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Edwin Serrano
Professor Jackie
ENG 101
23 May 2016
Watchmen: Defining the Hero
In the Graphic novel the Watchmen there is a constant battle of who
the hero is and who is not. The characters in Watchmen portray heroes in a
weird way which leaves the reader to decide for themselves who is the hero.
The characters in the novel are known have had different up comings and
different views of what is justice and fair to what is not. Each of these
characters matches their outfits because it matches their personality and
how they were raised. The true hero in the Watchmen is Rorschach all other
play the hero a little here and there but dont breath it, eat it, and sleep it
like how he does.
The Comedian also known as Edward Blake is known to be a jokester
and he finds joy by being violent and rude he tries to find the joke in
everything. His costume when he was in the Minute Men Consisted of a
bright yellow and red fuzzy balls for buttons with a laugh now face for a
buckle, portraying a clown like suit. But when he had left the Minute Men he
ended up getting stabbed and joined the war his outfit had totally changed
because he ended up working for the government and also because his old
uniform did not protect as well as his new costume did when his uniform

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changed his character did not, and he left a hint of his character on it. He
was now wearing a leather armor combat suit with straps and it had shoulder
pads that resembled the American flag, but he still had one thing that stood
out of the suit, it was the yellow smiley button. It says in the graphic novel,
He went on to make a name for himself as a war hero in the Pacific. (Moore
and Gibbons under the Hood 10). The Comedian goes to the war in Vietnam
and is looking for a way to clean up his act by making sure he is known for
doing what is right like fighting in the war. He still gets his joy by killing the
Vietcong in cruel ways he did not change he still impregnated a woman in
Vietnam and shot her dead when she wanted him to be with her and be
responsible. He was looking for a way to forget what he did to the Silk
Spectre or Sally Jupiter a member of the Minute Men group. But he couldnt
because Laurie, Sallys daughter was his daughter. The comedian dies not of
old age, he was murdered by Ozymandias. The comedian knew what was
going to happen in the future. The Comedian was a bit of a hero because he
fought the bad guys but he enjoyed torturing and/or killing them. Another
two that are somewhat heroes is the Nite Owl 2 and Silk Spectre 2 there
focuses is different than others.
Nite Owl also known as Daniel Dreiburg he is a retired member of the
Crime Busters he quit when the Keene Act had passed. He has a suit that
represents an owl with cowl of a head owl and a cape utility belt all kinds of
cool gadgets kind of like a counterfeit Batman. He was not upset at all he
just did not want to be worried about others problems unlike Rorschach, Nite

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Owl and Rorschach were partners before the Keene Act. Nite Owl was
motivated to work when he was with Rorschach, but Nite Owl is scared to
break the law by not helping out the police force. Nite Owl enjoys putting
on a suit, having his gadgets, and getting the girls (Silk Spectre). He can be
compared to a person in a team he like sitting on the bench or standing on
the sideline but hardly gets in the game. As he says so himself, Well I was
rich, bored, and there were enough other guys doing it so I didnt feel
ridiculous. (Moore and Gibbons Ch.7 Pg.220). And in another case he shows
that he just wants the girls is that he gets in his suit tries to get Lauries
attention and get her to dress in her suit and go save people in a burning
building, he had to get a little more amped to be with Laurie so he can make
up for the first time. He only likes doing things to be known or occasionally
when he feels like crime fighting because after saving the people he wants to
free Rorschach.
Laurie is a hero because she did not want to upset her mother so
she took up the same name and outfit, the outfit consist of a yellow and
black silk top and fishnet leggings like a stripper, (just there to cheer up the
members that fight crime). She also did not have much of a role except to
talk to Dr. Manhattan to defend the world, please him and she also was
selfish she just wanted to pleasure herself so that is why she left Dr.
Manhattan and went with Nite Owl twice. The only reason she would be seen
as a hero is because she fought crime for a bit and she convince to Dr.
Manhattan to save the world.

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Ozymandias also known as Adrian Veidt considered the smartest man
in the world his suit resembles some sort of Greek God nice purple cloth
around him. Ozymandias quit before the Keene act had passed, but made a
fortune in making action figures out of himself and having his own business
being an entrepreneur. He was also in charge of the murder of the Comedian.
He had planned it from the start he did it to distract the other heroes that
there is a masked murderer he knew that a hero like Rorschach would not
give up a fight and tell the other and convince them to join. Ozymandias is
considered to be a hero to Dr. Manhattan even though he replicated the
power of Dr. Manhattan to transport the alien creature, but it seemed right to
others by stopping a nuclear war. By killing millions of innocent people in
different countries making it look like Dr. Manhattan was still infuriated by
the question and answer meeting he had, that he was accused of emitting
cancer. At first Dr. Manhattan is mad but then sees the better picture of
things that this actually helped the world out and that there was finally
peace in the land. He was really no hero at all he wiped out millions to create
peace and build up his utopia. Dr. Manhattan was a human being but then
lost all feel of being a human when he gets into his accident.
Dr. Manhattan also known as Jonathon Osterman was aiming to have
the trait his father did of fixing watches. His father wanted him to be a
scientist to help out the future, so sent his son to go study. Jon ended up
being turned into Dr. Manhattan and being able to have the powers of having
a perception of time, teleportation, telekinesis, growing size, and create

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things. Dr. Manhattan has no good point of view of human race until after
Ozymandias plan. As he says in the graphic novel, Weve been through this
before, Laurie. You argued that human life was more significant than this
excellent desolation, and I was not convinced. (Moore and Gibbons Ch.9
Pg.298). And in the article about Dr. Manhattan it says he, had withdrawn
emotionally from the world long before his physical departure. (Christopher
Robichaud). He only cared about it all when he realized he could get away
from all the humans and leave them alone. Now for the real hero who is
known for never giving up.
Rorschach also known as Walter Joseph Kovacs his costume consist of a
trench coat, fedora, gloves, and a mask that forms different kinds of
Rorschach test blots. He had a rough childhood he was abused by his mother.
He hates the evil ways of society and feels like it is in his charge to correct it.
He defies the Keene act and makes sure he does what is just. Rorschach is a
hero because he does not quit not even to the very end he dies a hero. The
reason he is perceived to eat sleep and breathe like a hero is because he
eats on the go. He hardly sleeps there was only one point in the novel that
he says he really needs some rest, to breathe it, it means it is an everyday
thing for him he wont stop until those who deserve justice receive it. He is
willing to fight to the death and he says himself, not even in the face of
Armageddon never compromise.(Moore and Gibbons Ch.12 Pg. 402).
Rorschach follows the saying, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.,
also known as retributivism in three basic forms, 1) only the guilty are to be

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punished, that is, you only punish someone for a voluntary wrongdoing; 2)
the punishment must be equivalent to the wickedness done; and 3) the
justification for punishing persons is that the return of suffering for wronging
is itself morally good. (Jacob M. Held). Rorschach without a doubt is a hero,
a boss.
Hero is not defined but who does an action once in a while is
considered a hero. A hero is not one who stands on the sideline and waits to
be invited to fight crime. A hero is not defined by someone who seeks their
own pleasure who is selfish. A hero is not one who flaunts his or her powers.
A hero is someone who does not stop their grind who is willing to give justice
for any evil act in reach and out of reach. A hero is like Rorschach not afraid,
fair, and most importantly COMMITED.

Works Cited
Held M. Jacob. Can We Steer This Rudderless World? Kant, Rorschach,
Retributivism, and

Honor. Academia. 2016.

http://www.academia.edu/265817/Can_We_Steer_This_Rudderless_World_Kan
t_Rorschac h_Retributivism_and_Honor

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Moore, Alan. Gibbons, Dave. Watchmen. Watchmen Deluxe Edition. DC
Comics. 2013.
Robichaud, Christopher. The Superman exist and hes American: Morality in
the face of Absolute Power.