Character Profiles: Watchmen
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Zack Snyder’s epic superhero flick WATCHMEN, we have created a character profile cheat sheet with everything you need to know about the characters in preparation for WATCHMEN: The Ultimate Cut out NOW on Blu-ray and DVD, and on 4K UHD and 4K Steelbook from 2nd December!
From Dr. Manhattan to the Comedian, the below will give you an overview of all your favourite characters from the superhero series.
Dr. Manhattan
Portrayed by Billy Crudup
“I have walked across the surface of the Sun. I have witnessed events so tiny and so fast they can hardly be said to have occurred at all. But you, Adrian, you’re just a man. The world’s smartest man poses no more threat to me than does its smartest termite.”
Dr. Manhattan, who works for the US Government, is the only character in the story with genuine superpowers, which he developed as a consequence of a lab accident. He has used his god-like powers to revolutionise the world, but the greater he becomes, the more he grows detached from humanity. His monotonous tone reflects his indifference towards human kind in general.
Real Name: Jon Osterman.
Age: Ambiguous, does not age.
Relationship: In a relationship with Laurie Jupiter.
Powers: Dr. Manhattan can move and reshape anything with his mind, even down to the atomic molecular levels.
Outfit: Full nudity.
Nite Owl II
Portrayed by Patrick Wilson
“You haven’t idealised mankind. You’ve mutilated it! That’s your legacy.”
Nite Owl is a retired superhero with technological expertise, who used his inherited family’s fortune to create a suit, gadgets and an aircraft to fight crime, much like the well-known character of Batman, which has been replicated numerous times throughout popular culture. He wears a snow-owl suit, and has an owl themed aircraft with owl eye-shaped windshields.
Real Name: Daniel “Dan” Dreiberg
Age: 40
Relationship: Its complicated.
Powers: Strong martial arts skills, with use of gadgets, like his aircraft ‘The Owlship’.
Outfit: Hi-tech gadget-laden suit
Silk Spectre II
Portrayed by Malin Åkerman
“I used to be a masked avenger too, you know; I’m used to getting up at 3 in the morning and doing something stupid.”
Silk Spectre II is recognised as the psychology and emotion of the film. She is the daughter of Sally Jupiter, from whom she inherited the mantle ‘Silk Spectre’.
Real Name: Laurel Jane “Laurie” Jupiter
Age: Unspecified.
Relationship: In a relationship with Dr. Manhattan.
Powers: Above average athleticism
Outfit: Catsuit
Ozymandias
Portrayed by Matthew Goode
“My new world demands less obvious heroism. Your schoolboy heroics are redundant. What have they achieved?”
Ozymandias is a crime fighter and retired superhero, with extraordinary levels of intelligence. He has honed his body and mind to perfection, all the while creating a multibillion dollar corporate empire, and mastering science to change the world. Ozymandias is the character who presents to the other Watchmen an ambitious plan to save the world, only to get mocked by the Comedian. Despite his initial American accent, it is later revealed that Ozymandias is from German descent. Ashamed of his parent’s Nazi background, he conceals his German accent unless in private.
Real Name: Adrian Veidt
Age: Unspecified.
Relationship: Sexuality ambiguous, with a file on his computer labelled “Boys”.
Powers: Near super-human intelligence, physical stature, and mastery of science. He only counter-attacks – never throws the first punch.
Outfit: Dark purple and gold body armour.
Rorschach
Portrayed by Jackie Earle Haley
“The world will look up and shout, ‘Save us!’. And I’ll whisper, ‘No’.”
Rorschach is a vigilante who wears a mask with shifting inkblots which illustrate his facial expressions, and which closely resembles an actual Rorschach test, which is famously a test for psychological interpretation of personality and emotional state. Rorschach believes that he understands the ‘true face’ of society. He also has no social skills, and a severe dislike of physical contact.
Real Name: Walter Kovacs
Age: Approx. 45
Relationship: Bro-mance with Nite Owl, who is his close friend.
Powers: Uses a grappling-hook pistol, has a background in boxing.
Outfit: Rorschach mask covering his face, and always wears a hat, picking it up every time it is knocked off during battle.
The Comedian
Portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
“What happened to the American Dream? It came true! You’re looking at it!”
Eddie “The Comedian” Blake is a former minuteman, who was commissioned by the U.S. Government as a black ops speciality. He is also an amoral, cynical, cigar-smoking vigilante, with little regard for social convention and human life in general. He views the world in a uniquely pessimistic way, believing the world to be a sick joke, and he’s the only one who gets the punchline.
Real Name: Edward “Eddie” Blake
Age: Unspecified.
Relationship: None.
Powers: Strong fighting skills, flamethrower.
Outfit: Armour-plated body armour.
WATCHMEN: The Ultimate Cut is out NOW on Blu-ray and DVD, and on 4K UHD and 4K Steelbook.