WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Peacemaker Episode 1, "A Whole New Whirled," streaming now on HBO Max.
From James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, it was perfectly clear John Cena's Chris Smith had no respect for authority, other than Amanda Waller and anyone else who could reduce his prison sentence. It's why Bloodsport and the others despised his macho attitude, realizing he was selfish, self-centered and totally unreliable. Now, come the Peacemaker series, Chris doubled down on his toxic behavior by turning a Justice Leaguer member's most comical trait into a nasty rumor.
The incident occurred in the premiere episode when a recovered Chris was told he could exit the hospital, leaving him paranoid the public didn't think he was a hero. He then held council with the janitor, Jamil, asking him if anyone wanted his head, which left Jamil confused because he didn't think anyone cared about Peacemaker.
In fact, he didn't even consider Chris heroic, which led to a heated debate in the corridor. Jamil threw shade by mentioning Jason Momoa's Aquaman as someone the public held in great light, deeming him the kind of superhero Peacemaker never could be, which angered Chris, who went on a profane-laced rant. He made fun of Aquaman's ability to talk to fish, something that has been the butt of many jokes over the years. Ben Affleck's Batman even poked fun at it in Justice League, but Arthur Curry shot down his criticism by admitting it was just a wave of thought and a stream of consciousness rather than something silly. Regardless, Chris lambasted the power and began perpetuating rumors he heard about the hero on the internet.
Peacemaker told Jamil he caught wind of Aquaman having sexual encounters with fish, using his psychic abilities to enact lurid fantasies. He even went as far as to say he heard Aquaman paid an employee at an aquarium to bring a fish backstage so he could have his way with it, which Jamil didn't take seriously. It was obvious Chris was being a petty child, which fit his infantile behavior and was the reason why Task Force X found him to be nothing more than a petulant brat.
And whining like this, besmirching the reputation of someone who's helped save the world, won't help to rehabilitate Peacemaker's image. Chris had no proof of this accusation, after all, but still opted to sully Arthur's name. As it stands, Peacemaker may be on the path to redemption in his solo outing, but if he continues this kind of unwarranted gossip, he will have Aquaman knocking at his door to set the record straight.
To see how Chris Smith slanders Aquaman's name, Peacemaker is streaming now on HBO Max.