Beltran 1

BriannaBeltran
Prof.Jackie
English114b
February3,2015
TheTrueHeroAmongstWatchmen
IntheAmericangraphicnovelWatchmen,AlanMoorecreatesasuperherolike
storythatinvolvessocialissuesthatquestionstheideaofatruetraditionalhero.Basedon
awellthoughtanalysis,aheroinmostpeopleseyesisahumanwithsuperpowersthat
helpsothersinneed.InthemovieWatchmen,someofthecharactersthatarelabeleda
herodonttakeontheirtitleverystrongly.Thecharactersinthisnovel/moviehavea
smallamountofcharacteristicsofwhatmostpeopleconsiderahero,onlyafewaretrue
heroes.Moorestructureshisstoryintoawellthoughtmysterythatintrigueshisreaders
evenmore.
ThemysteryofthestorybeginswithacharacternamedTheComedian.Heis
oneofthemaincharacterswithabigframeandauniquemustache.TheComedian,also
knownasEdwardBlake,isaveryaggressiveandheartlessman.Hethinkseverythingis
ajoke,thushismaskedname.TheComedianistheheartoftheplotinthisnovel.The
storyisbasedamongsthisdeath,whichcausestheformerteamtoreconnectanddiscover
theanswertothemysteriousdeathoftheirpartner.TheComedianhasverylimited
characteristicsinregardstothedefinitionofahero.Forexample,heshootsandkillsa
womanwhoiscarryinghischildbecauseshewantedhimtobeapartofherchildslife
andhewantedtoleave.Heisknowntobeveryaggressiveandintolerant.Hishero

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aspectsarentexpressedinwaysthattheothersuperheroesare.Hisattempttosexual
assaultSallyJupiterataphotoshootcausedhimtoloserespectfromtheMinutemen
team.TheComedianmayhelptheU.S.governmentinordertohelpprotectthecountry
butheistooselfishandaggressivetobeconsideredahero.Hispersonallifeand
superherolifearetwodifferentworlds.
Thelifeofasuperheroisalwaysportrayedasatwosidedlife.Onecharacterin
thisnovelthathasthesamemoralsduringhisherolifeandduringhispersonallifeisNite
Owl,alsoknownasDanDrieburg.Hehasverystrictmoralsthroughoutthestory.Heis
verykindandreallycaresforothers,includinghisteammembers.DanandLauriehavea
secretconnectionduetothelackofloveDr.ManhattangavetoLaurie.Hecaresforher
andallowshertostayathisplacewhensheleavesherhusband.Thetwoofthemteamup
andstartthemovementintodiscoveringthemysterydeathoftheirteammemberThe
Comedian.AlthoughRorschachisthemaincharacterthatfindsoutTheComedianhas
died,DanandLauriearethefirsttodosomethingaboutit.Danisknownforbeingthe
dorkofthegroup;thisshowsasensitivesideofhim.Heholdsrespectforwomen
unlikeTheComedianandthisshowstheheromoralsofhischaracter.Thedefinitionofa
heroisquestionedthroughoutthisstoryduetothemultiplepersonalitiesbasedonthese
characters.
Goodandevilmoralsarestrictlylookedatintheactionsofthesuperheroes.Jon
Osterman,alsoknownasDr.Manhattanisthecharacterthatisveryneutral;hehasgood
intentionsbutoccasionallymakesmistakesthatcauseharmtoothers.Dr.Manhattan
worksfortheU.S.governmentinordertohelpprotecthiscountrywithhisremarkable

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superpowers.Heisaccusedofgivingpeoplewhohaveacloserelationshiptohim,
cancer.Hispowersweregiventohimbyatragiclockdownofaroomwherehehappened
togettrappedinwhileattemptingtograbhiswatchandrunout.Lockedintothe
experimentalvault,Jonhadnochoiceandwasstuckbymanybluelights,andsoon
vanished.Heslowlyreappearedbackonearthandeventuallyobtainedthesuperpowers
hehasthroughoutthenovelandbecameDr.Manhattan.Hisheroiccharacteristicsare
shownduringhispartnershipwiththeU.Smilitaryandgovernment.Asexpressedin
WatchmenWikihebringsAmericavictoryintheVietnamwarwithinthreemonths.
ThisvictorydistortsAmericanpoliticaltheAmericanpoliticalprocess,asthe22nd
AmendmentisrepealedandNixonisthenrepeatedlyreelected.(WatchmenWiki,
2014)Dr.Manhattanuseshispowerstoadvancehiscountryinsituationsassuch.
AlthoughheprotectstheU.S.healsoknowswhateventswilloccur.Hisnonheroic
momentisexpressedduringtheassassinationofPresidentJFK.Heknewthekilling
wouldtakeplaceanddidnothingtopreventit.Heseemsveryhesitanttoperformsuch
actsforhiscountry.Thisexplainstheneutralcharacteristicamongsthim.
AmongsttheWatchmencharacters,LaurieJuspeczyk,alsoknownasSilkSpectre
II,istheonlywomanincludedinthegroup.AsidefromhermotherintheMinutemen
group,sheistheonlywomanintheCrimebusters.TheMinutemengroupexcisedbackin
the1940sandtheCrimebusterstooktheirplaceduringthe1980s.Laurieservesasthe
seriesmainfemaleprotagonist.Statedinanonlinerefrence,Laurieisnopuppet
throughnotevenforthewritewhoinventedher.Sheisheadstrong,freethinkingand
independent.InotherwordsthatsLaurieJuspeczykforyou.Shecandoitall,andshe

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doesitonherownterms.(SmoopSilkSpectre2.02008.)Hercharacterisverystrong
minded,independent,andsensual.AfterbeinginarelationshipwithDr.Manhattanfora
numberofyears,shewasfedupwithhislackofaffectionanddecidedtoleavehim.She
wasntafraidtoleaveDr.Manhattanthusherindependentcharacteristic.Althoughshe
movedonveryquickly,shehadasexualrelationshipwithherformermaskedmember
Dan.Lauriesactionsthroughoutthenovelprovethatsheismoreofaherothanmostof
themembers.Sheisntthefinest,yetshestillhasherheroicqualities.Forexample,she
teamsupwithDanonenight,putsontheiroldcostumesandhelpsrescuemanycivilians
fromaburningbuilding.Peopleofallageswererescuedduetotheirheroicqualities,and
spontaneousnightout.Aftertheyrescuethesepeople,theybreakRorschachoutof
prison.ShehastheheartandstrengthofaherojustlikeherclosepartnerDan.
Throughoutthenovel,Laurietakesnopartinevilorassassinationactions.HerandDans
heroicqualitiesshinefromtherestofhertheirmaskedpartners.
ThecharactersAlanMoorehascreatedareevidentlyunlikeusualtraditional
heroes.Theirpersonalitiesvarywhichkeepsthereadersinterestedandcurioustoknow
whatthecharacterwilldonext.Althoughnotallofthecharactersareconsidered
traditionalheroes,theystillworktogethertosaveandprotectsociety.Thisnovel
questionsthatideaofatruehero,thoughitsnottoughtosectionoutwhichcharacters
haveaheartofone.Giventhevariouspersonalitiesandsituationsbroughtuponthegroup
duringthisnovel,theyallcometogetherasone.Somemaythinkthatallthecharacters
arenonheroesandsomemightthinktheyallare.Afterevaluatingandresearchingtheir
qualities,therearefewthattakeontheherotitleinthiscomicseries.

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WorksCited

ShmoopEditorialTeam."LaurieJuspeczyk(LaurieJupiter,SilkSpectre2.0)in
Watchmen."Shmoop.com.ShmoopUniversity,Inc.,11Nov.2008.Web.9Feb.
2015.
WatchmenWiki."JonOsterman.EffectonColdWar."WatchmenWiki.N.p.,n.d.23July.
2009.Web.09Feb.2015.