The Worth of a Demi-God

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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

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