Peacemaker has featured a lot of great DC Comics Easter Eggs, but one of the best came our way in the latest episode of the HBO Max series. In "Monkey Dory," we learn that Christopher Smith was once considered a hero by the public, something that's evident from a framed newspaper article in his trailer.
The headline reads, "New Hero Peacemaker Apprehends Kite-Man," while the article itself, upon closer inspection, reveals that "Despite months of planning and strategic traps laid by the city police department, Kite-Man had managed to evade capture. Luckily for our city, Peacemaker made a memorable superhero debut by beating Kite-Man in a spectacular battle last night."
Clearly, Smith's extreme methods ultimately led to the public's perception of him changing, though no one seems entirely sure who he is, anyway! In a world inhabited by superheroes, it's no great surprise that someone like Peacemaker would fall by the wayside and not necessarily be remembered.
Kite-Man (spelled "Kite Man" in the comic books) is actually a longtime Batman villain, but is often the butt of jokes given the fact that his main source of attack is, uh, kites. He's made a few recent appearances, though, including in the Harley Quinn animated series and during Tom King's Batman run.
Bat-Mite and Matter-Eater Lad have both also been mentioned in Peacemaker, and just like in The Suicide Squad, it's clear James Gunn isn't against plucking out some obscure characters from the DC Universe's storied history. Fingers crossed for a flashback showcasing Smith's fight with the villain, eh?