Before his time leading the charge against the butterflies in Peacemaker, and even before his time in DC comics, Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, got his start in Charlton Comics. The publishing company rose to prominence during the Silver Age of comic books in the 1960s with their additions to the popular superhero genre with their “Action Heroes”. Charlton eventually fell on hard times, but DC comics came to acquire some of their greatest creations, such as Peacemaker and Judomaster. Following the success and popularity of Peacemaker, perhaps there is a chance for more Charlton Comics creations to get their moment in the spotlight, whether part of the DCEU or independent projects.
Question
Thankfully, several of Charlton’s creations have become popular and prominent features in DC comics, including one of their most intriguing and perplexing heroes, the Question. He joins the likes of Batman and his allies as one of the best detectives in DC comics, and surprisingly he might be just as ruthless. Vic Sage serves as the original Question, characterized by his enigmatic face mask and quest for justice that often borders on conspiratorial.
The Question already has a link into the DCEU through Bird of Prey as Renee Montoya – played by Rosie Perez – takes up the moniker following Sage’s death. Perhaps there are plans in the works for Montoya to adopt, but it would be just as interesting to see Sage headline an HBO Max series in the vein of a noir detective show that also explores his complex sense of philosophy.
Captain Atom
Several of Charlton's heroes were the first iterations of characters who would become the legendary Watchmen. The Question led to Rosarche, Peacemaker to the Comedian, and Doctor Manhattan from Captain Atom. Following their incorporation into DC comics in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Captain Atom’s story and design were altered.
In his new origins, Nathaniel Adam – formerly known as Allen Adam – takes part in a dangerous experiment resulting in him being atomized and transformed into a being of pure energy, essentially becoming a living nuclear reactor. Though he isn't as popular as his contemporaries, Superman and Green Lantern, Captain Atom would still be a welcome sight in the DCEU, with his immense powers and sense of morality adding a fresh perspective to the franchise
Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Fans will soon meet a new Charlton Comics adaptation with Blue Beetle set to hit theaters on August 18th, 2023. The film will follow the third person to take up the moniker, Jaime Reyes, played by Xolo Maridueña. Nevertheless, it seems probable that it will also feature the second, Ted Kord, in some way – especially since Susan Sarandon is playing one of the film’s antagonists, Victoria Kord, though their relationship is still unknown.
Ted Kord is unique among the three Blue Beetles as he is the only one to not utilize any superpowers – as they gain theirs with the sacred scarab – rather relying on his wits and technology to fight crime like Batman. While the future of the character in the DCEU will center on Reyes’ Blue Beetle, it would still be exciting to see Kord’s adventures in an HBO Max miniseries.
Nightshade
Peacemaker isn’t the only Charlton Comics character to join the Suicide Squad. He shares that distinction with Eve Eden, aka Nightshade. She is a hero whose powers revolve around shadows and darkness, being the last surviving member of the royal family of the Land of Nightshades.
During her time in Charlton Comics, she was romantically and professionally connected with Captain Atom, yet upon crossing over to DC, she became a spy working for Task Force X. Eventually she moves on to work alongside other heroes and trains her magical abilities. Perhaps, given her ties to the team in the comics, she could appear in a future Suicide Squad film to then get her own spin-off like Peacemaker.
Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt
Not all Charlton Comics heroes rose to prominence as part of DC’s vast empire. Peter Cannon aka Thunderbolt presents an interesting case of a character who was incorporated as part of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, yet his rights reverted to creator Pete Morisi. Most recently he had an exciting line of comics written by Kieron Gillen and published by Dynamite Entertainment.
Thunderbolt would make for a complex and intriguing protagonist in his own show like Peacemaker as he is able to achieve extraordinary feats through mind over matter training. Furthermore, this would allow for more superhero content from outside DC and Marvel, and Thunderbolt could receive treatment similar to Peacemaker or The Boys to make a new edgy, superhero show.
E-Man
While some characters retained popularity over the years, whether from Charlton or DC, one hero gained a cult following, despite their original series' short life. Alec Tron, aka E-Man, gained a reputation for his humor and lighter tone compared to the classic dark and gritty stories of the time, at times coming close to superhero parody and satire.
Following his time at Charlton, E-Man’s rights were acquired by First Comics before reverting back to his creators. Despite his name, E-Man is no man, but actually, an energy being given a corporeal body. Should his story ever be told in a tv show or film, it could operate partly akin to Deadpool in being a humorous parody of the superhero genre.
Son of Vulcan
It is very common for one publishing company to create similar heroes or villains to another, and often in response to their popularity and creativity. Charlton Comics did this by creating Johnny Mann, aka Son of Vulcan, to compete with Thor from Marvel comics. Yet, DC made very little use of the character, instead choosing to reinvent him in 2005 as simply Vulcan, a teenage hero who ends up joining the Teen Titans.
With Thor: Love and Thunder set to expand the MCU's pantheon of gods, perhaps the DCEU could receive the same treatment and thus bring in Son of Vulcan - either the original or the newer version, though most likely it would be the latter. Logically, the character could be introduced in a future installment of Wonder Woman's story.
Doctor Graves
Not all of Charlton’s publications centered on superheroes. For a time, they were also well known for their supernatural anthologies focusing on ghost stories. In fact, in 1967, Charlton won the Alley Award – the first comic book fan award – for Best Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Supernatural Title for The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves.
In the book, Doctor Graves served as the host and narrator of the tales, so he never really takes part in the stories. The DCEU is set to venture into this supernatural sphere with a proposed film featuring Constantine – who could be the new face of the franchise. Nevertheless, an independent anthology series with Doctor Graves as narrator and protagonist could still be quite enticing.