James Gunn pulled a wild card when he picked John Cena’s Peacemaker out of The Suicide Squad and dropped him into his solo show. What could’ve been a goofy side-project turned into one of DC’s most surprising hits, fueled with over-the-top action and some genuinely emotional storytelling. So, with Peacemaker Season 2 coming out soon, we’ve prepared a Peacemaker Season 1 recap in which we talk about the 5 major things you should know before diving into the upcoming season.
1. Peacemaker Survives The Suicide Squad and Joins Project Butterfly
The series wastes no time reminding us that Peacemaker is, quite literally, hard to kill. After being shot and left for dead in The Suicide Squad, Christopher Smith wakes up in the hospital, patched together but still carrying his old baggage. He thinks he’s free, but Amanda Waller ropes him back in, and this time under the watch of a new team led by Clemson Murn. His mission was to take down “Project Butterfly,” a covert operation involving alien parasites that have been secretly possessing humans.
This opening event sets the entire tone for the series. Peacemaker isn’t just a muscle-for-hire anymore; he’s being forced into a situation where he has to work with people, confront his morals, and deal with aliens who might not be purely evil.
2. Introduction of the White Dragon
One of the most crucial and disturbing events to recap of season 1 is Peacemaker’s relationship with his father, Auggie Smith, AKA the White Dragon. Auggie is a racist, abusive man who supplied Peacemaker with his helmets but also scarred him for life. We find out that Christopher’s brother died in a fight they were forced into by their father, a trauma that haunts him throughout the show.
The breaking point comes when Auggie puts on the White Dragon armor and goes after his son. The brutal showdown between Peacemaker and his father isn’t just a physical battle; it’s emotional warfare. When Peacemaker finally kills Auggie, it’s less of a victory and more of a tragic necessity. This event is arguably the heart of Season 1, showing that while Christopher was battling aliens, the ghosts of his childhood were his real enemy.
3. Vigilante Joins the Chaos
Enter Adrian Chase, aka Vigilante, the unhinged best friend Peacemaker never asked for but desperately needed. His big entrance comes when he tags along on missions, eager to kill anyone he deems “bad.” His most memorable event is when he intentionally gets arrested just to protect Peacemaker. He ends up brutally attacking a group of white supremacists who were Auggie’s followers, proving that while he’s psychotic, he’s also fiercely loyal.
Vigilante’s involvement shifts the tone of the series. He brings humor, but he also acts as a mirror for Peacemaker as someone who kills without hesitation but masks his pain with goofiness. His presence highlights Peacemaker’s struggle to move beyond being just a weapon.
4. The Truth About Butterfly Revealed
Halfway through the season, the real bomb drops in the form of a revelation that the Butterflies aren’t mindless invaders. They’re refugees trying to save humanity from itself, arguing that humans are on the path to self-destruction. Their leader, Goff, even appeals directly to Peacemaker, offering him a chance to help create “peace” by enforcing order.
This revelation drastically changes the mission. Suddenly, it’s not just about killing aliens. It’s about deciding who gets to control Earth’s future. The event forces Peacemaker to confront his motto of “peace at any cost.” If peace means stripping away free will, is it worth it? This moral dilemma becomes the focal point of the story and sets the stage for the explosive finale.
5. The Cow, the Battle, and That Justice League Cameo
Everything builds up to the insane finale, where the team has to stop the Butterflies from teleporting “the Cow”, a giant alien creature that produces the food source keeping them alive. The standout moment, though, is Peacemaker’s choice. Instead of siding with Goff and ensuring peace through alien control, he chooses freedom and blasts the Cow to pieces.
It’s a decision that shows just how much he’s grown. And of course, the cherry on top is the Justice League cameo, only for Peacemaker to roast them on the spot. It’s the perfect Gunn-style gag to end a season that thrived on irreverence.
With this quick recap of Peacemaker Season 1, I hope I’ve saved you some time you might’ve otherwise spent on a full rewatch. While Peacemaker Season 2 might not lean heavily on the events of the first, being caught up helps in connecting the dots and appreciating the little details Gunn loves to sneak in. So, let’s gear up and mark our calendars for August 21, 2025, when Peacemaker makes its much-awaited return.
