Portrait of a Hero

    The graphic novel Watchmen, created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, with its rich language, its dense and interwoven themes, and its relationship between words and images, serve to question our notions of what is heroic. In short, the story is set in 1985 and accounts the alternative history of the United States where the U.S. moves alarmingly closer to nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Within this world exists regular individuals who, by motive or chance, decide to wear costumes, fight crime in New York City, and try to eliminate the catastrophes that could possibly strike the city. However, some of these characters, like Rorschach and the Comedian, often appear more violent than the criminals they battle, ultimately, correlating an idea of what constitutes justice, and whether a vigilante can really represent justice and an emblematic ‘hero.’

    The word ‘hero’ conjures up a very particular image in the mind of many readers: a Superman type figure, flying high, and performing heroic acts, ultimately, creating an individual regarded as a model or ideal. Many people, such as myself, have viewed superheroes in the traditional sense; individuals who supplement law enforcement efforts to fight crime by using their extraordinary ability to protect the public and the greater good. Whether one looks at Batman, Superman, or Spiderman, each one of these heroes stands for ideals greater than themselves. “All of these characters, despite their various powers and realms, have one thing in common - they are model visions of ‘the good guy,’” says Jamie A. Hughes, author of “’Who Watches the Watchmen?’: Ideology and ‘Real World’ Superheroes.” That is to say, many of these ‘heroes’ virtually fight crime and corruption in the name of perfect justice (Hughes 546). They use their fervor and determination to defy the odds and strive to make things better for the community around them, ultimately, making selflessness a key trait for a hero (Hughes 547). Contrary to that, can a character whose passion in life is geared towards benefiting the greater society, but who often appears more violent than the vigilantes he or she seizes, still be considered a ‘hero‘?

    While Watchmen follows the perspectives of several vigilantes, the most fascinating may be Walter Kovacs, or Rorschach; a man with a mysterious ink-blot mask and even more mysterious persona, who will go to any length to make sure justice is carried out, even if it means jeopardizing one’s well being. Every so often, characters such as Rorschach are criticized for their heroic display to eradicate the world of evil and corruption, because of the jeopardizing of other peoples’ well-being and legacy. In his view, criminals escape justice in its purest form, whether its because of failed police work or corruption, ultimately, causing him to hunt down these criminals himself. “Rorschach does not disregard the law, but works above it,” says Christian Gibney, student at University of Connecticut, and author of “Profile of a Hero: Rorschach” (1). In other words, society has established their morals in relationship to the laws developed; Rorschach, however, goes beyond that by praising good and punishing bad (Gibney 2). Undoubtedly, Rorschach’s heroism stems from his resistance from public corruption and opinion. Although, Rorschach’s enforcement for justice might at times seem cruel because of the way he hunts down vigilantes, he still maintains a passion in life geared towards benefiting the greater society.

    Throughout Watchmen, Rorschach, wanted by the police for his murder of several criminals, investigates the killing of another former vigilante, the Comedian. In chorus, Rorschach makes it his duty to warn several other fellow retired masked heroes that their lives may be in danger. Amongst these masked heroes are, the Nite Owl, Silk Specter, Dr. Manhattan, and Ozymandias. Unsurprisingly, the former superheroes do not take Rorschach’s warnings seriously. Thus, complicating matters further, because soon after this, an assassination attempt is made against Dr. Manhattan’s life, the novel’s only actual super-powered being and America’s main nuclear preventative. Afterwards, Dr. Manhattan decides to leave Earth for Mars after being suspected of causing the cancer of his old friends. Around this time Rorschach is set up for the murder of a retired villain and ends up getting arrested. Consequently, making him powerless, but still persistent on halting the havoc that could possibly hit the world. He resiliently ignores the corrupt authority and the criticism he receives from the public in order to do what he knows is right. Also, around this time, the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union mounts and nuclear war becomes more of a noticeable possibility. As a result, Nite Owl and Silk Specter decide to persist with Rorschach’s investigation and bust him out of prison. Furthermore, all three trace the web of conspiracy of the superhero killer to its center. By the end, the characters learn of Ozymandius’s plan to prevent nuclear war and create the world in his ideal way; therefore causing him to try to take out the Watchmen.

    In the midst of all this, Rorschach demonstrated how he would sacrifice the whole world if it meant punishing the actions of one wicked man: Ozymandius. In the end, although Rorschach had to make some dubious decisions and had to act violently, his concentration and determination were irrefutably geared towards the greater good. From the beginning of the story Rorschach makes his responsibility to warn the several other fellow retired masked heroes that not only their lives may be in danger, but the fate of New York. Within this, he works diligently to stop either from occurring, and because of this he encounters some difficulties, ultimately, causing him to associate his persistence with some violent forcefulness.

    Heroes will work tirelessly to improve the greater good even when it comes at a deadly cost to those that stand in their way, and throughout the graphic-novel; Rorschach embodies this trait of an emblematic hero. He is the person who, despite the circumstances, does not walk way from confrontation or the mystery of who is killing the Watchmen, but continues to find out. “While some other characters view him as a half crazed man who cares little for society, the reverse can be true” (Hughes 552). His persistence of saving the world from utter chaos, in a way, sacrifices his life, and for that idea it brings about his heroism.

    To fully understand Rorschach, it is essential to analyze the incident that turned him into the aggressive vigilante that he became. During the wee hours of March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was coming back from work when she unexpectedly ran into a killer on the street, a few feet from her apartment. She was repeatedly stabbed as she yelled out for help; but among the thirty-eight witnesses that viewed the event, not one did a thing to help her. Kitty Genovese died that night from her numerous injuries. In Watchmen, Rorschach asserts how he was enraged by the murder of Kitty Genovese, and the unresponsiveness and selfishness of the thirty-eight witnesses that watched her die (Gibney 2). How could there be thirty-eight witnesses to this ruthless murder and not one of them called for help? From that moment on, Rorschach pledged to bring criminals and those who allowed this chaos in society to justice. In this sense, although Rorschach often appears more violent than the criminals he battles, he isn’t simply just a character that is mentally ill, morally uncompromising, and filled with immoral behavior, but rather an unanticipated hero, who’s fighting for justice.

    To understand Rorschach’s view of the law; we must understand how law does not limit his moral boundaries, and how “morality supersedes law” (Gibney 4). In Rorschach’s eyes, if there is any type of wrongdoing, the wrongdoing, under any circumstances, must be punished. In today’s world, Rorschach would firmly disagree with the “innocent before proven guilt” laws; where possible offenders must be tried in court before a jury, and if there is not sufficient considerable evidence to prove them guilty, then they’re free. In Rorschach’s view this is ridiculous, if he knows someone has committed a crime, they must be subject to punishment. His mantra is best demonstrated as “there is good and there is evil, and evil must be punished. Even in the face of Armageddon I shall not compromise” (Moore Ch. 1 pg. 24). In essence, “if the law must be broken to preserve justice, then so be it” (Gibney 4). No crime can go unnoticed; therefore, Rorschach demonstrates how morality must supersede law, while maintaining the intentions for the greater society.

    Ultimately, heroes will fight for justice and will voluntarily risk their lives to protect all of those that justice protects, the good people in society; despite having to often act more violent than their enemies. A hero, such as Rorschach, will do the unpopular task in order to make sure justice prevails. Rather than going out in the world and trying to encapsulate “good,” Rorschach instead went out and made a change. He saw that something was wrong with the world, and decided to not succumb to the public corruption and the wrongness that the world encapsulated. Rorschach lived and died by his own rules; never compromising to the unjust political system whatsoever. While his sense of morality provoked his radical ideals, fighting for his ideas and risking his life brings about his heroism. Not only did he uphold his own freedoms, but he protected the rights of everyone who had been living in nearby harmony. “All of his motivations and intentions were directed for the good of society, which is the essence of heroism” (Gibney 7). In the end, Rorschach served to question our notions of what a hero really is, by often appearing more violent than the criminals he battled, but still keeping the interest of the rest of the world as his primary motive.

Works Cited:

Gibney, Christian. “Profile of a Hero: Rorschach.” University of Connecticut. 23 April 2012.     Web. <freshmanenglish.uconn.edu/student0s/10.Gibney.PDF>

Hughes, Jamie A. " ‘Who Watches the Watchmen?’: Ideology and ‘Real World’ Superheroes "     The Journal of Popular Culture 39.4 (2006): 546-57. Print.

Moore, Alan, and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen. New York: DC Comics, 1987. Print.