Unregulated Vigilantism In Watchmen

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“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” or “Who guards the guards themselves?” is the central conflict of the 12 issue graphic novel Watchmen, written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave Gibbons, and colored by John Higgins. While the modern scope of this quote (originating from the Roman poet Juvenal) has been greatly inflated from its original more domestic context, it still poses an interesting quandary about the role and implications of authority (Satire IV). A peripheral glance at Watchmen shows an intricate criticism of the comic book/superhero genre specifically focusing on the concept of unregulated vigilantism, by utilizing a grandeur cast of larger than life characters, each with a strict adherence to a personal moral code, and then by subverting …show more content…

Specifically, the characters of Rorschach, The Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, and Ozymandias will be compared to different identities of this political era. The research will illustrate the causes and effects of strong ideological ties, as they are criticized in the novel. Furthermore, this paper will attempt to look at Mccarthyism, and the transition to new Conservatism, Containment and the inflation of American Ego, and the various political and social counters to these causes as the novel depicts them. The end result will create a nuanced understanding of the philosophical conflictions of the country during the Cold War, and both its foreign and domestic effects on the …show more content…

That was, until the introduction of a real “super” hero, promoting the world to declare, “the superman exists, and He’s American!” and subsequently pass the Keene Act outlawing all costumed crime fighting not sanctioned by the U.S. (Watchmen, get page number). Yet, after the murder of the Comedian, an ex costumed crime fighter, and hired hand for the government, a series of events slowly unveil a conspiracy concerning the safety of the entire human race. The narrative follows a cast of “heroes” reacting to this event, spending particular time on Rorschach, the deontological nihilist who obsesses over solving the Comedian’s death, Ozymandias the Rawlsian Utilitarian who wishes to bring society out of the cold war into a new age, the existentialist and now deceased, Comedian who acted mainly as the puppet to the american government, and Dr. Manhattan, the most powerful being in the universe whose only flaw is an entire lack of empathy. While each character is an unique critique of the medium’s cliches, each one also represents a unique aspect of American Cold War Political Dogma. Rorschach is a manifestation of the unchecked paranoia of Mccarthyism, Ozymandias represents the liberal opposition during the Cold War, the Comedian represents unchecked American egoism, and Dr. Manhattan represents nuclear

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