Was ‘Watchmen’ even a superhero movie?
“The word ‘superheroes’ conjures up a very specific image in the minds of many readers,” writes Jamie Hughes, Composition and Literature Professor at Florida Community College: “The proud figure of Superman flying high above Metropolis or the silhouette of Batman crouched on a leering gargoyle keeping an eye on the citizens of Gotham.”
The superhero archetype has permeated society since Superman’s creation back in 1938, and has been a cornerstone of inspirational fiction since ancient Greece. With “Avengers: Endgame” recently hitting theaters around the globe, it’s a reflective time to take a look at another superhero movie that came out exactly 10 years ago: “Watchmen.” Spoilers below.
First, a recap:
Set in 1985, “Watchmen” is the gray and gritty story of a second-generation “Minutemen” superhero team: Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre, The Comedian, Nite Owl, Ozymandias, and Rorschach. Spurred by the morally absolutist Rorschach, the group investigates the “masked murders” of superheroes, particularly The Comedian. They discover that the murders were orchestrated by their fellow partner, Ozymandias, who reveals a doomsday plot to kill millions in order to end the Cold War. Sounds like a typical superhero story, except that Ozymandias succeeds. He detonates the bombs and frames Dr. Manhattan for the crime. But that’s not how it ends.
In a television broadcast, Richard Nixon recounts the attack, and consequently puts an end to the Cold War in order to focus their priorities on the new scapegoat, Dr. Manhattan. Manhattan willingly accepts the false blame, and permanently departs to another galaxy. Rorschach refuses to live with the lie, and demands that Manhattan kill him (which he does). Nite Owl retaliates by furiously attacking Ozymandias, who makes no effort to defend himself. Ozymandias even defends his actions, stating that for world peace to be possible, there had to be sacrifice. Nite Owl rejects this, arguing that his actions condemned and deformed everything humanity aspires to be.
And that’s how the story ends.
We’re not kidding. A newspaper editor says that since the world is at peace there’s nothing more to report on. A writer suggests he could publish something from the “crank file.” Atop the pile of letters from conspiracy theorists is Rorschach’s journal, explaining the truth of Ozymandias’ plan. It’s the furthest thing from a happy ending, and it’s far from a happy beginning. Frankly, there’s not much happiness in between, either.
Why Watchmen is different
In 2019, we’re not unfamiliar with dark, gritty superhero movies. Actually, we’re inundated with them. “Avengers: Infinty War” ended with all our heroes getting dusted by Thanos. “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (which had the same Director, Zack Snyder) pitted two of the most iconic Superheroes against each other. “Captain America: Civil War” did the same. The real difference in Watchmen is who the villain is, and where he came from.
There’s an old joke about how the Justice League could be more helpful: Superman and the Flash could run on treadmills all day, and use their energy to power the cities of the world indefinitely. Bruce Wayne could put away his cowl and clean up the city more effectively with his vast wealth. Are superheroes a good thing for society? Watchmen doesn’t answer that question; it poses it.
“Despite their various powers and realms, superheroes have one thing in common,” writes Hughes. “They are archetypal visions of ‘the good guy.’ Many are from faraway galaxies; they fight crime in the name of perfect justice. In short, they are unlike us, and because of this, they are impossibilities.”
When our heroes face Loki in Marvel’s “The Avengers,” it’s them versus him. He’s a clear external threat, invading New York with hordes of aliens and portals to bring in giant space monsters. The characters of “Watchmen,” in contrast, are faced with almost entirely internal threats, different perceptions of morality, and differently skewed pursuits of social justice.
Ozymandias kills millions, but achieves world peace. Is he a hero?
Dr. Manhattan is an emotionless god character, unable to relate to normal human beings. These human beings look upon him like some kind of radioactive threat. He is physically and emotionally separate from the rest of the world.
Rorschach is such a paragon of good that the world is grotesque and mutilated to him. The earned peace he seeks is unattainable in reality, and he cannot live with a half-victory knowing that justice was not correctly served. His death at the closing of the film illustrates that a real hero — one who did everything right, and in constant uncompromising pursuit of the hero code — would never be able to make the necessary sacrifices to create the world he envisions.
There’s a tragic beauty to “Watchmen:” Nothing is certain, each character’s morality is their own. There is no light side, dark side; there is no “heroes versus villains.” It’s this ambiguity that makes us human: Our ability to decide our own right and wrong, and act the way we choose. Despite being deemed superheroes, the characters in “Watchmen,” including Dr. Manhattan, are all fundamentally human — we usually celebrate their triumphs, but here, it’s their flaws.
Christian W. Schneider wrote that the heroes of the film “are in no better position than the rest of humanity, neither on a moral nor on an authoritative level,” which is, ironically, a concept that Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee agreed with. Lee firmly believed that it wasn’t bulging biceps, exorbitant wealth, or mighty superpowers that make a superhero; it’s their relatability, determination, and yes — their humanity: The same humanity that makes the characters of “Watchmen” fallible.
So is Watchman a superhero film?
At the end of the day — yes, but it’s a story where the humanity behind the mask is the catalyst for tragedy and destruction, rather than a force for good. Humans are fallible creatures, no matter what colors we wear or what powers we possess. Until then, we’ll see you at the next superhero movie — hopefully one that’s a little less depressing.
