THE ANNOTATED WATCHMEN
Chapter 3: "The Judge of All the Earth"
Watchmen is a trademark of DC Comics Inc., copyright 1995.
These annotations copyright 1995 by Doug Atkinson. They may be freely
copied and distributed, provided the text is not altered.
Certain notes are true for each issue. Each one is written by
Alan Moore, drawn and lettered by Dave Gibbons, and colored by John
Higgins.
Moreover, each issue has a continuing motif, a reoccuring object
or pattern that is seen on the cover, the first and last page (usually),
and throughout the issue. This issue's motif is the "radioactive"
symbol.
Another trend is the title, which is always an excerpt from an
apropos quote shown in its entirety in the last panel. This issue's title is
from Genesis 18:25.
The clock appearing on the covers counts the minutes to
midnight, similar to the clock in the _Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists_,
which is an estimate of the world's closeness to nuclear war. The clock
stands at 9 minutes to midnight, and advances by one minute per issue.
Cover: The "Fallout Shelter" sign being put up on the newsstand.
Note that the cropping makes it read "Allout Helter," and the smoke makes it
read "All Hel." Also, the smoke forms the profile of a skull.
Page 1, panel 1: The captions in that style are from the "Tales of
the Black Freighter" comic the teenager is reading. They continue to
appear on and off through the eleventh issue. Some of the panels later are
excerpts from the comic. The story behind the comic itself is told in issue
#5. (Actually, the comic in question is a reprint.)
Pay close attention to the comic captions, and compare them to the
ongoing story. (All the "Black Freighter" captions are in the frayed-edge
style.)
The speaker is Bernard the newsvendor (we learn his name in #11).
The radiation symbol appears in this and the next three panels.
Panel 3: On the right is an issue of _New Frontiersman_, a right-wing
newspaper, with a headline reading "Missing Writer: Castro to Blame?"
and a photo of Max Shea (writer of "Tales of the Black Freighter." See
issue #8.
Castro: Fidel Castro, communist leader of Cuba since the '60s.
Panel 4: The kid reading the comic is named Bernie, as we also find
out in #11. The ad on the back of the comic is for "The Veidt Method,"
Adrian Veidt's equivalent of the Charles Atlas ads. Veidt honed his body to
"perfection," and here he's offering to do the same for anyone who'll
gamble a stamp.
Across the street are the offices of the Promethean Cab Company
("Bringing Light to the World"). In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus
defied Zeus' will by giving fire to mankind; he has become a symbol of
enlightenment. This makes it likely that Veidt owns them, too,
though that's never confirmed or denied.
The _Nova Express_ headline reads, "How Sick Is Dick? After 3rd
Presidential Heart-Op?" The _Nova Express_ is a left-wing newspaper,
the antithesis of the _New Frontiersman._ Other magazines are
"Bodyline," "TV Guide" [real-world], "Home Maker," and "Music," and an unidentified
one that seems to be Japanese with a "Knot Top" headline. (Are knot-tops
a Japanese fashion imported to the US, or vice versa? They seem to be
modelled on medieval samurai hairstyles. Their popularity in the
U.S. may be linked to Red D'eath.) On the ground is a "Gunga Diner" menu and
takeout box.
Bernie is leaning against a public recharge post for the electric
vehicles.
Page 2, panel 1: The newsstand is in front of the "Institute for
Extraspatial Studies."
Panel 2: The symbol for the spark hydrant bears a striking
resemblance to that of the second Flash, a DC Comics character.
Panel 5: Atlas: Another Titan, this one responsible for holding up
the world. He's synonymous with endurance and perseverance.
Panel 7: The Express' reason for holding its front page will be found
out later this issue.
Panel 9: Behind the sign man is a sign for the Utopia, a revival
movie theater.
Page 3, panel 2: The _Examiner_ is probably a trashy tabloid; its
title is similar to our _National Enquirer_, although it sounds more like the
_Weekly World News._
Page 4, panel 1: Laurie and Jon's bedroom at the Rockefeller Military
Research Center.
Page 5, panel 4: Another production error, Jon's speech bubble here
is white in my copy.
Panel 9: The speaker here is Janey Slater. The reference to JFK
refers to Dr. Manhattan's ability to see the future; he does not attempt to
prevent the things he sees.
Page 6, panels 1, 3, 5: Janey is being interviewed in the _Nova
Express_ offices. Her ashtray rests on the current issue. Notice the
similarity between the tape reels and the radiation symbol. The ashtray is the
first appearance of a minor theme (the zig-zag pattern on a round object.)
Janey also smokes a ball-pipe; her usage of "three packs a day" is
probably figurative, although it's possible that the tobacco balls come in
packs like cigarettes.
The layout of the buttons on the tape recorder is interesting. In
our world, the two leftmost buttons would be depressed to record; the
third button would be "rewind."
Panels 4, 6: The cab is from the Promethean, and the driver (who
reappears later) is named Joey.
Page 7: Another production error here; the interviewer's hands are
that golden/orange color.
Panel 2: We learn here that Nostalgia is produced by Veidt. Notice
"Mutiny on the Bounty" displayed inside Treasure Island.
Since Laurie is paying with at least two bills, what does the "25c"
mean, anyway? 25 cents per mile?
Panel 4: The workman is repairing Dreiberg's lock after Rorschach
smashed it in the first issue. He works for Gordian Knot Lock Co., which is
probably owned by Veidt (the Gordian knot was undone by Alexander the
Great, one of Veidt's heroes). The motto on the truck reads,
"They'll Never Undo This Sucker." Why did Dan wait so long to get it fixed,
anyway?
Page 8, panel 4: Odd that the teakettle uses a light, rather than a
whistle--it doesn't seem like the best attention-getting device. Of
course, since the series doesn't use sound effects, there would be no
way to indicate the whistle.
Panel 5: Rorschach ate or took the rest of his sugar in the first
issue.
Page 9, panel 5: The teakettle is made by Veidt.
Page 10, panel 1: The image of Laurie reflected here foreshadows
issue #9's motif, and the eyes, circle, nose (as the mouth) and slash of light
repeat the smiley-face of #1.
Page 11, panel 2: The Utopia Cinema, which is showing "This Island
Earth," (a real movie) reappears later. This scene is seen from another
angle on page 18, panel 1.
Panels 4 & 6: More ongoing themes. "Who Watches the Watchmen"
graffiti, a Pale Horse poster, an anarchy symbol, and the militant feminist
symbol with "Castrate Rapists" underneath it. The Japanese-looking characters on
the jackets [do they mean anything?] suggest that the knot-top style does
indeed come from Japan.
Page 12, panel 3: The host is Benny Anger; he reappears in issue #7.
Panel 4: Is that a Veidt logo on the Krystalnacht poster on the
right? The graffiti reads, "[illegible] go mad." We learn much later that it's
"One in eight go mad," though what this means is never clear. (Something to
do with the eight Minutemen, maybe?)
Page 13, panel 3: First appearance of Doug Roth (unless he was the
one interviewing Janey, which is possible).
Panel 5: We see a flashback to one of these battles in issue #4.
Page 14, panel 6: Unlike most of the graffiti in the series, there's
not enough given to make this graffiti decipherable. What we can see
says, "K-TO[part of another letter] KiN[cut off]."
Page 15, panel 1: The Washington Post is a real paper.
Panels 2,4,6: Dan and Laurie's reactions here resemble actions after
sex; they're panting and sweaty. Once they catch their breath, he rollls
over and she lights up.
Panel 2: Another "Ozymandias Southern India Famine Relief" poster,
first seen in issue #1.
Panel 3: The speech balloon is mis-colored again.
Page 17, panel 2: The sign is for the _New Frontiersman_ and reads
"In your hearts, you know it's right" to which someone has added "wing." This
is a reference to 1964's conservative Presidential candidate Barry
Goldwater, who used this phrase, minus the addition, as a slogan. He was
perceived as being partial to nuclear war; his slogan was modified by LBJ
supporters to "In Your Heart You Know He Might" (particularly appropriate to this
series).
Page 18, panel 1: _Nova Express_: "Dr. Manhattan Cancer Link New
Evidence; Inside: Janey Slater Speaks." The new issue. This is page 11, panel
2 from another angle.
Panels 7-9: The radiation symbol again.
Page 19, panel 1: The symbol, this time being painted on their
bedroom door. The singer's rendition of "Walking on the Moon" by the Police
foreshadows Dr. Manhattan's trip to Mars.
Page 20, panel 1: The sign reads, "Gila Flats Test Base: Per Dolorem
Ad Astra: Government Property: Keep Out." This is where Dr. Manhattan
worked when he had the accident that changed him (see next issue). The
Latin phrase means something like "Through Sadness/Pain/Anguish To The
Stars." "Ad Astra Per Aspera" is a more commonly known phrase, meaning
"Through adversities to the stars". (The change may reflect Doc's reasons for
leaving Earth.)
Panel 3: The Bestiary, the on-base bar.
Panel 4: The first time Jon is shown in clear full-frontal nudity,
rather than the sly covering positions used earlier.
Panel 5: The writing in the case reads "At play amidst the
strangeness and charm." "Strangeness" and "charm" are properties of quarks.
Panel 6: The picture is of Janey and Jon. See next issue.
Page 22, panel 1: The _Frontiersman_ headline reads, "Our Country's
Protector Smeared by the Kremlin." The rising sun shows that this is
an east-west street, with the Promethean on the north and
newsstand/Institute on the south.
Panel 3: The _Gazette_ headline: "Dr Manhattan Leaves Earth."
Page 23, panel 2: More radiation symbols.
Page 24, panel 7: The "Sunday" designation sets today's date as the
20th.
Panels 7-8: That's Nostalgia cologne Rorschach is swiping. The way
he's using it says something about his lifestyle; he doesn't bathe much
(his smell is commented on later), just covers up the odor with cologne.
Page 25, panels 1-3: As has been said before, superhero comics never
caught on in a world with real superheroes. They seem to have died out
during the early '40's. (In our world it's "Flash," not "Flash-Man;" either the
newsvendor has a faulty memory, or the worlds had diverged enough by
1940 to produce a minor change like this.) Pirate comics have been the
most popular type of comic for a long time.
Page 8: "Russians Invade Afghanistan." In our world this happened in
1979. Here, of course, the Russians held off due to Dr. Manhattan; but with
him gone they went ahead and invaded.
Page 26, panel 1: The second speaker is President Nixon.
Panel 6: Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is on the right.
Page 27, panel 2: The bald man with the ball pipe is G. Gordon Liddy,
seen again in #10.
Panel 4: Lots more radiation symbols.
Page 28, panel 2: The last radiation symbol of the issue.
Pages 29-32: The last _Under the Hood_ reprint, chronicling the days
after the fall of the Minutemen.
Page 11, paragraph 3: I believe the date of Laurie's birth was
changed in the paperback. The typeface is slightly lighter.
Page 12, paragraph 3: Hooded Justice was likely killed by the
Comedian. (If Muller was Hooded Justice. There is no direct evidence for this
anywhere in the comic; but the Mayfair Games DC Heroes Module,
"Taking Out the Trash," agrees with this assessment, in the section co-written by
Moore.) Mason's statement about real life is later echoed by Veidt.
douga@yang.earlham.edu Doug Atkinson