Giordano1

MichaelaGiordano
ProfessorJackie
English114B
9February2015

SuperheroesChallengingStereotypes
Animmediatereactiontothethoughtofaherowithoutmoralsorethicswouldmost

likelybepuzzlingorconfusing.Itisnotnormaltohavetodecipherifacharacteroractual
personaseitheraheroorvillain.Thegraphiccomicbookseries,Watchmen,writtenbyAlan
MooreandartisticallyillustratedbyDaveGibbonsandJohnHiggons,featuresapackof
superheroeslivingdaytodayliveswhilesimultaneouslyputtingcriminalsinjailandsolving
dangerousinvestigations.Thesesuperheroesareprotectingthepublic,buttheirwayabout
performingtheiractionscomeoffcontradictingtotheirtitles.Moorechallengesthestereotypical
reputationsofsuperheroesandcausesmanycontradictingcharacterswithquestionablerole
modelstatuses.Maybebeingaheromustrequireputtingasidemoralsandethicsinordertoget
thejobdone.AlthoughsuperheroesRorschach,Dr.Manhattan,andVeidtareperceivedtobe
villains,theirpurposebehindtheiraggressiveactionssecretlyholdrespectablemoralsandethics
forthecommongood.
Beforecomingtoanyharshconclusions,onemustcomprehendthemeaningofa
superhero.C.W.Lesherdescribesinhisphilosophyofthesuperheroarticlethatasuperheroisan
invulnerablecharacterwithextraordinarypowersusedtofulfilltheirroleofprotectingthepublic
(Lesher).YetsuperheroesRorschach,Dr.Manhattan,andVeidtareperceivedasmurderous
villains,theypossessmisleadingmoralsandethicsbehindtheiractions.Ethicsandmoralsare
commonlypairedasthesame,buttheyaredecisivelydifferent(Thadani).Ethicscanbe
understoodasthebehaviorofacollectionofpeople,andmoralsaretheindividualisticand
personalnatureofaperson(Thadani).Onewouldassumethatifsomeonepossessesmorals,then

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theymusthavenoticeableawarenessofrightandwrong.AccordingtoLeshersfirmdefinition
ofasuperhero,thesecharactersfallunderthecategoryofasuperhero.Theseheroescontradict
stereotypicalheroesthatmostpeoplepicturetobe.
Rorschachisaslyinvestigatorwhouseshissuperpowersinanaggressivemanner.He
mischievouslyroamsthestreetswithasignaturewhiteandblackmaskcementedtohisface
whiledemonstratingruthlesstacticsinordertocollectanswersfrompotentialcriminalssuchas
breakingbodyparts,breakingintohomes,andevenshovingpeopleintotheirownrefrigerators
(Moore#).Thecomicexplainslateroninthestoryhowhispastofbeingbulliedandtortured
corruptedhismind,thereforecausinghimtohaveanunorthodoxmethodofpunishingevil.The
comicnovelmisleadsthereaderintobelievingthatRorschachisamaliciouscriminalwhenin
realityputsthebadpeopleinjail.EventhoughRorschachlackspeopleskills,hisintentionsare
worthywiththepurposeofeliminatingthebadguy.ToimmediatelyshunawayRorschachfrom
beingcategorizedasasuperheroforhispersonalityissenseless,forhisbraveandcourageous
actionsserveasprotectionforthepublic.Manyperspectivesareplacedonthiscrazyman,but
throughhisantagonisticpersonalityheshowspassionforservingjustice.
UnliketheruthlessRorschach,Dr.Manhattaniscalmandcollective.Hecanbedescribed
asasuperhuman,buteventhatwouldbeanunderstatement.Hedoesnotresulttoviolenceashis
strength,butusesintellectualmindinordertoseethefutureandpreventitfromhappening.Dr.
ManhattanbecamealeaderwhenhegallantlyendedtheVietnamWarusinghissuperhuman
powers.Eversincethenhewasviewedasaheroknownforvaliantlysavingandbringingvictory
totheUnitedStates.Hisselfishnessandcarelessnessforothersarewhatstandinhiswayfrom
beingastereotypicalhero.Thegraphicnovelincludesanexcerptofatragicincidentbetweenthe
ComedianandDr.Manhattan.Theyseeapregnantwomanstrugglingtolive.Dr.Manhattanis

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awarethathewouldbeabletosavethewomanwithhismiraculouspowers,butdecidestobe
satisfiedwithallowingtheComediantoshootthesufferingwomaninordertoendhermisery
(Moore#).ThisisanotherprimeexampleofDr.Manhattanselfishlychoosingtonotusehis
powersforthecommongood.Dr.Manhattanislatercorneredandaccusedofgivingpeopledear
tohisheartcancer.HewaslaterblamedforcausingamajorbombintheUnitedStatesaswell,
killingmanypeople.Hisreputationtookacompleteturnfortheworse.Theselieswere
deceivingandmentallydestroyingforDr.Manhattan.Itwasdifficultforthepeopletobelievehe
wasaherowithdegradingincidentssuchasthese.Histruemoralsandcharacteristicsare
revealedneartheendofthegraphicnovelwhenhesavestheworldonceagainbytakingout
Veidtwhowasultimatelytryingtotakeovertheworld.Dr.Manhattansidentityasaheroisnot
soquestionablefromanoutsideperspective.Sincehelivesinthepast,present,andfuture,itis
difficultforhimtoconnectwiththemoralsofhumanity,consequentlyforcinghimtolack
connectionswithhumans.Thoughhestillfallsundertheexplanationofasuperheroaccordingto
Lesher,intheWatchmanheismoresousedasaresourceforthegovernmentratherthanahero
forthepublic.Succeedingthesecontradictingheroes,thereisAdrianVeidt.
AdrianVeidt,alsoknownasOzymandias,isintroducedwithintheclanofsuperheroes,
TheCrimebusters,inthebeginningofthegraphicnovel.Heisclaimedtobethemostintelligent
manintheworld,butabuseshissuperpowersbyscheminganegotisticalplan.Duringthisdark
time,therewerescaresofnuclearwarsandtensionbetweentheUnitedStatesandtheSoviet
Union.Thisdisastrousconflictwasgoingtooccursoon.Veidtkeenlyschemedaplantoblowup
andkilleveryoneinNewYorkCitytosendamessageandhopefullybringnuclearwartoahalt.
InorderforVeidtsplantoproceedashewished,hehadtokilleverysuperheroapartofthe
Crimebustersclan.Histhoughtprocesswasinordertosavebillionsheonlyhastokillmillions

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(Moore#).Thislogicstrikinglyseemsimmoralrightaway,butitcontainssometruthbehindit.
Havingthechoice,mostpeoplewhoweregoingtodiewouldnotchoosetodieforagood
cause.YetVeidtschoiceofproblemsolvingplanswasnotthesafest,itwasriskyand
courageouswhichqualifieshimunderthestereotypicalsuperherocategory.Nocommonperson
wouldbewillingtomakethedecisiontosacrificeothersfortheworldssafety.
EvenifRorschachdemonstratesviolentassaultsinordertodiscoverjustice,his
intentionsofpunishingevilsavethecommonpeopleintheend.Dr.Manhattanmayonly
performhissuperpowertaskswhendesperatelyneeded,butthroughhisselfishegoheuseshis
powersforgood.AlthoughAdrianVeidtplannedanailbitingplanbykillingmillionsofpeople,
hesavedthefuturefrompossibledisasterousnuclearwars.Stereotypicalsuperheroassumptions
arechallengedwithinMooresgraphicnoveltheWatchmen.Thenoveldemonstrateshow
societyreliesonsuperheroesinordertoaccomplishjusticeintheworldwhethertheypossess
contradictingmoralsornot.Eventhoughthesecharacterspresumedwithcontradicting
reputationstotheirtitle,theyusedtheirpowersforgoodinorderforjusticetobeserved.

WorkCited
Thadani,Rahul.MoralsVs.Ethics.Buzzle.com.N.p.,23Sep.2013.Web.28Jan.2015.

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Dilbeck,Mike.WhatReallyIsaHero,Anyway?.Raproject.org.N.p.,Sept.2014.
Web.24Jan.2015.
Lesher,C.W.PhilosophyoftheSuperhero:AnIndepthAnalysisoftheSuperheroandHis
OriginYahoo!Voices.22July2008.Web.7February2015.