Peacemaker's Vigilante demonstrates five key powers and abilities in the HBO Max show. Alongside John Cena's Peacemaker, Freddie Stroma's Adrian Chase, aka Vigilante, acts as the HBO Max series' secondary anti-hero. Vigilante has become renowned for his hilarious moments, brutal action, heartfelt dynamics, and willingness to stop at nothing in pursuit of peace and justice. Interestingly, Stroma wasn't James Gunn's original choice for Vigilante, as Chris Conrad originally took the role but left the project due to creative differences after shooting much of HBO Max's Season 1 before the British actor took over and became a fan-favorite.
Peacemaker's self-proclaimed best friend torturously pursued the group in Season 1 before ultimately being welcomed into the Butterfly-slaying operation and becoming a key part of the 11th Street Kids. By Season 2, fans have finally met Vigilante's mom, discovered his drug-ridden base beneath her house, and learned more about his moral code, which usually stands up for justice. It's unclear what comes next for Vigilante beyond Peacemaker's sophomore run on HBO Max, but Gunn confirmed he has "immediate plans" for the character.
Does Vigilante Have Powers In Peacemaker?
No, Freddie Stroma's Vigilante currently doesn't have any superpowers in Peacemaker and James Gunn's DCU. That said, Adrian Chase has many talents and abilities that make him a valuable asset to Peacemaker and the 11th Street Kids, beyond his ability to lighten up any tense moment.
Marksmanship
Adrian Chase has shown talents with a variety of guns, including snipers, pistols, and submachine guns, along with a bow, delivering near-perfect accuracy in Peacemaker.
When ARGUS took Peacemaker on a mission to take out the butterfly-controlled Goff family, and he refused to kill, Vigilante was happy to tag in and effortlessly took down three in quick succession with a sniper. Not to mention, he was also able to accurately shoot a smiley face into a tree with a submachine gun.
Martial Arts
The origins of Vigilante's martial arts training are unclear, but he has proven himself as an expert hand-to-hand fighter.
Not only did he take on a whole group of prison inmates in Season 1, but he also went toe-to-toe with Judomaster (a true master in the combat field) for some time before his inevitable defeat.
Swordsmanship
Vigilante can usually be seen carrying a machete on his back, which he has been more than willing to use in brutal ways against a gorilla and the butterflies.
He put up a strong fight against Charlie the Gorilla with his sword before being knocked out, only for John Economos to land the killing blow with one of Vigilante's dream kill weapons: a chainsaw.
Knife Mastery
Adrian Chase's weapons experience seems to extend well beyond swords and guns, and he has competently used knives on other occasions, including stabbing White Dragon, leaving some to question, What can't Vigilante use as a weapon?
While brandishing a knife may appear second nature to a swordsman, he has also accurately thrown them without even looking at his Butterfly-infected target.
Strong Human Conditioning
While Vigilante, much like Peacemaker, lacks any superstrength or crazy powers, he does represent strong conditioning for a completely ordinary man.
Adrian Chase may have the appearance of a skinny kid, but he has demonstrated great strength in taking on far larger opponents and excellent durability in withstanding explosions, along with stellar agility, stamina, and reflexes.
Vigilante Is Very Different in Other DC Stories
The DCU's Vigilante is rather different from DC Comics' Adrian Chase, who is a New York City district attorney who went rogue and took on his crime-fighting persona when his wife and children were killed by a gangster.
Ultimately, Chase came to realize he had abandoned the rule of law and become what he most hated, leading to his tragic suicide.
Chase was also portrayed very differently on The CW's Arrowverse, instead going by the persona Prometheus, operating as an outright villain and setting out for revenge against Oliver Queen for killing his father.
Meanwhile, the Arrowverse introduced an actual Vigilante in Vincent Sobel, a police detective who received meta-human abilities from The Flash's particle accelerator explosion. These powers didn't change too much for Sobel, mainly granting him a superhuman healing factor, even surviving a bullet to the head.
Generally, the DCU has nailed Vigilante's place as a non-superpowered martial arts expert and weapon-wielding anti-hero. However, his legal background is completely missing, along with his backstory, driven by losing his wife and children, while the Deadpool-esque comedy is also a new addition for the screen.
