10 Things Only Comic Book Fans Know About Vigilante

The new Peacemaker series on HBO Max has given fans a funny take on Vigilante, a traditionally dark character with a history of violence. Comic book fans know that there are many versions of Vigilante through the history of DC, from the Golden Age to alternate future timelines. All of them walk a thin line between hero and villain, as the live-action version does.

His comic book history includes stints with the Justice League of America and a brutal encounter with Peacemaker that defined both characters in the late 1980s. Like most DC Comics characters, Vigilante has many variants throughout the multiverse, generating vastly different takes on the characters, including some that could potentially appear in live action as the DCEU explores the multiverse concept.

Vigilante Has Been Around Since The Golden Age Of Comics

There have been a number of different Vigilantes in DC Comics history, and comic book fans know the first is one of the best DC Comics characters to debut in the Golden Age of Comics. The initial Vigilante is a character named Greg Saunders who first appeared in Action Comics #42 in 1941. He was very different from later versions, a country-western singer who wore a cowboy outfit.

He sought to avenge the death of his father, who had been killed by bandits. He was never really a superhero but fought criminals in Western stories well into the 1950s before he fell into obscurity and had his backup feature in Action Comics suspended.

Vigilante Was A Member Of The Justice League Of America

Greg Saunders was out of action for almost two decades before being brought back in some of the best Justice League of America comics of the 1970s. In Justice League Of America #100, the Earth-2 version of the character appears in what was then mainline DC Comics continuity and joins the team against Nebula Man.

This version of the character has appeared elsewhere in modern comics, with a version of him appearing in the New 52 era that began in 2011, potentially setting him up to appear in some form in live-action within the DCEU as it explores the multiverse.

Vigilante Is In Kingdom Come

One of the most interesting versions of Vigilante from DC Comics appeared in Kingdom Come, the epic mini-series from writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross from the 1990s. This version was a cyborg with a giant Gatling-gun for an arm.

This version of Vigilante wasn’t a hero but fought among the metahumans who had run amok in this alternate timeline. It’s an interesting take on the Golden Age character, who had more in common than it would have seemed with his modern counterparts, many of whom indulged in violence for violence’s sake.

Peacemaker’s Vigilante Is A Take On The Modern Version Of The Character

The Vigilante most comic book fans know is Adrian Chase, and visually, this is the version the Peacemaker series is based on. Chase is an expert marksman and one of the best martial artists in DC Comics, using lethal force against his enemies in an increasingly brutal manner.

This version of the Vigilante first appeared in New Teen Titans #23, co-created by the legendary comics team of writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez, but didn’t appear in his full costume until 1983, when he appeared in New Teen Titans Annual #3.

Vigilante Is Similar To The Punisher In Several Ways

Chase is a former District Attorney who turns to vigilantism after his wife and children were killed by the mob, a backstory that comic book fans know is very similar to The Punisher. The two were initially very different in their approach, however.

The Punisher is famously one of the most lethal vigilantes in comic books, but at first, Adrian Chase didn’t seek to harm anyone. He typically only subdued and captured them, but as the 80s went on, he became a more violent and relentless character as well.

Vigilante Fought The Peacemaker In DC Comics

Peacemaker and Vigilante are loose allies in the streaming series, but they started off as enemies in the comics. That’s because Peacemaker actually killed a version of Vigilante, forcing Adrian Chase out of retirement to seek revenge for the murder of Dave Winston.

In Vigilante #36 from the late 80s, the two characters go at each other, but Chase is beaten badly by Peacemaker. Chase had walked away from being Vigilante over concerns about the impact it had on his mental health, but this encounter only made things worse.

Vigilante’s Identity Was Exposed In DC Comics

Similar to the Peacemaker series, Adrian Chase’s identity is exposed in the comics. This occurs at the end of issue #36, and like the character in the HBOMax series, Chase doesn’t abandon his persona. He actually doubles down and actually loses himself behind the mask.

Chase’s behavior becomes more erratic and violent in the aftermath of his unmasking, to the point he became paranoid. Though it’s played for laughs in live-action, it was no laughing matter in the comics. Chase committed suicide in issue #50.

Vigilante Appeared In The Day Of Judgment Storyline

This wasn’t the end for Adrian Chase, however. Comic book fans know he appeared again over a decade after his death in Day Of Judgment, a 1999 limited series. His soul appears in Purgatory and plays a key role in the rehabilitation of another hero, Hal Jordan.

The soul of Adrian Chase helps other powerful mystics from DC Comics rescue the soul of Hal Jordan from Purgatory, where he had been stranded ever since he had sacrificed his life in the Final Night mini-series. Vigilante’s actions earned him a way out of Purgatory as well.

Adrian Chase’s Brother Dorian Took Over The Mantle Of Vigilante

Comic book fans know there have been other versions of Vigilante in DC Comics since the death of Adrian Chase. One of the most interesting is Dorian Chase, the brother of Adrian, who took over the role in the early 2000s, though it wasn’t out of a want for vengeance.

Dorian Chase’s motives remain somewhat unclear even years after his first appearance in Nightwing #133, but he seemed to regard his older brother as foolish and incompetent. He hunts down mobsters, but once went to prison for working with them.

There Is A Future Version Of Vigilante In The Batman Beyond Universe

One of the most unusual but compelling versions of Vigilante in DC Comics emerged from the Batman Beyond universe. This version of the character is Jake Chill, a descendent of Joe Chill, who in some versions of DC continuity killed Batman’s parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Jake first appeared in Batman Beyond #7 and wears a highly advanced suit of armor that allows him to fly and also generate energy blasts. he would be part of Batman Beyond’s team of allies and friends, a true unlike his earlier incarnations in the comics.

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