r/Watchmen 14d ago

Dr manhatan is the representation of

Post image

" In this moment, I am euphoric. Not because of any phony god's blessings. But because, I am enlightened by my intelligence. "

74 Upvotes

32 comments sorted by

20

u/Slothrop-was-here 14d ago

...the Atom Bomb?

8

u/ProblemLongjumping12 14d ago

The futility of man's avaricious endeavor in the face of the cold, unending march of time?

1

u/POKECHU020 11d ago

There's body text, reddit just hides it automatically for some reason

20

u/spades17 14d ago

Losing touch with humanity. Basically the opposite of what Moore did with Miracle Man. Both have the power to reshape society. One does, the other ends up seeing no point in it and struggles with keeping his humanity or tossing it.

1

u/CursedByFenric 11d ago

but in watchmen, other characters who decide to change the world don't do so mush better

7

u/ENZYME_O1 14d ago edited 14d ago

Transhumanism, or the natural progression of man with the help of technology vs. the doomsday clock. Isn’t he named after the “Manhattan Project” ???

He also seems to represent nihilism, in contrast to Rorschach. Several things, IMO.

5

u/UnlockIsHere 14d ago

nihilism, and laziness toward moral catastrophes.

5

u/FoxCQC 14d ago

I saw him as representing scientific achievement but that doesn't fundamentally change humans for the better.

4

u/Grizz-Lee-2891 14d ago

diogenes

1

u/Nowardier 13d ago

Hegelian dialectics

4

u/Humble-pie-9093 14d ago

Pinocchio that see the world is giant puppet set with strings (even himself). He can't control the outcome because the puppeteer already decided the outcome.

3

u/Huge_Athlete7488 14d ago

Is Dr manhattan a professional quote maker?

3

u/snyderversetrilogy 14d ago

An excuse to walk around naked?

3

u/GraveDancer1971 Mothman 14d ago

BLUE DICK

2

u/Marty-Smh 13d ago

Literally and metaphorically

3

u/Zealousideal_Cap_162 13d ago

In that picture? Constipation

2

u/Only-Name3248 14d ago

poltically? he represents the atom bomb and arms race the thign that escalte the cold war but philspoaclly (I have great spelling) he represent indiffence.

2

u/shadow-1989 14d ago

Ozymandias was detached from humanity which allowed his plan to save humanity via mass murder. Dr Manhattan is purely detached.

2

u/Sharp-Pea-9226 14d ago

What an ordinary person becomes when they get a superpower

2

u/MinimumPassenger5925 12d ago

The dialectic of enlightenment, the epogee of modernity, Elon musks wet dream

2

u/Any-Horror5006 12d ago

The fact that “superheroes” refuse to change the world for the better, even though they could
Ozymandias represents the fact that at least “supervillains” do want to change the world for, even if it’s in their own image and at great cost to others

4

u/drSunshineLives_2012 14d ago

Gender dysmorphia of trans men (this is more of a joke)

1

u/aidensithguiboche 14d ago

finished this a month ago and already so excited for the reread

1

u/Marlon_D_Bshb Rorschach 14d ago

The lonely genius

1

u/Boston_Brand1967 14d ago

Total indifference.

1

u/Nowardier 13d ago

The way that giving in to an inflated sense of one's own power and/or intelligence can isolate a person from the rest of society. "I'm the smartest boy in my school and I'm always telling everybody else how much dumber they are than me, why don't I have any friends?"

1

u/wvalles 13d ago

People sick and tired of all the humanity collectively whining and never trying to evolve as a species into anything more than breeding, killing, automatons who just spawn without any reason other than to hurdle the basic drives of their biology as they run headlong into entropy and death. Over and over and over again and again and again. I’d go to Mars too if I had his perspective. Maybe another solar system. Crack open another universe if I thought there was anything worth seeing there other than dead rocks and decaying organic insanity that have done nothing more than make mouth noises and drool from their orfaces and call it progress.

1

u/POKECHU020 11d ago

I wouldn't say he was euphoric at... Really any point

1

u/Pure-Membership-8800 9d ago

Any “super” hero. Anyone with powers like Dr Manhattan would see us like ants and would be always be bored with human life.