Spoiler alert! This section gives away many of the surprises in the series.

Costumed types are listed under their aliases.

ALINE (?-1985): Joey's ex, she dies in the "alien attack." Appearances: issue #11, issue #12.

ANGER, BENNY (?-?): Talk-show host, he interviews Dr. Manhattan just before he leaves for Mars. Appearances: issue #3, issue #7, issue #11.

BERNARD (?-1985): The newsvendor who owns the newsstand in front of the Institute for Extraspatial Studies. He took on the job after his wife Rosa died. He was killed during the "alien attack." Appearances: issue #3, issue #5, issue #6, issue #8, issue #11, issue #12.

BERNIE (?-1985): The kid who sat by the newsstand reading the Tales of the Black Freighter, because his mother and sister were out. He was killed during the "alien attack." Appearances: issue #3, issue #5, issue #11, issue #12.

BIG FIGURE (?-1985): A crimelord who Rorschach put away. He tries to kill Rorschach in prison and winds up dead himself. i Appearances: issue #8.

BOURQUIN, JOE (?-1985): Steve Fine's partner. He investigates the Blake murder, helps arrest Rorschach, and is killed by the creature in New York. Appearances: issue #1, issue #5 , issue #8, issue #11, issue #12.

BUBASTIS (?-1985): Ozymandias's genetically engineered lynx. Killed when used as bait for Dr. Manhattan. Appearnces: issue #4, issue #10, issue #11 , issue #12.

CAPTAIN METROPOLIS (?-1974): Nelson Gardner. Gardner was a former Marine lieutenant. He became an adventurer in 1939, and proposed the formation of the Minutemen; he stayed with them until the end. In 1966 he tried to organize the Crimebusters. In 1974 he was killed in a car crash. Appearances: issue #2, issue #4, issue #6, issue #9, issue #11.

COMEDIAN, THE (1924-1985): Edward Morgan Blake. Began his career in 1939, cleaning up waterfronts in New York. He joined the Minutemen, and was expelled in 1940 for attempting to rape Sally Jupiter. He changed his yellow costume for heavier leather in 1941, and became a war hero in the Pacific. In 1949 he met Sally Jupiter again, sleeping with her and becoming Laurie's father. He was one of those at the meeting of the Crimebusters in 1966. He became a government operative at some point, working in Vietnam (where he was scarred on VVN Night in 1971), and remaining active after the Keene Act in 1977. In 1985, he discovered the island Veidt's creature project was based on, and was killed by Veidt. Appearances: issue #1, issue #2, issue #4, issue #6 , issue #9, issue #11.

DERF (?-1985): The knot-topped Katie addict who kills Nite Owl I. He's presumed killed at the Madison Square Garden Pale Horse concert. Appearances: issue #1, issue #8, issue #12(?).

DOCTOR MANHATTAN (1929- ): Jon Osterman. His father was a watchmaker, and he was going to follow him until his father sent him into physics following Hiroshima. In 1948 he entered Princeton, and in 1958 he obtained his Ph.D. In 1959 he went to work at Gila Flats, where he met and fell in love with Janey Slater. In August 1959, he was caught in an accident in an intrinsic field remover, causing him to disintegrate. By November, he had obtained sufficient control over matter to reassemble himself. He worked for the government, becoming their nuclear war prevention (since he could destroy incoming missiles with a thought). He was publicly revealed in 1960. In 1963, he failed to prevent Kennedy's assassination. He was at the meeting of the Crimebusters in 1966, following which he fell in love with Laurie Juspeczyk. His father died in 1969. In 1971 he intervened in Vietnam, leading to victory over the Viet Cong. He and Laurie eventually moved to Rockefeller military base. In 1985, following allegations he'd given cancer to people he was associated with, he left Earth and went to Mars, returning to get Laurie at one point. He returned following the "alien attack" in New York and went to Antarctica to confront Veidt, following which he decided to leave Earth altogether. Appearances: issue #1, issue #2, issue #3, issue #4, issue #6, issue #9, issue #11, issue #12.

DOLLAR BILL (?-1946): Real name unknown (the roleplaying sourcebook has it as Bill Brady). The best description of him comes from _Under the Hood_: "...originally a star college athlete from Kansas who was actually employed as an in-house super-hero by one of the major national banks, when they realized that the masked man fad made being able to brag about having a hero of your own to protect your customer's money a very interesting publicity project...While attempting to stop a raid at one of his employer's banks, he cloak became entangled in the bank's revolving door and he was shot dead at point-blank range before he could free it." Appearances: issue #2.

FINE, DETECTIVE STEVE (?-1985): Investigates the Blake murder. Helps arrest Rorschach, and tries to arrest Dreiberg. He's suspended just before being killed with his partner Joe Bourquin in New York. Appearances: issue #1, issue #5, issue #8, issue #11, issue #12.

GLASS, MILTON (?-?): Director of Gila Flats, and author of "Dr. Manhattan: Super-powers and the Superpowers." Appearances: issue #4. GODFREY, HECTOR (?-?): Editor of the New Frontiersman. Appearances: issue #8, issue 11 , issue #12.

GORDIAN KNOT MAN, THE (?-1985): Milo's brother, he fixes Dan's lock on several occasions. Appearances: issue #3, issue #8, issue #11, issue #12.

"HAPPY HARRY" (?-?): Runs a sleazy bar and grill named Happy Harry's. Appearances: issue #1, issue #10.

HOODED JUSTICE (?-?): Real name unknown; possibly Rolf Muller, circus strongman. He was the first costumed vigilante, making his debut October 13, 1938. He joined the Minutemen in 1939, remaining with the group until its demise ten years later. Until she left the group, Sally Jupiter posed as his girlfriend, covering his preference for boys. When the costumed adventurers were investigated by HUAC, he refused to testify and vanished. It has been speculated that he was killed by the Comedian in the mid-50's as revenge for stopping his rape of Sally. Appearances: issue #2.

JOEY (?-1985): A cab driver for the Promethean. She and her ex-girlfriend Aline were killed in the "alien attack." Appearances: issue #3, issue #5, issue #11, issue #12.

LONG, GLORIA (?-1985): Mal's wife, who leaves him. She's killed in the "alien attack." Appearances: issue #6, issue #11, issue #12.

LONG, DR. MALCOLM (?-1985): Rorschach's prison psychiatrist. He dies in the "alien attack." Appearances: issue #6, issue #11, issue #12.

MILO (?-1985): Manager of the Promethean, brother of the Gordian Knot man, dies in "alien attack." Appearances: issue #11, issue #12.

MOLOCH (?-1985): Edgar William Jacobi, alias Edgar William Vaughn, alias William Edgar Bright. A stage magician-turned-crimelord. He fought most of the costumed adventurers up through the 1970's, which he spent in jail. At some point during that time, he worked for Dimensional Developments, where he was given cancer. In 1985 he was killed by Veidt to frame Rorschach. Appearances: issue #2, issue #4, issue #5.

MOTHMAN (?-?): Byron Lewis. He became a costumed hero in 1939, and joined the Minutemen, remaining with them until they split up in '49. He was investigated by HUAC in the early '50's, and had trouble before he was cleared; this marked the start of his drinking problem, which he never got over. He eventually wound up in a sanitarium in Maine. Appearances: issue #2, issue #9.

NITE OWL I (1916-1985): Hollis Mason. His father worked at an auto repair shop. In 1938 he became a police officer. After reading about Hooded Justice, he decided to become a costumed vigilante. He became Nite Owl in 1939, and joined the Minutemen, remaining with them until they disbanded in 1949. He testified before HUAC in the early '50's, and was cleared quickly because of his police force background. In 1962, he retired from superheroics to run an auto shop, and write his autobiography, Under the Hood. Dan Dreiberg got permission from him to continue his name, and they became friends. In 1985 he was murdered by a gang, who confused him with the second Nite Owl after the Rorschach jailbreak. Appearances: issue #1, issue #4, issue #8, issue #9.

NITE OWL II (?-?): Daniel Dreiberg. His father was a banker and left him a good deal of money, but he was interested in "birds and airplanes and mythology." He got degrees in aeronautics and zoology at Harvard. In the early '60's, he took on the identity of Nite Owl from Hollis Mason, who he became friends with. In 1965 he teamed with Rorschach to fight the Underboss, and in 1966 he was at the meeting of the Crimebusters. He retired in 1977 at the time of the Keene Act, devoting his time to writing papers for ornithology journals. In 1985 he was drawn back in after theComedian's death, working with Silk Spectre (whom he fell in love with) to break Rorschach from prison, and eventually confronting Veidt with the truth about his plans. Following that, he took on the identity of Sam Hollis. Appearances: issue #1, issue #2, issue #3, issue #4, issue #5, issue #6, issue #7, issue #8, issue #9, issue #10, issue #11, issue #12.

NIXON, RICHARD (1913-?): 38th president of the U.S., from 1968 on. He was the first president to involve Dr. Manhattan in domestic and foreign affairs, leading to a nation-wide prosperity and victory in Vietnam. This led to an amendment repealing the 22nd Amendment, allowing him to serve unlimited terms. His use of Dr. Manhattan in Vietnam led to the anti-mask movement. Appearances: issue #3, issue #10.

OZYMANDIAS (1939-?): Adrian Veidt. Born to immigrant parents, he was a genius at an early age. At the age of 17, following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, he went to Turkey, following his route throughout Europe and Asia. In Alexandria, he had a revelation, taking on the identity of Ozymandias to fight crime. Following the meeting of the Crimebusters in 1966, he realized that dangers far worse than crime faced mankind, and he embarked upon a plan to save the world. His corporation, Veidt, produces virtually everything, from cosmetics to tennis shoes. He developed the patent for the spark hydrant to fund Dimensional Developments. His plan eventually led to the plot of the series, the death of the Comedian and Moloch (among others), the departure of Dr. Manhattan, and eventual harmony among the superpowers (in theory). Appearances: issue #1, issue #2, issue #4, issue #5, issue #7, issue #10, issue #11, issue #12.

PHANTOM (?-1985?): Nite Owl I's dog. Appearances: issue #1, issue #8.

RORSCHACH (1940-1985): Walter Joseph Kovacs. His mother was a prostitute, and his father is unknown. He was taken from his mother in 1951 after viciously attacking two bullies, and stayed in a home until 1956, when he became a garment worker. In 1964, after reading about the death of Kitty Genovese, he took up the identity of Rorschach, later partnering with Nite Owl II in 1965. He was at the meeting of the Crimebusters in 1966. In 1975, he experienced a change of philosophy after investigating the Roche kidnapping. In 1977, he was the only non-government sponsored vigilante not to retire after the Keene Act. In 1985, he worked to investigate the events following the Blake murder, and was framed by Veidt for murdering Moloch and arrested, being broken out of prison by Nite Owl and Silk Spectre. Eventually, with Nite Owl, he worked out the truth and confronting Veidt. He was killed by Dr. Manhattan to prevent his spreading the truth about the "alien invasion." Appearances: issue #1, issue #2, issue #3, issue #4, issue #5, issue #6, issue #7, issue #8, issue #9, issue #10, issue #11, issue #12.

ROTH, DOUG (?-?): Writer for Nova Express. He interviewed Ozymandias in 1975, and was sent the Dr. Manhattan "cancer list" by Veidt to set up Dr. Manhattan to leave Earth. Appearances: issue #3.

SEYMOUR (?-?): Hector Godfrey's assistant. Appearances: issue #8, issue #11, issue #12.

SHEA, MAX (?-1985): A writer, originally writing comic books such as Tales of the Black Freighter, who went to fiction and wrote Fogdancing. He wound up on the island for the alien project, and was killed when the boat blew up. Appearances: issue #8, issue #10.

SHEXNAYDER, LAURENCE (?-?): Sally Jupiter's agent. He married her in 1947 and divorced her in 1956 after finding out she'd slept with the Comedian. Appearances: issue #9.

SILHOUETTE (?-1946): Ursula Zandt. She became a crimefighter in 1939, and joined the Minutemen. In 1946 she was expelled from the group when it was publicly revealed that she was a lesbian; two weeks later she and her lover were killed by an adversary seeking revenge. Appearances: issue #2.

SILK SPECTRE I (1921-?): Sally Jupiter, nee Juspeczyk. She changed her name to hide her Polish heritage. A former waitress and burlesque dancer, she became a crimefighter in early 1939 on the advice of her agent, Laurence Shexnayder. She was a member of the Minutemen; the Comedian was expelled from the group after attempting to rape her. She left the team and retired in 1947 to marry Shexnayder. At some point, probably in 1948, Silk Swingers of Suburbia, a bad film about her career, was released. She slept with the Comedian in 1948 or 1949, and their daughter, Laurie, was born in 1949. She groomed Laurie to carry on in her footsteps. At some point she moved to the Nepenthe Gardens retirement village in California. Appearnces: issue #2, issue #8, issue #9, issue #11, issue #12.

SILK SPECTRE II (1949-?): Laurie Juspeczyk. Her mother was Sally Jupiter, the original Silk Spectre; her father was the Comedian (although her mother was married to Laurence Shexnayder until 1956). All her life she was brought up to be a superhero, and she began in 1966 around the time of the first meeting of the Crimebusters. Shortly thereafter she fell in love with Dr. Manhattan and moved in with him. In 1977 she retired following the Keene Act. In 1985 Dr. Manhattan left Earth, and she moved in with Dan Dreiberg, eventually falling in love with him. She and Dreiberg broke Rorschach from prison, following which Dr. Manhattan took her to Mars, where she realized the truth about her father. They returned to Earth shortly after the "alien attack," going to Antarctica to confront Veidt. After that, she took up the identity of Sandra Hollis. Appearances: issue #1, issue #2, issue #3, issue #4, issue #5, issue #6, issue #7, issue #8, issue #9, issue #11, issue #12.

SLATER, JANEY (?-?): She worked at Gila Flats, where she met and fell in love with Dr. Manhattan; she left him in 1966 when he fell for Laurie Juspeczyk. She worked at some point for Dimensional Developments, where she was given cancer. Appearances: issue #3, issue #4.

WEAVER, WALLY (1937-1971): "Dr. Manhattan's buddy," who worked with him at Gila Flats, later worked at Dimensional Developments, and died of cancer in 1971. Appearances: issue #4.

Watchmen is a trademark of DC Comics Inc., © 1999. These annotations © 1995 by Doug Atkinson. They may be freely copied and distributed, provided the text is not altered.
The annotations are maintained at this location by R.J. White.