Pax Americana

PAX AMERICANA

Membership: Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Nightshade, Peacemaker, Question, Tiger

Base of Operations: Washington, D.C. (Earth-4)

First Appearance: The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1 (January, 2015)

History: (The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1) -A man named Harley discovered Algorithm 8, a solution to world peace, and the revelation of the structure of the universe. After being elected President he came up with a plan to execute the algorithm, but to do so he need an America inspired by real life superheroes, in with all their gaudy colors and wish fulfillment seen in the comic books. In 2008 President Harley assembled the Peacemaker, Nightshade, Question, Tiger, Blue Beetle and Captain Atom as America’s super team. Peacemaker, taking inspiration from a popular comic book, suggested the name Justice League of America, while Beetle suggested either the Sentinels or the Law. President Harley assured them that their team’s identity had been crafted as carefully as their individual personas, and told them they were Pax Americana, force to bring peace to America for a millennia. They made their debut in NYC, and Captain Atom raised three new towers where the Twin Towers once stood. Tiger soon quit the team, finding his persona as a typical Asian martial-artist, insulting. Question, unable to compromise his objectivist take on justice, went rogue, being pursued by his former teammates. Captain Atom’s own government tried to kill him, so he left the universe in 12014. In2015 President Harley was shot dead by Peacemaker. Harley had planned his own sacrifice, and was working on a scheme of redemption that relied on Captain Atom being able to restore him from the dead. Nightshade’s father, vice-president Eden, took control of America, and declared the superhero dead.

Comments: Created by Grant Morrison.

Pax Americana was featured in the Earth-4 entry in The Multiversity: Guidebook #1

The characters of Watchmen were originally intended to be the Charlton Comics heroes, recently acquired by DC. When Alan Moore was unable to use them due to editorial decree, he created analogs. The story of Pax Americana is a homage to Moore’s work, with the cast of Watchmen now replaced by the aforementioned Charlton characters.