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Peacemaker season 2 concludes with Chris Smith confirmed to be trapped on the planet Salvation. In the final sequence, A.R.G.U.S. agents apprehend him and deliver him to Rick Flag Sr., who orders his transport through an interdimensional portal created by Quantum Unfolding technology.
The portal sends Chris to Salvation, a remote and uninhabited planet used for off-world containment, and it closes immediately after his arrival, leaving him without communication, transport, or support from his team. The season does not show any possible way to return, establishing that Chris is trapped. But clearly, he is not alone
What happened in Peacemaker season 2 finale?
The final episode of Peacemaker season 2 follows Chris Smith after he returns to his original timeline from an alternate reality. Throughout the season, Chris struggles with guilt over 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.
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The finale initially appears to close with resolution. Chris accepts emotional accountability, Adebayo clears his record, and the group establishes an independent organization called Checkmate, which operates outside government control. Their goal is to prevent global-level threats without corruption from A.R.G.U.S. or Lex Luthor’s network.
However, the last scene changes everything. Chris is ambushed by A.R.G.U.S. agents and taken to Rick Flag Sr. Flag accuses Chris of volunteering to help test the newly discovered planet Salvation, a claim supported by forged documents.
Without warning, Chris is forced through the dimensional portal. The portal closes behind him, leaving him trapped light-years away. Flag calls it payback 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 moving forward: Chris must survive an unknown world, Checkmate has lost its leader, and Flag Sr. appears to be aligned with Lex Luthor’s long-term agenda.
Why did Rick Flag Sr. send Peacemaker to Salvation?
Rick Flag Sr. claims Chris Smith is the first volunteer for a metahuman containment experiment. Throughout Peacemaker season 2, A.R.G.U.S. secretly tests 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: A.R.G.U.S. 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 for controlling global threats, but his actions suggest personal motives. His decision to send Chris is not a strategy, but instead an act of revenge. He references the death of Rick Flag Jr. just before sealing the portal, making his motive explicit. He does not intend to give Chris a chance to return.
In Peacemaker season 2, Flag Sr. also works with external forces connected to Lex Luthor. Luthor’s long-term objective, removing metahumans from Earth, aligns with Salvation's purpose. This positions Flag Sr. not only as an antagonist, but also as an enforcer in Luthor’s wider plan across the DC Universe.
What is Salvation and what role does it play in the DC Universe?
Salvation is a hostile and remote planet discovered through the QUC. The finale introduces hints at its dangers when unsettling animal screeches echo in the background after Chris arrives. He appears to be alone, but the sounds indicate that Salvation is inhabited by unknown creatures or forces.
In DC Comics, Salvation originates from the Salvation Run storyline. In that 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 the planet is controlled by DeSaad, a servant of Darkseid from Apokolips.
Peacemaker season 2 references large parts of this comic material. The use of Salvation as a metahuman prison directly mirrors the storyline. This raises possibilities for its future role in James Gunn’s connected DC Universe.
Specifically, since the series is confirmed to directly lead into Man of Tomorrow, Salvation may serve as a narrative bridge that expands interplanetary threats.
What will happen with the Checkmate?
A major development in Peacemaker season 2 is the creation of Checkmate. Unlike government-aligned agencies like A.R.G.U.S., Checkmate is an independent covert organization founded by Chris Smith, Adebayo, Harcourt, Vigilante, and Sasha. In DC Comics, Checkmate is a powerful international network originally connected to Amanda Waller and Maxwell Lord.
In the series, Checkmate forms as a response to escalating corruption and weaponization of metahumans. However, with Chris abducted, the group might lose its unifying force. The remaining members are left to uncover what happened to him and confront A.R.G.U.S. and Lex Luthor's network.
Peacemaker season 2 uses Checkmate to expand from personal redemption to global stakes.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Peacemaker are available for online streaming on HBO Max and Prime Video.
