Given that it’s been roughly a week since the release of DC’s Rebirth, and the general plot has been out and about, I’m safe to assume this is no longer within the realm of spoilers. However, there might be a few who haven’t read the book yet, so if you haven’t you may want to reconsider reading this.
Still here? Great! Let’s continue, shall we?
The ending of the one shot issue Rebirth brought the Watchmen universe into the main DC canon, an interesting decision, if not one some would call controversial. Personally, I felt this was an excellent way to bring the two together without relinquishing the importance of one for the other.
Yet, there is one major issue that will need to be addressed; how to defeat Dr. Manhattan. Dr. Manhattan is a major character in the Watchmen series by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins. Of all the “superheroes” in the story, Manhattan is the one who actually has powers. Technically Ozymandias showed above human abilities, but one could argue he underwent the process similar to Captain America.
Still, Dr. Manhattan comes with a multitude of powers that makes him a real pickle to handle in a fight. Just checking his abilities on Wikipedia is astounding, and a tad intimidating. The guy has all the traditional set of superpowers and can walk on the sun, has a full perception of time, can live outside of time and space, and has no need for food or water.
Not someone you can pin down and force him to say “Uncle.”
Alan Moore made this guy into a blue nude god in order to help emulate how having such powers can literally divorce a person from their own family and friends. Dr. Manhattan is a tragic figure in the Watchmen’s series because the freak accident that gave him his powers figuratively ended his life.
It is easy to see how this would make Dr. Manhattan cold, unfeeling and even ruthless, a perfect opponent to the DC heroes. But how they’re going to overcome this guy is definitely a mind puzzler given how he’s got mastery over virtually every power that’s been thought up.
What do you guys think about the problem? How do you think Dr. Manhattan could be defeated?
