Characters and Setting

Rorschach/ Walter Kovacs- Rorschach is the last of the masked vigilantes that is still active.

Nite Owl II/ Dan Dreiberg- One of the many retired superheros. Dan feels that his glory days are over ever since he retired from crime fighting.

Silk Spectre II/ Laurie Juspesczyk- Dr. Manhattan's long time girlfriend. She often makes reference to her mother whom she dislikes, the original Silk Spectre. She is glad that the Keene Act which outlawed superheros is in place.

Dr. Manhattan/ Jon Osterman- He is a scientist that has supernatural powers, and is employed by the U.S. Government. In 1959 he was caught in a

Intrinsic Field Subtractor that which caused he him to gain powers.

The Comedian/ Edward Blake- The Comedian was the second superhero who was employed by the government. He is murdered at the beginning of the story. He was not a well liked man, and tried to rape Laurie's mother years ago.

Ozymandias/ Adrian Veidt- Is supposedly the smartest man in the world at the time. He is also a retired superhero who has devoted the rest of his life to his enterprise.

The story is set in an alternate history of 1985 New York during the tense social climate of the Cold War. Due to a series of superhero instigated changes to modern history, Richard Nixon is still President of the United States, serving his fifth term in office. Vietnam was won and the Watergate Scandal was never uncovered. The existence of costumed crime fighters has been a part of American culture since the early thirties, though they now have little place in modern society. The city has become grimy and eroded due to the instability of the previous decade. The people have met a similar fate, as the threat of nuclear war looms closer to them every day.