Peacemaker Season 2 ends with confirmation that Chris Smith is trapped on the planet Salvation. In the final sequence, ARGUS agents apprehend him and deliver him to Rick Flag Sr., who orders his transport via an interdimensional portal created by Quantum Unfolding technology.
The portal sends Chris to Salvation, an isolated, uninhabited planet used for off-world containment, and it closes immediately after his arrival, leaving him without communication, transportation, or support from his team. The season shows no possible way to return, establishing that Chris is trapped. But clearly he’s not alone.
What happened in Peacemaker season 2 finale?
The last episode of Peacemaker Season 2 follows Chris Smith after he returns to his original timeline from an alternate reality. Throughout the season, Chris feels guilty about his violent past, including the death of Rick Flag Jr. in The suicide squad. However, with the help of the 11th Street Kids – Leota Adebayo, Emilia Harcourt, Vigilante (Adrian Chase), John Economos and newcomer Sasha Bordeaux – Chris finally begins to move forward.
The finale initially appears to end with resolution. Chris accepts emotional responsibility, Adebayo clears his record, and the group creates an independent organization called Checkmate, which operates outside of government control. Their goal is to prevent threats on a global scale without corruption from ARGUS or Lex Luthor’s network.
But the last scene changes everything. Chris is ambushed by ARGUS agents and taken to Rick Flag. Sr. Flag accuses Chris of volunteering to help test the newly discovered planet Salvation, a claim supported by false documents.
Without warning, Chris is forced through the dimensional portal. The portal closes behind him, leaving him trapped light years away. Flag calls it revenge for the death of his son, Rick Flag Jr., revealing a calculated vendetta masked as an official mission.
This ending establishes multiple conflicts for Peacemaker season 2 moves forward: Chris must survive in an unknown world, Checkmate has lost its leader and Flag Sr. seems to be aligned with Lex Luthor’s long-term agenda.
Why did Rick Flag Sr. send Peacemaker to Salvation?
Rick Flag Sr. claims that Chris Smith is the first volunteer for a metahuman containment experiment. Throughout Peacemaker season 2ARGUS is secretly testing alternate dimensions using the Quantum Unfolding Chamber (QUC), a teleportation device. Their goal is initially unclear, but Sasha Bordeaux and Harcourt eventually discover the truth: ARGUS is searching for an isolated planet to use as a metahuman prison.
Flag Sr. eventually finds such a planet and names it Salvation. He presents the project as a method of controlling global threats, but his actions suggest personal motivations. His decision to send Chris is not a strategy, but rather an act of revenge. He references Rick Flag Jr.’s death just before sealing the portal, making his motive explicit. He has no intention of giving Chris a chance to come back.
In Peacemaker season 2, Flag Sr. also works with outside forces linked to Lex Luthor. Luthor’s long-term goal, eliminating metahumans from Earth, aligns with Salvation’s goal. This positions Flag Sr. not only as an antagonist, but also as an enforcer of Luthor’s larger plan across the DC Universe.
What is Salvation and what role does it play in the DC Universe?
Salvation is a hostile and isolated planet discovered thanks to QUC. The finale introduces hints of its dangers when unsettling animal cries echo in the background after Chris’s arrival. He appears to be alone, but sounds indicate that Salvation is inhabited by unknown creatures or forces.
In DC Comics, Salvation comes from Salvation Race scenario. In this arc, Amanda Waller uses a Boom Tube to exile dangerous villains to a prison planet. The inmates include Lex Luthor, Joker, Catwoman and Deadshot. However, it is later revealed that the planet is controlled by DeSaad, a servant of Darkseid from Apokolips.
Peacemaker Season 2 references much of this comedic material. The use of Salvation as a metahuman prison directly reflects the storyline. This raises possibilities for his future role in James Gunn’s connected DC universe.
More specifically, since it is confirmed that the series will lead directly to The man of tomorrowSalvation can serve as a narrative bridge that extends interplanetary threats.
What will happen with the Checkmate?
A major development in Peacemaker season 2 is the creation of Checkmate. Unlike government agencies like ARGUS, Checkmate is an independent secret organization founded by Chris Smith, Adebayo, Harcourt, Vigilante and Sasha. In DC Comics, Checkmate is a powerful international network initially connected to Amanda Waller and Maxwell Lord.
In the series, Checkmate forms in response to the escalating corruption and militarization of metahumans. However, with Chris’ kidnapping, the group could lose its unifying force. The remaining members must find out what happened to him and confront ARGUS and Lex Luthor’s network.
Peacemaker season 2 uses Checkmate to move from personal redemption to global issues.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Peacemaker are available to stream online on HBO Max and Prime Video.
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