HBO’sWatchmenTV show is an adaptation/extrapolation of the iconic graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons.
The show itself certainly expects that.
But theWatchmenshow does contain several references, both visual and thematic, to the original comic.
HBO; DC
What happened at the end ofWatchmen?
Nuclear disaster is eventually prevented thanks to the mad plans of Ozymandias, a.k.a Adrian Veidt.
That convinces the Cold War superpowers to stand down and work together rather than destroy each other.
In other words, he saved the world!
We just mentioned Ozymandias, a.k.a Adrian Veidt.
Then there’s Rorschach, the vigilante detective whose stark black-and-white morality was reflected in his signature mask.
Rorschach did not surviveWatchmenbecause he refused to keep Veidt’s secret.
Dr. Manhattan was the onlyWatchmensuperhero with actual superpowers.
Originally the son of a watchmaker, he was pushed into a career in atomic science.
One day, he accidentally got locked in an experimental chamber that atomized him completely.
But when he reformed, he was capable of manipulating matter at an atomic level.
He is nearly omnipotent and likes to spend time on Mars.
He was last seen departing Earth at the end of Watchmen, but he could always come back.
There are three other main superheroes fromWatchmen: Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, and The Comedian.
During that time, the Comedian tried to rape the first Silk Spectre.
Years later, however, they made up and had a daughter named Laurie.
The first Nite Owl, Hollis Mason, was a cop by day and a superhero by night.
His murder sets off the events ofWatchmen.
What’s different in this timeline?
One of the most fun aspects ofWatchmenis its depiction of an alternate history of the 20th century.
That success greatly bolstered the political career of President Richard Nixon, who retained the presidency for years afterward.
And hey, the Comedian covertly assassinating Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein helped a lot with that, too.
But nobody lives forever.
AsWatchmendraws to a close, there are visible headlines that a former actor with the initials R.R.
is planning to run for president…but it’sRobert Redford, notRonald Reagan.
Watchmencan be viewed on HBO.
