The Mask of Manhood: How Watchmen Deconstructs the Hero
On the rain-slicked streets of a dystopian New York, masked vigilantes patrol the shadows; dispensing "justice" with an iron fist. But beneath the gritty action and dark humour of Alan Moore's graphic novel Watchmen lies a deeper critique. This isn't just a story of superheroes; it's a scathing examination of masculinity and its capacity for corruption.
Watchmen delves into the psyche of vigilantes, exploring how a warped sense of masculinity fuels violence, isolation and a distorted view of the world. From the rage of Rorschach to the twisted paternalism of Ozymandias, Watchmen exposes the dark side of the superhero archetype, questioning who could be drawn to such an endeavour and revealing how easily the pursuit of power and control can become something monstrous. Is there any hope for redemption in this morally ambiguous world, or is masculinity too much of a corrupting influence?
Watchmen presents the reader with a hyper violent world which is largely kept in order by a group of men in masks. Moore uses the very idea of the superhero to critique masculinity, presenting us with a team of five men and only a single woman. Each member of this team parodies heroes and demonstrates different effects of a society of hyper violence and toxic masculinity, as well as those effects on women. Here I will break the team down, explaining the effects of toxic masculinity on each of them.
The Comedian
The Comedian, also known as Edward Blake, is a particularly cynical reflection of masculinity in Watchmen. He has a jaded outlook and violent tendencies, stemming from a lifetime of war and disillusionment.
The source of Blake’s rage and cynicism is never explicitly stated, but there are hints of a traumatic past throughout the narrative. His cruelty comes to a head during October of 1940, when he sexually assaults one of his fellow ‘costumed adventurers’. This is an act that gets him removed from the crime fighting group known as The Minutemen and leads him down a path of black ops work and further violence, against crime and women. This cruelty, particularly towards women, can be perceived as a warped sense of self defence, acts of deflection away from his own pain. Blake perpetuates a cycle of violence, mirroring the traumas he likely endured.
Blake’s brand of masculinity revels in moral ambiguity. He scoffs at idealism and seems to derive a sense of pleasure from inflicting pain. His masked identity, The Comedian, is one that laughs as he fights crime. His signature smiley face button further reflects a twisted sense of humour, one that makes a mockery of heroism and the idea of good versus evil.
Through his actions, Blake serves as a constant reminder of the potential consequences of unchecked masculinity. His violent cynicism is a stark contrast to the supposed nobility of the traditional heroes like Superman, or Captain America. He forces the reader to confront the darkness that can fester beneath the mask of the hero archetype.
However, the Comedian isn’t entirely without depth. He loses his life because he wants to stop Ozymandias and his great lie, he is horrified at the plan to kill millions, hinting at a flicker of morality. Perhaps beneath the violence and cynicism lies a yearning for a better world, a world ultimately betrayed by men like Blake and their masculine ideals.
Blake’s inclusion broadens Watchmen and the exploration of masculinity, showcasing the psychological damage and moral decay it can inflict. Blake is a cautionary tale and reminds the reader of the danger of unchecked power and acknowledges the complexities of heroism.
Rorschach
Rorschach is the enigmatic vigilante at the heart of Watchmen. His mask is a constantly shifting inkblot, reflecting his own fractured psyche, a psyche that represents a particularly dangerous form of masculinity.
Rorschach sees the world in a stark black and white. He sees himself embodying a good, while everyone else represents a sense of evil. His rigid moral code is the result of a traumatic childhood filled with abuse from his mother something that would go on to fuel his paranoia. He believes his moral code justifies his brutal tactics, where he nominates himself judge, jury and executioner. His brand of crime fighting leads the reader to question if crime fighting is a crusade for justice, or a simple quest for revenge.
Rorschach’s journal is the reader's introduction to Watchmen, immediately the reader is faced with his harsh views on morality. The journal is filled with racist and misogynist pronouncements, exposing the ugliness that festers beneath his self-righteous exterior. He clings to a warped sense of masculinity, using it as a shield from the complexities of the world. The mask, both literal and metaphorical, allows him to indulge in violence without facing consequence, until Ozymandias has him framed. Eventually leading Rorschach to see his mask as his true face.
Rorschach’s unwavering belief in a world gone mad fuels his descent into madness. He actively seeks out conflict, perpetuating the violence that he claims to oppose. His tragic demise becomes a chilling illustration of how a toxic sense of masculinity can lead to ones own self destruction.
Rorschach, however, is not without a sense of honour. He remains true to his ideals, even though they are deeply flawed. His unwavering commitment to his cause, however misguided, forces the reader to confront the limitations of traditional heroism when the world is presented with a black and white moral compass.
Through Rorschach, Watchmen challenges the romanticization of the lone vigilante. His story is a stark reminder that heroes whose primary tool is violence, present us not with a saviour but a harbinger of toxic masculinity and chaos.
Nite Owl
Nite Owl, the alias of Daniel Dreiberg, appears to be the most conventional hero in Watchmen. He wears a high tech suit and flies around in a sleek Owl-ship, and generally embodies the classic superhero archetype. However, beneath this cape and cowl is a more nuanced portrayal of masculinity, grappling with nostalgia, a fading sense of power, and the limitations of heroism.
Nite Owl clings onto a romanticised past, yearning for the simpler days of costumed crime fighting. He idolises the era of the Minutemen, a group who fought crime with less violence and a unified vision, even going as far as to become the second Nite Owl, one of the more famous members of the crime fighting club. This nostalgia represents a sense of disillusionment with the complexities of the present, a yearning for a masculinity that is personified by clear lines between good and evil.
Unlike the more brutal vigilantes, Nite Owl exhibits a capacity for empathy and compassion. He fosters a relationship with Laurie Jupiter (the Silk Spectre) demonstrates a less toxic and more vulnerable form of masculinity, one that acknowledges the importance of connection and collaboration. However, he is unable to filly commit to this vulnerability, reflecting the societal constraints placed on male emotional expression.
Nite Owl can be seen to struggle with ageing and the limitations of his physical strength. Moore personifies this struggle through sexual impotence that Dreiberg suffers from after masked vigilantes are outlawed. He is no longer able to use strength, or his gadgets to win the fight like he once could. While he is a more emotional man than the rest of his team, generally relying less on violence, he still somewhat revelled in violence and enjoyed being able to show his strength.
Nite Owl represents the struggle to adapt traditional ideals of what makes the hero into a morally ambiguous world. He wrestles with self doubt and questions the effectiveness of violence driven solutions. While ultimately flawed, his journey reflects a yearning for a more nuanced form of heroism, one that uses logic and reason instead of simply punching crime out of society.
Ozymandias
Adrian Veidt is the seemingly perfect hero known as Ozymandias. He stands as perhaps the most chilling embodiment of Watchmen’s critique of masculinity. Unlike the self-destructive rage of Rorschach, of the fading idealism of Nite Owl, Veidt presents a facade of control and order, masking a deep-seated sense of insecurity fueled by a twisted understanding of masculinity.
Ozymandias embodies the archetype of the Ubermensch, the Nietzchean ideal of the perfect man. He believes himself to be intellectually and physically superior, and therefore burdened with the responsibility to impose order on a chaotic world. This is a god complex that stems from a twisted sense of masculinity that equates strength with dominance and justifies any action in the pursuit of control.
Ozymandias meticulously curates his image, from his perfectly sculpted physique to his opulent headquarters. This obsession with performance reflects an underlying security. He needs an outward display of power so that he can mask his doubts and anxiety. For him, masculinity is a performance, a carefully constructed persona designed to inspire awe and obedience.
Ozymandias’s ultimate act of uniting the world through a fabricated alien attack, is the horrifying culmination of his warped sense of masculinity. He believes himself to be the sole arbiter of what is best for humanity, willing to commit an act of mass murder to achieve his vision of peace. This utilitarian approach of heroism exposes the dangers of unchecked power and wealth, as well as the hollowness of his constructed masculinity.
Ozymandias, however, is not without vulnerabilities. His obsession with Laurie suggests a yearning for connection, a weakness he ruthlessly suppresses. This glimpse of humanity underscores the emptiness of his pursuit of power and the hollowness of his constructed masculinity.
Ozymandias exposes the dangers of a hero who operates outside the law and defines himself solely on power. He represents a chilling vision of masculinity, one that prioritises control and dominance at the expense of compassion and empathy.
Doctor Manhattan
Dr. Manhattan, formerly Jon Osterman, is a unique case in Watchmen's exploration of masculinity. Unlike the other vigilantes, his struggle isn't one rooted in a distorted sense of masculinity, but rather a detachment from it.
The accident that grants Dr. Manhattan his powers strips him of his humanity. He perceives time in a nonlinear fashion, witnessing his entire past, present, and future simultaneously. This detachment from the linear flow of time also deprives him of the ability to connect to the world emotionally, ultimately rendering traditional concepts of masculinity meaningless.
Dr. Manhattan struggles to reconcile his fragmented sense of self. He sees himself as a collection of particles, existing outside of the human experience. This loss of self reflects the alienation inherent to a masculinity defined solely by physical prowess. Without the emotional core, strength becomes nothing more than an empty shell.
Dr. Manhattan's detachment manifests as a profound apathy. He views human’s and their struggles with a cold indifference. He allows millions to die out of his apathy, refusing to intervene in Veidt’s plan and instead killing Rorschach for threatening to tell the world what Veidt did. This inability to connect with humans emotionally exemplifies the limitations of a masculinity that is devoid of empathy and compassion.
Dr. Manhattan's godlike powers make him a potentially perfect hero, yet his emotional detachment renders him ineffective. He struggles to understand the human cost of his actions, highlighting the importance of emotional intelligence in true heroism.
Dr. Manhattan's story serves as a cautionary tale. While traditional masculinity emphasises strength and power, it's the ability to connect and empathise that defines a true hero. His existence suggests that a hero stripped of their humanity, however powerful, ultimately fails to serve humanity.
Silk Spectre
Silk Spectre, known as Laurie Jupeczyk/ Jupiter, stands as a beacon of resistance against the corrupting influences of the masculinity explored in Watchmen. Unlike the women who are traditionally objectified or relegated to the sidelines in comic books, Laurie actively challenges the limitations placed upon her and carves out her own space within the world of vigilantes.
Laurie inherits the Silk Spectre mantle from her mother, a hero who was an overtly sexual pin-up girl. However, she rejects this objectification. She modifies her costume to prioritise function over aesthetic and asserts her own agency in the narrative.
In contrast to the violence and rage of the men in the story, Laurie demonstrates a strength rooted in empathy and emotional intelligence, She grapples with the emotional fallout of violence and the complexities of her relationships, even trying to re educate Dr. Manhattan on what it means to be human. This focus on emotional strength challenges the traditional association of masculinity with stoicism and a disregard for feelings.
Ultimately, Laurie emerges as a different kind of hero. She prioritises collaboration over dominance and seeks solutions that don't rely solely on violence. Her journey embodies the possibility of a more nuanced form of heroism, one that embraces empathy and emotional intelligence alongside strength and action.
While Watchmen doesn't shy away from portraying the limitations placed upon women within this world, Laurie's character arc offers a glimmer of hope. She demonstrates the potential for female characters to subvert expectations and redefine heroism on their own terms.
Watchmen transcends the boundaries of superhero fiction to deliver a scathing critique of masculinity. Through its flawed and morally ambiguous vigilantes, Moore deconstructs traditional notions of heroism, revealing the darkness that can lurk beneath the mask.
The graphic novel doesn't offer easy answers. Rorschach's descent into madness and Ozymandias' horrifying act of violence serve as stark warnings against unchecked masculinity. Yet, there's a flicker of hope. Nite Owl's yearning for a more collaborative form of heroism and Laurie's defiance against objectification suggest the possibility for a more nuanced approach.
Ultimately, Watchmen challenges us to question the very definition of heroism. True strength, the narrative suggests, lies not in violence or dominance, but in empathy, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to confront the complexities of the world. By stripping away the masks, both literal and metaphorical, Watchmen compels us to reimagine what it means to be a hero, not just in the world of comics, but in our own.
