In a group of bizarre, costumed crime-fighters, Dr. Manhattan must be put in his own category. Partly due to the facts that he neither fights crime nor wears a costume. But what truly sets him apart in this fantastic tale of superheroes is that he is the only character with superhuman powers. From the onset, we are given immediate clues that Dr. Manhattan is no ordinary character. His extreme powers tell us he is not like the rest of the superheroes. Before he utters a single word, his blue-ish color suggests his cold attitudes; his pupil-less eyes tell us that he sees things differently. The sum of the parts indicate that he is hardly human at all. He serves as a polar opposite to Rorschach who acts impulsively to defend principles, whereas Dr. Manhattan is always calculating in his reverence for logic and reason. "The superman exists and he is American" (Moore, Volume 4 Page II). This simple but powerful quote is found in the supplemental text "Dr. Manhattan: Super-powers and the Superpowers" and suggests that in a world where a man develops the power to manipulate the laws of space and time, we would likely celebrate the fact that he is on our side. It is certain that governments would quickly move to use his immense abilities for both military and political advantages. In the case of the story, Dr. Manhattan was briefly used by the American military and proved to be the difference in bringing the Vietnam war to a successful end in this alternate timeline. The "Superpowers" text goes on to infer that "Dr. Manhattan could at any time destroy large areas of Soviet territory instantly" (Moore, Volume 4 Page II). But his greatest value to the United States military is that of national defense. In the event of a Sovie... ... middle of paper ... ...o defend principles rather than saving people. We sacrifice ourselves for commercial gain and for the fame that comes from the worship of strangers. We worship our own achievements, obsess over time and in the end we lose what makes us human as we continue down a path that takes us farther away from each other and deeper into ourselves. Works Cited Dubose, Mike S. "Holding Out for a Hero: Reaganism, Comic Book Vigilantes, and Captain America." Journal of Popular Culture 40.6 (2007): 915-935. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 11 Feb. 2010. Fishbaugh, Brent. "Moore and Gibbons's Watchmen: Exact Personifications of Science." Extrapolation 39.3 (Fall 1998): 189-198. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2010. Moore, Alan and David Gibbons. Watchmen. New York: DC Comics, 1986 - 1987
Heinlein, Robert. The Long Watch. Archives of the N.Y. Times. BaeneBooks.com 17 June 2009. Web. 29 April 2014.
In “The Thematic Paradigm,” University of Florida professor of film studies, Robert Ray, defines two types of heroes pervading American films, the outlaw hero and the official hero. Often the two types are merged in a reconciliatory pattern, he argues. In fact, this
Heberle, Mark. "Contemporary Literary Criticism." O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Vol. 74. New York, 2001. 312.
...egalism and persecution. But the hard truth is that what truly works for our society is knowing what is right: that’s how the Declaration of Independence in America was created; that’s how the 13th Amendment was created; that’s how we got to the Moon; that’s how the British and American and Soviet forces won World War II; that’s how the EDSA People Power Revolution sparked; that’s how many of our literature and poems and music were created; and that’s why Jesus Christ died on the cross.
Perceptions of the superhero and supervillain are mainly based on subjective definitions of each concept. These observations often lead to a definitive dichotomy that precisely splits characters into two impermeable divisions. However, this stringent separation is unable to account for the characters that are not at the extreme ends of their respective side. Neither is this rift capable of classifying characters that flirt with both sides of the superhero-supervillain dichotomy. Therefore it is imperative to analyze the established criteria for both superhero and supervillain to derive a more adequate explanation. Most superheroes are not easily characterized, but rather fall somewhere between Superman, the bastion of moral purity, and Doctor Doom, the display of indubitable corruption. This solicits genesis of an entirely new notion about the differences between superheroes and supervillains. A more precise idea is that superheroes and supervillains are lined on a spectrum that spans from pure good to pure evil. Disparities between superheroes and supervillains are not black and white, but rather these characters are on a spectrum that radically changes based on individual cases.
Presumably, Rorschach's revelation would have ignited renewed rounds of hostility, ending in nuclear war. Thus, Dr. Manhattan’s elimination of Rorschach is the action that actually saves planet Earth. The actions occurring on Veidt’s island depicts the heroes assuming the unsolicited role of “world police.” Despite the benefits of the attack, the heroes had no right to make this decision. The United States of America has been accused of similar misdoings in the past, its role as a Superpower, the U.S. has implemented various decisions that greatly affect the wellbeing of various foreign countries.
... immensity of its horror finally makes him drop the pretense of knowing detachment he has held for so long. As he drunkenly sobs, “What’s funny? What’s so goddamned funny? I don’t get it” (Ch. 2, 23) his lurking humanity becomes evident. The subtly of interplay between The Comedian’s persona, his humanity, and even his hypocrisy strongly support his status as a living person alongside Dr. Manhattan.
Guerin, Wilfred L., Earle Labor, Lee Morgan, Jeanne C. Reesman, and John R. Willingham. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. 125-156.
Because of the outlaw hero’s definitive elements, society more so identifies with this myth. Ray said, “…the scarcity of mature heroes in American...
Dr. Manhattan can be considered one of the powerful superheroes, however he is deemed as a psychopath because his lack in ability to maintain relationship with everyone whom he surrounds himself with. His relationship with Janey Slater represents the deterioration of his humanity left in him after the accident. He is unable to maintain his relationship
...a swift hand in defending others: one day no one will be left to help defend us. We as a whole have to put our foot down to our leaders and do what it right by our own mind.
In their graphic novel Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons establish their story during the Cold War period, when a group of superheroes tackle the task to save humanity from a potential World War III caused by tensions among governmental powers. Managed by the intelligence of Adrian Veidt, the worst was avoided after the attack of alien forces causes the death of millions of New Yorkers that leads to a temporary world peace. The representations of the Watchmen superheroes of Moore and Gibbons, particularly Rorschach, display the concept of heroism being a part of the real world, among the regular public of our society.
Harmon, William, and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996.
Dr. Jonathan “Jon” Osterman is the only character in the comic who possesses actual superpower and experiences the loneliness through love affair. Jon, who also
An individual's internal values have the capacity to persuade them into doing what they otherwise wouldn’t be inclined to do. These sacrifices are made in the name of the "Greater Good", when a person's ideals lead them to visualize only what they want to protect, rather than themselves. Often humans are perceived as a selfish species, but as other species do, we also have protective instincts, and when those instincts kick in, we have the capacity to be remarkably self-abnegating. Self-abnegation is a quality that all of us obtain for something, but that something depends entirely on our person's values. Our values are the motivator for sacrificing ourselves. This selfless quality reveals itself when the circumstances