List of Watchmen characters 3722032 225644800 2008-07-14T18:32:08Z Sean D Martin 3295498 sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and not an indication of influence [[Image:Watchmencharacters.jpg|right|frame|<center>The cast of ''Watchmen''. (Clockwise from top: Doctor Manhattan, the Comedian, Ozymandias, Nite Owl II, Rorschach, Captain Metropolis, the Silk Spectre II).</center>]] This is a character guide for the [[DC Comics]] 1985 12-issue [[comic book]] [[limited series]] ''[[Watchmen]]''. ==The Minutemen era== The Minutemen were a group of superheroes that was formed before the events of ''Watchmen'', between 1939 and disbanded ten years later in 1949. The Minutemen concept is inspired primarily by the [[Justice Society]]. ===Nite Owl I=== {{main|Nite Owl#Hollis J. Manson}} Hollis Mason was a [[police]]man who became a "masked adventurer" after being inspired by the ''New York Gazette'' 's article on Hooded Justice. After years of serving on The Minutemen, he wrote a book called ''Under the Hood'', which exposed much about the Minutemen, most notably the attempted rape of Sally Jupiter (Silk Spectre I) by The Comedian. After the dissolution of The Minutemen and the rise of Doctor Manhattan, he elected to retire and work on old cars, passing his mantle on to a fan, Dan Dreiberg, who would become Nite Owl II. Later, on Halloween, 1985, during the riot that broke out after Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II freed Rorschach from prison, a violent street gang under the influence of stimulants attacked Mason in his home, mistaking him for the current Nite Owl, and beat him to death in one of the most gruesome scenes in the novel. The character of Nite Owl (Hollis Mason) is largely inspired by the original [[Blue Beetle]], Dan Garrett. ===Silk Spectre I=== {{main|Silk Spectre#Sally Jupiter}} Sally Juspeczyk was an ex-waitress and [[burlesque]] [[dancer]] before becoming a crimefighter on the advice of her agent, and future husband, Laurence Schexnayder. Silk Spectre I was indecently assaulted by The Comedian, but the attack was ended upon Hooded Justice's intervention. An emotionally turbulent second encounter with the Comedian resulted in the birth of her daughter, Laurel, who would become Silk Spectre II. Silk Spectre I was involved in a tumultuous marriage with Schexnayder, which subsequently ended in divorce. Both her appearance in a [[Tijuana bible]] and her career as a burlesque dancer suggest she welcomes male attention while her printed interview suggests a seriously low [[self esteem]] in that she admits she suspects she brought on the Comedian's assault. She later retires to a rest home in California. The character of Silk Spectre (Sally) is inspired not only by [[Nightshade (comics)|Nightshade]], but also by [[Black Canary]] and [[Phantom Lady]]. ===Captain Metropolis=== {{main|Captain Metropolis}} Nelson Gardner, an ex-[[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] [[Lieutenant]], was one of the more active proponents of The Minutemen group; he suggested that a collaboration of forces would be the most effective way to fight crime. "Social ills" motivate him to fight crime. However, what he defines as a "social ill", for example anti-war demonstrations, promiscuity, and "Black Unrest" show that his motivations for changing the world are selfish, or at least conservative, rather than [[pro bono publico]], although he insists that this isn't true. In 1974, he is decapitated in a car accident according to Rorschach's diary. He was involved in a homosexual relationship with Hooded Justice, thus necessitating a need for Sally Jupiter (Silk Spectre I) and Hooded Justice's very public (but [[sham]]) relationship as a cover story to avoid any public suspicion of a relationship which would surely damage the image of The Minutemen. ===Hooded Justice=== {{main|Hooded Justice}} An extremely large, imposing figure, Hooded Justice, whose real identity is not revealed in ''Watchmen'' but who some claim is ex-circus strongman Rolf Muller, was the first of the costumed [[vigilante]]s. Strong rumours persist, implying that he was in fact a homosexual; Hooded Justice interferes with The Comedian’s attempt to rape Silk Spectre I, punching The Comedian. The Comedian’s response implies that Hooded Justice has a penchant for [[homosexual]] [[Sadism and Masochism|sadism]]. Sally Jupiter, or Silk Spectre I, posed as his girlfriend, but this was generally believed to be a [[sham]] relationship set-up to avoid anti-homosexual sentiments against The Minutemen. The exchange between the two puts a different slant on Hooded Justice's motives for becoming a costumed adventurer, than pure public spirit. Hooded Justice vanished when The Minutemen were questioned by the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]], and was never seen again. There is speculation that he was killed by The Comedian, the results of the grudge that The Comedian held against him for interfering with his rape on Sally Jupiter. ===Mothman=== Something of a minor character, Byron Lewis was also investigated by [[House Un-American Activities Committee|HUAC]], and had difficulty clearing his name. This is considered to be the starting point of the alcoholism that consigned him to a sanatorium. He is not a main focus of the storyline, but appears in flashbacks, at one point reduced in his later years to fragile sanity, unnerving the second Silk Spectre. He is regarded fondly by most of the Minutemen, and the first Nite Owl sends the second to visit him, uncostumed, on his behalf. The character of Mothman is inspired, at least in terms of visual appearance, by the original [[Hawkman]]. ===Dollar Bill=== Dollar Bill was originally a star college athlete from Kansas who was actually employed as an in-house super-hero by one of the major, but unnamed, national banks. While attempting to stop a raid upon one of his employer's banks, his cloak became entangled in the bank's revolving door and he was shot dead at point blank range before he could free it. In "Under the Hood", Hollis Mason's tell-all book, he described Dollar Bill as an honest, friendly young man, and laments on the stupidity of capes because of this. Interestingly enough, Dollar Bill's clear commercial motivations (public identity, hired by a bank) are never commented on by his peers or the subsequent generation of vigilantes who all seem to regard him as a worthy hero - even Rorschach, who condemns Ozymandias for his commercialization, laments Dollar Bill's untimely death. In the movie ''[[The Specials (film)|The Specials]]'', the character of U.S. Bill was originally called Dollar Bill. However, DC would not allow the use of the name for a superhero character. In the movie ''[[The Incredibles]]'', there are two scenes with superheroes/villains whose capes have gotten caught or snagged on various objects, leading to their deaths, thus showing a commonality of ideas, or more likely a deliberate hommage. ===Silhouette=== Ursula Zandt became a crimefighter in 1939, and subsequently joined the Minutemen. In 1946 she was expelled from the group when it was publicly revealed that she was a [[lesbian]]; six weeks later she and her lover were killed by an adversary seeking revenge. A [[Jew]] who left [[Austria]] due to the rise of [[Nazism]], she caused Sally Jupiter annoyance by referring to her Polish origins; Jupiter often denied her upbringing in Poland. Along with Mothman, she is one of the Minutemen about whom little is known. ==The Crimebusters era== The following individuals form the primary cast of characters for the ''Watchmen'' series. They came together only briefly as "The Crimebusters", a failed attempt in 1966 by [[Captain Metropolis]] to form a successor group to "The Minutemen". The Crimebusters concept is inspired primarily by the [[Justice League]]. ===The Comedian=== {{main|Comedian (comics)}} The Comedian is the only member of the Crimebusters who was also affiliated with the Minutemen, with the exception of [[Captain Metropolis]]. He has a highly [[cynicism|cynical]] and [[nihilism|nihilistic]] outlook on life and believes that most individuals are powerless to affect geo-political realities, the Comedian is often motivated by his own desires. He is inclined to be [[Wiktionary:Autonomy|autonomous]], only aligning himself with others if their motives are similar to his own. A possible [[Sadism and Masochism|sadist]], the Comedian often engages in violent activities and becomes a government agent during the Vietnam War. Near the end of his service in Vietnam, he was attacked and injured by a [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] woman who was pregnant with an unborn child (who is strongly suggested, but not definitively revealed, to be his). Angered when the Comedian stated his intention to leave her behind when he returned to the United States, she slashed his face with a piece of a broken glass bottle. In retaliation, the Comedian murdered her (and thus the unborn child) with a single gunshot, an event which was witnessed by Dr. Manhattan. The Comedian's injury healed badly and left him with a large scar across his right cheek, from the corner of his mouth to the outer corner of his right eye. The Comedian sexually assaulted Sally Jupiter, the original Silk Spectre, and later had an apparently brief affair with her during which he fathered a child, Laurie, the second Silk Spectre. Initially, his "morally correct" actions when fighting crime are contrasted against his abrupt and cruel personality, which portray him as a person lacking [[empathy]] for others. However, his actions upon his discovery of Ozymandias' "Alien Island" suggest that the Comedian is not merely a selfish egotist, but someone who is concerned for the well being of the many. His conduct could denote a belief in [[utilitarianism]], suggesting that, in the case of the Vietnam War, his violent conduct was justifiable (in his mind) as he was merely acting for his government, and America as a whole. During Rorschach's independent investigation of an Edward Blake's death, he discovers that Blake was the secret identity of the Comedian. According to Rorschach and Dr Manhattan (Chapter 2: Absent Friends), Blake is not exactly a utilitarian or a nihilist, but one who could see the strings and viewed the world as a stage or a joke and, thus, decided to become a parody of it, a reflection of life - and, subsequently became "The Comedian". As he was the only one who understood the world clearly, he was alone. Rorschach writes: "But there is no shelter. And the future is bearing down like an express train. Blake understood. Treated it like a joke, but he understood. He saw the cracks in society. Saw the little men in masks trying to hold it together. He saw the true face of the twentieth century and chose to become a reflection, a parody of it. No one else saw the joke, so he was lonely." Although the character of the Comedian is loosely based on the original [[Peacemaker (comics)|Peacemaker]], his personality and cigar habit would seem to be partially inspired by [[Wolverine (comics)|Wolverine]], and his role in the Minutemen (youngest member of the group, known for his sense of humor) is similar to that of the original [[Johnny Thunder]] with respect to the 1940s [[Justice Society]]. ===Rorschach=== {{main|Rorschach (comics)}} An extreme example of [[moral absolutism]], Rorschach (Walter Kovacs) is uncompromising in his answer to evil: it must be punished, whatever the cost - though he admits in his journal to simply "do what we have to do". Ironically, however, he says that there is no meaning or moral absolutes imposed from beyond, that they are all created in the minds of the individual. His staunch opposition to crime is equaled by his total lack of [[empathy]] for criminals, whom he treats as non-human; his disdain for conventional [[law]], government, and the police causes him to become a [[vigilante]], as, in his belief, the law does not do enough to combat crime. He shows little reverence for "conventional [[morality]]", willing to take drastic measures to achieve his goals, such as the torture or even the execution of criminals. His "law and order" attitude, coupled with his readership of ''The New Frontiersman'', make clear he values strongly-held and -expressed views of society; however, the punishment of crime is the only thing relevant to his personal crusade, and is thus the only thing he expresses. Rorschach is determined not to spend his life as a bystander, thus, like Batman, crime has driven him to become a crusader. Additionally, his expressed distaste for both [[homosexuality]] and the female form hint that he himself may have [[Rorschach (comics)#Sexuality|sexual issues]] driving him to channel his discomfort into an extreme morality.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} In Rorschach's case, it was the murder of [[Kitty Genovese]] (and the inaction of her neighbors) that inspired him to fight crime. Kovacs fashioned a mask out of a section of a dress he chooses to believe belonged to Genovese, its unique shifting white and black pattern originating from a special material created by Dr. Manhattan. The clear division between black and white in the mask mirrors Rorschach's absolutist outlook: things are either right or wrong, black or white; there is no middle ground, no "grey area". However, he was just another masked adventurer, content to leave punishment to the legal system, until one of his investigations led him to discover the brutal murder of an innocent girl. The girl was butchered and fed to two [[German Shepherd Dog|German shepherds]] by her kidnapper. This heinous act sent Rorschach into an ire; no longer satisfied with merely stopping crimes, Rorschach decided that he would also discern the punishment, where once he was content to simply leave perpetrators of crimes bound and gagged for the police to find. This event is described as the point where Walter Kovacs died, and Rorschach was born. Laws no longer mattered to Rorschach, and he was the only masked adventurer to continue to operate without government sanction after the ratification of the Keene Act. His stance toward the Keene Act was epitomized in his killing of a notorious serial rapist: he subsequently deposited the body in front of a police station with a note attached to it, saying "NEVER!" The character of Rorschach is primarily inspired by [[The Question (comics)|The Question]] and [[Mr. A]], both characters created by [[Steve Ditko]]. ===Ozymandias=== {{main|Ozymandias (comics)}} Although an intellectual [[elitist]] who believes in [[utilitarianism]] and is willing to murder millions of innocents in the attempt to preserve the lives of billions more, Ozymandias seems to be the most outwardly "good" member of the Watchmen cast. Like Rorschach he believes himself to be exempt from the limitations of conventional behavioral norms and puts himself beyond that of normal human experience. His behavior and self-belief suggest that he may be a [[megalomania]]c or have a [[messiah complex (self-concept)|messiah complex]], whilst his idolisation of [[Alexander the Great]] leaves him with something of a "chip on his shoulder." Not even his philanthopy, inventions, or huge, multi-million dollar business ventures can sate his desires for greatness. This viewpoint enables him to have an apparently callous disregard for the lives of "ordinary" people (though he later confides to Dr. Manhattan about his responsibility to shoulder the terrible guilt). If Dr. Manhattan is seen as God, then Ozymandias can easily be seen as the [[apollonian]] aspect of Nietzsche's philosophy. Ozymandias retired from superheroism several years before the Keene Act to start building his "empire"; very successful businesses thanks to his intelligence, whose income would be used to fund his plans. The character of Ozymandias is inspired by [[Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt]], and - more subtly - by [[Doctor Doom]]. Like Veidt, Doom is depicted as a nearly superhuman genius employing advanced technology to achieve utopian goals at the expense of human life. ===Doctor Manhattan=== {{main|Doctor Manhattan}} After an accident as a scientist, Jon Osterman was transformed into something non-human, and the only character in ''Watchmen'' with superhuman powers (except for possibly those characters whose psychic ability is alluded to). Throughout the series, he becomes increasingly detached from humanity as a whole. As the story progresses, he disavows any interest in human affairs and rejects the validity of any notion of morality. For example he gradually abandons clothes. His ability to see the world outside of time leads him to embrace [[determinism]]. Doctor Manhattan is identified as something of a God-figure as ''Watchmen'' progresses; after dying and resurrecting himself, he gains near omniscient knowledge and almost omnipotent powers, and in his final scene walks on water and leaves to create human life somewhere else. For all his god-like power, he is as flawed and human as the rest, having difficulties with relationships. He personifies intellect over emotion. Because of his aloofness and somewhat nihilist philosophy, he is vilified by several characters throughout ''Watchmen''. He represents Nietzsche's [[übermensch]] in the sense that his actions are completely beyond good and evil, in contrast with Rorschach whose actions are completely driven by the concepts of good and evil (which Ozymandias revealed, in an interview, "to be an intellectual limitation."). The character of Doctor Manhattan is primarily inspired by [[Captain Atom]], but there are also clear similarities between Manhattan and the Silver Age [[Superman]], as well as the [[Spectre (comics)|Spectre]]. ===Silk Spectre II=== {{main|Silk Spectre#Laurie Juspeczyk}} A reluctant hero, Laurel (Laurie) Juspeczyk was pushed toward the vocation by her mother, the first Silk Spectre, who had been a successful crime fighter prior to her daughter's birth. Somewhat reluctantly, she ends up in a relationship with Doctor Manhattan. During the story she becomes increasingly upset with Manhattan's detachment from humanity, and after their break-up, Dr. Manhattan leaves Earth. In the end, she plays a pivotal role in making Manhattan realize the value of human life. She also became romantically involved with Dan Dreiberg, the second Nite Owl. The character of Silk Spectre (Laurie) is inspired not only by [[Nightshade (comics)|Nightshade]], but also by [[Black Canary]] and [[Phantom Lady]]. ===Nite Owl II=== {{main|Nite Owl#Daniel Dreiberg}} Something of a [[recluse]], Dan Dreiberg's strong interest in [[ornithology]] manifests itself in some of his inventions, which relate to owls in some way. Detached from his parents, he struggles to find purpose with his life, thus glamorizing the notion of being a costumed crimefighter. He admits to idolizing the exploits of the original Nite Owl and also being quite taken with childhood notions of nobility and adventure. However, he does not have a resolute purpose, such as that of Rorschach, and is quite contingent, often relying on others to tell him what to do rather than following his own desires. Dreiberg seems out of all the heroes to represent the [[everyman]], the pragmatist driven by a waxing and waning standard of ethics that seeks ultimate good but is willing to compromise on specifics. Additionally, his crimefighting pursuits reflect most clearly the ineffectiveness of the costumed heroes of his world, as he spends immense amounts of funding to craft vehicles and specialized garments ready for missile warfare, sub-zero temperatures, radar invisibility, etc. to catch what he dismisses as "[[prostitution|hookers]]" and "purse snatchers." But when he, Silk Spectre, and Rorschach (especially he and Rorschach) begin uncovering the mastermind behind recent events, all his inventions suddenly become integral to their pursuit. He also becomes romantically involved with Laurie Juspeczyk, the second Silk Spectre. The character of Nite Owl (Dan Dreiberg) is inspired primarily by Ted Kord, the second [[Blue Beetle]], and also by [[Batman]]. ==Supporting characters== *[[Moloch (comics)|Moloch]], former supervillain *Detective Steven Fine: the policeman that investigates Edward Blake's murder, captures Rorschach and knows Dan Dreiberg is Nite Owl II. Dies in the New York attack. *Detective Joe Bourquin: Partner of the above. Dies in the New York attack. *Janey Slater: first girlfriend of Jon Osterman, gets cancer. *Happy Harry: barman. *Laurence Schexnayder: ex-agent and husband of Sally Jupiter. *Bernard: newsvendor. Dies in the New York attack. *Bernie: the kid who reads ''Tales of the Black Freighter''. Dies in the New York attack. *Max Shea: a horror writer. One of the kidnapped scientists/artists. Dies in the cargo explosion. *Hira Manish: a surrealist painter and Shea's lover. One of the kidnapped scientists/artists. Dies in the cargo explosion. *[[Richard Nixon]]: president of the US on his fifth term. Sent Dr. Manhattan to Viet-Nam to win the war. Hinted as behind [[Jfk assassination|JFK's death]]. *Joey: lesbian taxi driver, dies in the New York attack. *Gordian Knot repairman. Dies in the New York attack. *Doug Roth: Nova Express journalist. *Wally Weaver: companion of Jon Osterman. Died of cancer in 1971. *Pr. Milton Glass: former chief of Osterman. Anti nuclear arms advocate. *Bubastis: genetically engineered feline companion of Veidt. Disintegrated by Adrian Veidt when he attempts to kill Dr. Manhattan by removing Manhattan's intrinsic field. *Milo: Promethean Company owner. Dies in the New York attack. *Dolores Shairp: landlady of Kovacs. *Walt Feinberg: comic artist of ''Tales of the Black Freighter'', later cartoonist for Godfrey's New Frontiersman. *Dr. Malcolm Long; psychiatrist of Kovacs. Dies in the New York attack. *Gloria Long: wife of Malcolm. Dies in the New York attack. *Big Figure: underworld leader in prison. Killed by Rorschach. *Hector Godfrey: publisher and editor of New Frontiersman. *Seymour: his assistant. *Red D'eath: pop singer of the Pale Horse band. Dies in the New York attack. *Derf: a gang member. Kills Hollis Mason. *Norman Leith: one of the kidnapped scientists/artists. Dies in the cargo explosion. *James Trafford Marsh: one of the kidnapped scientists/artists. Dies in the cargo explosion. *Linette Paley: one of the kidnapped scientists/artists. Dies in the cargo explosion. *Dr Whittaker Furnesse: one of the kidnapped scientists/artists. Dies in the cargo explosion. *Black street salesman: Dies in the New York attack. *Roy Chess: hired hitman of Veidt. Forced by Veidt to swallow a cyanide capsule. *Veidt's servants: die in the South Pole. *Aline: lesbian lover of Joey. Dies in the New York attack. {{Watchmen}} [[Category:Watchmen characters|*]] [[Category:Lists of DC Comics characters|Watchmen characters, List of]] [[es:Anexo:Personajes de Watchmen]] [[it:Personaggi di Watchmen]]