Although it is a superhero story, in the Watchmen graphic novel there is no clear statement about who should be considered a hero and who must be considered a villain. Rather, there is a spectrum of morally gray characters, and what is considered a good or bad action is significantly transformed depending on each character's perception. By examining the contradictory beliefs and actions of three Watchmen characters, Dr. Manhattan, Rorschach, and Ozymandias, we can see that the novel creates a complex and often ambiguous world intended to subvert the narratives of pure, morally good superheroes that have preceded. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayDr. Manhattan does not view things as good or bad, but simply as meaningless events in a never-ending timeline, and therefore allows injustices to occur without concern. In Vietnam, when Dr. Manhattan sees the comedian about to shoot a pregnant woman, he says, "Blake doesn't do it." . .” (56) and “. . . do it. »(57) is carried over to the next panel. The placement of this dialogue makes it seem like Dr. Manhattan is telling Blake to do it in the second panel, the same panel where we see his gun fire. Seeing the duality of Dr. Manhattan telling Blake "don't" then "do it" blurs the meaning of his words and allows us to consider that perhaps he really didn't care about stopping Blake. While he doesn't support Blake, he's also not horrified like a normal human would be. Blake points out that Dr. Manhattan was fully capable of stopping him if he really wanted to, making him just as responsible for the pregnant woman's death. Dr. Manhattan's apathy and flimsy attempt to oppose Blake shows the truth of his disregard for human life. In the final chapter of Watchmen, Ozymandias asks Dr. Manhattan if he ultimately did the right thing and Dr. Manhattan responds, “Nothing ever ends” (409). What is considered good and what is considered bad depends on the effects those things have. From Dr. Manhattan's point of view, human suffering has no effect on the universe and therefore does not matter. By saying, “Nothing ever ends” (409), he explains that there is no meaning or final purpose to all human action. He neither encourages nor condemns Ozymandias' actions with this statement, but remains neutral, much like the universe itself. These two scenes are examples of how Dr. Manhattan's superhuman perception of the world creates a disconnect from human morality, leading him to allow injustices to occur. Rorschach has an extremely rigid moral stance which he applies in his vigilante work. His mask itself is a symbol of this. “Black and white. Mobile. Change shape. . . but no mixing. No gray. »(188). The binary of black and white is the same as the binary of good and evil in Rorschach's mind. His simplistic way of speaking also reflects his simplistic way of categorizing the world into good and evil. Interestingly, Rorschach's vocation to fight crime comes not from the belief that he is morally superior and therefore qualified to judge the world, but from hatred and guilt for the evils of which humans are capable . “I took the remains of the dress that I no longer wanted. . . and I made a face that I could stand to look at in the mirror. (188). Here, Rorschach talks about the creation of his mask, and we see that becoming a vigilante was a sort of atonement for him. He can't bear to look at himself in the mirror like a normal person and.