First, I must say I was surprised that I enjoyed reading Watchmen. Even though I never opened a comic book before, I somehow managed to have a preconceived bias. I spent a lot of time getting through to the end and still, I feel that I could use another sit-down with the novel to fully grasp the story.

That being said – I was not surprised to find that there are many apocalyptic themes woven into Moore’s story. Besides the obvious symbols such as the signs saying “The End is Nigh”, the characters also play traditional (and not-so traditional) apocalyptic roles. Adrian Veidt is considered the world’s smartest man, convinces the entire country that he is a superhero, and that Jon is behind the destruction of the world. Definite antichrist material. Still, the characters are so complex and there are many more of these themes (which I’m sure we will discuss more in class). But, what stuck out to me the most was the role of sexuality in Moore’s story.

From the beginning, Rorshach bluntly states that he is on a mission to clean up America’s image and get rid of pornography and promiscuity. Even in the Watchmen’s first meeting, they think about how significant the problem has become in America and that “it takes a moron to think they’re small enough for clowns like you guys to handle.” In fact, the problem has become so big in their eyes that, in the third chapter of “Under the Hood”, we learn about the Silhouette’s lesbian relationship which causes her and her partner’s murder. The “problem” of promiscuity has been a regular characteristic of a society that is close to the end. We learned about Girolamo Savonarola who criticized sodomy and sexual excessiveness in an effort to have Florence become the New Jerusalem and Jezebel, the false prophet in the Book of Revelation who has become a symbol of promiscuity. More recently, this “problem” can be seen in the religious characterization of the AIDS epidemic as a direct effect of promiscuity especially in the gay community. In Rorshach’s journal on October 16, 1985 we see images of prostitutes and a sign that says “Tonite: Enola Gay and the Little Boys.” Enola Gay was the codename for the plane that dropped the atomic bomb, or the “Little Boy”, on Hiroshima. It is quite intriguing that Moore chose to tie a set of names that refers to massive destruction with a live sex-show. It highlights the destructive power that Rorshach (and many religious Americans today) view promiscuity to cause. Furthermore, Laurey and her superhero mother are also sexualized in the story. Laurey’s mother is raped by the Comedian and she still forgives him (we later find out it is because Laurey came out of the situation). Although Jon has the odd power to split himself up, the cartoon of Laurey in bed with multiple naked blue men lends itself to a strangely promiscuous image and Laurey is definitely disgusted by it. When news comes out that Jon can’t relate to his female partners sexually, the men on the street say “That means he’s queer as a three-dollar bill” – an ultimate insult to his masculinity. These promiscuous images and messages play in the background of the story as a reminder of an end that the Watchmen’s society think they’re reaching.