In 1986 DC Comics published a limited series of comics called Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The title of the series is taken from the work of a Roman poet Juvenal. Original words are translated as “who watches the watchmen”. Throughout the whole story, these words appear in the comics. This series questions traditional depiction of a superhero by showing not only his powers but also human traits. Originally, there were only twelve issues which were later republished in order to promote the art of a graphic novel. This series gained popularity in a wink. So an animated series and full-footed film were produced.
Events of the comic take place in New York in 1980s but with several important historical alterations. In this alternative version of the USA, Americans won the Vietnam War in 1971, and Richard Nixon is still the president. This has been possible due to several crimefighters in costumes. They appeared in the 1940s changing the course of history in favor of the USA. They are referred to as superheroes but only one of them can boast of supernatural abilities. The American government is using these superheroes to oppose Soviets and stop the nuclear war between the USA and the Soviet Union. After years of loyal duty, the authorities decide that they don’t need services of crimefighters anymore – they are outlawed and forced to retire. Not all of them agree with this and continue their craft beyond the law.
The story begins when Edward Blake – one of the former crimefighters – known as the Comedian, is mysteriously killed. He was a government official dealing with Soviet nuclear threats. All the other members of the superheroes’ team unite to investigate this strange case and punish the murderers. Among these superheroes only Dr. Jon Osterman, aka Doctor Manhattan, has supernatural abilities – taking part in a dangerous experiment, his cells mutated and now he can alter the matter. Dr. Manhattan is the second superhero contracted by the government to combat Soviets after the murdered Comedian. He is in charge of American nuclear industry and leading researcher in this field.
During the investigation, Walter Joseph Kovacs, known as Rorschach, and Daniel Dreiberg, aka Nite Owl, find out the Comedian has been probably murdered by Communist Russians. They reveal a conspiracy which aims at murdering former crimefighters. So they warn other members of the team to be careful and trust no one – Adrian Veidt who calls himself Ozymandias and Dr. Manhattan’s girl, Laurie Juspeczyk or the Silk Spectre. Having dug too deep, Rorschach is framed for murder and jailed in an asylum. At the same time, Dr. Manhattan is accused of conducting an illegal experiment and which cause cancer in his friends and colleagues – he leaves the planet and settles on Mars without any intentions to come back.
After release, Rorschach and Night Owl uncover that Ozymandias is a mastermind of all these murders and horrible events, the team gathers in Karnak. It’s an Antarctic Fortress which belongs to Ozymandias who reveals his plans to other crimefighters. He desires to create a Utopia where Americans and Russians will live peacefully. To achieve this goal, he plans to teleport an unknown gigantic monster, created by himself, with tremendous psychic powers in the middle of New York and to murder it. After its death, harmful psychic emissions of this monster will kill half of the city and drive other people insane. This has to unite Russia and America with a common aim – to defend the planet from alien invasion. Carrying out his plan, Ozymandias has doubts whether the end justifies the means?
Once again he came home, exhausted by a long hard night.
One night, apparently, had only consisted of maneuvering Archie from one end of town to the other, just because his partner, who had muttered somewhere in the back of the ship, had noticed that there were criminals, extortionists, rapists, pimps they did not.
It seemed to him as if he had torn the wheel all night long, just to take a new direction, which his masked partner pretended. Continue reading “Nostalgia” »
“Today’s the thirtieth,” remarked Nite Owl. He and Rorschach were sitting in a derelict apartment, long forgotten. Nite Owl was perched in an old metal folding chair, and the man with the ink-blot face had wedged himself into the window frame, somehow. He was staring out the glassless window, down at the streets below. They were empty. It was a quiet night. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“Yes,” Rorschach finally affirmed. Continue reading “Drop the Ball” »
I stood atop the old apartment building, looking out over the city, or rather, Nite Owl did. Even as I stood there I was cursing myself, reminding myself of how stupid this whole thing was. I was retired and happily so. But all the same, it did feel nice to brush the dust off my feathers once in a while.
I didn’t plan on actually doing anything; the days of the costumed hero were over. Simply, as silly as it felt to be parading around the city in the dead of night dressed up in an owl suit, I couldn’t quite make myself quit the adrenalin rush of just wearing the costume and feeling the night air on my face brought. Continue reading “A Place In Time” »