WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #5!One villain has just proven he can get underSuperman’s skin to the point of pushing the hero to near murder—and no, we’re not talking about the time the Joker tricked the Man of Steel into killing Lois Lane and their unborn child, before Superman unleashed his rage on the Clown Prince of Crime. Instead, we’re talking about a C-list villain that James Gunn has successfully turned into a fan-favorite—Peacemaker.
…Kal is openly admitting that there is a very real possibility he will take the life of the Peacekeeper.
Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola, and Becca Carey’sAbsolute Superman#5picks up where the previous issue left off, with the conflict between the Peacekeepers and the Man of Steel intensifying. As readers of the last issue will recall, Peacekeeper Christopher Smith briefly went rogue, shooting and killing twenty-three innocent people.
In this issue, Kal-El is consumed by rage as he hunts down Smith, nearly losing control. In a sobering moment,Superman even admits he’s afraid of what he might do to Smith if he finds him, making it clear that the Peacekeeper has the potential to drive Superman to murder.
Peacemaker Proves He Can Nearly Drive Superman to Murder
Comic Page Comes From Jason Aaron’sAbsolute Superman#5 – Art by Rafa Sandoval & Ulises Arreola
Absolute Supermanhas established Kal-El as an empathetic yet angry hero, fighting for those most exploited by the Lazarus Corp. In issue #5, Superman is overwhelmed by both his anger and grief over the twenty-three people killed by Smith, simply because they dared to laugh at him. In his pursuit of Smith,Superman targets the other Peacekeepers, demanding they tell him where he is. Consumed by rage,he plows through the soldiers until one of them begs for his life, which sobers Superman and momentarily halts his fury.
Later,Superman reveals to Sol—his Artificial Intelligence companion—that he no longer wants to know Smith’s whereabouts because he fears what he might do to him if he finds him. The implication is clear: Superman is afraid he will kill Smith. This is particularly significant because Kal is openly admitting that there is a very real possibility he will take the life of the Peacekeeper. This moment confirms that Peacemaker has the power to push this version of the Man of Steel to murder.
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We Need a Superman and Peacemaker Interaction in the DCU, Pronto
Cover C Darick Robertson Variant forPeacemaker Presents: The Vigilante / Eagly Double Feature#1 (2025)
Given that James Gunn created and directed thePeacemakerTV series starring John Cenaand is now directing the upcomingSuperman: Legacy(2025) movie, this development is one that the creative team should definitely take note of. It could serve as inspiration for a future Superman and Peacemaker encounter. While there is no official word on such an interaction at the moment, the potential is always there. This encounter could take a darker tone, as seen inAbsolute Superman, or even take a more humorous approach, withPeacemakerbeing annoying enough to pushSupermanout of character.
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