Jeffrey Dean Morgan as
Edward Blake / The Comedian

The Comedian was initially based on the Shield and then on the Charlton Comics character Peacemaker, with elements of the Marvel Comics spy character Nick Fury added. Moore and Gibbons saw The Comedian as "a kind of Gordon Liddy character, only a much bigger, tougher guy".

Gibbons went with a Groucho Marx-style appearance (mustache and cigar) for the Comedian in his design, deciding that the "clown" look had already been appropriated by the DC Comics supervillain the Joker.

His costume itself was noted by Gibbons as being particularly problematic; he was initially designed with a more militaristic costume which was later dropped for a black leather outfit with a "rapist mask".

He believes that humans are savage in nature, and that civilization can never be more than an idea. He therefore chooses to become a mockery of society, fighting and killing without reservation.

Blake's murder, which takes place shortly before the story begins in 1985, sets the plot of Watchmen in motion. The character appears throughout the story in flashbacks and aspects of his personality are revealed by other characters.

Richard Reynolds described The Comedian as "ruthless, cynical, and nihilistic, and yet capable of deeper insights than the others into the role of the costumed hero". Nicholas Michael Grant said the Comedian is "the only character in the Watchmen universe who is almost totally unlikeable."

If Before Watchmen is accepted as canon, then in "Before Watchmen: The Minutemen #1", additional details are revealed about Comedian. It is revealed that the Comedian got his start as a costumed adventurer at the young age of 16 and had a prior criminal record for assault.

Unlike the rest of the costumed heroes of the Minutemen, he is shown to be driven by greed and a love for violence. In particular, he assaults a bartender after breaking up a bar fight and steals liquor and money from the cash register.

The issue also implies Blake may have been a victim of severe child abuse as he claims that a "caseworker" told him that the abuse he suffered was the cause of his violent outbursts.

"Before Watchmen: Comedian #1" rewrites the character's back-story further. It is revealed that Blake was close personal friends with Robert Kennedy and John F. Kennedy as well as Jackie Kennedy.

This contradicts the main Watchmen series, which cast Edward Blake as a close personal friend of Richard Nixon for whom he had worked as an assassin.

The mini-series reveals that Blake was responsible for the murder of Marilyn Monroe ordered by Jackie Kennedy, behind her husband's back.

Despite strong innuendo from both Blake and Ozymandias, the mini-series reveals he did not kill John Kennedy and was attempting to confront Moloch when he found the villain watching the live coverage of the assassination, including Kennedy's death.

When reading the comic for the part, Morgan stopped when he saw his character was killed off three pages in. When telling his agent he did not want the part, he was told to continue reading it and find out how important his character was.

Morgan found the role a challenge, explaining, "For some reason, in reading the novel, you don't hate this guy even though he does things that are unmentionable.

My job is to kind of make that translate, so as a viewer you end up not making excuses to like him, but you don't hate him like you should for doing the things that he does."

Of his casting, Snyder said, "It's hard to find a man's man in Hollywood. It just is. And Jeffrey came in and was grumpy and cool and grizzled, and I was, like, 'OK, Jeffrey is perfect!'"

Carla Gugino as
Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre

The first Silk Spectre and founding member of the Minutemen who is now retired. She is later the domineering "stage mom" of Laurie Juspeczyk (Silk Spectre II). Sally married her manager, Laurence Schexnayder, shortly after retiring.

She narrowly avoided being raped by the Comedian, although she later forgave him, and ultimately bore his child. Sally adores the attention she receives from fans of "The Silk Spectre", though Laurie is repulsed at her mother's sexually explicit exploits in promoting herself.

Gugino's character ages from 25 years old in the 1940s to 67 years old in the 1980s, and the 37-year-old actress wore prosthetics to reflect the aging process. Gugino described her character's superhero outfit as "Bettie Page meets Alberto Vargas."

Production

In 1986, producers Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver acquired film rights to Watchmen for 20th Century Fox. After author Alan Moore declined to write a screenplay based on his story, Fox enlisted screenwriter Sam Hamm.

Hamm took the liberty of re-writing Watchmen's complicated ending into a "more manageable" conclusion involving an assassination and a time paradox. Fox put the project into turnaround in 1991, and the project was moved to Warner Bros., where Terry Gilliam was attached to direct and Charles McKeown to rewrite it.

Due to lack of funding � Gilliam and Silver were only able to raise $25 million for the film (a quarter of the necessary budget) because their previous films had gone overbudget � and Gilliam's belief that the comic would have been unfilmable, Gilliam eventually left Watchmen, and Warner Bros. dropped the project.

In October 2001, Gordon partnered with Lloyd Levin and Universal Studios, hiring David Hayter to write and direct. Hayter and the producers left Universal due to creative differences, and Gordon and Levin expressed interest in setting up Watchmen at Revolution Studios.

The project did not hold together at Revolution Studios and subsequently fell apart. In July 2004, it was announced Paramount Pictures would produce Watchmen, and they attached Darren Aronofsky to direct Hayter's script. Producers Gordon and Levin remained attached, collaborating with Aronofsky's producing partner, Eric Watson.

Paul Greengrass replaced Aronofsky when he left to focus on The Fountain. Ultimately, Paramount placed Watchmen in turnaround. In October 2005, Gordon and Levin met with Warner Bros. to develop the film there again.

Impressed with Zack Snyder's work on 300, Warner Bros. approached him to direct an adaptation of Watchmen. Screenwriter Alex Tse drew from his favorite elements of Hayter's script, but also returned it to the original Cold War setting of the Watchmen comic.

Similar to his approach to 300, Snyder used the comic book as a storyboard. Following negotiations, Paramount, which had already spent $7 million in their failed project, earned the rights for international distribution of Watchmen and 25% of the film's ownership.

The fight scenes were extended, and a subplot about energy resources was added to make the film more topical. Although he intended to stay faithful to the look of the characters in the comic, Snyder intended Nite Owl to look scarier, and made Ozymandias' armor into a parody of the rubber muscle suits from 1997's Batman & Robin.

Production took place in Vancouver, where a New York City back lot was built. Sound stages were used for apartments and offices, while sequences on Mars and Antarctica were shot against green screens. Filming started on September 17, 2007, and ended on February 19, 2008, on an estimated $120 million budget.

To handle the 1,100 shots featuring visual effects, a quarter of them being computer-generated imagery, ten different effects companies were involved with Watchmen.

While 20th Century Fox filed a lawsuit to block the film's release, the studios eventually settled, and Fox received an upfront payment and a percentage of the worldwide gross from the film and all sequels and spin-offs in return.

Dave Gibbons became an adviser on Snyder's film, but Moore has refused to have his name attached to any film adaptations of his work.

Moore has stated he has no interest in seeing Snyder's adaptation; he told Entertainment Weekly in 2008, "There are things that we did with Watchmen that could only work in a comic, and were indeed designed to show off things that other media can't."

While Moore believes that David Hayter's screenplay was "as close as I could imagine anyone getting to Watchmen," he asserted he did not intend to see the film if it were made.

Music

Both a soundtrack and excerpts from Tyler Bates' film score were released as albums on March 3, 2009. The soundtrack features three songs written by Bob Dylan�"Desolation Row," "All Along the Watchtower" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'"�with only the latter performed by Dylan on the soundtrack.

It includes some songs mentioned in the comic, such as Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'" is also quoted in the graphic novel.

Music by Philip Glass from Koyaanisqatsi plays when Dr. Manhattan is looking back on his life when he arrives on Mars. The Introitus of Mozart's Requiem appears at the end of the film. Desolation Row was covered by the band My Chemical Romance for the film and plays in the end credits.

Resources: imdb.com, Wikipedia.org

The two get into costume and take Archi out. Archi flies around the city as they listen for police messages. They hear of a burning building and go to rescue a group of people trapped on an upper floor.

Night Owl drops her into the burning building and then lines up Archie as she sends all of the trapped people into the ship, just a moment before an explosion would have killed them all. After dropping off the passengers, Daniel puts the flyer on autopilot and the two superheroes have steamy sex in the aircraft.

Meanwhile, a prison riot is taking place. Prisoners throw someone over the rail, falling to his death several stories down.

Big Figure: He's dead, Rorschach. While everyone's distracted, we thought we'd bring you a little housewarming gift. Something from the machine shop.

Lawrence: Hey, Boss, you notice? None of that "small world, tall order" crap, cause he knows once we slice open his lock, he's next on the block.

Rorschach: Fat chance.

Lawrence [reaching into Rorschach's cell]: You're dead, Rorschach! We got a prison full of killers out here! What do you got?

Rorschach [grabbing Lawrence's hands]: Your hands. My pleasure.

Rorschach breaks Lawrence's hands and ties them to the prison bars. Another henchman comes with a grinder and proceeds to first cut the others arms off and then cut open Rorschach's cell bars.

Big Figure: Now you find out what the score is!

Rorschach: One, nothing. Come and get me.

We cut to Laurie and Daniel in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

Dreiberg: So I've been thinking, I feel we have an obligation to our fraternity... I think we oughta spring Rorshach.

Laurie: What?

Dreiberg: Someone set him up. This whole cancer thing with Jon, it just doesn't make sense. You didn't get it.

Laurie: Yeah, but breaking into a maximum security prison is a lot different than putting out a fire.

Dreiberg: Yeah, you're right... it'll be more fun.

Back at the prison, Rorschach quickly subdues the grinder man against the cell toilet, then electrocutes him with the exposed grinder cord.

Rorschach: Hm. Never disposed of sewage with a toilet before. Obvious, really. . . Two, nothing. Your move.

The dwarf runs for his life.

Back in costume, Silk Spectre and Night Owl land at the prison where a full scale prisoner revolt is in progress.

Meanwhile, Rorschach heads straight for the psychiatrist's office and gets his mask.

Rorschach: Your turn doctor! Tell me!

Rorschach puts on his mask.

Rorschach: What do you see?

Silk Specter and Night Owl subdue dozens of prisoners with fists and kicks.

We see the dwarf run into the men's bathroom to hide, as Silk Spectre and Night Owl find Rorschach.

Rorschach: Need to visit men's room.

Laurie: Oh, for Christ's sake!

For a moment, we see Big Figure through the swinging door, and we see water and blood running on the floor after Rorschach leaves.

Back in Daniel's basement lair, Night Owl and Laurie revel in the fun of their evening. Dr. Manhattan appears.

Laurie: John! The TV said you were on Mars.

Dr. Manhattan: I am on Mars. You and I are about to have a conversation there.

Laurie: What are you talking about?

Dr. Manhattan: You're going to try to convince me to save the world.

Dr. Manhattan zaps Laurie to Mars with him. As he says how beautiful it is, she doubles over and throws up.

Back to Rorschach and Dreiberg.

Rorschach: We need to squeeze people.

Dreiberg [sarcastic]: Sure. Why don't we just pick names out of a phone book.

Rorschach: You forgot how we do things, Daniel. You've gotten too soft. Too trusting. Especially with women.

Dreiberg: No, listen, I've had it with that! God, who do you think you are, Rorschach? You live off people while insulting them and no one complains because they think you're a goddamn lunatic!

Dreiberg [Rorschach approaches Dan, who sighs and turns to him]: I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, man.

Rorschach: Daniel. You are a good friend.

He extends his hand and Dan takes it.

Dreiberg: Let's do it your way.

Night Owl and Rorschach go out again and find out that Janey Slater, who worked for Pyramid, hired Adrian Veidt's assassin. They decide to "follow the money".

Back to Dr. Manhattan and Laurie as they ascend a flight of glass stairs on Mars.

Dr. Manhattan: This is where we hold our conversation. In it, you ask me to stop the eminent nuclear war. But why would I save a world I no longer have any stake in?

Laurie: Then, do it for me... if you really care.

Dr. Manhattan: When you left me, I left Earth. Does that not show you that I care? My red world here, now, means more to me than your blue one. Let me show you.

In the War Room, Nixon orders Def Con 1 to send the bombers.

Rorschach and Night Owl break into Adrian's office.

Rorschach: Funny, ancient pharaohs looked forward to the end of the world. Hoping the cadavers would rise, and reclaim hearts from golden jars. Must currently be holding breath in anticipation.

Night Owl guesses that the password to Adrian's computer is "RamesesII" and they find out that Pyramid is owned by Adrian's company, Veidt International.

In Antarctica, at Karnac, a group of scientists raise a toast to Manhattan's energy reactor, which is now online. Adrian, dressed as Ozymandias, compares the scientists to the Egyptian servants who were buried with their pharaoh, as he steps over their poisoned bodies. A moment later he has them disintegrated in a manner similar to Jon Osterman's accident.

Back in NYC, Rorschach records his suspicions in his journal, which he drops through mail slot in the door of the "New Frontier" newspaper.

On Mars, Laurie pleads for help for the Earth.

Laurie: Everyone will die!

Dr. Manhattan: And the universe will not even notice. In my opinion, the existence of life is a highly overrated phenomenon.

He wonders how things are better with another oil pipeline or shopping mall.

Laurie: So it's too much to ask for a miracle.

Dr. Manhattan: Miracles by they're definition are meaningless, only what can happen does happen.

She tells him to send her back to Earth to be "fried" with her mother and Daniel.

Laurie: I am not afraid. You want me to see things your way? Go ahead, show me. Do that thing you do!

Dr. Manhattan shows her a vision of the past - details of her life that she doesn't want to remember. Probing her memories, Manhattan reveals to her that her mother eventually had a romantic relationship with the Comedian, despite his previous attempted rape of her. Sally sees Eddie talking to Laurie.

Sally [to Eddie, flashback]: Are there no depths you won't sink to?

Blake: Jesus Christ Sally, can't a guy talk to his . . . an old friend's daughter?

Out of anger from discovering the truth, Laurie smashes Manhattan's watch-like machine; Manhattan generates a protective field around them both, sheltering them from the debris. The view pulls back from Mars, revealing that they are standing in a giant smiley face on the planet's surface. Laurie is distraught, saying "My life is just one big joke."

Dr. Manhattan: Will you smile? If I admit I was wrong?

Laurie: About what?

Dr. Manhattan: Miracles. Events with astronomical odds of occurring, like oxygen turning into gold. I've longed to witness such an event, and yet I neglect that in human coupling, millions upon millions of cells compete to create life, for generation after generation until, finally, your mother loves a man.

Edward Blake, the Comedian, a man she has every reason to hate, and out of that contradiction, against unfathomable odds, it's you - only you - that emerged. To distill so specific a form, from all that chaos. It's like turning air into gold. A miracle. And so... I was wrong. Now dry your eyes, and let's go home.

Rorschach and Nite Owl fly south to Karnac (in Antarctica) where Archie, having been underwater in New York for many hours, freezes from the water still in it & is suddenly rendered unpilotable.

Rorschach: The engines!

Dreiberg: They're icing up. Hold on to something!

Rorschach: Daniel, you're coming in too low. Don't wish to interfere with running of ship, but perhaps should pull up sharply before...

Dreiberg: Yeah, I know, I'm trying! I'm trying to pull him up, goddamnit!

The ship makes a hard landing. With winter gear on, Dreiberg makes modifications to heat up the engines and suggests to Rorschach he needs something warmer.

Rorschach: Fine like this.

Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" plays as Ozymandias watches Rorschach and Nite Owl hiking in the snow towards Karnac on one of dozens of televisions that are arrayed before him. Other televisions display newscasts and other information from around the globe.

Rorschach and Nite Owl sneak in, thinking that he is unaware of their arrival. In fact, he is fully aware. They confront Ozymandias, attempting to subdue him in hand-to-hand combat, however, he easily defeats them both.

Veidt confirms he is the mastermind behind the Comedian's murder, because he was "cracking badly" and had uncovered Ozymandias' plan. He also spent $2 billion to manipulate Manhattan into not seeing the future and leaving the Earth, arranged the framing of Rorschach, and also staged his own assassination attempt to place himself above suspicion.

Adrian: I've known Jon long enough to see he isn't devoid of emotion. His subtle facial twitches wouldn't have been noticed by the layman but to me, he might as well have been sobbing.

He explains that his plan is to unify the United States and Soviet Union and prevent nuclear war by "killing millions" in several of the world's largest cities, "to save billions." Veidt intends to use devices with Dr. Manhattan's unique energy signature to destroy the cities.

The world will think Dr. Manhattan is behind all the deaths and will unite against him, thereby stopping the impending nuclear war. Rorschach and Nite Owl attempt to stop him, but Ozymandias tells them that he would only tell them his plan if they couldn't possibly prevent it.

Adrian: I'm not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome? I triggered it 35 minutes ago.

On TV monitors, they see that the cities are being destroyed. Henry Kissinger tells Nixon that the energy signatures are not nuclear devices launched from the Soviet Union, they are from Dr. Manhattan.

Laurie and Manhattan arrive at the ruins of New York City and see the results of Ozymandias's plan. Manhattan observes that the destruction was "made to look like I did it." They teleport to Karnak to confront Ozymandias.

Dr. Manhattan: Adrian, stop this. The tachyons were clever. But even if I can't predict where you are I can still turn the walls to glass. I should thank you. I'd almost forgotten the excitement of not knowing. The delights of uncertainty.

Ozymandias appears to obliterate Manhattan, and Laurie pulls out a gun and shoots him. He falls down the stairs, but then realizes that he caught the bullet and is completely unharmed. In a first surprise for Ozymandias, Manhattan reappears . . .

Dr. Manhattan: I'm disappointed in you, Adrian! Very disappointed! . . . Reassembling myself was the first trick I learned. It didn't kill Osterman... did you really think it would kill me? 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.

Adrian pulls out a hand device.

Dr. Manhattan: What's that? Another ultimate weapon?

Adrian: Yes. You could say that.

Ozymandias reveals it is a TV remote control, and all of the televisions are switched to a broadcast of Nixon blaming Manhattan for the destruction. After President Nixon states that the US and Soviets have allied, Dr. Manhattan realizes Ozymandias' plan is logical and revealing the conspiracy would only break the peace and lead again to nuclear destruction.

Adrian: Do you see? Two superpowers retreating from war. I've saved the Earth from hell. We both have. This is as much your victory as it is mine. Now we can return. Do what we were meant to.

Rorschach: We were meant to exact justice! Everyone's gonna know what you've done...

Adrian: Will they? By exposing me, you would sacrifice the peace so many died for today.

Dreiberg: Peace based on a lie.

Adrian: But peace! Nonetheless.

Dr. Manhattan: ...He's right. Exposing Adrian would only doom the world to nuclear destruction again.

Laurie: No... we can't do this.

Dr. Manhattan: On Mars, you taught me the value of life. If we hope to preserve it here, we must remain silent.

Rorschach: Keep your own secrets.

Rorschach is unwilling to remain silent and angrily turns to leave, steadfastly believing that a crime has been committed and that the world must know about it. The others look as Rorscach leaves, then Jon and Adrian make eye contact.

Dreiberg: Don't even think about it.

Dreiberg goes after Rorscach.

Dreiberg: Rorscach! Wait.

Rorschach: Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. That's always been the difference between us, Daniel.

Rorschach leaves the building.

Adrian: I've made myself feel every death... see every innocent face I've murdered to save humanity.

Adrian [to Jon]: You understand, don't you?

Dr. Manhattan: Without condoning... or condemning. I understand.

Outside, Rorscach comes across a copy of Jon standing in the snow.

Rorschach: Out of my way. People have to be told.

Dr. Manhattan: You know I can't let you do that.

Rorschach: Suddenly you discover humanity. Convenient.

Rorschach takes off his mask.

Rorschach: If you'd cared from the start, none of this would've happened.

Dr. Manhattan: I can change almost anything... but I can't change human nature.

Rorschach: Of course, you must protect Veidt's new Utopia. One more body amongst foundations makes little difference. Well, what are you waiting for? Do it...

Jon hesitates.

Rorschach: DO IT!

Jon makes Rorscach explode into a pile of blood.

Dreiberg: NOOOOOOOO!

Manhattan shares a final kiss with Laurie and departs for another galaxy that is "a little less complicated. Maybe I'll create some life there". Daniel comes back into the building and attacks Adrian. Adrian takes the blows without emotion.

Adrian: Dan. A world united in peace... there had to be sacrifice.

Dreiberg: No! You haven't idealized mankind but you've... you've deformed it! You mutilated it. That's your legacy. That's the real practical joke.

Daniel and Laurie fly away in Archie. We hear the beginning of an episode of The Outer Limits as Laurie talks with her mother. She tells her mother that she knows the Comedian was her father, and they make amends. Daniel appears and says that Archie is all updated and ready. Daniel observes that "As long as people think that Jon is still watching, we'll be okay." Outside, life goes on.

A newspaper editor in New York complains of nothing worthwhile to print because of the world-wide peace. He tells a young reporter, Seymour, that it's like living in a world-wide hippie commune where the only hamburgers available have a Russian variation: borscht.

The reporter says that they could write a story about Ronald Reagan who may run for president. The editor dismisses this; "Americans don't want a cowboy in the White House." Instead, he tells Seymour he should print whatever he likes from a collection of crank mailings. The camera focuses on the mail basket containing Rorschach's journal.

Rorschach: Rorschach's Journal: October 12th, 1985. Tonight, a comedian died in New York.