- "Project Starfish was a giant walking starfish. So, what, am I fighting a Mothra now?"
- ―Christopher Smith[src]
Project Butterfly was an investigation conducted by an offshoot group of Task Force X led by Clemson Murn. The investigation was meant to learn about an alien species known as Butterflies and eventually stop them from taking over the planet. Due to the team's failures at keeping the operation a secret, their plan to stop the butterflies gained the attention of the Evergreen Police Department and led to the resurgence of the supervillain known as the White Dragon.
Background[]
Arrival of the Butterflies[]
At some point in time, the alien race that were later dubbed as Butterflies lead by Eek Stack Ik Ik arrived on Earth as their own planet was dying. While at first they were living peacefully, the aliens eventually started to plot a way to take over their new home. The Butterflies started taking human hosts to disguise themselves, taking over people in positions of powers in order to advance their plan.
One of the butterfly called Ik Nobe Llok deserted from his own kind and decided to stop them by taking over a person known as Clemson Murn, assuming his identity in order to lead an investigation against them. After the billionaire Alan Kupperberg and Vandalia died on a plane crash, their autopsies revealed the discovery of butterflies within their skulls which allowed ARGUS to become aware of the species and start the investigation.[1]
Task Force X Involvement[]
- Main article: Mission in Corto Maltese
During a mission where Amanda Waller sent the Suicide Squad to destroy Project Starfish in Corto Maltese, Peacemaker ended up buried under the rubble of Jotunheim. He survived and was taken to the Mount Rouge Health Center to recover under the Waller's orders. Due to the rising of the butterflies, Amanda put Clemson Murn in charge of creating an offshoot team formed by members of Task Force X which included her own daughter Leota Adebayo that was there to incriminate Peacemaker for any crimes commited by the team after the mission was over.[2]
Investigation[]
Recruiting Christopher Smith[]
After Doctor Alandy discharged Christopher Smith (aka Peacemaker), he attempted to escape the Mount Rouge Health Center undetected but was eventually caught on his trailer by Clemson Murn and some members from Task Force X which included Emilia Harcourt, John Economos and newcomer Leota Adebayo. The team quickly informed Smith that he still had the explosive device that was injected into his head during the Mission on Corto Maltese and that he still had a sentence to pay, so Smith agreed to join the investigation and later met with the team at Fennel Fields where he was informed about their first target, Senator Royland Goff, who was being used as a host by Eek Stack Ik Ik.[3]
Ambush on Peacemaker[]
After a one night stand with Annie Sturphausen at her apartment after they met at the O'Rourke's Sports Bar, Annie reads one of the documents Peacemaker accidentally left on her bed about the Butterfly investigation. This prompted Anne to attack Smith, revealing that she was a actually a Butterfly in disguise. The fight continues until they go outside of the Wild Estates Apartment Complex where Peacemaker kills Annie with one of his helmets.[3]
Escape from Wild Estates Apartment Complex[]
The fight at the Apartment Complex quickly catched the attention of the Evergreen Police Department led by detective Sophie Song. Emilia Harcourt and Leota Adebayo came to Smith's aid in a car to drive him away from the incident. Unfortunately, Peacemaker was caught by two witnesses before escaping with his team.[4]
Arrest of Auggie Smith[]
Realizing that they needed to get the police off their back, Murn instructed John Economos to frame someone for the incidents caused by Peacemaker. Economos framed Peacemaker's father, August Smith, who was previously known as the white supremacist supervillain the White Dragon. After successfully framing August by swapping out the fingerprints from the crime scene and brinding the two witnesses, August was arrested by the Evergreen Police Department for the murder of Annie Sturphausen and put in the Evergreen Corrections Center.[4]
Attack on Royland Goff[]
The team eventually went to the house of the U.S. senator Royland Goff to eliminate the butterfly that took over him. While Peacemaker and Emilia Harcourt were waiting from afar to shoot him, the team realized that they were followed by Adrian Chase (aka Vigilante), a friend of Peacemaker with mental issues. After seeing that not only Royland, but his whole family was infected by butterflies, Murn gave Smith the order to kill them all. However, Peacemaker struggled to kill the children, leaving the task to Vigilante who quickly kill Royland's whole family.[5]
Kidnapping of Peacemaker and Vigilante[]
Just as Vigilante was about to kill Royland himself after murdering his whole family, he was stopped by Goff's bodyguard, Judomaster. The team attempted to fight him but Judomaster quickly knocked everyone out while Royland took Peacemaker and Vigilante to interrogate them. Goff tried to make Peacemaker talk by torturing Vigilante but Smith refused to talk and they were son freed from their restraints by an explosion caused by their team. Now freed, Smith quickly killed Goff and kept his butterfly but told the rest of the team that he had killed her. John Economos also managed to captured Judomaster while he tried to get away.[5]
Attack on Auggie Smith[]
After discovering that his father was in prison, Peacemaker went to see him and revealed to him that he was falsely arrested for a crime he commited. August's response to this was to immediately tell detective Song about the incident despite his son's pleads. At the same time, Adebayo convinced Vigilante that they needed to get rid of Peacemaker's father. Adrian Chase got himself arrested into the Evergreen Corrections Center and attacked the group of followers that August had in there, but before he could actually kill August he was stopped by one of the guards. Chase also accidentally made August think that his son was the one that sent Chase to kill him.[6]
Massacre at Glan Tai Bottling Plant[]
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Chase of Peacemaker and Vigilante[]
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Attack on the Evergreen Police Department[]
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Manhunt of Peacemaker[]
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Battle at Coverdale Ranch[]
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Aftermath[]
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