driver for the car ride to his dumpy trailer, he offers him Corto Maltese currency, teasing the driver that it could be worth a million dollars. Of course, the driver isn't a fool and takes his helmet as payment instead.

Aside from being the setting of "The Suicide Squad" film, Corto Maltese has an extensive history as a fictional country in the DC universe. It was first introduced in Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" comics released in 1986. Miller used Corto Maltese as a sensitive pressure point in the burgeoning tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the ongoing Cold War. In that series, the Soviets maintain control of the tiny South American island, but the U.S. supports a rebellion to usurp power over the country's leadership. This causes Russia to fire a nuclear warhead at the U.S., which Superman attempts to stop. 

Corto Maltese is also referenced in Tim Burton's "Batman" in 1989 and countless comic storylines. Finally, It is also a hotspot throughout The CW's Arrowverse.

In the first episode of "Peacemaker," viewers who took a quick pause to view all of Peacemaker's personal items at the hospital may have noticed a note with the name Valentina on it, along with what might be a phone number. Ardent DC comics fans will likely make the connection to Valentina Vostok, a DC character who was once a member of the Doom Patrol. Under the alias Negative Woman, the U.S. government uses her for her unique espionage capabilities, and she often crosses paths with Peacemaker.

Where Peacemaker obtains her phone number in "Peacemaker" is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it occurs off-screen during the club scene in "The Suicide Squad." Or maybe it's something he's been carrying with him for quite some time. Seeing as Valentina is a Russian defector to the United States, however, she may have interests in Corto Maltese, or she could simply be an associate of Amanda Waller. It's anybody's guess, but perhaps we'll see her in "Peacemaker" Season 2.

Peacemaker has a bone to pick with the Justice League. He may even be envious of their popularity and prestige in the superhero community. After all, Peacemaker often laments that no one likes him, but everyone loves Superman. In the first episode, Peacemaker is made fun of by the hospital janitor, Jamil (Rizwan Manji), when he claims to be a superhero. After Jamil brings up his favorite hero, Aquaman, Peacemaker claims he heard from a "credible" source on the web that Aquaman has sex with fish.

During a meeting, Clemson Murn discusses how the butterfly aliens take over human bodies — by entering through an orifice. When the team jokes about John's slide depicting a butterfly entering a human anus, Peacemaker mocks another famous alien, Superman, for apparently having a unique fondness for bodily waste. Once again, the internet apparently tells no lies in Peacemaker's mind. Later, Peacemaker calls Batman a "jackass" who fails to do the job of eliminating villains while arguing with his father's neighbor.

After appearing as a guest speaker at a school as a favor to Jamil and his daughter, one child asks Peacemaker if he ever met the Flash. He claims he has and that the Flash is a jerk -– although he uses more colorful descriptors. Peacemaker also insinuates that Wonder Woman has the hots for him. Overall, it's pretty clear that Peacemaker has very little respect for the greatest heroes in the DCEU.

It's no secret that Peacemaker doesn't play nicely with others. He also carries grudges and seemingly has one against the powerful DC comics villain, Eclipso, a powerful enemy who can absorb other heroes and take control of their abilities. In the first episode, an image of the villain can be seen on Peacemaker's dartboard in his trailer. 

The Peacemaker has a not-so-friendly run-in with the villain in the 1992 comic series "Eclipso" by Robert Loren Fleming and Audwynn Jermaine Newman. In this series, Amanda Waller led a group of obscure DC characters known as the Shadow Fighters. Peacemaker is a part of the team tasked with bringing down Eclipso. The clash ends in disaster as many of the characters are killed — including Peacemaker, who dies in a helicopter crash. While this bit of history can't possibly exist in the TV series as Peacemaker is alive and well, James Gunn confirmed the reference on Twitter, per ComicBook.com. Regardless, he seems keenly and begrudgingly aware of Eclipso's existence.

In a DCEU show, we're obviously going to expect references to the greater DC universe, of which Batman is a major part. However, a Bruce Wayne reference is a bit rarer and more unexpected. In the first episode, Amanda Waller tasks her daughter, Leota, with the job of planting a fake Peacemaker diary in his apartment. That way, once the inevitable result of the mission is complete, a search of Peacemaker's home will incriminate the hapless mercenary and likely send him right back into Amanda Waller's arms.

The diary cover has a sticker featuring a logo for the Wayne Foundation. The Wayne Foundation is a philanthropic entity and Bruce Wayne's means of combating the criminal element from outside the cowl. He often uses the organization to soapbox for economic reforms that will aid the lower class and help support the citizens of Gotham diminishing desires to move toward crime. The Wayne Foundation has also provided much-needed resources to the impoverished. The sticker on the faux-Peacemaker diary is curious as the symbol actually resembles the Wayne Enterprises logo in the Nolan trilogy of Batman films, not the logo found in the DCEU.

Of all characters to receive a live-action reference, Bat-Mite was, perhaps, the least unexpected. This fifth-dimensional imp is known in the DC Comics lore as an extreme Batman fanatic. Essentially, he's like many of us, just smaller and with magical abilities. He shares the same home dimension as Mister Mxyzptlk, a DC villain who appears in a memorable episode of "Superman: The Animated Series," among other places. However, Bat-Mite often just wants to see the Dark Knight in action. Sometimes, he even throws obstacles in the hero's way just to gawk at Batman's prowess. He's sometimes helpful but is more often a pain in the rear.

When John Economos is bandaging up Peacemaker in Episode 2, the two share words as Peacemaker insists on mocking the tech liaison. John loudly exclaims that he'd rather work with Harley Quinn, the Weasel, or even Bat-Mite than with Peacemaker. Confused, Peacemaker questions who Bat-Mite is. Either Peacemaker is living under a rock in the DCEU world, or John simply knows of Bat-Mite from his experience in black ops missions under Amanda Waller.

In the second episode of "Peacemaker," John frames Peacemaker's father, Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick), for the murder of the butterfly-bewitched assailant Peacemaker was forced to kill in the first episode. When Detective Sophie Song (Annie Chang) sees Auggie's followers kneeling before him in lock-up, she remarks to her partner that she had thought that "capes" were sent over to Arkham or Belle Reve. This aside indicates that super villains typically receive mental health treatment with their prison stay — or they're thrown to Amanda Waller to be utilized in her Suicide Squad.

Arkham Asylum is a famous and iconic locale in the DCEU. It's located in Gotham and houses many of Batman's villains deemed insane or mentally unstable. Of course, villains commonly escape from the maximum-security facility because, well, how else will Batman ever face his greatest foes again?

Belle Reve is another high-security facility that contains the most hardened and powerful metahumans. Amanda Waller is often seen operating the Suicide Squad out of this prison. Most of the Suicide Squad volunteers vying for a reduced prison sentence come from this prison. Detective Song's mention of both facilities acknowledges that the world contains baddies that aren't fit for ordinary prison life. Perhaps, considering that Auggie is the White Dragon, he should've landed in one of those places instead.

James Gunn clearly has an affinity for the lesser-known and obscure oddities of the DC Comics world. In Episode 3, Peacemaker mentions another strange DC character known as Doll Man. Peacemaker mentions Doll Man in reference to his fear of homunculi being unpredictable. When Leota asks about Doll Man, Clemson Murn plainly replies, "he turns small."

Murn's explanation might be an oversimplification of his power, or at least only half of the story. Doll Man certainly does shrink, but when he does so he retains his physical strength as if he were still full-grown. While there are multiple versions of the character, the most famous iterations were Darrel Dane, a scientist, and Lester Colt, a special forces operator. They both gained the ability to shrink, although Lester's was a bit more permanent, at least for a time. Who knows what iteration of the character Peacemaker may have been referring to?

Peacemaker has lived a wild life. The series makes no secret of that, as he constantly unveils tidbits about his past. When talking to Murn about the idea of allowing Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) to join the team in Episode 4, Peacemaker questions the call as he thinks Vigilante might be a little too crazy for the mission at hand. Murn is aware of Vigilante's issues but is willing to ignore them because he needs help. Peacemaker then states that his idea of what's messed up has been a bit off-kilter ever since he teamed up with Matter-Eater Lad, one of the strangest DC superheroes out there.

Matter-Eater Lad hails from the distant future. By nature of his race, he can eat matter in all its forms, just as his name implies. Most famously, he joins the Legion of Super-Heroes. At first blush, the capability of eating anything might not seem practical when employed for super-heroics. However, Matter-Eater Lad is capable of eating devastating weaponry and even powerful artifacts deemed as indestructible. Humorously, Peacemaker remarks that he once saw the character eat an entire Wendy's restaurant. That may have sapped the snark out of the food chain's notorious Twitter feed for at least a day or so.

In Episode 4, Auggie's elderly neighbor has fun taunting Peacemaker, who he believes is a fake superhero. At one point, Peacemaker is leaving his father's home with a bunch of helmets and equipment. The feisty neighbor mentions that Batman has a coterie of super villains, listing Joker, Riddler, and Mad Hatter. He then asks why Peacemaker doesn't have his own collection of villains. Peacemaker exclaims that his enemies are lying six feet underground, and he attacks Batman's legacy for not being capable of pulling the trigger on these dangerous characters.

Of course, everyone is familiar with Batman's famous rogues' gallery. Joker likely sits at the top of such a gallery in most people's eyes. However, the mention of Mad Hatter, also known as Jervis Tetch, is yet another fun reference to a villain that may not be universally known. This villain is famous for developing a technology that allows him to control others' minds when he places a card or hat on their head.

This particular reference is simply James Gunn making connections to his film "The Suicide Squad" to enact a bit of world-building within the DCEU. In the fourth episode, a fun little superhero bunny figure can be seen sitting on the dash of Vigilante's car. This isn't simply a throwaway detail included showing how child-like or off-the-wall Adrian is. In fact, it's a reference to a fictional character, Ultra Bunny, who was created for the DCEU by James Gunn, as he revealed when he posted a sketch of the character on Instagram.

In "The Suicide Squad," Rick Flagg's team is eliminated and he is taken captive by guerilla fighters rebelling against the Corto Maltesian regime. However, he's given a new shirt and some gear when it becomes clear that they are on the same side. The shirt he wears for the remainder of the film is an Ultra Bunny t-shirt. Apparently, the fictional character is even popular in Corto Maltese.

Cerberus is the hulking three-headed hell-hound known in Greek mythology for being a guardian of the underworld, Hades. Fans of the Disney movie "Hercules" may remember the title character's battle with the creature. Despite the creature's origin point in Greek mythology, DC Comics has repurposed Cerberus in its own stories. After all, Wonder Woman's story, which features characters such as Queen Hippolyta, is rooted in the history of the old gods of Greece.

In Episode 4, a poster is seen on the building that Murn and his crew are using as a base that depicts the three-headed dog with the word Cerber-wuss. This is an apparent reference to the creature and its history within DC Comics. However, it is unclear why the name of the poster seemingly mocks the beast. Regardless, Cerberus has tangled with the best of DC's characters, including Wonder Woman and Aquaman. The underworld guardian certainly earned some acknowledgment.

The number of references and Easter eggs in "Peacekeeper" demonstrates James Gunn's dedication to the comic book source material. Of course, he is no slouch when it comes to creating comic-centric adaptations, such as with his mega-blockbuster Marvel hit "Guardians of the Galaxy." However, it's clear that he and everyone else behind the show's creation have plenty of respect for the history of comics, despite the crudeness and comical tone of "Peacemaker."

A generic reference is made toward the comic book industry at large when Peacemaker heads out into the parking lot to fight Judomaster (Nhut Le) in Episode 4. Peacemaker passes by a truck with the words "Atomic Age" emblazoned upon it. That might not mean much to the average person, but comic book fans might recognize that phrase as a reference to the Atomic Age of comics. This is an era of comics that occurred mostly during the Cold War and often explored the worldwide threats of nuclear power, which makes this Easter egg a fun reference to the history of comic books.

Like "Peacemaker," the starring role of the DCEU film "Black Adam" is played by a former pro wrestler, Dwayne Johnson. It only makes sense that serious fans get a few teases during the wait. The "Peacemaker" series provides one minor but clear-cut reference to Black Adam. In Episode 4, Leota prods Adrian to kill Peacemaker's father, Auggie, while he is imprisoned. Adrian decides to get close to the racist scoundrel the only way he knows how –- by getting arrested. When Adrian goes to a break area for guards on duty to chuck a garbage can into a window, he passes a guard is reading a newspaper. One of the stories referenced is that of an "Intergang" potentially seizing control in the nation of Kahndaq.

A few thousand years ago, Black Adam was born in Kahndaq,  a fictional country not unlike Egypt from a cultural standpoint. The wizard Shazam granted him powers to act as a protector. However, when a villain kills his family, Black Adam is enraged and vows to protect Kahndaq by any means necessary, including exacting bloody vengeance on criminals. The wizard sealed Black Adam away to keep him from causing further destruction.

Kite-Man isn't a stranger to recent DC media projects, as he had a humorous role in the Season 1 of the animated "Harley Quinn" series vying for Poison Ivy's love. As such, this reference may not be entirely lost on everyone. Either way, Kite-Man is just as ridiculous as his name implies. His entire persona is modeled around a kite. He can fly (or glide) like a kite and often employs kite-related weaponry. As a comic book character, he isn't well known and sprung from a far campier era of the comic book medium.

In Episode 5, Peacemaker proudly displays a newspaper clipping in his trailer where he is hailed as a hero for apprehending Kite-Man. While Peacemaker has been derided during this series as a wannabe, and even sometimes as a villain, this clipping makes it appear that he was once recognized as a true-blue superhero. Perhaps, that's why he keeps a reminder of this fond memory in his trailer. In the next episode, he's seen telling school children the story of when he brought down Kite-Man and turned him in. 

Perhaps Auggie's elderly neighbor was on to something. Peacemaker may kill his enemies now, but at one point he used to operate as a straight arrow similar to Batman -– a hero he seemingly despises.

Clemson Murn makes a deal with a former comrade, Caspar Locke, to help tamp down calls for re-working the evidence incriminating Peacemaker, and Locke poses as the new police captain to accomplish this. However, during Locke's initial meeting with Murn in Episode 5, he references the duo's past in the "jungles of Nyasir."

Nyasir is another fictional country in DC lore located in northern Africa. It's only been referenced during one story, in which Superman travels to the country to investigate a metahuman among the membership of a church being suppressed by the government. When the military takes part in killing missionaries, the metahuman known as Redemption attacks retaliates. Superman comes to blows with the character, and Redemption proves to be able to handle himself against the Man of Steel. He can unleash blasts of energy and maintain the same level of strength as Superman. This could be just a simple reference for fans to consume or a potential narrative thread that may bear fruit in the future. Only time will tell.

Dracula became a sensation after the release of Bram Stoker's novel and has endured the ages as a menacing figure. Comic book publishers have often employed the character in their works, including DC Comics. Batman is one such hero who has encounters Dracula when the creature of the night was posing as Dr. Alucard. The vampire is converting humans and develops a deep fascination with Vicki Vale. In this storyline, Bruce Wayne actually kills Dracula with a device that emits sunlight. 

In Peacemaker, Vigilante is the one to unveil the possible existence of Dracula in the DCEU. In Episode 6, he makes a passing statement to Peacemaker that his face looks weird, like he's "looking at a Dracula." The use of the word "a" preceding Dracula could hint at multiple Draculas, as is the case in DC Comics lore due to the existence of the multiverse. Of course, he could be referring to the fictional character created by Bram Stoker, but that seems unlikely given the plural implication.

If the Justice League exists in the DCEU, surely some of the other more famous DC heroes, like the Green Arrow, do as well. In Episode 8, the team sets off to kill the cow, which is the food source of the butterflies. While devising a plan, Peacemaker's anti-gravity helmet floats away when Leota accidentally activates it with a voice command. Though frustrated, Peacemaker begins coming up with a new idea for planting his sonic boom helmet on top of the barn. He mentions shooting a fishing line to the barn from the top of one of the trees and letting the helmet slide down. Vigilante eagerly then quips, "Like Green Arrow?"

Like all famous DC heroes, Peacemaker seems to continue his trend of distaste for them here. He even claims that Green Arrow goes to Brony conventions and cosplays as the rear-end of Twilight Sparkle. Leota finally says what we're all thinking by observing that Peacemaker has an absurd story for every superhero. Either Peacemaker is pretty naïve and genuinely believes everything he reads on the internet, or he simply hates superheroes. It's most likely the latter.

Alright, this is likely one Easter egg nobody missed since the moment was on display for a handful of shots and accompanied by dialogue from the star characters making cameos. However, at the tail end of the series, the Justice League does arrive at the sight of the butterflies' clash with Peacemaker and crew, but they're too late. Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller reprise their roles of Aquaman and the Flash, respectively. Aquaman even hilariously drops an f-bomb as he dismisses the rumors about him having sex with fish.

While Superman and Wonder Woman were present, it doesn't appear that Henry Cavill or Gal Gadot joined the filming of the scene, and we are only treated to a glimpse of their shadowy silhouettes. Curiously, Batman is absent from the lineup as well. Was that intentional, given that we know Ben Affleck's last performance as Batman is in "The Flash" movie? Or perhaps, Batman couldn't simply arrive on the scene as speedily as his metahuman associates. Regardless, Peacemaker once again displays his disgust for the team and doesn't even give them the time of day.